I voted for a coalition government on October 14, 2008.
If you voted Green, NDP, Liberal, or Bloc too, post this on your blog, and let me know with a comment or email. I’ll add you to my list below.
MrvnMouse
Robert M.
CathiefromCanada
Scott Tribe
Dipper Chick
Deliberative Dialogue
Hans Island Free Press
Challenging the Commonplace
Tanya
Cameron
NQU
@hotmail.com
![[EFC Blue Ribbon - Free Speech Online]](http://www.efc.ca/images/efcfreet.gif)
The Editor | 02-Dec-08 at 5:05 pm | Permalink
Me too. It is posted on The Hans Island Free Press
Chrystal Ocean | 02-Dec-08 at 5:15 pm | Permalink
I added a new image on my blog, rather than a post. Posts are flying by so fast, our declaration will be lost in a matter of hours! :-)
Anyone is welcome to use the (extremely basic) image I put together.
Chrystal Ocean | 02-Dec-08 at 5:55 pm | Permalink
And just added a post, to which I link from the image.
Tanya Derbowka | 02-Dec-08 at 6:24 pm | Permalink
Add me to this list. I am very, very amused by this turn of events, yes I am.
Cam Holmstrom | 02-Dec-08 at 6:41 pm | Permalink
I got it up too. Thanks for the folks who just this together.
Catelli | 02-Dec-08 at 8:15 pm | Permalink
I’m in!
Paul MacDonald | 02-Dec-08 at 9:39 pm | Permalink
Sorry, I had a ballot that had 4 choices and none of them said “coalition”. If you actually got one of these ballots, I would say that you were disenfranchised.
In other words, don’t be daft. I’m already a bit queasy that so many left leaners are in love with the BQ. That you are pretending you voted for a coalition is an utter rewrite of history.
You wasted your vote on the Greens.
Saskboy | 02-Dec-08 at 10:05 pm | Permalink
Paul, if Conservatives can say they voted for Harper to be Prime Minister, then we can say we voted for a coalition. We did, indirectly, do exactly that because the people we elected chose that as the best course of stabilizing the government.
the muffin man | 02-Dec-08 at 11:13 pm | Permalink
I think that I’m going to throw up now. I wonder what Parliament Hill and Canada will look like when everyone is done drinking the Dion Kool-Aid?
Paul MacDonald | 03-Dec-08 at 7:53 am | Permalink
You voted for the Bloc, NDP and the Liberals all at once? You didn’t have that option. This is getting frustrating. I voted for the CPC because Harper was the best choice for PM. You voted for the nonexistent coalition of Jack, Stephane and Gilles? You voted for Cerebrus? Really? You consciously chose to elect a separatist as part of your governing triumverate?
Saskboy | 03-Dec-08 at 9:23 am | Permalink
No of course not Paul.
And the Bloc do not have the power to veto this coalition in favour of separatist goals, UNLESS the Conservatives and other parties give that to them. There is not a Bloc majority, and they do not hold the balance of power so long as the Conservatives vote for the good of the country, and work with the government’s other federalist parties. You’re acting like the Conservatives and Liberals and NDP never have common ground to work from, while at the same time say they do for federalism.
donna | 03-Dec-08 at 10:40 am | Permalink
@ Paul “I voted for the CPC because Harper was the best choice for PM.”
Unless you live in Harper’s riding, you did not vote for Harper.
A coles notes brief on how a parliamentary system works:
Citizens vote for a member of parliament (MP) to represent their interests.
A MAJORITY of MPs (regardless of party) decide who has the confidence of the commons to be a national represenative, and appoint that person the national representative, aka prime minister (doesn’t have to be an MP, technically, though rarely happens). The PM is largely a symbolic national figure, NOT a quasi-king - such as a president in the US.
MPs AS A COLLECTIVE pass/don’t pass bills and decide who represents their country.
Paul MacDonald | 03-Dec-08 at 10:45 am | Permalink
What’s good for the country is to not be propped up by the Bloc. I really don’t think you understand the seriousness of this situation.
The only way the Coalition of the NDP and the Liberals can stay in power is with Bloc support. Without Bloc support, they have fewer seats than the Conservatives. The Conservatives, should they be replaced this Monday, will not vote for any of the impending socialist claptrap coming down the pike.
Therefore, it stands to reason and the most basic logic that in order to retain control, the Bloc must be appeased. This is simply common sense.
