A person close to Mr. Ignatieff said that any deal with the Bloc Québécois and NDP struck by Mr. Dion would be a “poison chalice” for the next leader. He said that Mr. Ignatieff has the support of more than 50 of the 77 Liberal MPs, so the success or failure of a coalition proposition will depend on how the leadership candidate views any deal.
Although Mr. Ignatieff has publicly maintained the official Liberal line that the government should fall over its handling of the economy, his supporters say any coalition deal with the left-wing NDP and separatist Bloc is fraught with risk. It would only take nine Liberals to be absent from the House next Monday for the government to survive and the source said he fully expects a number of no-shows
It’s alive!
“Dion is like Frankenstein’s monster – he’s on the slab and just had a jolt of life injected into him. He’s going full tilt ahead with this coalition but his caucus isn’t going with him,” the source said.
Heh.
More – Maybe not so imaginary…
Interesting discussion occurring on my blog here. Feel free to add your voice.
Or even better, maybe Kate et al will start a new thread, posing the 2 questions I’ve outlined!
Steph,Jack and Gilles,
Stole up the Hill,
To Eviscerate Democracy,
Its Plain to See,
To You and Me,
Its Nothing, But Hypocrisy
Hannibal Lectern: “For Chretien, aiding the Bloc is beyond the pale. Unless he really has sold his soul.”
UNLESS he really has sold his soul???? He has DEFINITELY sold his soul and long before this. He’s just acting according to type. You know? … slimy, sleazy, slithery, sans conscience, entitled, thug-like … definitely a guy who has sold his soul …
Remember the cartoon of cretin?
IDIOT in both official languages!
we need one for Dion-
TRAITOR in both official languages!
Warwick at 9:48 P.M.: “It isn’t “east” it’s Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal triangle of evil which is the problem.”
Right. The Toronto-Montreal-Ottawa axis. Eerily reminiscent of the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis, is it not?
If this coalition actually materializes, we should simply call it The Axis Government. Wonder if they’ll get themselves some snappy uniforms?
Jack Laydown has always been a horse’s a**. The eyes never smile, even when the mouth is upturned at the edges. There isn’t an authentic bone in this guy’s body.
But he’s sure great slurping at the public trough. I see no evidence of his concern for the “working wo/man” nor any genuine concern for the downtrodden.
So a party that received 37% of the popular vote is to be ousted by two parties that collectively managed 44% of the vote…and this is some kind of anti-democratic coup?
Hmm…I think some deep blue is showing on all of your shirt sleeves.
This is how parliament works and in fact, it works even better with 308 independent MPs. What a lot of people fail to realize are the simple things like how even one of the two independent MPs could be the prime minister if that’s what the majority of the house endorsed. Just because partisan politics have perverted our system of government doesn’t mean you should all forget to figure out the basics of how it works.
I kind of think that Iggy’s instincts will tell him to back away from this. Rae — I don’t know, he is a bit of a snake in the grass. I don’t think either of them are likely to follow Pied Piper Dion on this, but Rae could stage a Liberal coup.
Dear Zach Bell,
Please provide just ONE historical example of where this has happened in Canadian history.
I’ll even save you the time with the research: http://pelalusa.blogspot.com/2008/11/historical-summary-of-canadian.html
We’re all awaiting your response,
Robert W.
Robert W.-
What Zach is saying is that if 3 people run for office, and one gets 40% of the vote and the other two get 30% each, then the person who got 40% doesn’t deserve to be elected, because he didn’t get more than 50% of the vote. Get it?
Essentially Zach has not noticed that only one government in recent memory got above 50 percent of the popular vote. Essentially Brian Mulroney is the closest thing to a legitimate Prime Minister then.
Iggy is more intelligent than most of the idiots in that party. He should really be a Conservative. I could even live with a Lib government for four years if he was in charge. He will at least pull them back to the center. I just can’t see him going along with this scheme. He sounds quite evasive when they are interviewing him. I find him awfully arrogant but oh well can’t have everything. Maybe there’s hope.
