The Losers, more like.

Comments (12)

TO: M.I.

FROM: W.K.

RE: ANSWER YOU SHOULD GIVE WHEN ASKED COALITION QUESTION

You should wave this news story around and say: “He’s full of crap.”  That should take care of it, and then you can talk about other stuff.

**

Text of Stephen Harper’s 2004 letter signed by Layton and Duceppe (FedElxn-Coalition-Let)
Source: The Canadian Press
Mar 25, 2011 15:54

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OTTAWA _ The Harper government is warning that the Liberals will form a coalition with the “socialists and separatists” if the coming federal election results in a minority government. But when he was Opposition leader, Stephen Harper didn’t seem to mind the idea of governing with the support of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois. Here’s the text of a letter Harper and his fellow opposition leaders sent to the Governor General in 2004:

September 9, 2004

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson,

C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D.

Governor General

Rideau Hall

1 Sussex Drive

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A1

Excellency,

As leaders of the opposition parties, we are well aware that, given the Liberal minority government, you could be asked by the Prime Minister to dissolve the 38th Parliament at any time should the House of Commons fail to support some part of the government’s program.

We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority.

Your attention to this matter is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P.

Leader of the Opposition

Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

Gilles Duceppe, M.P.

Leader of the Bloc Quebecois

Jack Layton, M.P.

Leader of the New Democratic Party

INDEX: NATIONAL POLITICS

© 2011 The Canadian Press

 

 

Comments (82)

NewsAlert (FedElxn-NewsAlert)
Source: The Canadian Press
Mar 25, 2011 14:21

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OTTAWA – The federal Conservative government has been defeated on a confidence vote in Parliament, setting the stage for a May election.

(The Canadian Press)

INDEX: NATIONAL POLITICS

[And note this: WTL:  According to the BBC, this is the first time in Commonwealth history that a government has been held in contempt. #CndPoli ]

 

Comments (35)

…but I am absolutely astounded that Stephen Harper is not in the House of Commons to participate in the debate that will see the end of his government.

I mean, I know the confidence motion is all about contempt, but I didn’t expect Harper to personally provide evidence of same.

Amazing, depressing, take your pick.

UPDATE: And neither he nor Layton are there for the final Peter Milliken speech. What a disgrace.

Comments (45)

Did The Current this morning with my buddy Jim Armour.  The results will show up here eventually.

My point: tough ads about an opponent’s public record are fair and fine.  But going after someone’s family – as the Conservatives did last week with Michael Ignatieff – is disgraceful.

Listen in!

Comments (10)

Here.

 

Comments (6)

“If Ipsos’ Thursday night bombshell is to be believed, 1984 is happening all over again.

Ipsos has long been regarded as the gold standard in the Canadian polling industry. My political consulting firm uses them and so do plenty of others, including past Liberal and Tory governments. So the numbers found in its latest survey of public opinion can’t be dismissed. Instead, nervous Grits could perhaps regard the numbers as they would, say, the words carved on the federal Liberal Party’s tombstone.

Conservatives, up to 43%. Liberals, down to 24%. NDP, unchanged at 16%.

And if you just look at voting preferences of those absolutely certain to trek to polling stations, according to Ipsos, the Cons go up to 45%, and the Grits slide to 23%.”

Comments (68)

Look, I’m sorry, but pushing for an election now is just plain dumb.

Unless you’re a Conservative, of course.

Comments (85)

So I leave Dwight Duncan’s terrific speech at the Toronto Board of Trade – wherein he pointed out that even part of Hudak’s tax plan will result in the closing of many hospitals and the firing of many nurses, and God knows what else – and I wave down a cab. The driver has a reggae magazine on the seat. We start talking reggae, and I tell him how I go to Jamaica every year, and that the soundtrack of my life is dub, and Burning Spear, Desmond Dekker, Junior Murvin, Prince Buster, Toots, Marley and (of course) King Tubby. He says he loves Canada, and has always felt welcome at home here.

Anyway. Was a great Toronto moment, and it inspired me to share some Burning Spear with you. Respect!

Comments (4)

Yesterday, I spoke at Marketing magazine’s conference on marketing to so-called “ethnic” communities.  I was critical of the Young Richard Nixon (ie. Jason Kenney), but I also grudgingly gave him credit – he and his party have made major inroads into minority communities in the past few years.  When you consider that they were the main Canadian political repository of xenophobia, nativism and flat-out racism for many years before that, that’s impressive.  It’s also one of the reasons they are nipping at Liberal heels in tight urban races, or moving ahead.

Here’s the deck I used to illustrate my points.  Feel free to staple, spindle and mutilate.

 

Comments (49)