Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he doesn't want Canadians to return to the polls anytime soon, but the Tory's hard-hitting anti-Stéphane Dion TV ads dole out the impression they're preparing for battle. Outspoken MP Garth Turner's recent move to the Grits is also fuelling fire between the parties, with Turner lashing out at Harper’s ‘disciplinarian’ leadership style.
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2007-02-09 02:26:04 · 114 answers · asked by Y! Canada News Editors 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
The bickering and posturing is really between the two major parties. The NDP and Bloc are sitting back and cherry-picking what they'll support and what they'll oppose. The two majors are edgy and bickering because they know the nature of the Parliament makes it very possible that an election could happen at any time even though neither really wants it. The Conservatives don't want it because they don't have sufficient polling support to win a majority and the Liberals don't want it because they can't afford it.
If the Cons continue with the current advertising strategy, I think it will be ineffective. They won power by running against the previous government's record. Now that they have power they have to start running on their own record, which is pretty thin.
2007-02-09 02:41:28 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
The bickering and posturing has been out of hand for a long time now, and most likely will continue to be that way. This is for all the parties care about it power and who has it. They waste their time pointing fingers at each other saying how the other side never acted when it was in power, therefore that party has no right to saying anything about the current party not acting. Its an endless conflict. To end it politicians need to move on and actually do something about the problems instead of just arguing about them.
They also worry about what the public thinks way too much. For instance someone stated how Harper does not want an election because he does not have the support in the polls to get a majority government. Therefore influencing what he would do normally. What I think needs to be done is these polls need to stop so that no one knows what everyone else is thinking. For the polls are influencing both the politicians and the public too much in their decisions. Which causes everyone to act differently then what they other wise would have.
If the politicians would just look at the problems and fix them or at least attempt to fix them the Canadian government would become much more productive. But instead they waste their time yelling at each other and calling each other names. It is almost like they are preschoolers that always have to be better then the other and instead of showing it they argue about it. What needs to happen is that the government needs to deal with the issues at hand and solve them together. This of course is easier said then done, but you have to remember that, us the voters have picked who we want to represent us, and therefore if the decision on a matter is going to best represent what the Canadian voters want then each concern that is brought up needs to be dealt with. Its not just what the party in power thinks, its about the whole as a government, not the individual party. Therefore it is not only that one parties fault that nothing was done in the past, it is the fault of the government as a whole. Also the past it the past, you can’t go back and change it, so instead you have to do something now and not waste time arguing about what was or wasn’t done. That is the biggest error our government has committed.
2007-02-09 08:14:17 · answer #2 · answered by willkyle2002 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think it is called Freedom of Speech and Expression. Fortunately, these people debate the issues about which ordinary people have no idea. It is one thing to sit on the outside and say how the country should be governed, it is a totally different thing to actually do it. Running a country is a complex and continually changing thing. What is considered good for the country today is bad for the country down the road. I think that Harper is doing the best he can and that at least the Conservatives have tried to change some of the policies that led to the Liberals wasting tax payers money. I don't agree with everything that the Cons do, but I do think that they are doing a great job in general. They don't have the attitude that they are entitled to rule (unlike the Liberals). The current ads run about Mr Dion are not to my liking and I don't agree with the idea of bringing the leader of the other party down, however, I feel that the Cons are nervous about a looming election and feel it necessary to bring to the Canadian public's attention that this man is an unknown entity. He is not a leader we can be proud of and I think he will be controlled from within the party should he ever become Prime Minister. Not what Canada needs.
2007-02-09 13:08:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
There is way too much bickering going on,not only across party lines but with in the parties also.having said that I am not in agreement with the party leaders telling the members what they can and cannot say,As I have seen time and again,if what your riding and its people want doesn't follow the leaders ideas that's too bad. The member elected from each riding is there to represent the riding first and the party second. Its time the political parties were reminded of this.Also all the parties need to be reminded that they are there to represent the people of Canada not the parties.Most people who vote for one party or another do so because (I HOPE) the basic party line is the closes thing to what they think is right,WE the people seldom agree with the whole party line, its just the closes to what we think .The leaders and the members need to be reminded of this.
