There is talk of a new government in Canada. A proposed coalition between the Liberal and NDP parties, with concessions offered to the Bloc, could take over leadership from the Conservatives provided they can come to an agreement that is able to gain Royal Ascension.
Aside from the clashing colour scheme (Red and Orange?!) what would this new government look like? I think we can say with certainty that it would have some decent green policies; it would probably focus on some social issues; the Bloc will be able to gain more money for their constituents and it would probably be very expansionary during the financial downturn. Even though the Liberals were the party that balanced the budget it seems likely that, with the help of the NDP they would be more inclined to spend their way out.
This coalition could mark the beginning of a new phase in Canadian politics where parties are forced to cooperate to govern. It could, on the other hand, alienate a large portion of left leaning voters and the result being a further decimation of the Liberals perennial supremacy.
How did this all come about? The conservatives failed to offer enough money to boost the economy, at least in the eyes of the opposition, and used their initial budgets to pass some far right leaning policies. The one that is getting the most attention is the end of party financing. I think that party financing is an important institution in safeguarding our democracy. Without some level of party financing we risk our government being taken over by a few select, wealthy, interest groups.
With the Liberals in the middle of a leadership debate one must wonder who the next Prime Minister would be and how he will be chosen. If the leader is selected by the powerful Liberal cadre instead of the members-at-large it would jeopardize our democratic choice in a rather ironic twist considering one of the major excuses for this endeavor. The alternative is Dion as PM while the Liberals can hold a caucus to decide the replacement PM. Ignatieff seems to be the favoured candidate, though I think he was a few years ago too when Dion somehow managed to win. Bob Rae would likely be more popular with the NDP which may end up being important given their duel party government.
Of course this could all be moot if somehow Harper remains in control or our fearless Governor General decides a second election is more prudent.
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9 comments:
Michael Ignatieff was here today at our office for training, he's a douche.
His writing is pretty persuasive.
What's wrong with red and orange? Think autumn leaves, falling with the approach of winter, and hopefully the Stephen Harper's doom.
Sweet blog, by the way. I've totally been lurking it.
ahahahaha michelle you ma fave
But this is neon orange.
Harper is trying to suspend the parliament to protect his position? This is just getting crazy
though i dont know much about canadian politics ive always thought that acoalition between 2 parties is a pretty sound idea it strengthens the position of the goverment and i would say in the current world situation this can only be a good thing. also a coalition can sometimes, not always, appeal to a broader voting population because it encompasses many viewpaoints and stances on issues. just my opinion tho.
"Without some level of party financing we risk our government being taken over by a few select, wealthy, interest groups. "
that is the key in my opinion. After the porougment I hope the PC's come back with a revised plan that can be supported by the other parties. I hope the coalition does not have to go ahead mostly because I am not a big fan of Dion or Layton.
Oh, and I hope that Ignatieff wins the Liberal leadership.
Looks like he didn't need to win the leadership. It was just bestowed upon him.
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