Enough with the attack ads already, we get it....

Okay, okay...Canadians from coast to coast to coast should finally understand by now.  There is one, and only one person who is fit to serve as this nation's Prime Minister.  That person is Stephen Harper, message received.

Stephane Dion wasn't worth the risk, Michael Ignatieff was only in it for himself, and now Bob Rae ran up big deficits in Ontario.  Stevie is perfect!!!   There's no risk with the Harper government, our PM is in it for us, and we won't have deficits...well not big ones, uhm...well not for long.

Jesus Christ himself could take over the leadership of the Liberals and ads about His socialistic tendencies would be out within a week I bet.

If you missed it, from CTV's website: 

Conservative ads slam Rae as 'failure,' praise Harper

Really???  What a surprise.  Welcome to Canada, election mode 24/7. 

Liberals still haven't figured out what went wrong...So I'll tell them

Okay Liberal Party of Canada, you obviously haven't figured out where you went off course, why Canadians snubbed you at the ballot box.  Every newspaper I pick up is filled with stories and quotes from Liberal party members and seniors within the party, all grasping at straws trying to identify the mistakes so they won't be repeated.

Of course not everything I read is wrong, you're getting close...but you're not quite there yet.  Allow me to explain it to you simply okay, that way you'll have no excuse when we go to the polls again.

So, how do you like my tone?  The thinly veiled condescension? 

You don't?  Good!!!  Because then you're on the right track.  Nobody likes the smug..."I know best" attitude the Liberal party has come to represent. 

Now let's talk about the private sector, where most Canadians work.  Have you ever worked at a company where the powers that be bring in someone from outside to oversee operations?  You know what that does to morale, no matter how qualified the new guy is.  Usually he has to fire a few people to establish himself, let the minions know who's boss. 

Well...that's pretty much what you did with Michael Ignatieff.  Rather than letting party members elect a leader, you imposed one.  Don't get me wrong, I think you made a wise choice...but its a choice that should have been made by party members, not senior party officials. 

And now I'm reading that some within LPC ranks are pondering doing the same thing again...not very smart guys.

Of course the Conservatives jumped all over Ignatieff's resumé, especially with most of it being from outside the country.  Even Rick Mercer took his shot saying on his blog:

Michael Ignatieff really wants to be Prime Minister. Of that there is no doubt.  In fact, he is so committed to the idea of running Canada, he moved here to do it. Which I think is a good thing because as a nation I don't think we're completely comfortable with the notion of a Prime Minister living in Massachusetts.

The political landscape has changed, the Liberals are no longer Canada's natural governing party, that's reality and you'd better wake up to it.  If you want Canadians to vote for your candidates, you're going to have to earn that support.  That means firstly treating your own members with respect and obeying your own rules when it comes to selecting your next leader.  

And on a final note...don't expect Canadians to jump right into the sack, no matter how well you choose your next leader.  You're going to have to earn our trust first. 

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Stephen Harper tweets that a coalition government would be legitimate

Democracy is all about choices, deciding which individuals and which parties we want to represent us in government.  There has been some concern that Stephen Harper might not accept the rules of our democracy if he were to be leading a minority government that again quickly loses the confidence of the House of Commons. 

Well, based on the Prime Minister's twitter account, (#pmharper) we needn't be concerned.  The tweet made yesterday put the issue to rest.

"Canada’s Choice: Stable national majority Conservative govt OR unstable coalition of Ignatieff-NDP-Bloc"

The tweet contains a link to the Conservative Party's website and a press release that says in part:

“The choice for Canadians is crystal clear,” said Harper.  “Continuing our low-tax plan to complete the recovery and create jobs, financial security, stability and certainty for Canadian families and businesses.  Or the high-tax, reckless-spending Ignatieff-NDP-Bloc Québécois agenda that will stall our recovery, kill jobs and produce political instability and economic uncertainty by re-opening constitutional debates.

Now, obviously Mr. Harper thinks that a Conservative majority  preferable, that's politics.  Leaders always say that their platform is better and that if their opponents win it will be bad for the country.