2007-02-09 08:36:48 · answer #4 · answered by William E 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It would be nice for the politicians to remember why they are there. It's not to debate who is right or wrong 10 times on the same topic but to move the country forward. Are our interests really looked after with constant bickering and blame? I think not. Maybe the cause of global warming is politics. Hmmm I wonder if the Kyoto Accord has any ways to allot for all that hot air politicians put into the air? Ya so we all know the liberals were the last party in power and screwed-up. It is time to move ahead and do what is right for the people who voted them in office. Be and act responsibly and get things done together.
2007-02-09 09:59:31 · answer #5 · answered by peterregan50 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I would be ashamed if anyone in my family behaved the way the '2 main parties' are. What a disgrace! The tory attack ads are absolutely pathetic. The liberals were pretty much useless in their final days in power and were a virtually non-existant opposition until Dion was elected. The willingness of both parties to accept floor-crossers is also outrageous, and fundamentally anti-democratic! Clearly, the good government of Canada is not foremost in the interests of either of these parties. As neither party has done anything to make the lives of Canadians better in any meaningful way, all they can do is bicker and point fingers, rather than engage in the meaningful policy debate which they are elected to do. Any slim chance either party would ever have had to receive my vote in the near future has now disappeared.
2007-02-09 06:53:58 · answer #6 · answered by Rohan B 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I watch the debates going on in the House of Commons almost everyday from my cubicle. You can watch it live on the internet. www.parl.gc.ca It is very interesting to see the debates in there and to see what is being placed in the news.. The news is like a 15% of what goes on in the House.
People should seriously watch what is being said in there!!
They almost never actually get any work done because they're too busy bringing eachother down. The environment for example.
They shout facts at eachother out of context just so that it works with their views.
As for Stephane Dion, he has done a whole lot more for the environment than Harper has every done!!! Harper is just going with the flow.. His party will always be an oil and money hungry bunch.
As for Stephane Dion, he has to step it up!! We all know the Liberals AND the Conservatives are both corporately funded. That should be made illigeal!!
It will be very interesting to see what will happen this Spring
2007-02-09 07:18:21 · answer #7 · answered by Stephen 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The bickering has been out of hand since Jean Chretien left the Liberals. The Conservatives used the infighting of the Liberals to create scandal that was being dealt with by the proper authorities. The problem currently is that the Stephen Harper government simply doesn't answer questions. The "gag order" on his cabinet and the limited response to the media does little to inspire confidence in this government. If the new ad attacking Mr. Dion is any indication, the Conservatives are going to continue with their attack ads without answering any policy questions or establishing a platform expressing the current government's position on any relevant issue. I would like to see Canada actually led by decision makers instead of this ridiculous inter-party bashing that has plagued our Parliament for too many years.
2007-02-09 05:27:06 · answer #8 · answered by Ryan K 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No. There is no politics without heated debate anywhere. That is the reason that there are different political parties; different political ideas. To defend and sometimes support your ideas will require a measure of aggression. this occurs in any circle.
There is a notion out there that tries to portray Canadians as "nice". For too long that deception has been accepted. Canadians are humans like the other peoples of the world. All the evils of humanities are existing within Canadian societies and are made evident under the right condition.
Politicians are not immune.
Instead of the media always portraying the passionate expressions of the Canadian people as a "bad thing", it may be moore productive and yes humanly, to inform others that Canadian have passion too and that there are things and issues that they believe in strongly
desmond
2007-02-10 11:59:13 · answer #9 · answered by Desmond G 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I think Stepfen Harper is trying to remind the voter that for the last 12 years under the Soprano's, (Liberal Party) there has been alot of corruption. The Liberal Party under Stephen Dion, has done nothing to correct the 12 years of abusive behavior, and corrupt behavior towards the taxpayer by these guilty representives. To be taken serious as a leader this is what must be done, and bring back Justice to the Canadian taxpayer. The guilty would not be hard to find, they are all in either Palm Springs Ca. or Florida.
2007-02-09 07:07:11 · answer #10 · answered by hilltownhun2000 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