Canadians- so what's your new gov gonna look like?

[TheEnforcer]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americ...ent/index.html

Canadian government toppled by no-confidence vote

Monday, November 28, 2005; Posted: 8:09 p.m. EST (01:09 GMT)
(CNN) -- After months of political instability, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin fell Monday evening when three opposition parties united to topple him with a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons.

Martin's center-left Liberal Party had been dogged by a corruption scandal. It will now face voters in an expected January election that could end 12 years of Liberal rule in America's largest trading partner -- after a campaign over the Christmas holidays that the prime minister argues most Canadians don't want.

The opposition Conservatives, the leftist New Democrats and the separatist Bloc Quebecois joined forces to bring down Martin's government, which had lost its majority in an election last year. Monday's final vote was 171-133.

The date of the new election will be announced Tuesday, but it is expected to be in mid- or late-January.

The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois had been threatening for months to bring down Martin and force an election. But until Monday, his government had survived with the support of the New Democrats and a handful of independents.

The Liberals have run Canada since 1993. Recent polls give them the edge over opposition leader Stephen Harper's Conservatives, but with fewer than 40 percent support among those polled, indicating that another minority government is likely.

Polls also show that in vote-rich Quebec, the Bloc Quebecois is well ahead of the other parties, making the task of assembling a majority even more difficult.

The Liberals took big losses in the House of Commons in June 2004 amid what was known as the sponsorship scandal, in which government money was paid to advertising firms to shore up support for Canadian unity in French-speaking Quebec.

Investigators determined most of the money went to firms with Liberal connections, with little or no work done in exchange, but placed most of the blame on former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Martin was cleared of wrongdoing and issued a dramatic apology on behalf of his government in April. The Liberals agreed to pay $1.1 million back to the government after an initial report was issued November 1.

But Harper's Tories have readied a good-government platform for the upcoming vote, with Harper vowing to curtail the influence of high-priced lobbyists in Ottawa if he becomes prime minister.

Martin had proposed elections in March, after the expected release of a second report on the sponsorship scandal. He blasted the opposition earlier this month for moving toward a quick election, because the campaign would take place over the holidays -- "when Canadians least want one."

Martin, who became prime minister in December 2003 after Chretien retired, became the fifth Canadian leader to lose a confidence vote. The last was Conservative Joe Clark, in 1979.

The Liberals' political difficulties mark a sharp turnaround in Canadian politics. Just five years ago, with the political right divided between two rival parties, the Liberals coasted to a clear majority for their third consecutive election win.

But the right has since unified into the new Conservative Party, which, coupled with the sponsorship scandal, helped cost the Liberals their majority in last year's election.
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Looks like you guys have your own corruption scandal brewing up north and it's gonna shake up your political system. So, what's the lowdown up there?

[Sin]

No idea but our political system is more than just a little outdated, the structure of the whole thing needs reworking. Hopefully it will be an improvement...

[Nickatilynx]

All parties seem to me to be pretty much the same LOL

[TheEnforcer]

Originally Posted by Nickatilynx

All parties seem to me to be pretty much the same LOL

Hahah.. seems true both here and up there. Sad situation to be sure. Seems you folks have more legit choices up there though.

[Evil Chris]

Hey TE... you could have at least provided a link from the CBC.

http://www.cbc.ca/

[Vick]

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

[TheEnforcer]

Hahaha.. well I've never been to the site before just now!! :>))

[Newton]

Originally Posted by Vick

Meet the new boss
Same as the old boss

Ditto ..

[Nickatilynx]

Yup..

Regardless who gets in....

Canada will still be rated the best country to live in in the world..again

Little things like socialised medicine , and less murders countrywide than say Philadelphia will not change.

[CDSmith]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Liberals got back in with a minority government. A lot of folks want change, but a lot are still too scared of voting in the conservatives, and many think the rest are just wasted votes.

Personally I'd like to see the Green party close the gap between themselves and the NDP. People discount the NDP but their position as "swing" vote in parlaiment is sometimes the most powerful vote.

[Sin]

I would LOVE to see the Green party get a few seats. I can't stand the NDP, and I expect the liberals probably will get in again

...so to summarize, I agree with CDSmith.

[TheEnforcer]

You guys have far too many choices.. LOL

We only get two legit choices down here. Republicans and Democrats and neither really offer the best of choices.

[Nickatilynx]

Originally Posted by Nickatilynx

Yup..

Regardless who gets in....

Canada will still be rated the best country to live in in the world..again

Little things like socialised medicine , and less murders countrywide than say Philadelphia will not change.

Not getting invovled in a bullshit war and not having a country smoothering deficit month in month out , will not change...

LOL

[MorganGrayson]

Originally Posted by TheEnforcer

You guys have far too many choices.. LOL

We only get two legit choices down here. Republicans and Democrats and neither really offer the best of choices.

Whenever we do get a third party in that offers some kind of choice, all it seems to do is take votes away from the Democrats...pretty much guaranteeing a Republican win.

Anarchy, anyone?

[DrGuile]

Liberals will get back in with a minority government... problem is, only other possibility is that the conservatives will win... which would be worse....

I hate to say it, but the BLOC is a big disservice to all... but than again, no Canada-wide party will ever be good for Quebec.... guess where that leads us?

[Evil Chris]

now now... if the conservatives get in, they'll screw up our economy and the dollar will plummet.

Which is good for our bottom line.

[DannyCox]

Originally Posted by Sin

I would LOVE to see the Green party get a few seats.

I'm a card-carrying member of the Green Party of Canada!!

Have to be, my brother-in-law runs the Party

Vote Green!

[WebairGerard]

it would be nice if we can just kick Bush out that easily!

[Evil Chris]

I hate minority governments because just like clockwork we get a non confidence vote which forces another election. Even if the minority government in place is doing a satisfactory job, which ours is.

It's just going through the motions. If Canadians are wise, they'll vote the Liberals back "en masse", which would be a big fuck you to the Conservatives.

[Red]

If you didn't catch Jon Stewart's take on this, it was great.

http://www.comedycentral.com/sitewid...l?itemId=30676