But the ultimate decision rests with the electorate and its gratifying to see that Stephen Harper acknowledges that it is in fact our (the voters) collective choice.  Its probably a moot point given that I think a Harper majority is what we'll be facing Monday evening.  But if the opposition parties do manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat its nice to know that Stephen Harper recognizes the rules our our democracy and will accede if Canadian voters opt for the coalition. 

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Its going to be a Harper Majority

The polls open in less than 24 hours, so its time for a prediction...and sorry to say it looks to me like a Harper majority.  Based on the polls, especially those relating to the province of Ontario, I see Harper's Conservatives garnering somewhere around 160 seats nationally.

Obviously my guess is not worth much, my projection and a TTC token will get you a subway ride to downtown Toronto.  But I'll explain my rationale none the less.

The bottom line is that its going to all come down to the province of Ontario, and in my home province I see the Tories making big gains due to vote splitting between the NDP and Liberals, allowing Conservative candidates to split up the middle. 

If there's a wild card I see it resting with the number of ballots cast.  If the turnout is as abysmal as it was in 2008 it favours the Conservatives.  Conversely if turnout is a robust 70% or more, then I see that hurting the chances of Harper winning his majority.  But I'm not optimistic about heavy voter turn out, because there's no reason to be.

Jack Layton has been the star of this election, while Michael Ignatieff's energetic and earnest efforts failed to connect.  Even with Layton's performance, I don't see either leader inspiring casual followers of the campaign to get off the couch tomorrow and head to the polls.

So here are the numbers I'm predicting, and if I end up being 100% correct I'll fall off my chair.  We'll see if I'm close:

Cons 162

NDP  79

Libs    48 

Bloc   19

Sorry Liz, my call...close but no cookie.

I do hope I'm wrong, especially now that PMHarper just tweeted yesterday that a coalition government is a legitimate option.  I'll write more on that later today. 

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Michael Ignatieff - What do Canadians think? Make up your own mind

I have a certain degree of empathy for the leader of Canada's Liberal party.  He came home to Canada after an incredibly successful career internationally as an academic, writer and broadcaster, that's simply a matter of record.  But before he even had a chance to introduce himself to his fellow citizens, he was smeared left right and centre.

He didn't come back for us.  He's just in it for himself. 

We've all heard the ads.

In disucssions I've had with people over the course of the past several months I've heard those themes parrotted by many when the name Ignatieff comes up.  People like to appear informed, like they're up on the issues and the personalities of our political leaders. 

But I have to wonder.  Are attack ads and smear the sum total of Canadians' knowledge of Michael Ignatieff?  I'd hope not, but sometimes I put too much faith in people. 

My father spent about 10 years working in the United States...yet I consider him a passionate Canadian, I'd say that of my entire family regardless of the fact that we lived many years in places like New York, New Jersey and Oregon.

If you haven't yet taken a hard look at Michael Ignatieff and are still mulling over who to vote for on May 2nd, then I urge you to take just 30 minutes to watch this video.  That's less time than it takes to watch an airing of American Idol. 

Perhaps you'll like what you see, perhaps not.  But our democracy works best when voters attempt to make an informed choice based on their own opinions, rather than those of paid mouth pieces and political hacks. 





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My reasons for voting for Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals

My vote is in, and after flirting with the idea of voting NDP I finally decided to cast my lot with Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals.

Why did I pick Michael's party?  Part of the reason was strategic certainly.  My riding has been solidly Liberal the past few elections, but it has swung back and forth between the Conservatives and Grits in years past.  The NDP does not have a history of polling well here, and I wanted my vote to count.

With that being said there's plenty in the Liberal platform that I can enthusiastically support. 

Making child care accessible and affordable for all Canadians.  As a parent I know how difficult it can be to find quality care for a child.  Those who can afford options like Montessori and such probably prefer cash in the form of tax credits, but for struggling families with both Mom and Dad working...I prefer the Liberal option.

Helping students earn a post secondary diploma is huge in my books.  With the knowledge based economy that's evolved and evolving, Canada can't afford having our young people missing out on the learning opportunities they'll need for themselves and for our nation to compete.

