This was one of the closest races in the country in 2004, but now that people can see that the NDP makes things happen in Parliment to accomplish things for all Canadians, in Palliser, they will vote to give the NDP more seats.

Apparently, at the all-candidates debates this week, Batters and Williams fought over the microphone like a couple of schoolchildren. Please tell me this kind of discourse is not a sign of things to come!

Based on the comments of your last poster,i would have to assume that these two so called men have not matured to the point where they should even be considered to represent the good people of their riding.this kind of childish behavoir should only confirm in the minds of all responsible voters in this riding that the only real choice for proper and capable representationis the N.D.P. candidate Jo-anne Dusel.This should ensure a win for the N.D.P. in a very close race.

I can’t belive people will vote NDP. Look at what the NDP have messed up in this province. Now they want them to mess up the whole country!

Kelly, do you mean mess up the whole country by strengthening our social programs or our health care system? Let’s not forget that it was Tommy Douglas of the NDP that brought us public access to health care when a lot of people thought it was impossible and a crazy idea. Many NDP policies are just ahead of their time. Maybe you don’t like some of their provincial policies, fine. But do you really think that the Conservative policies are better? I mean on REAL issues like participation in War, US relations, environmental treaties regarding the future of our planet. Sure, a 2% reduction is the GST sounds good because then everybody could go out and buy 2% more crap that they probably don’t even need in the first place. I think the NDP will win this riding, but I might be proven wrong. Unfortunately, I think that the Conservatives are going to win this election (with a minority) and Harper will become our Prime Minister. Then the people of Canada will have to deal with their own version of George W. Bush, who ran on a “centrist”, “compassionate conservative” platform but has turned out to be one of the most extreme right-wing presidents of all time. Hopefully Canadians are not stupid enough to let this happen.

Well said, Ken. The whole point in Palliser is that two-thirds of the riding voted against Batters, and it was just luck that he slipped through the cracks (thank you, first-past-the-post voting system). John Williams may be a nice guy, but since he doesn’t have a hope of winning here, all centre-left votes should go straight to Dusel to not only prevent an unwarranted CPC win, but also fairly represent the citizens of Palliser. An nationally? Let’s face it; one-third of Canada is right-leaning. Does this mean we have to give 100% of the power to a party that has 35% support across Canada? Not on your life.

I’m so pround of John and Ken!!! You two are absolutely right. REBEL AGAINST THE SYSTEM!!! lol, but seriously, vote NDP.

We all know that Tommy Douglas was one of the greatest politicians in his day BUT this is not then it is now. We have to get into the present day situation. Jack Layton is very SCARY!! His mandate on GUN CONTROL is to keep guns in one central place and when you want to use or clean your own rifle, you have to go and book it out, use it and check it back in. Won’t that be great for us honest gun owners. A lot of his platform is garbage and everything he says is supporting a minority Gov’t. We need a Conservative Majority to straighten Canada and Saskatchewan out. Not an NDP Gov’t that will overspend and undergovern. Canada will go forward with the New Conservatives. Lets let them have an opportunity to show us. On Jan 23 vote for for the Conservatives.
By the way they have the best agriculture policy as well!!

Lorence, you’re sadly mistaken. Jack Layton is a very good leader and since he’s been in power the NDPs have only improved. He’s honest, charismatic, and the only leader with a sense of humor. At least he doesn’t have Harper’s plastic smile.

And on gun control, where the hell are you getting your facts? It says nothing about keeping guns in “a central place” in their platform, which is what counts and not your snotty comments. His gun policies can actually do something since they address both the causes of violence and stricter penalties. I’m actually quite young and you have no idea how many teens need the NDP’s youth at risk program. Obviously though, you don’t care if you get shot. I hope you do, and then you’ll be begging for Tommy Douglas’ health care system.

Tommy Douglas was a nutcase, a racist, and a borderline Communist:

An excerpt from Douglas’s thesis quoted in the biography: “Surely, the continued policy of allowing the subnormal family to bring into the world large numbers of individuals to fill our jails and our mental institutions, and to live upon public charity, is one of consummate folly.”