Bob Rae and Ujjal Dosanjh are both former NDP premiers. Libs/NDP are both like a pair of black socks … makes no difference on the foot you place them on.
Speaking to the “Reform Assembly” in 1987 Harper, in a sort of rebuttal to Preston Manning, said that trying to hold the balance of power with a western contingent of reformers was impossible.
He asked “how can you hold the balance of power between the NDP, Liberals and PC’s (the pcs being what would remain of the Mulroney coalition) when they are the “three heads of the same monster.”
The monster has risen!!
The present day Bloc, Liberals and NDP have demonstrated much in common in committee, the public displays are a charade. A long lasting minority government sheds bright light on this drama and demonstrates the fact that Canada is ungovernable when our system is one of mob rule. A democracy, not a republic.
With out a Triple E Senate western independence is the only option for the west. Separate or surrender!
Backbenchers need to introduce legislation into the BC, Alberta, and Sask Assemblies ASAP calling for a consultation vote on their continued place within the nation. Yukon should do the same. Conservatives in Manitoba and Ontario should consider partition of their provinces if such a farce goes forward.
You guys that are lumping Ottawa into the “axis of evil” scenario should remember that Ottawa painted 11 out of 13 federal ridings Tory blue last month, probably one of the strongest conservative showings in the country. Nevertheless, if you people in the west are leaving, wait for me! Now if I can just find someone to buy my house…..
I say lets partition Ontario. Isolate Toronto from the rest of what is left of the Canadian corpse. Cut Windsor, Hamilton, and Toronto out of Ontario and the west can have the rest. The north might vote left, but its culturally more in line with the west. Ottawa can remain in the new nation too. Just cut out Ottawa Centre.
Old geezer in a trench coat: “Gotta get rid of de conswerveative guvernement; an doze government shredders working. Gotta get POWER!”
Dey aven’t got evidence again mee yet, no proof dats prooven. Shredd before eets too late. I was luckey, but dee ole Adscam storee will come out, and I donn wan dat!
Mais..Aline veintents vite, vite!! Lors que on n’est pue cache dans la noire!….
I don’t see players like Keith Martin or Iggy taking marching orders from Dijon. For Martin, he’s always been a maverick, deviating from party lines as needed, and he has differed from Steffi on various environmental policies.
As for Iggy, his leadership aspirations would be derailed by allowing Steffi to remain in charge.
Steffi is a lame duck, too many Libs want him gone, and gone fast.
I don’t see this going down the way Steffi or Wacko Jacko would like it to. Could be a massive flu hits the Liberal party come this week.
In 2009 I think Jack Layton will have a new self-help book entitled “Jack Layton: How to Gain Power Without Ever Earning It”
In case you’re not aware, Stephen Taylor has marvelously transcribed the secret NDP conference call. I link to it here.
Ivison now sez His Igginess has shoved aside His Dioness to be leader of the putsch.
Casts a whole new light on the turgid debacle.
Odd, can he really be apart of it now that the NDP and Block crappola has bubbled to the surface..?
See Bourque
I think we all can see now, why the beautiful people jetted to Bali instead of Minsk last year.
Ivison’s old article is gone… it now says Ignatieff has convinced Dion to make him PM.
Fundamentally if Harper falls its his fault for trying to woo Quebec when he should have thrown everything at BC and Ontario. He would have a majority if he would not have been so focused on Quebec.
I agree with shaken at 10:30 PM. I wish that the Prime Minister will stay the course. Let the three clowns make fools of themselves because that is just what they are doing.
The PM knew that this was in the pike. We all should have known because this was floated around during the last election. Mr. Dion said he wouldn’t align himself with the NDP it would be bad for the country. Or something like that. Why would this even have come up for discussion if it hadn’t been floated around.