Reversing Conservative tax give aways to business is of course paramount.  Canada is both its citizens and the corporations that employ them, and our corporate sector has as much of a financial responsibility to this country as do individual citizens.

Finally its about trust.  Watching Canada's financial situation going from hearty to bleak in just five years is to say the least disconcerting.  Ralph Goodale has run the finance portfolio before and been very successful, handing Stephen Harper's Conservatives a very healthy surplus.  Should he get another crack at finance in a Liberal led government I trust he'll be able to make Canada financially solvent again.

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Why disgruntled Conservatives are hanging with Harper

Pity the Conservative minded Canadian voter.  Tired of waste, secrecy and mismanagement they finally got hold of the big prize in Canadian politics...and were forced to watch five years of Stephen Harper. 

• Five years of funding for dubious projects, the most recent example being revelations about spending on the G8 Summit in Huntsville.  (STORY HERE)

• Five years of withholding information from Canadians like the Veterans Health Services Review. (STORY HERE) 

• Five years of watching a 13 Billion dollar surplus turn into a massive record setting deficit.

Yet despite the scandals, controversy and all that red ink, a significant minority of Canadians still seem willing to vote for Mr. Harper's party.  Why?

Part of the reason is attributable to the Tory war chest and their ability to turn voters off of Michael Ignatieff.  In something of a juvenile move, Harper's machine managed to convince the kids on the playground that the new guy wasn't cool.  Not exactly classy, but effective.

Then there's the perpetuation of the myth that Harper's government has done a good job managing the economy.  Granted Harper did inherit a very stable balance sheet, and Canada was better poised to withstand an economic crisis than our neighbours to the south.  But none of that was the doing of Harper's Conservative governments.  In fact, Brian Mulroney deserves more credit than Stephen Harper for putting this nation on solid financial footing....but perception always trumps reality in politics, especially during an election.

So where's a disgruntled Tory to turn?  The Liberals???  Yeah right...not with that globe trotting egg head in charge.  The NDP?  Oh yeah, right!!!  Green?!?!  Let's be serious. 

And then of course you have those who fill the fundamentalist pews every Sunday who are thrilled at having one of their own in the Prime Minister's office.  Sure he hasn't done anything about outlawing gay marriage and about putting abortion back in the criminal code...but give him a majority and then we'll see what happens.

In my opinion Michael Ignatieff needs to talk more about the need to return to surplus, and the path he intends to take to get us there.  Grandiose national programs are all well and good, but first let's get our financial house in order.  In Ralph Goodale the Liberals have a strong card to play against Jim Flaherty's dismal performance. 

There are plenty of Conservative voters out there who are less than pleased with Harper, with good reason, and many who fear a Conservative majority.  Dirty politics and smear have kept many on-side, but a strong end to the campaign could yet still bring some around. 

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Afraid to debate Iggy, Harper finds another way to score...against kids

Stephen Harper is looking an awful lot like Sean Avery these days.  An annoying pest who likes to stir things up, but doesn't have the stones to back his words up with action. 

If you missed it, and no doubt many have....our Prime Minister challenged Ignatieff to a one-on-one debate, which the Liberal leader readily accepted.  Now Harper's backing out, saying he'll only take part in the traditional format, nothing in addition to that. 

Hardly surprising.  Harper even  limits the number of questions friendly corporate news media can underhand at him. 

So why won't Stephen debate Iggy mano-a-mano?  Simple...Harper may be many things, but he's not stupid.  And it takes smarts to know when you're over matched.  With the Conservative record of the past 5 years Ignatieff would wipe the floor with him. 

Many Canadians don't pay close attention to all the noise coming from Ottawa about the Harper Regime's secrecy, the waste of tax dollars, the accusations of fraud, the association with individuals of dubious character. 

A Harper-Iggy faceoff would draw a lot of attention, and with the Conservative record being what it is...suffice to say that Conservative organizers are likely hoping voters stay asleep until after the election is over. 

