Coalition Rally in Vancouver: Peter Julian speech

[Neurolanis]

Don't be stupid. Harper did not win the election, he got in by default. He is not Conservative either, he is the Reform side of the Progressive-Conservatives. The Conservatives are being repressed in the party and are getting fed up with Harper. Reforism is the extreme right, Fascism. They literally believe in privatising everything away from government control so that the wealthy control everything. Reforism is politcal greed and equals suffering for the people. We need to educate ourselves.

[yourstuffiscrazy]

I will never vote NDP again!

[yourstuffiscrazy]

LOL coalitions wants to keep riding on the backs of taxpayers; remember the sponsorship scandal...the ignorant always seem to forget...

[vaudree]

And what part in this scandal did the NDP or Peter Julian play? Remember Mulroney's envelopes full of money - remember the Cadman Affair - and remember that the only thing Harper hates more than the rights of workers is the rights of female workers! Canada elected a parliament and, unless Harper learns to play well with others, he will have the fate our Parliamentary system allows him - a seat in the corner at the back of the room. Go Coalition!

[katrinakk7]

Thanks for sharing this video! =)

[bsg1006]

Thanks Peter for your video. One of the main strengths of the Coalition is that it is inclusive of Quebec and does not write them off as "separatistes" like Harper. Just look at Charest's Liberal majority win yesterday in Quebec to know that our Canada includes Quebec.

[Wolfdeck]

I beg the Coalition to hold fast to their majority mandate from the Canadian Peoples to press forward on common policies requiring strategic and infrastructure government spending

[djheap]

Harper is hiding from Parliament because he knows he doesn't know he have the confidence of the House. Coward!

[Neurolanis]

Haper must go! We have a beautiful country and we have to protect it!

[Rjinzo]

I hear on the news many Liberal MP's are asking Dion to resign now but Dion won't comment on it. I hope in their meeting next week, ALL Liberal MP's Get Dion to step down.

Even Liberal MP's are saying Dion leading the coaltion and might be PM is NOT good considering Canadians already rejected him in the election 2 month ago.

Even the Liberal MP's know's that which is good. They understand what a lot of Canadians are thinking. Dion can not be PM. THANK YOU!! to all Liberal MP's for doing tat

[harbar3000]

This group, at least in part, says that there was a 38% vote for Harper and 62% for "the rest of us." "The rest of us" apparently includes 10% of the popular vote that went to the Bloc Quebecois. How many of the "rest of us" would side with a party that advocates the breakup of the country? Further facts:

74% did not vote for Dion, 81% did not vote for Layton, 90% did not vote for Duceppe, and 93% did not vote for May. Dion isn't welcomed as leader of his own party, not to mention the country.

[pookizegreat]

Yeaaah but that means Dion, Layton, and Duceppe had 55% of the vote, which means COMBINED they only lost 45% of the vote, which means COMBINED they were 17% ahead of Harper. Given that the idea here is for them to lead TOGETHER, it's their combined appeal that should be analyzed.

[natanyahshua]

The election was overwhelmingly framed as a referendum on Harper's government that faced a very weak opposition. People generally did not "vote against" any of the other leaders, they voted for or against the Conservatives. Also, the BQ did not run on a platform even mentioning sovereignty, but only on stopping Harper. Many of their voters do not support Quebec separatism. Your logic is invalid.

[Wolfdeck]

Bottom line - Harper went to an official appointed by royalty in a foreign country to lock out the majority of parliament who rightfully disagreed with him. I find it disdainful that royalty gets to - open and close MY parliament - at their pleasure (self-interest) and even less of the Conservatives who hid behind her apron.

[Neurolanis]

Thanks for sharing this video!!!

[Rjinzo]

A lot of Liberal MPs saying Dion can NOT lead the next Federal Election AND the coalition. Liberal MPs are having a petition to get Dion to resign!!

If you cant answer my question than you are just __________ DONT FORGET the last 2 elections both times Conservatives won..2nd time was a stronger Minority..Key word STRONGER

[Rjinzo]

For those of you who marked me a -1 before you give me a negative point..How come you cant answer my question?? Your just kidding behind a -1 answer my question!!!! If you people didnt want Harper to win why did he win? Why didnt Dion or Layton win? Answer my question!! If you people wanted Dion or Layton as PM(who ever you support) why DIDNT IT HAPPEN? WHY?? Answer me questions you cowards!!