Canada’s health care is worse than US healthcare in terms of outcomes and even further behind every single socialized medicine system in Europe(Sweden, France, Denmark) which are good because they have private healthcare systems.

Prediction: Conservative balayage/sweep of Saskatchewan including Wascana.

Chris
Jack Layton being good did nothing but allow the Liberals to tell us a few more lies and give us more promises they did not keep. If you research Jack Layton you will run across the Gun Control proposal.It was before he was Leader. He is throwing stuff up about other Leaders that happened before they were leaders so why can’t we do it about him.
You say the NDP has improved. They have looked good by getting in bed with the Liberals and it did not take them long to decide they were not a good bed partner. This is all under a minority Gov’t. Mr Layton under a majority would not have been able to do what he did.The Act before Bill C-68 says that if you committ a crime and possess
a firearm you CAN get 4 years and if you use the firearm in the crime you can get 7 years over and above. All the leaders are close to the present guideline and Harper is saying ENFORCE IT. The first thing these Lawyers do now is plea bargain the firearm charges away. The Liberals allready wasted 2 Billion and want to spend that much more for nothing again. I sympathise with the teens and it shows the laws have to be enforced to the limit. restrictions have been on pistols since 1934.As I said before- God Bless Tommy Douglas but Jack Layton could not even think of wearing his socks, never mind stepping into his shoes!!

Lorence,
It’s funny that you mentioned you sympatize with the teens because I’m one myself, and I know for a fact you don’t know anything about us and that Harper’s proposals aren’t going to help. Most kids won’t care or even know about the minimum sentencing until they’re in court, and by then it’s kind of late to avoid the crime isn’t it. Jack Layton will spend $100 million for youth at risk programs. That’s what we really need, not punishments. I know a few people who might even take the stricter penalties as a challenge. Also about your last comment; I’m not saying that Jack can ever replace Tommy Douglas, but he certainly would make a better PM than all of the other leaders. If you just stay open-minded and focus on Jack the person and not Jack the New Democrat, then you’ll see that he’s charismatic, enthusiastic, and actually has a sense of humour, which is hard to come by in politics. So you shouldn’t say you sympatize with us. We don’t need your sympathy; we need Jo-Anne Dusel.

Good Luck Chris. This is what makes Canada a great country!!

Somebody ought to tell folks that Tommy Douglas died a long time ago.So did Trudeau. Seiuosly, the NDP would spend us into oblivion if they could keep all their promises. Fortunatley they’ll never get a chance. Provincially what have they done with the extra money? Whine for more and blame the feds. They never balanced the budget for years even though they claim they did and are good money managers. They’ll give it all away to keep the unions happy and we’ll still be in debt, overtaxed and watching the kids leave for Alberta. Keep voting them in and that’s what we’ll keep getting. The Liberals at least dealt with the debt and eventually lowered taxes after taxing the bejesus out of us for several years but they got results. The Tories will do the same as they did before and we’ll be right ack where we were.

You know what I’ve noticed? All of these negative comments against the NDPs are based solely on provincial elections. If you actually have some facts against Jack Layton or the federal NDPs, then I might listen. But I see no logic in your attacks right now. And on the issue of spending; is anyone else doing a better job? The Liberals predicted that the Gun Registry would cost $2 million; you don’t need me to tell you that it costs a lot more than that now. The Conservatives’ promised spending is actually more than the NDPs. How do you expect them to have balanced budgets if they’re going to spend more and cut taxes? Take a close look; who are the ones who really are financially irresponsible?

