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lavalarva
2011 SNES Champ
Joined: Dec 04 2006
Posts: 1929
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The general results are already known, and I think this will make things very interesting for the next few years.
- Conservatives have a majority. With how much shit they manage to do usually, this doesn't bode well IMO, but whatever, I'll see what they do and judge later.
- NDP is the new opposition, because voters massively went from Bloc Québécois to them, and they went from 1 to about 60 seats in Québec.
I see that as a way for us to try and reconciliate with the rest of Canada, as we're no longer represented by a possibly separatist party.
If it fails though, separatists' popularity could skyrocket, as here NDP is often viewed as the only federal party that doesn't suck.
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bassguy252
Title: Professional Malcontent
Joined: May 26 2010
Location: Mount Dhoom!!!!!!!
Posts: 517
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Im very pleased that the attitude in Quebec is changing, more towards having a real voice and getting involved with the country as opposed to drifting away from it
Quebec is a very important part of Canada and they deserve to have their voices heard!
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 Let's assume it's a mixture of the two!
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lavalarva
2011 SNES Champ
Joined: Dec 04 2006
Posts: 1929
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The current attitude in Québec is "fuck it" about elections. Even the media almost stopped caring by the end.
We're not exactly sure what NDP wants to do (I think they're like the Bloc, except useful), but "they can't be worse than the others" :O
One thing I like to think got the NDP so much support here is that they're the only party that didn't use negative publicity, at least far less than the others.
Conservatives were especially annoying with their coalition crap.
Although Jack Layton being on TV here all the damn time certainly helped. He was the underdog the whole time, and the gradual rise of popularity of the NDP was the only interesting part of the election.
The Bloc is almost dead now (I think even Duceppe didn't get reelected), and Liberals aren't doing too well either.
I just hope Harper won't start going "fuck you all" and start removing rights from homosexuals and other similar stuff now that he's got a majority.
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bassguy252
Title: Professional Malcontent
Joined: May 26 2010
Location: Mount Dhoom!!!!!!!
Posts: 517
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No, I dont believe he will... infact I am pretty sure the Conservatives are very pro democracy,
a quote from harper said something along the lines that you should always question the system and never put full trust in the gov't, its part of the democratic process
here is an excerpt from an article in the Edmonton Journal that predicts what a Harper majoriyu will look like
So what would Stephen Harper do? While he may pay lip-service to social conservatives, he is unlikely to reopen the debate on abortion, same-sex marriage and capital punishment. He knows that's playing with fire.
What he is more likely to do, though, is what he is doing already: appoint more conservative judges, deny funding to liberal-minded non-governmental organizations like Planned Parenthood, abolish the gun registry and get tough on crime.
Where he is likely to move aggressively is reshaping the state? Here, expect him to use the deficit as reason to shrink the size of government. That may mean slashing the public service, starving (or selling) the CBC, and privatizing government services.
Expect him to lower taxes and explore ways to empower the individual. Expect him to reform the Senate. Expect him to offer the provinces new authority, including Ottawa's residual powers. While he is unlikely to initiate constitutional reform (he doesn't like convening first ministers), expect the national government to be less national.
At the same time, watch for the Conservatives to give more substance to citizenship, which they think is too easy to acquire. There will be new emphasis on national history and national symbols, particularly the monarchy. The Conservative will continue to trumpet the North, espousing a new kind of nationalism.
Abroad, Canada will continue to regard the United Nations suspiciously. There will be no return to peacekeeping, as the Liberals suggest, or a human-security agenda. Military spending will rise while international assistance is reassessed. A foundering CIDA will be reorganized, even abolished.
The government will pursue a new deal with the United States on border and security issues. It will build on new free trade with Europe. Canada will remain Israel's best friend.
Those who expect the same tone and tenor of the last five years — a centrist stewardship, reflecting a comfortable moderation, veering right only on the margins — should not be surprised to see the empowered Conservatives abandon that kind of caution.
For the opposition, particularly the Liberals, a Conservative majority will be disastrous. Michael Ignatieff will decamp for the University of Toronto and Bob Rae will dutifully succeed him. Without public financing, the party will be bankrupt. So will the Bloc Quebecois.
For Stephen Harper, a majority will be the triumph of incrementalism, validating his strategy of playing the long game. For a strong man with ideas, it will be the Elysian Fields.
Without any conventional constraints, he will be free to revisit his deep-seated libertarian view of limited government and personal freedom and consider how both can create a Conservative Canada. In this project, he will have the confidence of his ideas and the loyalty of his colleagues in what is a one-man government.
And assured of four more years in office, he won't worry about re-election.
With the opposition in retreat, his party in check and his agenda in focus, Stephen Harper, with a majority, will be untouchable.
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 Let's assume it's a mixture of the two!
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braincras
Title: braincrassed/audiofille
Joined: Apr 05 2006
Location: Canada
Posts: 32
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my personnal comments; I like the way Quebec wanted, not just a separatist party been elected, but a with-in-the-country party against the way the Quebec is seen their own priorities (read: against Harper)
at the same time, it removes the "seperatist" question for a federalist vote AND, most importantly, Québec still voting in a "lefty" way; 58 NPD deputees, the Bloc got 55 at its peaks if I remember correctly.
in the end, especially because we kicked the Bloc, now we can have a real nice almost well balanced governement between right/left, and we will have a better idea of their real face from both parties Harper majority against NPD's newbies lefties. two colors, two voices, one bigger, one younger but, still, 4 interesting years, 'was about time!
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aeonic
Title: Sporadic Poster
Joined: Nov 19 2009
Location: Kissimmee, FL
Posts: 2747
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I'd really love to have things come down between more than two parties. Should be interesting to see how things shape up as a result.
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 Who likes role-playing games? Me. Way too goddamn much. |
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Tomdincan
Title: Test Icicle
Joined: Oct 02 2010
Location: Temple Shalina
Posts: 450
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Thanks for having this discussion guys. It's interesting to see how things work outside of the US.
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 I'm not a psychopath. I'm a high-functioning sociopath. |
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lavalarva
2011 SNES Champ
Joined: Dec 04 2006
Posts: 1929
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NDP has deputees here that... well it's obvious people were voting either for NDP or Jack Layton without giving a shit about who their local deputee was :O
Like that woman who doesn't live in the town she represents, but lives 100 kms away, barely knows French while 95% of people there are francophones,
and wasn't even in the country during the elections as she was taking a vacation in Las Vegas.
Let's see what Jack will do with that, but he must be happy to have gotten deputies without even trying :V
As for the Bloc, it was supposed to be a temporary party that Québécois would be sure it represented them. How this NDP shift didn't happen earlier surprises me,
as NDP ideologies represent us very well. And it's not like "they'll never get elected" is a valid argument when you're voting for the Bloc
As for having more than 2 parties, it's nice, but it does make weird crap where the winner gets like 35% votes because everybody's almost equal, like in Toronto.
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Black Zarak
Title: Big Coffin Hunter
Joined: Feb 01 2006
Location: Phyrexia
Posts: 4098
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Canadian Elections is totally the best Rush album.
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Blackout
Title: Captain Oblivious
Joined: Sep 01 2007
Location: That Rainy State
Posts: 10376
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