That's not to say the Prime Minister is going to be invisible.  Today's Globe & Mail reports on Harper joining a bunch of kids for some street hockey.  He even scored a goal!!!  Playing some hockey against kids sure beats dropping the gloves and battling someone his own size. 




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C'mon Harper, don't wimp out. Debate Ignatieff!!!

Ouch!!!  This is gonna leave a mark.

Stephen Harper challenges Michael Ignatieff to a debate, one on one, mano-a-mano.  Ignatieff gets his gloves on and says: "Anyplace, anytime...let's go"!!!  Then Stephen runs and hides. 

This would be great drama, the new kid and the bully. Well, it would be if the Conservative leader had any cajones.  Rick Mercer is even offering to book a venue and moderate on twitter.  

Now Stephen has his media toadies making excuses for him in the press, like George W. Bush speech writer David Frum in the National Post (Column Here).  Or Shelly Fralic in the Vancouver Sun saying such a debate would be meaningless (Column Here).

Nobody likes a bully.  But even worse is a bully who kicks sand then runs and hides, leaving his friends to make lame excuses. 

No wonder Canada lost its place on the U.N. security council. I mean seriously, why give a seat to a country led by by a wimp?

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Harper Regime looking desperate, because they are....

First things first.  How dare I paint the Harper Regime as being desperate?  Its simple really.   In the ocean that is politics in Canada, they are but a small but decent sized island.  And that island is shrinking, with waves of scandal, poor judgement  and arrogance threatening to wash away what once looked like solid ground.

Yes, most recent polls put the Tories well out in front, with what looked to be a fair possibility of  forming a majority.  Not bad for a party that formed a government with just 35% of the votes in our last election. 

And that's why they're desperate.  Desperate to do anything and everything they can to heap scorn on their only true rivals, Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party.

Think about it, with just their evangelical and socially conservative base, Harper's gang can't aspire to much more than their Reform predecessors.  Its a good start, but its not enough to form even a minority government let alone to dream about a majority.

Hence the politics of anything goes, huge sums of money on media buys designed to convince casual observers that voting for the Liberals is the worst thing imaginable.  Better to vote NDP, Green or not at all rather than mark an X next to the very embodiment of the devil himself.

So far, its worked.....not perfectly, if it had Harper would be sitting in the PMO with a majority of the seats and no worries about defending an abysmal record for another two years or so.  

Its worked in another way too.  

If you're Stephen Harper wouldn't you prefer having your media attack dogs discussing Michael Ignatieff's long dead ancestors.  It sure beats having to explain how Canada's Prime Minister hired a disbarred lawyer as a "TOP" advisor.  Bruce Carson, a man who lost his license to practise law because he was disbarred for forging cheques and stealing $23,900 from a corporation and two individual clients he represented.

I've long been of the opinion that Stephen Harper's membership in the Christian and Missionary Alliance church is motivated more by politics than by faith, and this puts that opinion in cement.  Like George Bush I think our  Prime Minister was simply looking to cultivate a devoted and trusting base of support.  Something about sheep's clothing comes to mind.

Harper and the Conservatives can wash all they want, but this odour is going to be around for while. 

And this presents a problem for Canadians who've imbibed too heavily on the Harper Kool-Ade.  Its been drilled into their subconscious that Ignatieff's Liberals are nothing short of the Anti Christs of politics.  And with Harper's Conservatives looking no better and probably worse....

Where's are conservatives to turn?  I guess if there's no Christian Heritage candidate running locally they might just decide to stay home. 

Desperate times, desperate measures.  Wouldn't want to lose the ability to hire disbarred lawyers and to appoint judges like that guy Dewar in Manitoba who let a convicted rapist walk the streets.  And big business really wants those tax cuts. 

Bring on the heavy artillery, load it with mud and aim low....very low. 

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Conservative reaction to Iggy's ad? Your Daddy ain't so hot!!!

I was going to leave this alone, there's plenty of bandwidth already being used up either touting or trashing the latest Liberal ads about Michael Ignatieff's Canadian experience.  But I just had to wade in.

