With all the fallout from the sponsorship scandal bringing down the Liberal government, am I the only one who doesn’t want another quick election?
Sure, we can’t just let them get away with such corruption. But what does anyone think would happen with an election? Is there really any chance of a party besides the Liberals getting into power?
Last time, the Bloc nearly swept Quebec. They’d probably do even better this time. The Conservatives might pick up some seats in a new election and the NDP might pick up one or two. But we’d still end up with a Liberal minority government, albeit a somewhat weaker minority than this time. Not much would change. No lessons would be taught.
And the clincher: we’d waste even more taxpayer money. Hundreds of millions on the scandal itself and on the inquiry are already down the toilet. Do we really need to pay for an election, too?
Admittedly, I’m saying this as someone who’s always – grudgingly – voted Liberal, and who probably would again. I’m no big fan of Martin or most of his team but they’re the “least worst” out there right now, sponsorship scandal or not. I’m still a fan of my own riding’s MP, Marlene Jennings. Besides, what’s my alternative, the Bloc?
With the current math of the country, the point is moot and a new election would just be a waste of money. Let’s identify and prosecute the guilty in this scandal and look to weed out this kind of corruption from all our politics, instead of covering it up with just more political finger-pointing.
A telemarketer AND a Liberal supporter, have you no shame, woman…
*Gasp!* I am NOT a telemarketer!
how can for the life of you vote liberal? you know for yourself how they ignore calls from people like almisry for all israelis over the age of 18 to be killed and letting mr. ashkentah the leader of the first nations get away with saying crap like “its good hitler fried 6 million of them” common the lib’s pander to a huge voting bloq of anti semites thats well know and in rational circles its acknolaged. it seems hypocritical of you to vote for a party that detests the idea of a jewish state and one that supports the culture of anti semitism. (you think concordia would be such a vile sess pit with the conservatives in power?) vote harper!!!
Sari, I know there are considerations of strategy when it comes to Québec anglos and voting, but the libs still won’t get my nod.
The current math of the country appears to be changing (although ONE poll hardly makes a trend) and we need to start afresh if we’re ever to escape out status as *Liberal hostages*.
I’ve voted for them in the last five elections, and yet what has it gotten us. Perhaps I’m wrong, but you seem to feel that NOT voting for Martin somehow weakens or endangers the federal link.
I no longer support that view; the threat of separation is less than what the Libs would like us to believe.
Sure, the possibility is there but SOME aspects of it are intentionally overplayed to keep us in the fold.
And I just resent being used in that way.
John, I don’t feel that way at all. Why I vote Liberal is a long combination of factors that basically amounts to having to weigh the issues that are the most important and choose the “least worst” alternative. I’d be happy to discuss it elsewhere. The point of this post was to say that I didn’t think a quick election would change much right now; the Liberals would still win a minority government.
Agreed, Sari, they’d win and it would be a minority gov’t. But what if, though, the results demonstrated a clear and irreversable shift towards Harper? Wouldn’t it be beneficial in the sense that the Libs would be dealt a psychological blow; a death-knell angelus ringing out for the the fallen Oblates and Jesuits still clinging to power?
Guess I’m just too darned impatient…
The Conservatives have zero chance of winning my seat or any seats in Quebec, for that matter. Here the choices are Liberal or Bloc, and given those choices I’ll stick to Liberal thank you very much. Besides, I disagree with much of what the Conservatives stand for and I couldn’t in good conscience vote for them. I tend to mitigage my distaste at voting Liberal by rationalizing it that I’m voting for my local MP, who I for the most part admire.
Sorry, but you can’t download responsibility for the corruption onto everyone else. This stench begins and ends at the ballot box. You can’t, on the one hand, criticize the Federal Gov’t. for decisions which you find appalling, and on the other hand, re-elect the same perpetrators because you have a subjective quibble with the possible alternatives.
We ended up with that ponce Trudeau (which leads DIRECTLY to our present predicament) because people preferred his flash over Robert Stanfields quiet ethical leadership. Time to take a stand, Sari.
Dan, hindsight is always 20-20.
Sari’s position of concentrating on the candidate instead of the party makes perfect sense in the Québec ontext. And yes, we’ve no chance of electing a conservative……but a FEW inroads towards eventually electing one are possible. Just because a Conservative doesn’t win, doesn’t mean there isn’t momemtum in that direction.
If we anglos could see some movement TOWARDS The Conservatives, then that would be our Champagne moment; not a victory, granted, but a triumph, somewhat akin to spotting land after six scurvy months on the friggin’ Santa Maria!
As for being seduced by Trudeau’s flashiness vs Stanfield’s staid conservatism; Dan, just how OLD do you think we are?
Not THAT old….
…no, no, I’m not putting that on anyone here; I wasn’t old enough either. I’m saying that was a classic example of the way Canada votes (unfortunately). Bob Stanfield lost that election because he fumbled a football in an impromptu photo op and the media turned on him like a bunch of jackals. We wouldn’t have had Trudeau’s arrogance, we wouldn’t have had Mulroney’s B.S. and we wouldn’t have had Chretien’s Liberals if Canada had voted issues and integrity instead of ballet moves and Gallic foofoo….