Politics Class is Hard!

[c9]

Conservatives: Very specific about being honest and incorruptible, but no actual government experience to prove this. Policies include repealing equal marriage, more tax cuts, less Kyoto support, more business-friendly decisions, and less social-welfare-friendly decisions. I disagree with the platform in numerous ways. Very likely to form government soon.

New Democrats: Very specific about being honest and incorruptible, but no actual government experience to prove this. Policies include abolishing the Senate, less tax cuts, more Kyoto support, less business-friendly decisions, and more social-welfare-friendly decisions. I agree with their platform in some ways, and disagree in some other ways. Not likely to form government any time soon.

Liberals: Demonstrably corrupt. Making bad decisions on the unity file. But generally speaking, their policy ideals are pretty reasonable. I agree with their platform in numerous ways. Very likely to form government soon. (The Liberal election machine can get out of any jam.)

It's very hard to support the government when their apparatus dearly requires a lesson. But it's also hard to support a party that I think has bad ideas, or a party that has only some bad ideas but will not actually get anywhere*.

In essence, this is the story of a large chunk of the Canadian populace, for those curious about how Canadian politics works.

* Full disclosure: I am a member of the NDP at the moment, but more as a way of trying to nudge federal policies to the left, not because I actually think they'd do well as (or should form) the next government.

Comments

[bartok.livejournal.com]

plus the Liberals have gotten out of this before. And have been in power longer than the 13 years so far. I believe between King/Saint-Laurent it was something like 23 years of consecutive Liberal governments (mid 30s to late 50s). And then came Diefenbaker.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the party of Confederation versus the Natural Governing Party. No matter who's in, they always fall to corruption, anger, or sheer fatigue on the part of the electorate. It's a sad cycle.

[bartok.livejournal.com]

as sad as it is to say, Joe Clark was the last vestiges of the "party of Confederation." It's Reform all the way now baby!

[c9.livejournal.com]

Exactly. Joe, Belinda, and Scott were quite the progressive component. With them all out? They got nothin'.

[bartok.livejournal.com]

basically Canada really started shifting to the right after the late 90s. Now what's interesting is that were the country to take up the MMP system I could see Quebec independence rearing its ugly head again. With the drop in representation that would entail federally they'd be worse off (and probably start whining again).

[c9.livejournal.com]

Interesting thought. Worse off because they'd have less BQ representatives? Or worse off because no one could pander in times of separatist storm? Hmmm.

The idealist in me wants to think that MMP would mean more progress on mainstream issues, but I know that mainstream for Canada and mainstream for Quebec are two different things on several files. Double hmmm.

[bartok.livejournal.com]

they'd have less representation. The purpose of MMP is to have the % within parliament match the % of the vote. So it creates "List" MPs to top up the other parties. Last election the BQ had 12% , which means they'd have only 12% of seats. the NDP had 16%, with I think the Cons at 20% and Libs at 36%. So the Libs/NDP could have gone into coalition for over 50%.

What I'm thinking though, is that with such a reduced presence in parliament, Quebec would go back to Independence rumblings in order to get what it wants...

[c9.livejournal.com]

I suppose. I am familiar with proportional representation, and you're right that there would be a lot of "we have no power" concern. I wonder if that could evolve into "we have just as many MPs as before." Though many would be angered by any coalitions, so never mind that idea. :)

Hmmm.

[bartok.livejournal.com]

so in conclusion, democracy just doesn't work.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Maybe we really do need to let Brad be in charge.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Be careful though. While Harper and the current Tory platform are very unappealing to many, anger and fatigue against the Liberals will always eventually boil over, and the Tories will win. Probably won't happen in 2006, but it'll happen before 2010 I think.

Should Harper leave, the Tories go back to being progressive, and drop their Reformness (most of it's gone already, actually) I could even consider supporting them. But no way right now.

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

Pure proportional representation would be a nightmare. And I don't think it would be more democratic, because it would place more power in the hands of the party leaderships (as MPs would be elected via party lists determined by the leaders).

I suspect, though, if it were implemented, that provinces would retain their #s of MPs. PEI would maintain its 4 (I believe) MPs, except that based on the popular vote, they might not all be Liberals for a change.

[skeezix1000.livejournal.com]

The four scariest words in the English language: Prime Minister Stephen Harper. I'd vote for Chuck Guite before I'd vote for Harper.

My own views aside, I agree with Jamie. Stephen Harper is unlikely to ever be PM. He is too unappealing to a large segment of the population. For the Conservatives to ever win a majority, they need some new blood.

As for the issues, I doubt same-sex marriage will be a big issue for the Conservatives in the next election. If they ever win, they'll have bigger fish to fry. They might make noises about it, to keep the so-cons happy, but it would be such a quagmire for them that I believe that they'll avoid it. Despite their public pronouncements, I have to think they've gotten SOME legal advice and are aware that they'd need to use the notwithstanding clause to reverse same-sex marriage. And I don't think the party generally is prepared to entertain that course of action (although some of its yahoo MPs might be willing to go down that road).

Every once in awhile I visit the forums on "Free Dominion", the home of red-meat (borderline psychopathic) conservatism. They were all full of piss and vinegar over same-sex marriage the last couple of years, but since it passed there's a lot less mention of it, and when it does come up a lot of them are resigned to it. Many of them seem to have moved on to other issues.

[c9.livejournal.com]

LOL! No. A friend of mine from university, who lives in Halifax. He is quite certain that the world would be a better place if we let him be in charge, as benevolent dictator. He often offers cabinet positions to us.

[c9.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't like the party lists part of PR. The dual option proposed in BC sounded interesting, as it created groups of people running in larger areas. But the complexity may be doomed in this MTV world.