One good example of Tory reaction comes from Dean Skoreyko, author of Conservative blog  'BC Blue'.  He says of the Liberal Leader:  Iggy telling tall tales about his family background.  Okay, so what is it that Dean is taking exception to?

That Ignatieff's family came over in a boat? Yo, Dean bud.  In the early part of the twentieth century, everyone crossed the Atlantic by boat.  Air Canada wasn't around yet.

That the Ignatieffs came to this country with nothing as  refugees and that Michael's father lived the immigrant dream, climbing the ladder one rung at a time?  Deanster, do some reading....CLICK HERE FOR A PRIMER...Michael Ignatieff's father was put in prison after the Russian revolution.  After a negotiated release he fled with his family to France and then to Canada....BY BOAT.

I realize Harper hasn't got quite the same narrative, I mean how many people would be inspired by Stephen Harper telling Canadians:  "My father was an accountant with Imperial Oil"?

In politics as in many arenas, you play to your strengths.  Iganatieff has led a compelling life, and with all the smear and low ball attacks its nice to see a classy response.   Harper loves to call himself an economist based on his education, regardless of the fact that he's never worked as one.

If the Conservatives would talk about policy instead of slinging mud all the time, maybe we could have a mature discussion centred around the issues. 

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Sporting arenas or prisons costing billions? Tough choice...

Alrightee, on the one hand the Harper Regime is proposing that Canada needs new American style super jails because there's too much unreported crime in the land.  Which makes perfect sense in the Conservative Bizarro world I guess.

And then you have Ignatieff saying that a Liberal government would provide some funding for a proposed new Colisée sports arena for the city of Québec. 

Now, obviously we can't really afford either.  Not with the current government having piled on so much debt recently, with no end in sight.  But....if its a choice between the two, well then I'll go with Ignatieff's arena...call it the Iggy-Loo.

I've been to la ville de Québec many times, 5 visits to Winter Carnival alone...and I love the place, so maybe I'm biased.  I'd been in the old Colisée to watch a pee-wee hockey tournament and to see Guy Lafleur during his last season in the NHL.

Never been to a prison though, and if its for criminals whose crimes aren't being reported...not gonna be a real busy place I'm guessing. 

Is Ignatieff playing politics here?  Sure, the Conservatives have ten seats at stake in the Québec City area, and the Liberal leader just gave voters there something serious to consider.  Quebecers pay taxes too and I'm betting they'd prefer an arena over a prison any day. 

Harper may still be up in the polls, but I'm thinking he might want to prorogue parliament again and hope Canadians go back to sleep. 

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Why did Harper come back? Not for me

Dare I suggest that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and Conservative king pin Stephen Harper have something in common?  They do.

Both can be cast in the role of 'prodigal son' for their respective parties.  Michael went abroad and became famous for his writing, political insight and intellect.  He came back to the only country where he could put his ideals and beliefs to work in the political arena, his home and native land...Canada.

Stephen's journey didn't take him quite as far.  He was an MP in Preston Manning's Reform party before leaving electoral politics in 1997.   Like Michael though, he didn't abandon politics.  But he did stay closer to home leading the National Citizens Coalition.  The NCC is a Libertarian group that argues for less government involvement, it was created to combat Canada's move to provide government run Health Care.

So, both Stephen Harper and Micahel Ignatieff left and came back.  Stephen just didn't travel as far or do as much. 

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Why did he come back? Ignatieff answers

So, why did Michael Ignatieff return?  I posed the question here on Saturday, and offered up my thoughts on what motivated him to jump back into Canadian politics: 

So...Why did Michael Ignatieff come back? 

I even tweeted him, not directly because he isn't yet following canukgord on twitter.  Turns out I needn't have bothered, a New York Times article had come out one day earlier: 

Looking to Lead Canada, and for a Little Name Recognition

It seems my speculation was not far off the mark.  I'd figured it was a desire to contribute and make a difference, something Monsieur Ignatieff has a long history of in his many endeavours.  One aspect I'd missed though was his perspective on being a foreigner living in the United States.  Given that I grew up in that country I can certainly empathize.  I was born in Canada but spent 9 of my first 12 years growing up in New York, New Jersey and Oregon. 

