05.02.2013 01:52 PM

Two years ago today

Sort-of interesting read, as I await the end of the Ontario budget lock-up.

The Harper Cons are now, officially, in the second half of their mandate.  They don’t look to be at risk of losing power, at this point.  But they sure as Hell could lose the majority.

But that’s just me. What’s your take on the past couple years?

22 Comments

  1. Tired of it All says:

    Like the US waking up after 8 years of Bush and wondering if they had been collectively mickey-finned, we will wake up around 2014 and wonder how on earth we let a party representing a mere 37% of the population ever get away with shilling the basest, most unrepresentative policy and politicking we’ve ever seen.

  2. Sean says:

    – Biggest surprise is the extent to which the Tories have lied, cheated and abandoned their principles. That their base still foolishly sends them any $ at all is mass delusion / denial of the highest order.

    – Wide spread corruption. The entire 2005-06 campaign was all about cleaning up supposed Liberal wrong doings. Its fairly obvious to everyone that this government is far more corrupt and likely one of the most corrupt in history.

    – NDP in the polls. On election night in 2011, I thought it was highly probable that they would remain O.O. at least for a few terms. They are done. Back to 25 – 40 seats.

    – Trudeau’s numbers will level out soon. He still appears to be winning, but his numbers are about what Ignatieff / Dion’s were at about this stage. He has two years to get his shit together. No weekly existential debates over whether or not to bring the government down. This makes all the difference.

  3. Cath says:

    Substitute the governing Ontario Liberals for the federal Conservatives and it’s pretty much the same scenario no?

  4. Ridiculosity says:

    They’re done. Like dinner. That’s what ALL of the Conservative voters that I know are saying.

  5. Cath says:

    Except that according to CP24 a few moments ago Sid Ryan is encouraging Horwath to support this budget and why wouldn’t they, a CTV pundit called it a “blood Orange” budget.

    Remember Warren’s caution during the Liberal leadership contest that if folks in Ontario are leaning toward the NDP they’d sooner vote for the real deal rather than a Liberal imitation? Maybe.

  6. ray says:

    lemme see. we’re forced to give the school bully our lunch money so he can beat the crap out of us and now he’s lost 3 billion of it. that about right? gee, what could possibly go right.

  7. William says:

    They’ve been in power for 7 years…and even my conservative friends have a tangible fatigue factor with this bunch.

    Problem is, with the new seats that favour the CPC, I don’t know if that fatigue will be enough to vote for anyone else.

    Here in Montreal, there is positive buzz over Trudeau so maybe turning Quebec can help them to regain Official Opposition but I’m not sure we see a new PM in 2015, caveat being that if there’ s a big economic dip between now and then these supposed good economic stewards will be out on their arses.

    • William says:

      New poll for what it’s worth

      LPC 35
      CPC 28
      NDP 22

      In Quebec LPC 37 NDP 24

      http://www.cjad.com/CJADLocalNews/entry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10539588&utm_source=

      • Moe Lavigne says:

        The interesting # here is not so much the Liberal support (which I suspect was dampened by the attack adds) but the CPC’s 28% which is dipping below their presumed 30% base. I think their brand took a bit of a hit with these adds. But it’s only one poll!

        I suspect the real cage rattler though will be the Labrador election when the CPC loses big and people (who mostly haven’t being paying attention) realize that the bye-election was called because the CPC candidate cheated when he won and then ran again with the blessing of the PM. Hope the BC election results, which I think are on the same day, don’t don’t steal the spotlight.

  8. Two years is a long time in politics. The Dippers are not about to disappear. The Trudeau Liberals have knocked my socks off so far, but the real test will be how well the field organising goes. And the CPC, they may be in trouble, but their organisational strength is still un-paralelled. Actually, at this moment in time the CPC looks dead in the water, but like I said, two years to go. I will bet you that they will try to revive the Death penalty, which is disgustingly popular amongst Canadians. Could be their next ‘long gun registry’ type issue. Expect high risk measures intended to be game changers. Maybe some nice little War will come along, who knows? I will do my bit though, not going to sit around praying for a change.

  9. MCBellecourt says:

    Two years eh? Feels like two hundred when you constantly get stories like this one.

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2013/05/02/pol-milewski-shipbuilding-design-mystery.html

    Good fiscal management, my ass. Cons couldn’t manage a diahrroea fest in a one-hole outhouse.

  10. WesternWillie says:

    You have to wonder how many straws the camel can carry on its back. From prorogation to gerrymandering, this government is one for the times. I can’t help but agree with those who say the voter will wake up some day and ‘poof’, they’ll be gone. Then we can get back to rebuilding the Canada we know.

  11. Kelly says:

    Well in two years we’ll find out they cheated last election as the robo call personalities start testifying under oath — and ratting out their bosses. That could be a game changer, but most likely the housing bubble will have dragged the economy into the $h!tter which will finally wake people up to the reality that a phony economist is in charge of a phony majority and that these guys really don’t have a clue what they’re doing. They simply won’t be able to blame anyone else for that.

    • MCBellecourt says:

      Little Mikey Sona is to appear in court today, as I understand it…

      …it’s going to get interesting very very soon. From what I’ve been gathering, Sona is not too willing to be the sacrificial lamb. We’ll see, I guess.

      I wonder if the Cons would be dumb enough to tamper with a witness. After all Chuck Cadman had no beef with them…

      oh wait…..

      😉

  12. RGM says:

    Sorry Warren but just because its the two year anniversary of the Harper majority doesn’t mean the Tories are now in the second half of their mandate.
    Harper gets that Canadians don’t understand anything about how our democracy works so he broke his own four year term policy and set the next election for November 2015.
    That way the Tories have an extra six months in power.
    You should be talking about that.

    • Tiger says:

      Read the actual statute.

      Following its terms, the next general election after a 2nd of May, 2011, poll should be held on the 19th of October, 2015.

      (Also following its terms, the Governor-General’s powers remain unaffected, so there actually could be an election at any time.)

  13. Paul says:

    Minority or majority, I don’t care. As long as they retain power long enough to balance the budget and get that damn TFSA limit up to $10K like they promised.

    Then, bring on a “progressive” government in 2020 for all I care. At least the majority of my hard-earned, already-taxed dollars will be working for me outside the reach of their thieving fingers by then.

  14. Cynical says:

    Incompetent wankers, have mismanaged every file, as far as I can see. Braying fools trumpet their success in the absence of any substance whatsoever.

  15. Jemery says:

    Oh the Harper cons……the best moderate left leaning conservative party to hit Canada since………………anyway, just look at all the broken conservative promises that happened:

    Shoulder to shoulder speech,
    Bring back capital punishment,
    End abortion,
    Abolishing the senate,
    Instituting tough on crime measures,
    Supporting the military,
    Alberta firewall,
    Creating small bureaucracy,
    Cut government spending and the debt,
    End the GST,
    Abolish same sex marriage,
    The list goes on:

    No damn wonder so many conservatives are pissed at Harper and no longer support him.

    Even die hard cons say they will still vote for him but no longer give financial support or volunteer for the party.

    All I can say is, “FAIL FAIL FAIL”

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