Quickie: Change-in-Government Roundup December 2, 2008
Posted by tomflesher in Canada.Tags: Canada, change in government, coalition government, divided left, Gilles Duceppe, Globe and Mail, Jack Layton, macroeconomics, Michaelle Jean, minority government, politics, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper
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Quick roundup of news and editorials about the leadership crisis in Canada.
Background: After spending $300 million for an election to congeal his minority into a majority government, Stephen Harper made little progress and ended up with another minority government. This appeared to be well and good, despite the fact that a coalition of the left-wing parties plus the Bloc Quebecois could easily defeat the Conservative government in a confidence motion if it decided to do so. However, because Harper failed to deliver an economic stimulus package in his fall budget, the coalition is attempting to take over as government.
Friday Quickie: Bullet Points October 10, 2008
Posted by tomflesher in Canada.Tags: editorials, Globe and Mail, Jack Layton, Liberal brand, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper
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- Noted Green Party Activist Stephane Dion attempts to change the Liberal brand at the eleventh hour. He’s competing with Stephen Harper to see who has more empathy, for Pete’s sake. (Dion is accused of lacking substance, but the election is Tuesday, so there might not be time for that idea to percolate.)
- Holy cow, someone says that parties are fragmented. This is shocking to all of us.
- William Johnson claims that Stephen Harper’s majority will be destroyed by the US economic crisis, rather than merely being nonviable in the first place. (Opposing view.)
- Globe and Mail endorsements: Harper is moderate and competent. Dion is inflexible. Jack Layton is not a serious challenge.
- The Tories won’t get a majority. The question is whether a left coalition will congeal into a government.
Natural government need not be shifted October 7, 2008
Posted by tomflesher in Canada.Tags: Canada, conservatism, EdiToryals, election predictions, elections, politics, research project ideas, Stephen Harper, Tory Tuesdays
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It’s Tory Tuesday!
A number of commentators have discussed Stephen Harper’s attempt to move the government of Canada rightward as well as fill a niche as the “natural governing party” of Canada. That seems at odds to me – I would think that the natural government is a party of the radical centre, and that attempting to fill that niche would require a step centreward by a given party rather than an attempt to move the country.
My conjecture: Harper’s ideal of Canadian government does not match that of the average Canadian citizen. I’ll take a look at an editorial and a specific case, then make a prediction, after the jump.
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