Are we headed to an election? I have no idea, but I can hope, right? It's no secret and it doesn't take to much reading of this blog to figure out where I lean politically. But, if you can't quite come up with a conclusion, lemme give you a hint: I lean left. Exactly how left is between me and my ballot, and me and my ballot only.
My dad's a card-carrying Con. Don't get me started, OK? Yes, it gets "interesting" at some family occasions, but I love my dad and what he does on election day is between him and his ballot, and him and his ballot only.
But here are a few things the Cons have done, in no particular order, that as far as I'm concerned, are beyond the pale.
1. Cancellation of the Kelowna Accord. Way to go, Harper! Way to ingratiate yourself with the First Nations and those of us who believe the First Nations are being continually shafted by Canadian politicians!
2. Making an unelected dude a cabinet minister.
3. Cadscam.
4. Bill C-10.
5. Bill C-484.
6. The Shoe Store Project. (I blogged about this here.) This after shunning the National Press Gallery and starting to exert control over who asks him what at press conferences. Harper/Cons=anti-freedom of press. Period.
7. Tying into the above, we have the latest Con scandal, this one regarding exceeded a spending limit during the last campaign. But that isn't the least of it! They are also trying their damnedest to control the media with this issue, too, by excluding some of them from briefing meetings. From the linked article:
Party bars some reporters
CBC News and the Canadian Press obtained a copy of the documents before they were released Monday by an Ontario court.
Other media, including the Toronto Star and CTVglobemedia, received the documents in a private briefing from the Conservatives on Sunday in Ottawa, the CBC's Keith Boag reported.
When other media organizations, including the CBC, learned of the meeting, party officials scrambled to avoid them, switching hotels, slamming doors and scampering down fire exits to escape pointed questions from journalists who weren't invited.
Boag said CBC News asked to attend the briefings, but was rejected and told by party spokesman Ryan Sparrow that it was a "private meeting."
Reporters from the Canadian Press, Maclean's magazine and Canwest Global Communications Corp., along with others, were also excluded.
Giving some reporters a briefing before Monday's court release of the warrant gives the party a chance to shape the story, but it also creates the impression that the Conservatives need to spin it, Boag said.
What is this? It's bullshit, is what it is.
8. Extending the Afghan mission by demanding 1000 more NATO troops. By a whole 1000?! Let's just soft-ball the world there, Steve-O. 1,000 NATO troops is nothing and you know it.
10 backtalkers:
I laugh at our lefty brethren south of the border for bemoaning the length of the dem primary. Technically the primary has lasted 15 months thus far. That is really 15 months for the candidates. For the rest of the world it is has only really been since a month or so before Super Tuesday. We Canadians have been suffering through this Con Minority (or thanks to Liberal Party - Con Majority) Govt for over 2 yrs. The petty, smugness is tough to take but hell stick and stones... The list you have is the top ten of long black list indeed.
So, my rhetorical question to the progressive blogosphere - as bad as the Cons are, how much worse is it that a supposed progressive party (Liberals for those not following) is in a coalition govt with these guys? Let's not mince words anymore because that is the result of the Liberals sitting on their hands for one outrageous vote after another.
Constituencies thrown under bus by LPC actions (either predicted or ones that already have occurred):
1. immigrants - Bill C50
2. artists - Bill C10 & copyright legislation
3. woman - Bill C484 & Bill C537
4. first nations communities
5. people suffering from addiction - Insite
These are my top 5. I am sure you can guess my leanings. I know that the NDP has been actively opposing Harper's govt. The NDP has been walking their talk.
So - maybe now is the time for progressives to vote out of hope and for real change instead of out of fear and for more of the same.
J: thanks for commenting!
I live in an NDP riding currently, though in the previous election I lived in a different riding and didn't have many decent choices. All I'll say on my blog is that I've never voted Liberal or Conservative, and that's not likely to change in the next election.
I think Canadians are a little leery of voting in an NDP government because of how the party's provincial counterparts have fared in places like Ontario and BC. I think it's time to give them a chance at governing the country, though.
For once, I'm thinking that they're all so very bad that it almost doesn't matter.
Maybe this will lighten the mood,...I tagged you with Dr. M's meme.
As we found in Australia, those cons are like dags on the backside of sheep - totally unwanted but bloody difficult to remove! At least he isn't talking "Core and Non-Core" election promises. He is just breaking promises. It seems that honesty is not something the majority of our society prizes anymore. :(
Its just like the elections here in the states basically...
No matter what country one lives in, conservatives always suck at governing.
oh do I ever agree. Rumor is that 'something' is supposed to happen in June, and if it does (whatever it is), there will be one.
I think that's baloney, but what do I know?
Wishful thinking....
I agree that the south of the border stuff goes on way too long. But would rather have their ability to recall than what we get stuck with here.
Is there any difference between any of the political parties (either side of the border) any more?
Sheesh it's like choosing between vanilla and french vanilla.
p.a. Dr. M, right on.
Surely that pipeline in Afghanistan is finished by now - but then maybe it needs guarded.
Voting for change is ok - except when the change is only for change sake - seems like inexperienced candidates with little track record are the ones that are touting "change."
Hhhhmmmmm, that pipeline we built across Canada should be finished by now - but then maybe we need people there to guard it. ???
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