My family, we were always "The Canadians", similar to our neighbours but forever somewhat removed.  Integrated with school, sports and church but at the same time never completely a part of the communities in which we lived.  I can understand why the Liberal leader referred to the U.S. as his country when making his comments on American political issues.  I lived the same experience, wanting to be fully a part of the place where I lived. 

I'm not surprised the Harper Regime tries to exploit remarks such as these.  When it comes to the politics of anything goes, our Prime Minister and his team set the bar as low as humanly possible.  

The article is a good read, but I wish a Canadian publication had put a reporter on it instead of the NYT.  But in the final analysis its the message that matters, not the nationality of the medium.

Oh and Michael, you still haven't added me on twitter yet.  Jack Layton and Elizabeth May both follow my tweets, Harper does too, et même le chef de Bloc Gilles Duceppe.  Pourquoi pas vous Michel?

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So...Why did Michael Ignatieff come back?

I just tweeted Michael Ignatieff.

I can't send him a message on twitter because he isn't following me...yet.  But I can broadcast a tweet that might catch his eye by putting @M_Ignatieff in the message.  Here's what I wrote:

@M_Ignatieff, serious question. "Why did you come back"? Going to speculate on my blog, but would love to hear fthm, not that ur a horse

I used up all of my 144 characters, which is why I abbreviated 'from the horse's mouth'.  If fthm becomes a common short form for texters, I call dibs and expect royalties.

So, why did Michael Ignatieff come back to Canada?  Here's a man who was already world famous, probably more so outside of Canada than in it.  Particularly in the UK where he was a regular on numerous BBC shows.  He taught at the University of Toronto as well as a number of world famous institutions including Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard. 

The Liberal party leader has authored more books than many Canadians have probably read.  Charpters/Indigo's website has 81 you can choose from if you're so inclined. (LINK)

Mr. Ignatieff easily could have sat back on his many accomplishments and enjoyed the life of a retired academic, author, broadcaster and political commentator. Instead he chose to return to his home and native land. 

Why? 

I know he didn't come back for "me", I'm not that egotistical.  But I think I have a pretty good guess as to the possible motivation.. 

Just skimming through the mountain of reading material available reveals a man passionate about politics, and with finding the best possible solutions to the problems confronting society.  It doesn't matter if that society is Canadian, American or British, what matters is thoughtful research and contemplation before reaching a conclusion on the political issues facing peoples and nations.

Does that mean his opinions are always right?  No.  Like Stephen Harper he argued for Canadian involvement in the U.S. invasion of Iraq, something many saw as a wrong view.  And on the question of torture he has written in favour of aggressive interrogation techniques given the dangers of terrorism.

So is that the reason he came back?  To foist his opinions on the Canadian political landscape.  In my opinion, that's likely a big part of the reason.  Like a sportscaster commenting on the NHL who dreams of strapping on the skates and giving it a go, I'm guessing Michael wanted to get down to the nitty gritty instead of standing on the sidelines.

It would be nice if we could have some honest political discussion from our party leaders.  But with the Tories using their war chest to dominate the airwaves with endless sound bites and slogans its difficult to change the tone. 

So Mr. Ignatieff, why don't you write a column or publish a  letter to Canadians telling us why you came back.  Or you can answer my tweet and I'll happily pass it along.  I'm not promising to vote Liberal, but I'm not ruling it out.

I'm still an undecided voter, the only decision I've made is that I won't be voting for the Harper Regime.  Of course anyone who reads this blog already knows that.  As of this moment I'm giving equal consideration to the Liberals, NDP and Greens. 




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Hey Stephen Harper - NEWS FLASH - You're a 'Tax and Spend' guy too

Can somebody do Canada a favour and buy our Prime Minister (pro-tem) a freaking clue? I'd ask Stephen to buy it himself, but he'd only borrow the money...

So Ignatieff is a 'tax and spend' Liberal...uh huh.

And what does that make you, the leader of Canada's governing Conservative party? I'll give you the answer, you're a 'tax and spend' Conservative.

