A Conservative Minority
Well...looks like Canada will have a Conservative minority government. It would have been nice to get a majority. But having a minority will make any new government not move too fast too soon. I am sure they will be tested a lot and their performance will dictate for the next election. They have some key promises that they must fulfil now. They made some key election promises to Quebec, and it was mentioned tonight on the election coverage. They made some inroads where they haven't for some time which is good. I haven't seen all the results yet but it sounds like it was a Conservative sweep in Alberta...with maybe Landslide Annie making it a close one. Of all the Liberals I respect it would be her. She has represented Edmonton Centre for 4 terms. You don't do that without some respect.
Canada will now see if Harper and the Conservatives are the evil force from the West that Martin was trying to portray them as being. I think they will be just fine as a new government. I hope they get a chance to prove the pundits wrong.
6 comments:
I'm happy Anne got the boot. She deserves a lot of blame for the gun registry fiasco doesn't she? Or is that just what the media wanted me to believe...
I don't know if she specifically had much to do with it but she did toe the party line when it came up for voting.
/me waits for the GST cut... ;)
I think the minority Conservative government is a good outcome, actually: it gives the Liberals the desperately needed kick in the $#@ to re-prioritise and get some focus, but the Conservatives have to be a bit more careful and measured in applying their policies, and carry more of the country with them.
I suspect we won't see action on repealing same-sex marriage, for example: the Conservatives want it and have almost promised it to their constituents who are concerned about the issue, but they know it won't get through a parliament with an NDP balance of power.
I guess now it's a matter of 'wait and see'. I was also swayed in my opinions (remember, I don't get to vote) by the comments of a number of people who know Harper personally, and who said he is funny, articulate and a good guy to talk to. Seems like he just comes over badly on TV, and lack of telegenicity (?) shouldn't be a deciding factor...
I liked landslide Annie. She wasn't much of a TV sweetheart, but she worked very hard and is very brilliant. All the interviews and comments I've read on her are quite stimulating. I'm sorry to see her go. She was my MP from 2000-2003.
I have to say I'm happy to see that the Liberals weren't as decimated as I thought they would be. I remember well the 1993 election where the majority PCs were reduced to 2 seats. I guess the country wasn't as mad at the Liberals this time as they were at the PCs in '93. (Yes I know that the prairies mostly went to good old Preston Manning, but wow, did those PCs ever get it in the throat).
I can't say I'm happy at all with the PCs in power. I disagree with more than half of their platform and disagreed with most of what they represented as the opposition this last government.
Oh well. I'm glad you're sort of happy Lorne.
Ack, satellite outage - that last comment was me - zaak.
Well..being a bit more right wing than say David and yourself, I am happy they are in. I don't believe the government should be running us...they should be running the country for the people. It has been the other way around for too many years. Giving the provinces more of the control of what they are actually responsible for in the constitution is just doing what it says should be happening. As for the same-sex thing...well...there are two things about that. Yes Harper wants to bring that back to parliament so they can have a free vote on the matter. Why you ask? The words 'FREE VOTE'. In other words, it didn't happen last time. The second thing is that there wasn't a free vote by the people and I don't think it will ever come to a referendum, which maybe it should on such and issue...I don't know. I would rather have civil unions with the same rights...but marriage should be left alone. That's my opinion and I;m sticking with it!! :-)
Democracy is not "toeing the party line". If the Conservatives start the toeing part on major issues, I won't be happy about that either. Martin promised free votes too...but we all know how his promises stand up.
Post a Comment