[Rjinzo]

**Your just hiding behind a -1

[kbuzzred]

Harper "won" because his party voted him as the leader of the Conservatives.

He is PM because voters selected a larger minority Conservative MPs than any one party could compete with. These MPs along with other party members voted for Stephen Harper as their choice for a Prime Minister (not the Canadian voter).

I will however agree that the Coalition is better off with a new Liberal leader. Not that I have any huge issues with Dion, but clearly more people do including the Liberal Caucus.

[appliedinsight]

I'm an Australian and we often have coalition governments in Australia. I always thought Canada was a Westminster system. I suppose I must be wrong. A fundamental principle of the Westminster system is that the government must have the confidence of the lower house. We would think a coup had taken place if a government that has lost the confidence of our lower house (your HC)decided to keep in power.This dispute looks very bizarre to me, as it wouldn't be a controversy here or in NZ, or in ...

[juicygi]

you're right-it's very bizarre, but it should be straight forward. harper was about to lose the confidence of the house because of an abominable economic update. the HC was going to vote it down, which is democratic, constitutional, and within the provisions of canada's parliamentary system.

instead of risking a loss, he successfully appealed to the GG to suspend Parliament. cowards both i think.

coalition aside, the update should have gone to a vote-the only truly democratic thing to do.

[pookizegreat]

Er. Because the vote was split?

[natanyahshua]

To answer your question, the opposition parties all held similarly progressive platforms in stark contrast to the Cons. Under our outdated FPTP system, with 3 or 4 parties thus splitting the vote, the majority progressive vote was diluted and the minority regressive vote won. The Cons should have made a coalition but alienated the opposition enough to try forming the majority government.

[Wolfdeck]

1st past the post => minority government with a majority attitude

A national citizens assembly on electoral reform creating a proportional voting system and legitimate majority rule would utterly alter the political landscape. Check it out!

Next time the opportunity arises vote for it :-)

[glenntaylor2002]

Just a collection of union activists, first-year Poli-Sci majors and bored slogan shouters here - luckily for us, they don't represent the sentiment of most Canadians...

[kbuzzred]

As a person who works his ass off everyday in a non-unionized job, I would like to point out that you have no right to pigeon hole me or my fellow citizens into whatever fits your ideology. I met many everyday working family men and women here as well as professors, and veterans.

[kbuzzred]

Doesn't anyone learn about our parliamentary democracy in school? We don't vote for a PM. Perhaps people have been paying to close attention to the US elections.

We vote for MPs to represent us. If the PM loses the confidence of the majority of elected MPs, then Harper is out!

[juicygi]

here here!

[Rjinzo]

Also on Global BC news yesterday..One Liberal MP critized Stephane Dion because of his poorly lit video and poor speech.

Liberal Ontario MP Jim Karygiannis, was the 1st Liberal MP to critize Dion. Who sugguested the coalition will fail cause Dion can't communicate in English well to majority of Canadians. Jim also mentioned they went from 96 seats to 76 seats in the House of Commons. Thats A LOT!!

Whether that is true or not I dont know..but even a Liberal MP doesn't approve of Dion.

[TheOldBoy]

I wonder how much he cost

[Rjinzo]

Ask your self that questions. If Canadians wanted Dion to be PM why didnt people vote for him in the election 2 months ago. WHY? if people really wanted Dion...why did he loose so badly?

If Dion win as PM through an election, good for him..but NOT the way he plans to become PM now when Canadians rejected him.

If Canadians truly wanted Dion as PM he would of won just 2 months ago and be the PM not Harper..but look..Harper is in charge..instead of Dion.

WAKE UP PEOPLE!!

[Rjinzo]

The main fact is Dion SHOULD NOT BE Prime Minister!! We just had an federal election 2 months ago. If majority of people wanted Dion as a PM WHY?? didnt they vote for him?

Dion CAN NOT be PM the way he is doing it now, if Dion wants to be PM GO THROUGH AN ELECTION!! But WAIT!! we just had one and Dion was REJECTED!! badly!! by most Canadians

Liberal Party used to be #1 was the ONLY party tat could get a Majority and now look at them, cant even get a miniority government