Stephen Harper: The New King of Patronage

[ClassicShowbiz]

Another slick video Warren.

[pkarza]

Hmmmm... and the liberals keep their promises...

We still have the GST and we had to give the 50 billion bailout because IGGY wanted it.

Bring it on... we'll have another election next year with your next Liberal leader.

[bbg5000]

The major problems with our parties now, as I see them, are simple..

1. The liberals don't know how to play opposition.

2. The conservatives don't know how to play leader.

3. The NDP and Bloc don't vote with their party's ideals, but rather as a deal breaker, a power grab. The liberals gotta stop making EVERYTHING an election issue, and than backing down. The conservative must learn to compromise. The NDP and Bloc should follow their parties platform, ideals.

[Gillhoolee]

You seem confused as to how a parliamentary system should work. A Minority Government suxh as the one headed by Mr. Harper should try and avoid votes of confidence. If you recall he was the person stamping everything as a confidence vote....that was until the 3 Parties called his bluff and he ran to the GG for an election. Let's not over look the fact, he was never even defeated in the House of Commons .

[bbg5000]

Did you even read my post? And if you remember, the liberals under Iggy, have done nothing but yell and scream, throw a tantrum, and then back down. And the three parties ran to the GG for a power grab. But that didn't work for em.

[Gillhoolee]

You , like Mr. Harper seem to want to ignore the FACT all MP's are equal- even the 'Separatist' BLOC. Harper is the one who 'yelled and screamed' about the Separatists to save his own ass.

They didn't fall from the sky - they came from government & a large share from a conservative gov't,

He screwed an opportunity for their return & trampled the will of the people whom our MP's represent. If the opposition ran to the GG it was with more ELECTED MP's than 'no balls' Harper,

[bbg5000]

MP's from different parties with different platforms. I have no problem with coalitions. But the circumstances of it all. We just came out of an election, the back room deals, the lack of any strong leader among the coalition. It was a total power grab. It wasn't about doing what is best for the people. It was about political advancement, nothing else. The problem I have with the NDP/Bloc, when there is a minority government, they don't vote for what they believe.

[whiskers123]

What about the Liberals? They are the ones supporting every single thing the conservatives pass. The saddest part is the Liberals going "No we wont support this" over and over and all of a sudden when it is time to vote... oh they supported it. This is disgusting and antidemocratic. The Liberals hated Bill C-15 yet they supported it anyway, atleast the Bloc and NDP actually stand for what they say they stand for.

[rinygrin]

Agreed!

[bbg5000]

And the GG has the say. She chose Harper over the coalition. That's just as legit as the coalition vying for power.

[thedude3092]

Harper tried the EXACT same coaltion in 2004 when Paul Martin was PM. It's so convenient that conservatives ignore that

[Gillhoolee]

The point is a REAL LEADER would not have had to hide behind the GG's skirt!

What unfolded was brought about by Harper himself and no one else.

The fact is our Parliamentary democracy was suspended as were the rights of our elected officials in an unprecedented move in Canadian history and done so to support a lame duck PM.

Harper treated the BLOC as second class-no doubt a prelude to they way he classifies all Canadians at home & abroad. Canada doesn't need him!

[whiskers123]

To be honest, Liberals, Conservatives. They are so much alike does it even make a difference? When will the Canadian people wake up and see the two party's are currupt and its about time we start giving other parties some more power. At the very least it will make the liberals and conservatives relize they have to start doing the will of the people.

[medhatalberta]

This is a pretty lame video. I'm not a Conservative but it's easy to see how this video is unfair. Isn't Harper basically required to fill the senate seats? He asked for senate reform before but the Liberals didn't support it. This is how the system works. It's a horrible system and at least Harper says he wants change (but the Liberals are still ahead). At least Harper won't appoint Senators that oppose Senate reform which the Liberals failed miserably to achieve.

[copcorona]

2002 the senate studied Marijuana, they concluded Weed should be legalized. 2009 the Conservatives and the Liberals voted for Bill C-15 if you are caught with 6 plants you get to spend the next 6 months in Jail. Weed is safer than Alcohol or Tobacco, but the Libs and the PC's waste tax payer dollars on a counter productive prohibition.

Both parties are a waste of time.

[ThatCriticDouche]

Liberals and NDP don't do anything. All they do is vote against the PM, and make sure he looks bad so that the Conservatives don't get voted again. Then you have the Green Party that try too hard to shove environmentalism down our throats, and the Bloc who are just there. Conservatives are basically the ONLY ones who do anything, so who else is there really to trust?

[whiskers123]

The liberals support almost all of the conservatives bills. Otherwise we would be having elections. Right now we have a de-facto Liberal-Conservative coalition. The NDP has not been given much of a chance to do anything, and the job of the opposition is to question all of the majority parties decisions so the Canadian people can get both sides of the story. Both the Liberals and the NDP are doing a very poor job at that.

If we had a coalition government the NDP and Liberals would be doing more.

[sknnyboy]

A coalition is an admission of defeat for the Libs. The Natural Governing party cannot be seen to be making horse deals. And Iggy is right to avoid that situation, desptite the semi-permanent stale-mate. Does he want to climb into bed with the car salesman and the separatists?

[whiskers123]

A coalition government is a democratic process done all over the world. The majority of European nations have coalition governments all the time and they have a very simular system fo government as we do. Their is nothing wrong with forming a coalition it is simply a part of the democratic process. I think coming into the last election many of us were expecting a NDP - Liberal coalition but that did not happen. Also the bloc would not have to be a part of the coalition, just support its budget.

