NDP, Bloc in coalition talks before fiscal update: tape

Originally posted by GAOTU789
The Conservatives won the election, let them govern.

The coalition is legit. However, as I expected, Harper did get his time-out and he now has a chance to play nice to preserve his term.

He'd best not bet the farm, though.

Overheard on the bus: "There's a rat in the Liberal house or should I say a Rae"

Has Bob Rae been playing games again?

Curious, I checked the wikipedia on Bob Rae's antics in the mid 80s when as the NDP leader he formed a coalition with the Liberals to bring down the Ontario Conservative government.

Rae nonetheless played a pivotal role in bringing the Progressive Conservative Party's 42-year dynasty to an end. The 1985 election resulted in a minority parliament, in which the Tories held four more seats than David Peterson's Liberals, but were eleven seats short of a majority. After a series of negotiations, begun by a phone call from Rae to Peterson shortly after election day, Rae and Peterson signed a "Liberal-NDP Accord" in which the NDP agreed to support a Liberal government in office for two years. The Liberals, in turn, agreed to implement some policies favoured by the NDP. Rae had personally supported a full coalition, but did not strongly argue this case with other members of his party. Peterson later indicated that he would not have accepted a coalition in any event.

Did Bob Rae whisper in Mr Dion's ear, flatter him, appeal to his bruised vanity and convince him to garner NDP and Bloc support just to buy himself time for his own leadership aspirations? The jig is up Mr Rae you've been uncovered. you've likely lost any chance of leading the Liberals and this will bring down the next liberal leader as well. Nice trick, now you can jump ship back to the NDP party and take over from discredited Jack Layton. One might say masterfully played except someone's on to you and getting the word around. How will you explain this to your new "Liberal" friends".

Originally posted by Anonymous ATS Did Bob Rae whisper in Mr Dion's ear, flatter him, appeal to his bruised vanity and convince him to garner NDP and Bloc support just to buy himself time for his own leadership aspirations? The jig is up Mr Rae you've been uncovered. you've likely lost any chance of leading the Liberals and this will bring down the next liberal leader as well. Nice trick, now you can jump ship back to the NDP party and take over from discredited Jack Layton.

Naw, I can't read it that way at all. Layton has not been discredited, and Rae has no call to head back to the NDP. In fact, if he shows strong leadership right now, it could well help him to lose the NDP baggage. Further, he sure was spitting mad about Harper's gamesmanship, and promised to call him on a non-confidence motion no matter what is in the Tory budget. Certainly a better showing than Dion's statement on TV after Harper's.

Gee...if I were given to conspiratorial thinking, I'd suggest that Dion's statement was sabotaged...from the phone-cam video values to the copy of "Hot Air" promenantly displayed over his shoulder, to the lateness of the tape's delivery...

Originally posted by GoalPoster
Do our MPs represent the will of those who elected them and do those MPs really represent those who elected them or are the MPs blindly following party platitudes based on the fact that if they don't, they'll be doomed to the back benches until the next election when they're not supported in their riding by their applicable party?

In theory, they are supposed to represent their riding. Reality is something quite different. All parties have a Whip and whipped votes are a regular feature of parliament. Some parties are less forgiving of dissension than others, but nobody is going to get into cabinet after disobeying the orders of the Whip. A backbencher isn't going to do a lot of good for their constituents, so most play the game to some extent. They have to in order to accomplish anything.

Sure, there's the very rare politician who is there to represent the voters and isn't afraid to stand up for what they believe (RIP Chuck Cadman - yes hell just froze over, I praised a Reform/Alliance MP as one of the finest men in Canadian politics in the last 15 years) but you don't come across them very often.





[edit on 4-12-2008 by Duzey]

Canada was stunned Monday when it was announced that The Stanley Cup will be awarded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, possibly as early as December
6th. The cup will be stripped from from 2008 playoff champions, the Detroit Red Wings, and be awarded to the Leafs, who didn't even make the playoffs.

How is this possible, Canadians ask?

Well, the Leafs have formed a coalition with eastern conference semifinalists the Montreal Canadians, and conference quarter finalists the Ottawa Senators, now outnumbering the Red Wings. According to current Leaf coach Ron Wilson, "The Red Wings have lost the confidence of the League and should hand the cup over immediately to our coalition".

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is cutting short a European trip to try to resolve the unprecedented hockey crisis that could force a second playoff series, or see an opposing team coalition take the cup.

Just Imagine!

Originally posted by unruly1

Canada was stunned Monday when it was announced that The Stanley Cup will be awarded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, possibly as early as December
6th. The cup will be stripped from from 2008 playoff champions, the Detroit Red Wings, and be awarded to the Leafs, who didn't even make the playoffs.

I received that in an email from a poor misguided friend of mind. My response was as follows:
"...in a related story, the Detroit Red Wings are forced to try and advance the sport of hockey without being such (rectal orifices).

"Scoring points is one thing" says Bettman "...trash-talking without actually accomplishing anything, is another. Time to get back in the game"

"F(rea)kin'-A", agrees Sean Avery.