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Canada opposition plots to oust minority Liberals
Reuters ^ | Sun Nov 13, 2005

Posted on 11/13/2005 3:17:44 PM PST by F14 Pilot

OTTAWA, Nov 13 (Reuters) - The leaders of Canada's three opposition parties met on Sunday to decide how and when to try to bring down the 16-month-old minority Liberal government and force an election, possibly as soon as next month.

Following a change in heart by the New Democratic Party, which said on Monday that it would no longer be able to support the Liberals, the heads of the three parties met in Conservative leader Stephen Harper's office in Parliament.

They kept reporters away from the meeting, but were understood to be discussing whether to bring the government down before Christmas, possibly as early as this Tuesday or Wednesday, or to try to do so in early January.

It all brought scorn from the Liberals.

"They can't have Canada live through another psycho-drama over the next few weeks. It would be totally irresponsible," Transport Minister Jean Lapierre told reporters in Montreal.

He said it was time for the opposition parties to "put up or shut up."

The Liberals still hold a slim lead in the polls but have seen their popularity damaged by the release on Nov. 1 of a report by a judicial inquiry which found an elaborate Liberal kickback scheme surrounding a government advertising program.

The Conservatives and the separatist Bloc Quebecois, the second largest party, would like to capitalize on the relative Liberal weakness and go to the polls soon but NDP leader Jack Layton has proposed trying to bring the government down in early January.

The problem is that Parliament is not scheduled to meet in January and it was not clear if the opposition parties could force the government to bring Parliament back and allow a confidence motion.

The talks ended in apparent agreement, the details of which were to be revealed in back-to-back Sunday evening news conferences by the three leaders.

Conservative Member of Parliament Gary Lunn said they would look at Layton's idea but said Harper believed the government should have been defeated six months ago.

"He still believes that this government should be defeated as soon as possible and that includes Tuesday," Lunn told the CTV network shortly before the meeting began.

The Conservatives, the largest opposition group, get to set Parliament's agenda on Tuesday and could move a confidence motion then.

Under that scenario, the vote would likely be on Wednesday, and if the government fell it would probably trigger an election campaign the following day.

The law would then require an election on Dec. 28, Jan. 3, Jan 9 or a subsequent Monday.

Three polls published over the weekend gave the Liberals a lead of 3 to 6 percentage points over the Conservatives, who have not held federal office since 1993.

If the poll results held through the election, the Liberals would likely form the government again but fail to regain their majority in Parliament.


TOPICS: Canada; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: canada; canadianelection; canucks; cons; election; gomery; grits; harper; liberals; liberalsrstupid; martin; minority; ottawa; parliament; scandal; tories
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To: William Creel
Why would Conservatives form a coalition with socialist separatists? Its an odd political animal.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

21 posted on 11/13/2005 7:49:38 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: NewJerseyJoe
The equivalents are roughly like this:

NDP = U.K Democrats/U.S Socialists

BQ = French-flavored version of NDP, Quebec-only party

Liberals = U.K Labour/U.S Democrats

Conservatives = U.K Tories/liberal U.S Republicans

Hope this helps. Canadian politics is heavily weighed to the Left, compared to most of the G-7 countries.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

22 posted on 11/13/2005 7:53:20 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: bubman
Ontario regards the Conservatives as dangerous because they would drastically cut down to size Ontario's preponderant influence in Parliament. If there's an Elected Senate, you do the math. Its more about $$$ and less about ideology, though its a consideration. Under the current setup, there's no incentive for ON to vote for a Western Canada based and led political party.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

23 posted on 11/13/2005 7:58:32 PM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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Comment #24 Removed by Moderator

To: F14 Pilot; GMMAC; Pikamax; Former Proud Canadian; Great Dane; Alberta's Child; headsonpikes; ...

Thanks for the ping F14 Pilot.

Canada Ping!

Please FReepmail me to get on or off this Canada ping list.


25 posted on 11/14/2005 4:59:05 AM PST by fanfan (" The liberal party is not corrupt " Prime Minister Paul Martin)
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To: F14 Pilot

About time!


26 posted on 11/14/2005 5:04:07 AM PST by ncountylee (Dead terrorists smell like victory)
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To: All
Election Timing -- Don't Scrooge With The (Canadian) Voters ... Rex Murphy
27 posted on 11/14/2005 7:40:15 AM PST by NorthOf45
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To: F14 Pilot

Don't hold your breath. Speaking as an Ontarian, there is no way the Tories are even going to win a minority gov't, because they won't hold Toronto...


28 posted on 11/14/2005 7:47:08 AM PST by Alexander Rubin (Octavius - You make my heart glad building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.)
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To: goldstategop
Thanks goldstategop.

Is there no Canadian party equivalent of US conservatives / conservative GOP? From what I've read, the populace of Alberta -- while not a political party -- is the closest Canadian equivalent to US conservatives.

29 posted on 11/14/2005 8:07:53 AM PST by NewJerseyJoe (Rat mantra: "Facts are meaningless! You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!")
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To: goldstategop

They still have 23 seats in Ontario and are likely to have more after this election (none in the Toronto area, mind you - my current projection maintains a Liberal near-sweep from Ajax to Burlington and up to Newmarket despite 42 Ontario Conservatives being elected)


30 posted on 11/14/2005 9:17:19 AM PST by Heartofsong83
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To: Alexander Rubin

Toronto has 23 seats, and the Greater Toronto Area has 43 seats. That isn't even enough to be the Official Opposition, let alone the government...


31 posted on 11/14/2005 9:19:26 AM PST by Heartofsong83
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To: NewJerseyJoe

The equivalent is the right wing of the Conservative Party of Canada (the Cheryl Gallant/Randy White social conservative group).


32 posted on 11/14/2005 9:20:31 AM PST by Heartofsong83
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To: William Creel
[ The Conservatives can't get a majority in Canada. ]

There are no conservatives in Canada, the conservatives are liberal.. its like a Big Government Republican thing in the U.S... i.e. not all republicans are republicans.. but all liberals are liberal except when it come to being conservative..

(cleaning glasses), know what I mean.?.. Me either..

33 posted on 11/14/2005 9:31:54 AM PST by hosepipe (CAUTION: This propaganda is laced with hyperbole..)
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To: Heartofsong83

Yes, but then you combine those with the assured seats. That's enough to turn almost any tide, given there are only 308 seats in Parliament, and that the BQ are guaranteed 35+, the Conservatives about 60, the Liberals about 70, etc. etc. And then consider swing seats normally end up going to the Liberals anyways.

Also, 60+ is enough for an Official Opposition, sadly. The BQ did it with 50 odd back 10 years ago, as I recall.

There really is very little hope for a Conservative majority.


34 posted on 11/14/2005 10:25:53 AM PST by Alexander Rubin (Octavius - You make my heart glad building thus, as if Rome is to be eternal.)
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