Monday, February 11, 2008

Do you smell an election?

David Akin was just on CTV commenting after the opening of today's Question Period about the likelihood of an imminent election.

His thoughts were that if Duceppe makes a deal with Harper regarding aid for the forestry industry, then perhaps the Bloc will support the budget, which is a confidence motion.

And if the Government and Dion can find some common ground on Afghanistan, perhaps that confidence motion could be passed.

Which leaves the Senate-Crime confidence motion. My hope is that the plodding Liberal Senators finally become aware of the growing level of animosity and frustration among the population and even among certain provincial leaders, and do the right thing for the safety of Canadians.


So perhaps there may not be an election this spring after all; especially in view of the fact that there would be very little benefit to anyone.


* * * *

Update: O.K. I could be wrong - Harper ready to ask GG to pull plug: Post.

Federal budget will be tabled Feb. 26 - CTV.

Don Martin - Liberals a party of unhappy families.

Chantel Hebert - Rookie Dion still looks like he's not ready for prime time

...While Harper, Layton and Duceppe are already electioneering, Dion is looking like he is auditioning for the part of Hamlet...

Ouch!!!



15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Regarding the senate, check out the latest Angus Reid poll:

Angus Reid Poll: Canadians yearn for Senate reform
http://www.angusreidstrategies.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=news&newsid=139

As for the Liberals calling an election on Afghanistan, yesterday the journalists on QP were quite illuminating. Jane Tabor and Gloria Galloway frankly confessed they could not understand Dion's Afghan policy, while Craig Oliver (yes, Craig Oliver) said it was shot full of contradictions, and tantamount to saying."I'll hold your coat while you go and fight !"
Not much joy there for the Liberal Party.

I really don't think there will be an election. The motion on the Senate will pass, but they will manage to comply, and Dion will abstain on the budget, probably saying something like, "We don't really like it, and it is not what we would have proposed, but (fill in the blank) is good for Canadians, so we will not oppose it."

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Good catch on the poll, Jad. Thanks.

Direct link here.

If the Bloc supports the budget, then the Liberals will be able to oppose it; thereby saving face and finally getting off their butts.

Otherwise, they are screwed.

Anonymous said...

I have no hope we'll ever get Senate reform. I don't know if there is a way to do it without the Senate's cooperation. The lieberals use the Senate to keep any legislation from passing the the Conservatives can show as an accomplishment in a campaign, and they have the Senate stacked with Lieberals. If the lieberals get in again, they'll replace all the aging Senators (who'll magically retire) with a younger set, and since these are postings for life they can then ride out another couple of terms of Conservative government.
What this country needs is a binding referendum system, where any petition with sufficient signatures can force a question onto the next general election ballot and the results are binding on all levels of government.

Joanne (True Blue) said...

What this country needs is a binding referendum system, where any petition with sufficient signatures can force a question onto the next general election ballot and the results are binding on all levels of government.

Either that or keep the Conservatives in power for the next decade so we can even up the odds a bit.

Anonymous said...

This is all good stuff, but, 2 more Senators have just moved into Ottawa...Stillman and Commodore from Carolina..nice move Mr Murray.
So...for you out there keeping score, every time the Sens bring in new Senators an election is avoided. Kinda funny...if you asked Mr Harper about Stillman and Commodore he'd could probably give you stats and positions...ask Mr Dion and he'd think one was an illegal device for making booze and the other an aging computer.
One more reason it just must suck to be a Leaf fan and a Liberal right now. Just sayin'. billg

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Ha-ha! Bill, you had me going there for a minute!

Anonymous said...

"Do you smell an election?"

Nope that MSM BS we're getting a whiff of Joanne.

Don't you recognize the smell way over there in Liberal land?

Swift said...

You are just too pessimistic Joanne. If an election were called today and the campaigns of the various parties unfold as I expect, my prediction would be as follows (nearest 10 seats):
Conservatives 160
Liberals 70
NDP 40
Bloc 40
By having a better, or worse, campaign these could be as much as 20% off. The Conservatives and the NDP gain seats at the expense of the liberals and the Bloc and a majority is quite possible.

Anonymous said...

I hope PM Harper doesn't pull the plug on himself by going to the GG.
That's another accusation of flip-flopping that could - justifiably in this case - be levelled at him.
Why bring in fixed election dates if you're not prepared to abide by them?

OK, if the opposition parties vote non confidence, that's one thing. But to pull the plug himself? Questionable move.
I'm still convinced he's just turning up the heat, especially on the Libs, because he knows they're not ready to go to an election.

BTW, that look in Dion's eyes in the NP picture - is that awe?

Raphael Alexander said...

I can't see the Conservatives passing the troika of the budget, the crime bill, and the war. The government will fail, and probably sooner than we think.

OMMAG said...

Oh... Dion announce today that he insists....insists mind you that the mission be ended in 2011!

How completely consistent!

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Dion announce today that he insists....insists mind you that the mission be ended in 2011!

What??? Where did you hear that?

Joanne (True Blue) said...

Oh, I just found it.

Well, maybe they'll be able to come to some kind of agreement.

Anonymous said...

Please tell me why everyone says that Stephen Harper is a dictator and everything is his idea or else, when Don Martin says today that Mr. Dion won't listen to anyone or change his mind on anything.
Why is everyone down on S.H. and we hear nothing in the media about the Liberal Party having a hard time dealing with Mr. Dion.

Anonymous said...

Wait a minute!!!! What happened to fixed election dates!!!

I guess they don't really have the same 'appeal' now, do they?