Oh, and our conversation over at my blog is gone due to me messing about with Haloscan stuff. No intentional deletions.
donna | 03-Dec-08 at 11:08 am | Permalink
“What’s good for the country is to not be propped up by the Bloc.”
I think what’s bad for this country is to have our political system gutted by fear-mongering ideologues.
Whether you like it or not, the Bloc were voted in by Canadians, and until you get your MPs to change the way parties are eligible for Federal representation, that’s just the way it is.
Saskboy | 03-Dec-08 at 11:09 am | Permalink
Okay, I hadn’t noticed yet, so thanks for letting me know Paul.
I do understand things are serious, but they aren’t as dire as you would lead us to believe. Harper has himself to blame by putting the Liberals, NDP, Greens and possibly the Bloc into the position where if they didn’t stand up, they wouldn’t have any chance next election. He pushed them too far, at a time when delicacy and cooperation was in order. Now, cooler heads are prevailing, and the underdogs are winning, and I can’t help but feel good about that for the moment. We can deal with potential problems when they arise. If a vote will be defeated by the Bloc, the Conservatives can help it pass, just as the Liberals bent over for the Conservatives the last session.
Paul MacDonald | 03-Dec-08 at 11:29 am | Permalink
saskboy:
Why are so sure that the Tories will prop up a far left coalition? They won’t.
The Greens didn’t win a seat. They have no recourse and no say. As it should be. If there was a cohesive left wing voice, then we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
Look, I have to suffer with social conservatives in my tent so that I can get some of the stuff I like passed. You on the left should think about having a coalition prior to an election.
Donna:
If that’s the best you have, then you don’t have much. The Bloc exists to destroy Canada, full stop. Every Liberal prior to Dion would have gone nowhere near an alliance with separatists.
Even though their visions of what Canada should be are diametrically opposed to mine, at least they were for a unified Canada. Your hatred for Harper has overridden putting country first. That goes for all those who support this coalition.
If your agenda is so great, let’s go to the polls. Say, what is the agenda of the Coalition? I don’t recall a platform put in front of the electorate.
Saskboy | 03-Dec-08 at 11:52 am | Permalink
“Why are so sure that the Tories will prop up a far left coalition? They won’t. ”
Why would you ask the Liberals and NDP to prop up the Conservatives, if the Conservatives aren’t willing to do the same for the others?
The Greens got nearly 1 Million votes, that counts for something in my books. I will not be disappointed if the Liberals give up one of their cabinet posts to May or Carr or someone else to act as environment or another minister.
The cohesive left voice has come together, which is why we’re having this conversation.
We went to the polls less than 2 months ago. It decided that a small minority support the Conservatives even less than the minority that supports the NDP and Liberals. If the coalition loses a confidence vote, I agree we have to go to the polls. That point has not been reached, and probably won’t for 2 years I’ll predict.
Paul MacDonald | 03-Dec-08 at 12:11 pm | Permalink
The combined seats in the House for the Conservatives are greater than that of the combined NDP/Liberal coalition. The percentage of popular vote also favours the Conservatives.
If the Liberals won a minority, I would hazard a guess and say the Tories would prop them up when necessary. The Liberals did not win anything and are taking power via a horrible alliance.
Your coalition includes the Bloc, and you can rely on their support as long as you give them their pound of flesh. That is the reality. The Bloc entered into agreement with the other two. You have to appease them. So far, it’s only a billion and perhaps a senate seat or two.
What price power? How much will your hatred of Harper cost the country? How much will it cost you on a personal level when what you support sinks in?
I can’t let this go. Your youthful idealism, while admirable, is destructive in the long term.
Tracy | 03-Dec-08 at 1:11 pm | Permalink
I live in Harper’s riding and voted for him as my MP. You all voted in your riding for the person who best represents you as MP (regardless of party).
You didn’t not vote for a Prime Minister or any sort of coalition.
Saskboy | 03-Dec-08 at 2:24 pm | Permalink
“If the Liberals won a minority, I would hazard a guess and say the Tories would prop them up when necessary. The Liberals did not win anything and are taking power via a horrible alliance.”
The Liberals did win a minority government though. They won a smaller one than Harper did, and instead made a formal agreement with the NDP and Bloc so they would create a stable government. Harper did not make such an agreement, and to his own detriment created a bill that lost him the support of the opposition parties.
My youthful idealism is constructive, and yes it is at the same time destructive to the old, unsustainable methods of the past. I’m willing to build a new system where more people have what they need.
My dislike of Harper will cost the country nothing, but a greener, fairer, richer Canada ;-)