http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/11/28/canada.government/index.html

http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/confused.gifhttp://www.operationsports.com/fofc/images/smilies/eek.gif

So, uh, any of our neighbors in the frozen north want to fill us in? What's going on?

Short version: We'll go to vote in January...

Long version: the Liveral party didn't have 50%+1 of all seats in Ottawa so the other parties got together and toppled them.

FM

You will read stories for the next few weeks about the Conservatives being ahead. Then, with a few days to go, Canadians will lose their nerve and decide to stick with the Liberals, and it will be back to business as usual.

You will read stories for the next few weeks about the Conservatives being ahead. Then, with a few days to go, Canadians will lose their nerve and decide to stick with the Liberals, and it will be back to business as usual.
and from the few surveys I read this weekend, Canadians had already lost their nerves. Had the vote gone in the last two weeks, we would have had a Liberal majority...

FM

You will read stories for the next few weeks about the Conservatives being ahead. Then, with a few days to go, Canadians will lose their nerve and decide to stick with the Liberals, and it will be back to business as usual.

Missed the middle step, where a Conservative candidate says something politically incorrect and the media jumps on it to remind everyone how "scary" they are.

Go NDP!!!!!

You will read stories for the next few weeks about the Conservatives being ahead. Then, with a few days to go, Canadians will lose their nerve and decide to stick with the Liberals, and it will be back to business as usual. Are you saying that even though their guilty consciences may force them to vote Liberal, deep inside Canadians secretly long for a cold hearted conservative to lower taxes, brutalize prisoners and rule you like a king?

Are you saying that even though their guilty consciences may force them to vote Liberal, deep inside Canadians secretly long for a cold hearted conservative to lower taxes, brutalize prisoners and rule you like a king?

Well played sir, well played!

Go NDP!!!!!
GO ANYBODY BUT THE BLOC!!!!!!

but it won't happen...

You will read stories for the next few weeks about the Conservatives being ahead. Then, with a few days to go, Canadians will lose their nerve and decide to stick with the Liberals, and it will be back to business as usual.


Agreed.

Are you saying that even though their guilty consciences may force them to vote Liberal, deep inside Canadians secretly long for a cold hearted conservative to lower taxes, brutalize prisoners and rule you like a king?
Agreed, nicely played :D

SI

Reasons why I won't vote Liberal:

- Martin is a moron
- the Liberals are not the Liberals anymore, they've basiclly taken over the old PC platform
- We don't need tax cuts, especially when our health care system is in desperate need of extra funding
- They refuse to meet our foreign aid commitments
- The whole sponsorship thing, but that's way, way down my list of reasons because coruption in government isn't something new to Canada... and the same thing would happen under a Conservative government

Reasons why I won't vote Conservative:

- Harper is a moron, and he scares the crap out of me
- I'm not exactly sure how one decreases taxes, makes huge increases in military spending, keeps health care public... but doesn't cut other programs
- The CPC are against such programs as ACOA and are instead in favour of tax cuts... regional programs like ACOA need reform, but the last time I checked you couldn't start a business with a tax cut.
- The far-right westerners still have too much power over that party.
- They are against human rights...
- Even though almost every singe constitutional expert in Canada has said the opposite, Harper still thinks he can overturn the gay marriage bill without using the notwithstanding clause.
- The Newfoundland CPC members voted against the budget that contained the new Atlantic Accord... that was a vote against Newfoundland simply for their own political gain

I think now is the time for the US to strike and put an end to the terrorist regime of Canada ...and pay them back for Celine Dion.

Now's our chance to formally annex Canada. They have just turned into a grey province, let's snap it up before it's too late!

When I read this thread title I had a vision of every single person in the Canadian government vanishing into thin air.

That would've been so cool.

Are you saying that even though their guilty consciences may force them to vote Liberal, deep inside Canadians secretly long for a cold hearted conservative to lower taxes, brutalize prisoners and rule you like a king?
Actually, it's that Canadians secretly long to stick it to the arrogant liberals and their cronies, but realize we don't have anyone else who would be a better alternative. The NDP wouldn't be in power for a week before we were bankrupt and handing out mandatory federally-funded granola-flavored marijuana brownies. And the conservatives are like the US republicans without Karl Rove -- i.e. a bunch of weasely and vaguely-evil white guys with permanent shit-eating smirks.

It's like an abusive relationship -- we want out, but we don't have the self-esteem to think we could do any better, and he tells us he loves us and it will never happen again.

The NDP wouldn't be in power for a week before we were bankrupt and handing out mandatory federally-funded granola-flavored marijuana brownies.

So the last time you actually listened to the NDP platform was 20 years ago? :P

The NDP are more like Trudeau Liberals than they are the old NDP... but alas I guess they'll always be seen as the big bad socialists.

The NDP wouldn't be in power for a week before we were bankrupt and handing out mandatory federally-funded granola-flavored marijuana brownies.

NDP! NDP!

I hope Bubba Wheels doesn't see this as an opportunity to roadtrip to Ottawa and seize control in a bloodless coup. Which would then turn bloodly when millions of Canadians tar and feather him back to Michigan.

Everytime I see a story like this in regard to a foreign government I'm perplexed. A parliamentarian form of government seems to make so much sense, yet it always seems to result in odd uncertainties like this. Yet the U.S. government is stable, although pretty much every other country who has tried to copy it has ended up with a bloody dictatorship. If the U.S. had a parliamentarian form of government we'd be holding new elections every time McDonald's rolls out the McRib for a limited time only.

I hope Bubba Wheels doesn't see this as an opportunity to roadtrip to Ottawa and seize control in a bloodless coup. Which would then turn bloodly when millions of Canadians tar and feather him back to Michigan.

Everytime I see a story like this in regard to a foreign government I'm perplexed. A parliamentarian form of government seems to make so much sense, yet it always seems to result in odd uncertainties like this. Yet the U.S. government is stable, although pretty much every other country who has tried to copy it has ended up with a bloody dictatorship. If the U.S. had a parliamentarian form of government we'd be holding new elections every time McDonald's rolls out the McRib for a limited time only.

I agree. It's a mystery, or some sort of tribute to the american spirit, that our government functions at all.

I agree. It's a mystery, or some sort of tribute to the american spirit, that our government functions at all.

yeah.. "spirit". That's it.

I agree. It's a mystery, or some sort of tribute to the american spirit, that our government functions at all.
Who says it does function ;)

SI

Who says it does function ;)

SI

I don't think you can really argue that it's the most succesful government since the Roman Empire - in fact, I believe it's the most succesful government in the history of man.

Not saying it doesn't have some stability but it basically works on an elaborate system of bribes. "If you approve my project/contract/bill then I'll give you campaign money so you can continue to govern"

SI

Not saying it doesn't have some stability but it basically works on an elaborate system of bribes. "If you approve my project/contract/bill then I'll give you campaign money so you can continue to govern"

SI

Stability is besides the point, although I think stability certainly goes a long way to explaining it's success. I meant success in terms of promoting liberty, prosperity, and happiness. For all the criticism it recieves, I think it's only real competition are the Empires of Rome and Britain.

Note that I am speaking in a historical context, not a contemporary political context.

I'm always struck by the wierd conflicting politics of government in North America. The US has a conservative President who is fiscally irresponsible, while we have a progressive PM who is a fiscal conservative. No wonder the electorate is confused.

I am torn for this coming election. We need a change, but I don't want either Harper or Layton. The only guy I respect is Duceppe, and he's trying to separate!

UGH!