The right will unite after all:
The leaders of the Canadian Alliance and the Conservatives signed a merger deal Thursday that would see the two parties folded into a single entity in time for an anticipated spring election.
[ . . . ]
The deal, which must be ratified by the respective party memberships by Dec. 12, represents a remarkable breakthrough following weeks of public acrimony during which negotiations appeared to be at a standstill over what were described as “philosophical differences.”
The merger would reunite the western-based and more socially conservative Alliance with Eastern Canada’s progressive Tory wing, ending a break that began with the birth of the Reform party in 1987.
I’m sorry to see Canada’s political landscape becoming more and more like the US, where the 2-party ironclad polarization exists, with no room for middle ground.
As long as the NDP exists, the Liberals won’t go too far left – they know elections are won comfortably in the middle. And the newly-formed Conservative party will probably shift further right.
But I dread the day when the Liberals swallow up the NDP, and we’re stuck voting for either-or on the two extremes.
Funny that you completely forgot the Bloc. Especially since you’re from Montreal. Freudian slip perhaps?
They don’t count. They’ve faded into irrelevancy. They can never form a government. They can’t even vote-split because their votes are all in Quebec. I predict they’ll disappear completely off the radar screen soon.
Locally we have the ADQ and Equality parties.
Federally, there is the Libertarian Party.
At least you can vote (or run) with a clear conscience.
I’m actually glad to see us move (back) to more of a two-party, US-style system. A united conservative party lets the right fight amongst themselves for the opportunity to present a leader and ideology for election/opposition and at least the winners there have a chance to win. With the old situation we have them fighting each other on the national stage and the result is uninterrupted Liberal hegemony.