[bbg5000]

The problem with a NDP/Liberal coalition is that the parties publicly denounce each others policies as evil. Then to get in bed with one another, and say how great each others' policies are, it turns people away. It's more of a power grab, especially with the NDP. Whether the intention of the failed coalition attempt of the NDP/Liberals was for the good of Canada or for their own advancement is debatable. But there were a lot of back room deals. If they want a coalition, more transparency.

[whiskers123]

Well that may sound like a problem, but now we have something much worse. The Liberals pretending to be an opposition party, and then supporting every measure the conservatives can throw at them. The liberals even supported the conservatives on Bill C-15! The Liberals are trying to convince Canadians they are a left leaning party yet we see them supporting everything the conservatives do. The Liberals should have more in common with the NDP than the conservatives... should they not?

[bbg5000]

This is why Harper wants senate reform, because this happens with all appointments made by PMs. He's the PM, this is his job. If you don't want him appointing senators, then tell your liberal senators to pass through the legislation that allows for senate elections, like we do in Alberta (more or less). But complaining and saying he broke a promise, you're all so ignorant, looking at the small picture. You're like fucking American's. I bet you think we're socialists too!

[sknnyboy]

I'm sorry, but if anyone in Canada is like the "fucking Americans" it's you Albertans. You idiot, Harper doesn't want Senate reform. Canada is essentially a left of centre country in our beliefs, values and politics. An elected senate would reflect that. Or have you not noticed that Harper can't form a majority government to save his life. Third time's a charm. In the next election, if he doesn't outright lose it, Harper will have yet another minority and will have to resign.

[bbg5000]

He wont resign. And each election brings him a step closer to a majority. Harper has been trying to get an elected senate. The liberals don't want one. The NDP don't either. So they are going against the tide on this. If they don't fill the senate with Conservatives who want reform, like they are doing, if they happen to lose an election, that'll give the liberals a clear majority. They could pass anything they wanted through the house and the senate with nothing stopping them.

[sknnyboy]

"Each step?" There won't be any more steps. In politics you only get a few chances to prove yourself, and Harper has proved himself to be extremely unpopular. If you look at the percentage that actually voted for him, you can see that this will not change enough to make a difference. Buh-bye.

[bbg5000]

And being from Alberta doesn't make me similar to American's at all. On the provincial level, I am more of a liberal. And under Stelmach, I definitely take the Liberal side. Hell, I'd vote for the Bloc before Stelmach. Federally, I lean more towards Harpers views. Layton and the NDP don't have a backbone. They are weasels. Under Dion, the liberals were in shambles, and Ignatieff has not yet set a clear direction, they are still all talk no play. Harper's the only one who's shown any direction.

[medhatalberta]

You make a good point bbg5000. The Liberals are the hypocrites. Harper wanted reform before (and it is needed). He has to appoint people so it only makes sense to appoint people that are supportive of reform. The Liberals are avoiding the truth. They have done the exact same thing except they don't want reform because they still have more. They are showing absolutely no principle on this issue at all... It's a fancy video but it lacks substance

[sknnyboy]

I think with a little digging you'll find that the Libs actually appointed people with merit, unlike the sorry bunch of inexperienced idiots Harper has come up with. His former communications director? Please! A former hockey player who has no interest in politics? And during the last round, a very young man with a cloud of sexual harassment following him around? Well done, Mr. Elected Senate!

[medhatalberta]

I am well aware of this fact. Although not all of the liberal appointments were of considerable merit either.

He's filling up the senate with senators that are willing to reform the Senate (8 year term is one example). It's the only way that can be done. The Liberals were too power hungry to do it when they had a chance. (I'm not a conservative, but the Liberal's hypocrisy on this issue is incredible).

[sknnyboy]

Those of you knocking the Liberals have missed the point, as usual: the hypocrisy. The Libs never campaigned on Senate reform, they never promised not to appoint. Harper is the most dishonest and hypocritical Pm this country has ever seen. Well, we voted for him, so for the time being, we deserve what we've got. The real danger is in a Con majority, then we're really screwed by the liars.

[bbg5000]

The most dishonest and hypocritical? The fact of the matter is, Harper wants a democratic senate. The liberals do not. They vote down any reform attempts. They have no accountability for their actions on the senate, no matter who WE elect into power. To bring senate reform, we need conservatives in the senate to pass that legislation. The libs threaten election, so they had to appoint, or risk losing any chance of senate reform if they lose.

[wayne250953006]

Do you really think any of them no matter what party they are from. I watched an interview with Mulrooneys Deputy Priminster years ago after he stepped down. Two questions the interviewer asked him were #1 Why did you step down as Mulrooneys Deputy Priminster and he replied - I HAD A CONSCIENCE #2  question was - How many honest politicians in Ottawa - His reply - YOU WONT LAST LONG !!1 That tells it all -

[raynus1]

A patronage critique...coming from a liberal.

Hilarious.

[AbdultheImpailler]

eliminate the Senate all together and this bullshit will end forever

[brokenbrainz1]

I noticed you failed to mention all 27 of these senators agreed to step down or face election when the time comes.

Fact is we need more conservatives in the senate because the Libs in there are blocking senate reform. Its good to know the Liberal party of Canada apparently dislikes democracy.

I mean, if you want a left wing party, there are better choices then "The Natural Governing Party". That knick name says plenty about them.

[tinfoilfry]

Thanks for the info. Again, we the people get screwed.

[a63975]

The Libs did this for years. Nothing has changed. Until we have an elected Senate it will be more of the same old shit.