Paul Wells has an excellent column in Macleans (perhaps to celebrate his return to Canada?) on the Grand Coalition that Stephen Harper and Stephan Dion have forged to govern the country. As Wells writes:
Liberal-Conservative coalitions are so alien to Canadian tradition that even today, everyone concerned pretends this one doesn't exist. Liberals continue to criticize Tories, although Dion's pathetic Question Period performances make it clear his heart isn't in the game. Only Conservatives sit in the federal cabinet, but this is just part of the charade: to pacify his Liberal coalition partners, Harper does not permit his Conservative "ministers" to talk or do anything. The Liberals make a great show of blaming the NDP for the current government's existence, but the lie is transparent. The NDP keeps showing up to vote against the government. The Liberals don't. Of course not: it's their government too....Now, I'm hardly a Dion basher (and most Liberals would probably say I'm too conservative, not too socialist) and Wells has always been a champion/defender of Dion, but damn!
...And indeed, the current Harper-Dion government is presiding over astonishing changes to the shape of Canada's government...
...This massively revisionist overhaul of Canadian federalism flies in the face of everything the Liberals worked to achieve during Jean Chrétien's decade in power. If the Liberals were not absolutely dedicated to implementing this revolution, they would have voted to stop it long before now. Stéphane Dion and Stephen Harper are accomplishing great things together. It is a measure of their discipline and modesty that they continue to deny everything.
That column really makes one want to vote NDP doesn't it?Recommend this Post
8 comments:
That column really makes one want to vote NDP doesn't it?
Frankly, it makes one want to abstain from voting--as, I fear, too many Canadians will end up doing...
That column really makes one want to vote NDP doesn't it?
Speak for yourself! ;)
But the sentiment is correct, I'm going Green myself. I'd sooner dip myself in acid than follow Layton, (or Harper). Dion still has a whisper of a chance with me. But he really has to a lot of work to do to earn my support.
Well, I have to agree with both of your sentiments Sir Francis and Catelli, and I certainly didn't mean to exclude the Greens Catelli.
I'm of an age (and God, am I old enough now to say "I'm of an age"???) that I still think of the "BIG THREE" predominantly in terms of political parties in Canada. So, given that I'd never vote Tory (well, maybe red Tory, but never "Harper Tory") and the column made me want to strangle Dion (which is bad, as I like Dion) that left me with "option 3".
However, there are of course other options (Though I prefer spoiling one's ballot, or better yet REFUSING YOUR BALLOT to "abstaining" if abstaining means you just don't go to the polls. Few Canadians realize you have the option of "refusing" your ballot, which is marked as such by election officials, and effectively acts more as a "none of the above" protest than abstaining or spoling does. The point being, if you go to the polls you've done your duty in my books, whatever you do with or to your ballot).
My main point was much less "Yay NDP!" than "Boo Tories and Liberals", so point taken on there being more choices than just Jack's Dippers.
Oh I was just having fun with you. I knew what you meant.
The whole need to look for alternatives to the Big Three is bad enough that you have to look for humour. Anything else is too damn depressing.
Harper I can stand disliking. He's a dislikable sort. Dion though, I really like the guy, and even respect him. But I just can't follow him as his leadership is uh, well lets not give any more ammo to Harper than we need to.
Sometimes it pays to be a blind partisan like Cherniak. Saying Baaaaa is a lot easier than critical analyzing each leader/party and platforms.
Reminds me of the 'white cats/black cats' tale from Saskatchewan.
That column really makes one want to vote NDP doesn't it?
Actually, judging by the by-election results, you mean Green, not NDP.
leftdog,
Excellent point.
bcer,
Yeah, that's totally correct too, as suggested by Catelli above ("I'd sooner dip myself in acid than follow Layton").
A lot of us Red Tories have been voting Green. Notice how the Greens seem to have arisen after the demise of the old PC Party?
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