Canadian election 2010/2011

[Hatman 🍁]

If Ignatieff was PM, he would put Canada in Iraq, like Blair. Layton is the right way to Canadian progressives.

I doubt the Liberals would've let Iggy do that, to be fair. But it's obvious the man is an opportunistic panderer who will never become Prime Minister.

[Hatman 🍁]

Don't be so sure, Canada came very very very close to sending troops to fight in the Iraq war in 2003. Paul martin was by all accounts 100% in favour of joining the war and threatened to quit if Canada didn't join Bush's war and many Liberals wanted badly to join in the Iraq war.

There is only ONE reason why Chretien decided to spare Canada from any involvement in the Iraq (something which is now seen as his greatest accomplishment) - In April 2003 there was to be a provincial election in Quebec and it was looking to be close, Chretien wanted more than anything else to see the PQ defeated and to see a federalist provincial government in Quebec. Public opinion in Quebec was OVERWHELMINGLY anti-war and if Chretien had announced in March 2003 that Canada was joining the war it would have created a massive anti-Ottawa backlash in Quebec which the PQ would have exploited to no end and it would have won the PQ the election.

Anyone remember how Chretien managed to get away with it?

The media wanted us to go. All the ducks lined up. The Liberal Cabinet, reportedly, was in favour, partly due to media pressure. The opposition, particularity Harper and the Alliance, wanted to go. Harper even went on US TV. The media was close to getting their goal of having Canadian troops in Iraq. They demanded an answer from the PM. It was now all up to him! They asked him what we would need to march in... The soldiers were ready, guns at their side! Waiting for orders!! The PM said he would need proof that Iraq was up to no good. The media would not stand for that simple answer!! They demanded more!!! The clock was ticking!!! It was now or never!!! The answer to this question would determine Canada's fate... forever!!! And the PM, delivered his answer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX6XMIldkRU
And they all shrugged, smiled, and walked away

Okay, maybe that's a liiiiiittle bit of an exaggeration, but this was the 'answer' that saved us!

I miss that man... and coincidentally, so does the Liberal Party.

[Hatman 🍁]

BUMP. Budget looks like it's going to fall. May elections seems imminent.

[Hatman 🍁]

Ah, something to make my spring interesting. Hopefully the NDP can make further inroads.

While hanging onto their recent gains in the past couple of elections.

They've come close-ish in some seats like Dartmouth-Cole Harbour... A couple of thousand votes out of the Liberal column and into the NDP column and the seat could fall.

I understand, however, that the NDP provincial government in Nova Scotia is not popular? I could be wrong? If so, could the negative opinion at a provincial level affect the chance of the federal candidate in the seat?

The NDP is polling even with the Liberals provincially, which is to be expected, really

I think the NDP will lose seats in the election