Ya see Mr. Harper, I know this is pretty basic, but maybe they didn't cover it in any of your economics courses. Governments in Canada have always collected taxes, after which they spend the money. Liberal, NDP, Conservative...it doesn't matter. Governments take in tax revenue and then they fund (or spend it on) programs like health care, the military, politician's salaries, senators, keeping 24 Sussex (your temporary home) in good repair.

Its worked pretty well in this country, except when governments (like your's) spend too much and take in too little.

Hope that helps. Wouldn't want your economics degree being used as toilet paper.

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Note to the Liberals and NDP, give it a rest

Hypocrites calling hypocrites hypocrites, while the governing hypocrites sit back and smile. That, in a nutshell, is Ottawa these days.

Its all been said before, I'm just adding a little kindling to the fire.

The Liberals propped up Stephen Harper's for months, while the NDP chided them about forming a coalition with the governing Tories. Now the Liberals have withdrawn their support and are pointing fingers at the NDP for doing what they were doing for more than two years. Harper rails against alliances with socialists and separatists, conveniently forgetting his own wheeling and dealing with the same parties just a couple of years back.

Give it a rest guys, Canadians aren't stupid. We know this is all gamesmenship, so tone down the rhetoric and ease up on the hyperbole.

Here's a newsflash for Misters Ignatieff and Layton, polling still indicates that a majority of Canadians oppose the Harper government. With that being said, even with just 35% or so support of decided voters...that makes Stephen Harper king of the castle. All Mike and Jack are doing is pushing each other down the mountain, leaving the Conservatives relatively comfortable.

Jack and Mike don't have to work together, all they have to do is focus their attacks accross the aisle instead of on each other. We'll have an election when time and circumstance place the opposition parties on the same page, or when Stephen Harper decides to pull the plug himself...and not before.

Waiting things out a little longer may prove wise, given that cracks are already showing in our fragile economic recovery. A short lived spike borne of cheap interest rates, cash for clunkers and home rennovation tax credits is already losing steam. Take Harper and his cronies to task over their many failings, and leave each other alone.

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Harper's Conservatives - The vast left wing conspiracy trumps incompetence

Leaders of Canada's opposition Liberal, NDP, Green and Bloc parties have a monumental task ahead of them in unseating the Harper Conservatives from the seat of power in Ottawa. Monday's Globe and Mail reports that polling indicates the Tories have opened up a 5 point lead nationally on the second place Liberals. The Strategic Counsel poll pegs the Conservatives at 35% and the Liberals at 30, with the NDP and Greens at 14 and 9 respectively.

Stephen Harper has assumed the mantle of Canada's Teflon man, nothing sticks. In his first mandate the Prime Minister broke his promise to "never, NEVER" tax income trusts, still Canadians returned the Tories with an increased minority. In calling an early election last October Harper may have even broken his own law respecting fixed election dates. A judge will now decide if that election call was illegal instead of just politically self serving.

Despite such a short tenure as Canada's ruling party, the Conservatives have done plenty to raise the ire of the voting public. Promises of balanced budgets have joined the tax exempt status of Income Trusts on the trash heap. Jim Flaherty's laughingly inept budget projections should definitely give Canadians cause for concern about the running of the nation's finances.

Add to that Lisa's Raitt's salivating at the 'sexiness' of cancer patients having treatment delayed, the boondoggle of funding for GLBT events in Toronto and Montreal, Harper breaking his promise not to engage in patronage politics to become the all time patronage champion with Senate appointments...its a long list for a party with so little time in power.

And yet despite financial mismanagement and scandal after scandal....Harper's Conservatives continue to lead in the polls. Why?

Simple, Harper's socially conservative base in convinced that there has long been a conspiracy afoot to rob Canadians of certain God given rights. There is a pervasive belief that a "Liberal Elite" is bent on ramming through an agenda that extols the 'dubious' (sic) virtues of things like multiculturalism and equality of the sexes.