Are you one of JoAnn Dusel’s teenage kids, Chris?Keep in mind that Jack Layton’s exteremist leftist plans are detrimental to this country. Thank goodness he has no chance of getting in as the majority of Canadians DO believe that hard work should not be disparaged by the radical leftists in the NDP (both provincially and federally). And this garbage about TJD is insane. Would he have ever thought about the state of the healthcare system if he were alive today? Could he imagine the possibility that a fully funded health care system may not be sustainable? Jack Layton’s lacks vision. His idea of health care is to dump money into a bottomless pit. The radical leftist like Layton will not give you a choice as to who or when to get help. He believe it should be the state that will decide where and when to get help. IN A FREE COUNTRY! And be VERY AFRAID when you have a leader, who has been on record saying that if his wife ever needed emergency medical help, she would have to wait out the current system like everyone else. HIS OWN WIFE. Painting Stephen Harper as dangerous and George Bush-like is indicative of one who has not been following the campaign and haven’t a clue about the issues. I am not surprised to read all the support for the NDP. After all, this is a city with huge NDP support in a province that is going nowhere fast. When over the holidays, you see almost as many cars with Alberta license plates as you do Saskatchewan’s, it’s no surprise this province will soon be the Mississippi of the North (if it isn’t already). Keep up the socialist support. Alberta needs more young people to fill the jobs =o)

Mike,
As a matter of fact, I’m asian, and in no way has Jack Layton ever offended me. He might have said something that I’m not aware of. If that’s the case, then provide some evidence and maybe I’ll change my mind. Everything else you’ve said is just opinion.

Its all just opinion.But seriously T Douglas never wd have envisioned the kinds of costs that the health care system now faces and the scarce resources. His vision was that people cd get basic health care without going broke, I don’t think he thought about everyone getting heart surgery at age 78 and a new hip every time you broke yours. People didn’t live much past 70 in the late 50’s and early 60’s when this started.We cd pour the whole budget into health care and never see the bottom of it and I’m a recipient of good service from our health care system believe me.
My issue with the NDP is not that they want every possible social program going but that they have no sense of how to create an economy so we can afford it. The NDP are always described as Liberals in a hurry, that’s probably accurate. I’m tired of the pandering the NDP do to every left leaning interest group and the constant nattering about tax cuts to big business. What the Hell is that? We’re in a competitive global environment and we only have so much oil, uranium and potash to sell so we better start building business to create high-paying jobs so we can create the competitive edge we’ll need. Because regardless what you believe the world is not Utopia out there and the NDP have sure as Hell not created it in Sask. during their rule for the last half century, or haven’t you noticed how far behind we lag? Get your head out of your *ss– that’s a medical procedure they haven’t perfected yet!!

TCTC. CPC-NDP tossup

Mike, You can check out CJOB.com and go to the “audio vault” (which you will find at the bottom of the page). Choose “Dec 7″ and then go to “3PM”. It is an interview with Charles Adler and begins at the 8 minute mark. Yes everything is opinion here, which is what makes this country so great. I have not grown to like the NDP very much federally and provincially purely because of their socialist ideas, which I believe, hinders growth. As Saskatchewanians, we have seen how the socialist movement has badly damaged our province. It wasn’t so bad when Romanow was Premier, but as soon as Calvert took over, it got progressively worse. Soon it will be the baby boomers who will have the greatest demand for the health care system and this province will be below average in terms of having the number of working-class people in this province to support such demand. It will inevitably become a strain nationally, more so in Sask. One thing I feel that the NDP has never been challanged enough is the sustainability of the health care system. The responses I’ve heard is “don’t worry — we’ll handle it”. Not good enough for me IMO. I’ve heard Mr. Layton say that he is against “for profit health care” (even though technically, doctors in clinics are profitting from their services, but that’s for another time to discuss). Fine with that. But at least allow for people to make the choice between private or public.

Alex,

You forgot to mention Alberta — the other province with a Conservative government and the province that is benefitting from the best and brightest of Saskatchewan’s working population. You also failed to mention how the current health system is sustainable. So maybe come up with some concrete ideas that you or your friends in the NDP have to fix the state of our health care system and on attracting growth in this province.

NDP Win. Final Answer.

The only way to stop the cons is to vote NDP. It is ironic how people will vote green in a close riding that lost by 120 votes to elect a conservative. The conservatives can’t even acknowlage global warming is happenning. Please think what your vote means, and voting anything other than NDP will elect a conservative. By the way the liberals are polling less than 20% so think and vote NDP.