We just don’t pay attention, but you better believe the Prime Minister is. He threw out that $1.95 to get it out in the open. He made the weasles crawl out from under their rocks. This is better than a soap opera.
They say he is flip flopping. I don’t believe that. He showed us all what these three amigos are about, themselves. Then he puts out a statement that he will put the entitlements in another thread for later. This will also be a confidence vote. If they take the government down over a budget they look bad especially if there is an economic package in it. If they take the government down over their loss of entitlements they look bad. You bet he knew what they were up to. I just can’t see Iggy going along with them. Thought he had more sense than that.
The PM hasn’t made a mistake – it’s strategy and he will show the country that these clowns are not interested in the greater good of Canada but in their own greater good. This is what I see and I think I’m right.
By the way I’m in Southern Ontario and we elected Jeff Watson {Conservative MP} for the third time. Aren’t you all proud of us. Don’t know how we could join up with the West though, but we certainly don’t look at things like Toronto or Windsor for that matter. Before the New Conservatives were formed I worked for and voted Reform and I’ve never been out west.
Didn’t dion promise 2 score meetings over 2 score days with 2 score experts on the economy during the last election?. He must have gotten the answer back on Friday … we’re saved!!!
I say lets partition Ontario. Isolate Toronto from the rest of what is left of the Canadian corpse. Cut Windsor, Hamilton, and Toronto out of Ontario and the west can have the rest. The north might vote left, but its culturally more in line with the west. Ottawa can remain in the new nation too. Just cut out Ottawa Centre.
Ok…where do we ship Hedy Fry and Libby Davies to?
Damn it if I have yet to hear a reporter ask this question:
“Mr. Dion, Mr. Layton, could you please tell us and the Canadian people exactly what economic package you would introduce to stimulate the economy once you are sworn in as the new government and how soon after you are sworn in will these measures be introduced in the House?”
If this is really about the economy and nothing else, then they should be presenting this plan RIGHT NOW to us, the Canadian public, and not just saying that the CPC is doing nothing. No answer = power grab, plain and simple.
CTV now has a tape proving the scheme to nullify the election was in the works long before the fiscal update/buck ninety five issue. And, according to Ivison, Iggy will be the coup leader.
The Liberals, of all of them, will regret this the most. Possibly for decades.
Bring it!
“Mr. Dion, Mr. Layton, could you please tell us and the Canadian people exactly what economic package you would introduce to stimulate the economy”
Heck, were still waiting for the government in power now for any type of package.
Its funny how the liberals where shouting and screaming when Harper appointed no-elected cabinet ministers but its ok to put the un-elected NDP and liberals in as leaders of Canada, talk about hypocrites.
@ Bryan,
I fully realize that what I am saying is that Brian Mulroney was probably the most legitimate prime minister we have had in recent memory but I think you misunderstand. I’m not saying that a party must gain 50% of the vote plus one in order to legitimately govern. I think a government could be led by a single independent MP which would translate into something like 0.30% of the national vote so long as that MP maintained the confidence of the house.
What I am saying is that our system of government was designed to accommodate a group of independent MPs but party politics have unfortunately perverted that system.
Popular vote doesn’t matter when it comes to determining who will govern. What matters is who can keep the confidence of the House of Commons and currently, the Harper Conservatives haven’t been able to do that. It’s easy to do with a party majority but that type of governing is immoral and dishonest. Rather than allowing MPs to represent their constituents, MPs are forced by party traditions to represent the interests of their organization.
All in all, a legitimate government is a government that can maintain the confidence of the elected representative of the people. In some cases that’s a coalition and what’s being demonstrated here is that a government can indeed have fewer seats than the opposition. So juicy no?
I’ll say it again. I think most of you have forgotten how our government works.
The potion with the poison is in the flagon with the dragon. The chalice with the palace holds the brew that is true.
— Danny Kaye
Question? Have the liberals promised Dion a seat in the senate? The vacant seats will be filled by his friends, no chance for senate reform for a generation.
Treason is as treason does.