The challenge for the likes of Ignatieff, Layton and May is to energize the roughly ten million Canadians who didn't bother voting last time around. Shaking the Conservative tree in hopes of diminishing Harper's core base will yield slim pickings at best. Stephen Harper can run the economy into the ground, break almost every election promise and prove himself the epitome of hypocrisy...and it won't matter to roughly 25% of Canadian voters.

I do believe the Liberals are off to a decent start with their chosen theme of "We Can Do Better". But its going to take more than a catchy slogan to reverse Mr. Ignatieff's fortunes and propel him to 24 Sussex Drive.

The fact that the Liberals are finally willing to state their intention of fighting an election at a time when their polling numbers are less than robust nullifies any appearance that their strategy is opportunistic. When Harper broke his own fixed election law last summer in an attempt to garner a majority mandate, that was political opportunism at its most blatant.

Canadians do deserve better government than what we've been getting recently, but Harper's socially Conservative base will be doing its best to blur reality. Its Machiavellism at its best and worst, Harper is their lesser evil.

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NDP will prop up the Tories - And I'll be dating Maria Sharapova

Now that Michael Ignatieff has finally decided to withdraw support for Stephen Harper's minority government it looks like we'll be headed to the polls this fall...or maybe not. The NDP is entertaining the notion of propping up the Tories provided Harper's crew is willing to address some issues near and dear to Canada's labour party. Two specifically mentioned are pension protection and bank fees.

I'm sure I'm not alone in thinking any possibility of the Conservatives agreeing to NDP demands is pretty much dead in the water. Of course anything is possible, maybe I'll wake up in bed tomorrow next to a Russian tennis star...one can only dream.

I'm certain that Harper would much rather be in control of his own fate, so I won't be surprised in the least if he asks the Governor General to dissolve parliament and call an election even sooner.

I'm in the minority in wanting an election, whether its a vote of non confidence or Harper pulling the plug, I don't care. Stephen could even try to curry the favour of the separatist Bloc, but that is likely too fraught with the potential for backlash amongst his base to warrant serious consideration.

So its an election or a dance between the Conservative right and the NDP left. If Jack can get Stephen to play ball though...Maybe my dream can come true?

How would you like your eggs cooked Maria?

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Former Mulroney crony L. Ian MacDonald offers Ignatieff advice in today's Gazette

Today's Montreal Gazette features an op/ed piece by L. Ian MacDonald under the headline:

Summertime poll has bad news for Liberals

The poll referenced is the one done for CanWest by Ipsos showing the Conservatives teetering on majority territory. Its not the Decima poll (with twice the sampling size) that shows the Libs and Cons in the same statistical tie they've been in all summer.

Using the smaller and ergo less reliable poll, the writer paints a dismal picture for Liberal prospects in a possible election. Projecting the numbers out regionally, the author concludes that forcing an election at this time would be folly.

Well...opinions are not unlike another certain orifice, or so goes the old saw, everyone has one. Something I like to do when confronting a strongly held "opinion" that borders on advocacy is to check out the person offering it up.

In this case its L. Ian MacDonald, a gentleman whose website refers to him as; a columnist, author, editor, broadcaster -- and speaker.

Listed among numerous accomplishments is that he was a speech writer for Brian "Brown Bag" Mulroney from 1985 to 1988. Later he served in Washington as Minister of Public Affairs at the Canadian embassy. Needless to say, this is a man used to dealing in politics...with a decidedly Conservative bent.

Obviously the Ipsos poll is music to the ears of Conservatives, and MacDonald relies on it heavily in formulating his conclusion that Harper's summer has been very good while Iggy's has been very bad. But that poll was conducted from Aug 18-20 and surveyed just 1,001 Canadians.

The Decima poll on the other hand, the one showing the Liberals with a slight advantage nationally, took place over a longer period, from Aug 13-23. And its basically double the size with 2,000 respondents.

Of course CanWest paid good money for the poll showing Harper on the cusp of majority support, so its only logical for Conservative minded writers to jump all over it. But if I'm Michael Ignatieff I'd be very wary about taking the musings of a former Mulroney hack to heart. I'm sure Stephen Harper would prefer to avoid an election call anytime soon, anything short of a majority win next time around could spell the end of his time in the PMO.

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