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Crimpergirl
Social climber
Boulder, Colorado!
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Oct 14, 2008 - 07:03pm PT
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Cool stuff here. Thanks for sharing.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Oct 14, 2008 - 09:27pm PT
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Just got back from voting, timing according to the Dr. Piton definition of "punctual":
nearly late.
I don't think anything will much change - it'll just end up as a Conservative minority. Still knott quite sure why they even called an election. Sheesh. Seems like a good waste of taxpayers' money.
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Ottawa Doug
Social climber
Ottawa, Canada
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Oct 14, 2008 - 10:29pm PT
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I just wasted my time voting, but at least I did it. We will end up with the same gov't all over again. They could have just given me the $.
Oh, and Riley I have a friend who lives in Calgary and he claims that the NDP sign on his front lawn is the only one in the city. :)
Cheers,
Doug
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2008 - 01:56am PT
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Polls closed at 7 PM PDT, and they're still counting, especially in B.C. (No help from Mr. Diebold.) Current standings (predicted elected, and leading):
Conservative (Harper): 143 (37.68% overall)
Liberal (Dion): 77 (26.26%)
New Democrats (Layton): 37 (18.13%)
Bloc Quebecois (Duceppe): 49 (9.9%)
Greens (May): 0 (6.77%)
(BQ strength, and to a lesser extent that of the NDP, is somewhat focussed - they win quite a lot of votes in relatively few ridings.)
Essentially, the Liberals will have about 20 fewer seats, and the Conservatives about 20 more. The Conservatives are very unlikely to have a majority, which would be 155 seats. So we're back with another 2 - 3 years of a Conservative minority, which suits most Canadians fairly well. The Liberals will probably now jettison their leader - two time loser.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/ridings/
All over, nothing much more to watch or talk about.
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MisterE
Trad climber
My Inner Nut
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Oct 15, 2008 - 02:36am PT
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"The leaders of the five parties (Conservative, Liberal, New Democratic, Green, Bloc Quebecois) had a debate last Thursday, the same night as the Biden/Palin debate. I gather it was a close run thing in terms of viewership - substance v amusement."
Anders, you forgot to mention the law requiring the high pecentage of all televised programs to be Canadian-based.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2008 - 01:09pm PT
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Two tidbits that may be interesting. One is that two independents were elected, which is quite unusual. The other is that Justin Trudeau (as in son of...) was elected to represent a Montreal riding. We don't much go in for that dynasty crap here, and I guess after George II neither will the U.S. Although there's a healthy oligarchy here, as there is in the U.S. And he may never be more than a Liberal MP, and perhaps a cabinet minister if/when they form the government again. But he is in a modest way a climber.
As for Canadian content on radio and television - yes, we have real regulation of our broadcast industries, and one of the requirements is that a respectable percentage of what they broadcast be Canadian in origin. We feel it's part of our culture and heritage. We would not give a licence to any of your AM radio talk (hate) radio stations, and anyone broadcasting such abhorrent agitprop wouldn't last long. And there is reasonable balance of views. As the CBC is recognized as one of the best AM stations in the world, it speaks for itself.
If I'm driving late in the U.S., one way to stay awake is to listen to a talk radio station. It's horrifying that people say such things, or are allowed to broadcast them.
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klk
Trad climber
cali
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Oct 15, 2008 - 01:22pm PT
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"Tu vas avoir besoin des Québeois(e) d'avoir le Bloc ici. Il n'y'en a pas."
Oui, mais pourquois? Nous avons beaucoup des Gunkies.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2008 - 03:58pm PT
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The election cost the public about $290 million, not including spending by parties and candidates - they haven't reported yet. That works out to about $10/citizen for enumeration, registration, and the actual election.
Just over 60% of those who were eligible actually voted, which is quite low for Canada.
The Bloc Quebecois is an entirely Quebec-based pro-Quebec lobby, or if you like party. They've pretty much given up their fantasy of being an independent country, as the Supreme Court has ruled that there would have to a referendum with a "clear question and clear majority", also that not all those areas within Quebec's boundaries would necessarily be bound by the decision. Anyway, the uncharitable refer to the head of the BQ as the "Bloc head".
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 29, 2008 - 02:23am PT
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Well, believe it or not, we may be in for another federal election - soon. The new (re-elected) Harper government may be facing a confidence vote in the House of Commons on Monday. They called Parliament into session after the election, to deal with a "mini-budget". Essentially, the government's response to worsening economic conditions. There wasn't a lot of substance to it. Going through the motions, when the government has a fair bit of room to manoeuvre fiscally.
Harper, showing his nasty streak, tried to slip in a cut to federal funding for political parties. (The parties get $1.75/vote, which provides about 1/2 their operating budgets. Whether or not it's right, it's long established, and works. Cost about $30 million/year.) In effect trying to knee cap the already divided opposition.
The news media and public weren't impressed, and the three opposition parties (Liberals, NDP, and even the Bloc) have managed to agree that the government has to back down, or it will be defeated - they have just enough votes to do it. Harper and the Conservatives, caught red-handed, are now stalling for time. The other three parties are trying to cobble together a workable agreement for a coalition government, so they can offer that alternative if the government falls on Monday. There could even be a constitutional crisis, as the governor-general (well, her advisers) has to decide whether to allow them to give it a try, or to call a new election.
