Comments on: WOULD A CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT BE GOOD OR BAD FOR CANADA? http://democraticSPACE.com/blog/2005/11/would-a-conservative-government-be-good-or-bad-for-canada/ DemocraticSPACE is one of North America's leading non-partisan political websites. Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:55:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jiminy Cricket http://democraticSPACE.com/blog/2005/11/would-a-conservative-government-be-good-or-bad-for-canada/comment-page-1/#comment-31 Jiminy Cricket Sun, 06 Nov 2005 15:21:07 +0000 http://democraticSPACE.com/blog/?p=79#comment-31 A well thought out treatise. most persuasive EXCEPT......theConservatives cannot play that card in this election, insofar as their current leader is indelibly stamped as a western social conservative. If he runs on the strategy you suggest, he will be branded as the leopard who lost his spots, and someone is bound to "lift up his tail"! The BIG fight between the Cretienites and the Martinites has in fact been about a stronger Federal government vs. stronger Provincial powers. Since Martin in two years has become indisputedly the headwaiter to the provinces, and has become despised and despicable to all observers, especially to those who have taken the Trudeau /Cretien view of Canada's Constitutional model to heart, for any party to take this strategy at this time is masochistic at best, suicidal at worst! Ultimately, two things need to happen for this minority waltz to end. Either we have a national crisis, that forces workable formal coalitions to be struck. In that situation, you would have a de facto and legal majority, similar to the deal that Peterson and Rae built in Ontario in the late 80's. Or, the former Conservative party has to take back the CPC, replace Harper BUT also replace their dependence upon the western social conservative block with MPs from Ontario and further East. Concurrently, the Liberals would have to dump Martin AND his coterie, and come up with a new set of faces, principles and a NEW Red Book of policies that they will actually (party) constitutionally be obliged to deliver on. A well thought out treatise. most persuasive EXCEPT……theConservatives cannot play that card in this election, insofar as their current leader is indelibly stamped as a western social conservative. If he runs on the strategy you suggest, he will be branded as the leopard who lost his spots, and someone is bound to “lift up his tail”!
The BIG fight between the Cretienites and the Martinites has in fact been about a stronger Federal government vs. stronger Provincial powers. Since Martin in two years has become indisputedly the headwaiter to the provinces, and has become despised and despicable to all observers, especially to those who have taken the Trudeau /Cretien view of Canada’s Constitutional model to heart, for any party to take this strategy at this time is masochistic at best, suicidal at worst!
Ultimately, two things need to happen for this minority waltz to end. Either we have a national crisis, that forces workable formal coalitions to be struck. In that situation, you would have a de facto and legal majority, similar to the deal that Peterson and Rae built in Ontario in the late 80’s. Or, the former Conservative party has to take back the CPC, replace Harper BUT also replace their dependence upon the western social conservative block with MPs from Ontario and further East. Concurrently, the Liberals would have to dump Martin AND his coterie, and come up with a new set of faces, principles and a NEW Red Book of policies that they will actually (party) constitutionally be obliged to deliver on.

]]> By: JBG http://democraticSPACE.com/blog/2005/11/would-a-conservative-government-be-good-or-bad-for-canada/comment-page-1/#comment-30 JBG Sun, 06 Nov 2005 00:14:07 +0000 http://democraticSPACE.com/blog/?p=79#comment-30 Unfortunately, it takes a national meltdown such as the US had in the 1970's (Vietnam and Watergate in early part, hyperinflation and the Iran crisis in the latter part) to trigger that kind of debate. Despite the Confederation showing signs of wear and tear, I don't think a fundamental federalism debate is in the cards - yet. That's not so bad. Remember, Levesque won for the PQ in Quebec on a platform of "good government" after scandals and incompetence in Bourassa's Liberal government, not on separatism. Unfortunately, it takes a national meltdown such as the US had in the 1970’s (Vietnam and Watergate in early part, hyperinflation and the Iran crisis in the latter part) to trigger that kind of debate. Despite the Confederation showing signs of wear and tear, I don’t think a fundamental federalism debate is in the cards – yet.

That’s not so bad. Remember, Levesque won for the PQ in Quebec on a platform of “good government” after scandals and incompetence in Bourassa’s Liberal government, not on separatism.

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