Absolutely. And of course giving individuals and provinces a voice, which the bloc would support, would prevent the Fiberals from rebuilding Trudeau's vision of Liberal as philosopher King socialist dictator. Some citizen initatives might be palatable to the Bloc. I know the Dippers and Gassy Jack might be on board to help out the Cons with the softwood lumber. Their seats are in BC it would be suicide otherwise. So let's see, with the Bloc they stave off separation thanks to more power to the provinces. They fix the softwood lumber thing through tact and negotiation rather than bluff and posturing. And when Belinda Stronach runs for PM as head of the Liberals, she'll be HARD PRESSED to unseat them cause they'd have NOTHING repeat NOTHING to complain about.
What I would like to see is a move towards a 3E senate (granted they don't do much anyways). I wonder if that fits into the Conservative platoform, cause i know it was in the Reform's as well as the CA's.
I'd like the Senate ELIMINATED. Senate/HoC deadlock will occur otherwise like it does in the USA. Anyhow, way I see it, we need citizens' initiatives and government and law stripped down to the bare essentials e.g. Don't rape, don't steal, don't kill, don't cheat someone and... er, that's it really.
Actually, Western Alienation goes much deeper than that. The tariff on American imports during the late 1800s, the Wheat Board, the fact that Alberta didn't get full provincial responsability until the depression, CP Rail. The reason Alberta gets so little attention is because it is so unflaggingly Conservative. How is it effective for other parties to try to appeal to you?
Oh, I know it is a more complex issue than simply just no representation, but in the context of the conversation, I mentioned that. I think also the younger folks here real feel it is the representation in ottowa though (along with maybe the wheat board, kyoto, and the gun registry) that fuels the new alienation feelings... The sad part is that no candidates in my riding really tried to appeal to me at all. There were almost no signs in any yards, I don't think we got any pamphlets in the mail, no one came to our door (unless it was the middle of the day when we were all gone). It was really quite pathetic.
Then maybe it's time for Alberta to say goodbye, and we can split the country. Morontario can be Auto Pact Holocaustia where you can marry a man but not own a gun or have handlebars over 12" long, Queebeck can be Now we yav no life support huv dat Canada weer a turd whirl nationia where it's illegal to even THINK in English and everyone by law must know how to play the spoons, the cod gobblers can stay on welfare and whiskey, selling off their oil reserves to China for enough booze to drink emselves senseless. Alberta and maybe Saskatchewan if it can get rid of the commies can be North Texas and BC can be the cannabis exporting New Hong Kong.
Heh. I know how to google, thanks. Most people don't know what they are talking about when they use the term "judicial activism" - and you are one of them. ~That is NOT what Harper said. What they want is a free vote on the issue, and for it to be decided by LAWMAKERS democratically, not by activist judges.~ The legislatures can use the notwithstanding clause to override all judicial decisions. Our un-written constitution allows us this kind of flexibility as a check and balance. I don't know what you were thinking when you said that judges are exercising "judicial activism" when they ruled that banning gay-marriage as unconstitutional. That's not activism in the slightest, and you misused the term. They ruled based on the law. The very first non-british drafted statutory law, in fact: The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982. Are you arguing that it doesn't infringe upon basic fundamental rights within the charter? Having a free vote on the issue is like having a bunch of men vote whether women should be permitted to vote. Public opinion is secondary to the basic rights of personhood under our constitution and the countless court cases shuffling around to prove it. Pressing for an all-encompassing democratic process is trivial. You seem to be arguing that the law wasn't passed democratically, which is by far and large, false. Why should this law have been passed less or more democratically? No one's prepared and/or willing to change the constitution.
Gays and lesbians have been allowed to be married for the longest time. The mother of an ex-girlfriend married an Indian man, and later left him with both their children. Brokeback mountain shows two gays marrying women. This has always been legal. What they were calling for was the complete redefinition of a civil contract, much in the same way as it would be if they let you marry a goat, or your own sister. So your argument doesn't apply. I'm FOR SSM, but if we're gonna make laws we need to do it right. The upcoming vote doesn't worry me, cause Canadians want this.
I voted Green, but Im not too concerned with the Conservatives getting into power. Mostly because our government doesnt do anything anyways (especially as a minority). Peace
A Harper government (under management of the National Citizens Coalition & other unelected whiz-kids) may be just the enema that Canada needs. After 18 to 24 months of these bozos in power Canadians will remember why we kept them out in the cold for thirteen years. Look at the new cabinet! Three warmed over Harrites that Ontario rejected. A Liberal traitor who sabataged a softwood lumber agreement for his own political gain and a bunch of angry white guys. This isn't a cabinet. It's a SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP! Watch the Reform-a-Tories resurrect the Liberal softwood agreement as their own brainchild. Typical of the Neo-con "screw your neighbour" attitude.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...ageid=968332188492&col=968793972154&t=TS_Home Wow. So the guy's gun collection was targeted by thieves. How did they know how many guns this guy had? I wonder if there was some big government database somewhere on them, like, maybe a REGISTRY that was sold to private interests. The Lieberals said this would NEVER happen. The Lieberals were WRONG, the Conservatives were RIGHT and the sooner this money draining ABOMINATION IS GONE THE BETTER
The Conservative party in Canada is more left of centre in many ways than the Democratic party is in the US. At least i can be glad that the voters in my riding left the conservatives in the dust.
Everything in american politics is about special intrest groups = NOT REGULAR PEOPLE. DOES NEW ORLEANS RING A BELL?.