Who said Canadian politics weren't entertaining? OK, neither Obama nor Palin is running, but it is quite fun. Few would be sorry to see Harper taken down a peg or two - which is why he didn't get a majority in the first place. Mean bugger. The Conservatives would probably not do as well if there was a new election, over midwinter - a REALLY BAD TIME to campaign in Canada.
http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=ff103e12-22e9-4095-bf22-6441212bf7b0
The excitement never ends, eh?
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Chris2
Trad climber
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Nov 29, 2008 - 10:37am PT
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When is Canada going to be done with Quebec and say...
give it to France?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 29, 2008 - 05:18pm PT
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I'd never heard of Gary Goodyear before Ed's post. He is the new junior minister for science & technology. It's not a position of much influence, but it seems an odd appointment, given his background.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Goodyear
In other news, the various political parties and their leaders are scrambling around this weekend, trying to decide what to do. Harper has postponed the confidence (budget) vote for a week, presumably hoping the opposition will either back down or crumble. Whether he'll withdraw his petty attempt to cut funding, or more importantly present a real economic plan, remain to be seen. The Liberal leader, Stephan Dion, resigned after the election, and they've just started a leadership race, which was to have been decided in May. The Liberals have to have a credible leader, and a workable arrangement with the NDP and the BQ, to pull this one off. Hence all the horse-trading.
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Ben Harland
Social climber
Baltimore, MD
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Wow, this is indeed a very strange situation. It appears that the GG isn't going to allow an election to be called after the no-confidence vote, and that a coalition cabinet will be formed from a mix of NDP and Liberal MP's with Stephane Dion as PM. Ignatieff will then take over once he wins his leadership race. The Bloc has put an 18 month time limit on the thing, but there will surely be an election before then?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081201.wPOLcoalition1201/BNStory/politics/home
I've never heard this sort of thing happening.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2008 - 07:56pm PT
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If the government is defeated in a confidence vote, the governor-general has little choice but to let the opposition to at least try to show it can command a majority, however rickety it might be. I suspect she'll ask for a written agreement from all three opposition parties, detailing how things will be handled, and showing reasonable prospect of a coalition that will last a year or two. A Liberals + NDP coalition worked in 1972 - 74, but adding the Bloc isn't a very promising step. They can't just be a silent partner, either - a coalition would need every vote to beat the Conservatives.
It's even made the New York Times, though only on Friday so far. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/29/world/americas/29canada.html?_r=1
The things some people will do to get attention.
Edit: The leaders of the three opposition parties have now signed a coalition agreement. http://www.vancouversun.com/Business/Opposition+leaders+sign+accord+form+government+Tories+defeated/1017518/story.html
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 3, 2008 - 04:03pm PT
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Canada is now having a full-on constitutional crisis. The governor-general is flying back early from state visits in Europe (her usual job), and consulting with her advisors as to what to do. Prime Minister Harper is not performing well - his behaviour illustrates the principle "When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout". He's now hoping to get the governor-general to let him prorogue Parliament, so delaying a confidence vote and stalling for time. She probably won't let him. The unholy alliance of the opposition parties may also have blown it, in that their coalition would not be stable, involves a party (the Bloc Quebecois) that is entirely pro-Quebec and cares little for the rest of the country, and would have a Prime Minister (Stephan Dion) who has already resigned as head of the Liberals, and would be replaced by May. Plus they may be fighting over who gets to steer the Titanic - Canada seems to be in better economic shape than the US, but it seems most likely that we'll be significantly affected, just somewhat delayed.
The fun just never ends.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/world/americas/03canada.html?_r=1&ref=world
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Ben Harland
Social climber
Baltimore, MD
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Holy jumpin,
Canada's parliament was just shuttered until late January.
Now I don't expect America to care too much in this time of crisis but let me tell you that this is a singular chance for personal opportunity. You've got a lame-duck president who doesn't dare start another war while Canada has some pretty primo resources ripe for the picking.
So come on up (remember your flag) and stake out some of the true North strong and free. If you don't Quebec will.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 29, 2011 - 10:23pm PT
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So now we're having another election. Prime minister Harper's minority government lost a vote of confidence on Friday, having been in office since autumn 2008. The vote was on ethics matters, and Harper wanted to lose it - he thinks he can win a majority. And anyway, minority governments here rarely last more than 2 - 3 years.
After five years of minority government, Harper desperately wants a majority. Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff isn't exactly overwhelming, the NDP (under Jack Layton, who's sick) will never be more than a principled minority, and the Bloc Quebecois (Bloc Head Gilles Duceppe) by definition can only be spoiler.
Should be interesting, but mistrust of Harper and his Albertan wannabe neo-cons is still significant.
Harper himself claims to be Albertan, but in fact was born and grew up in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto. A bit like George Bush, from a family with deep New England roots, pretending to be Texan.
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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Mar 30, 2011 - 12:29am PT
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I second the motion!
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