Spring Election Campaign As Early As This Week?

Will we be plunged into an election campaign before the scheduled March 22 budget?   Apparently there are rumors floating around we could be as early as sometime this week.  The Libs are contemplating bringing forth a snap non confidence motion. NDP MP Joe Comartin makes a good point.

Mr. Comartin reacted with surprise to news of the possible Liberal motion, and put forth an unusual explanation when he said it was unlikely Mr. Brison would get a chance to move his motion. Mr. Comartin said MPs do not expect Mr. Milliken to release a decision on the dispute over the cost of the crime bills until after the March 22 budget.

"The speculation around the Hill is that Peter is going to hold off as long as possible, which means he won't rule next week and the week after that is a break week, the budget comes down on the 22nd but he won't rule before the budget," said Mr. Comartin.

Asked why Mr. Milliken would take the unlikely position of basing his decision on an impending federal budget, Mr. Comartin replied: "If it's obvious that the budget is going to bring them [the government] down, because all the motion [Mr. Brison's] does is move it over to committee, the motion is kind of irrelevant given that you're going to have an election intervening."

Nik Nanos believes the voters are not going to buy into this. 

Pollster Nik Nanos was shocked when he heard of the possible scenario in an interview with The Hill Times. He said there is little chance an arcane Parliamentary battle over MP privilege would stick with voters.

Voters are more interested in the day to day bread and butter issues.
Keith Beardsley says it smacks of desperation on the part of the Liberals and believes it could backfire on them especially with Jack Layton trying to recover from hip surgery that he had just on Friday.

Such a move reflects the desperation of the Liberals to try to get back into power at any cost and it would appear to the public to be exactly what it is –  a self-serving attempt that has none of the interests of the public in mind.
Most Canadians are also smart enough to know that forcing an election is a means for the party to solve its leadership woes. Either Ignatieff will win or he will be gone. Helping the Liberals find a leader won’t attract votes

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There is also the Canadian sense of fair play. To force an election campaign while NDP leader Jack Layton  is on the sidelines recovering from a hip operation (not to mention the after-effects of prostate cancer) would not be seen in a positive light.  If I was the NDP I would be playing up the party’s attempts to win concessions from the government  and playing down Layton’s recovery speed. At least that would highlight that — unlike the Liberals, the NDP is in it for Canadians.

Liberals are playing with fire.  If they go ahead with this plan even if the other opposition parties play along with them, they could come to regret it.  It will play in to the Conservative narrative "He didn't come back for you"

For the Conservatives what a gift this would be. It would prove beyond a doubt that their attack ad line on Ignatieff — “He didn’t come back for you” — is 100% correct.

I don't know why the Libs are so hot to go into an election with their poll numbers the way they are. They only reason I can see is to get rid of their leader asap. Oh, yeah, as far as polls, they'll bring up Kim Campbell vs Chretien numbers.and Paul Martin vs. Stephen Harper numbers. They are underestimating PM Stephen Harper,he's no dummy.  PM Harper is no Kim Campbell and Michael Ignatieff is no Jean Chretien. Neither is Stephen Harper no Paul Martin and Ignatieff is certainly no Stephen Harper. Both Kim Campbell and Paul Martin conducted lousy campaigns. I'm sure PM Stephen Harper has learned from their mistakes and his own for that matter and will make an effort as not to repeat them.  The opposition will have an uphill battle.

Why can't they wait until the budget?  It's only really days away anyway. Voters are no dummies either.  They will see through this and punish the Libs or who ever that will initiate this.  If this is the way they want to play, bring on the election. Mark my words, Liberals will come to regret it. 

Well, What Ya Gonna Do Jack?

Election speculation started with Iffy last December and has been going on ever since.  Libs say they're not going to support the budget that's expected to be presented around March 22.   The Bloc are going to vote against it unless their blackmail demands are met.   It all comes down to Jack Layton and the Dippers.  Will they or won't they?  The ball is in your court.
I suppose it all depends on the polls and Jack your numbers are not looking too good these days especially in the latest Ipsos poll.
It has the CPC at 43%, majority territory, Liberals at 27%,rather stagnant, and NDP down to 13%.  Jack would certainly lose seats so why would he want to pull the plug? 
This poll is nothing for the Liberals to write home about either.  In fact it has some Liberals feeling like they need a head transplant.
Will he, won't he, will he, won't he?  I guess we'll all be wondering and waiting with bated breath until that vote comes down and we actually see what Jack and his party will do.

Tough Guy Eh?

Well Lawrence Martin, Liberal cheerleader, muses  today about the Iffy Waffle's "vision" and "toughness."  Martin compares Iffy with John Kerry and Michael Dukakis. Of course Iffy out right rejects that presumption.

Openness, democratic reform, equality of opportunity. In the Ignatieff view, it’s bold stuff. Others, pollsters included, don’t find it striking enough to change an image that needs changing.
When I raised the comparison with the Americans, he jumped in. “I’m not John Kerry. I’m not Michael Dukakis. I’m prepared to fight. The idea that I’m going to go through an election campaign as some kind of Boy Scout is a serious underestimation of who you are looking at.”
He said it with some anger. It was a good sign.

 Oh,yeah, he's such a tough cookie isn't he?  Remember these fighting words?

"If you mess with me, I will mess with you until I'm done," Ignatieff said Saturday.

Or these?

"After four years of drift, four years of denial, four years of division and discord -- Mr. Harper, your time is up."

He always makes these pronouncements then backs down. Iffy's waffled so many times he's lost his credibility.  Is it any wonder voters would choose "none of the above"  over the Iffy Waffle?

Why A Conservative Majority Government Is Needed

John Ibbitson has written a great column and in a common sense way lays out why a Conservative majority government would be a good thing  and why the public shouldn't fear one. 

Conservatives have 143 seats right now in the Commons and would need only 12 to obtain a majority. Providing they keep their current seats in which I'm sure they will.

 At the same time Canadians aren't buying what Iffy's selling.and I doubt whether they'll ever buy anything he's he's trying to peddle. They just don't like or trust him. Pre-writ polling history sure doesn't seem to be on Iffy's side so he'll have a steep hill to climb for Libs to have any chance. The next election is PM Stephen Harper's to lose.

There are many issues that requires a majority  that need to be dealt with. In minority government, there's too much partisanship,acrimony and games playing. Liberals are angry and frustrated. A recent example of the anger, is the outrageous  Jihadis comment from Bob Rae.  Tim Powers explains what's going on,

His comments also speak to an attitude of moral superiority still found in within the Liberal Party’s senior ranks. Many Grits still feel wronged that the public has not come to their senses and put them back in their rightful position as our nation's governors. This place called Canada is their burden and they will do as they see fit.

Liberals still haven't learned anything from their loss in 2006.   That there is a perfect reason for a Conservative majority. Liberals have to learn their lesson They're still the arrogant entitled party and need a lot of work to do before voters can take them seriously again.  They will do anything to get back into power even if it means banding together with the Dippers and the Bloc in an unholy alliance.  We  can't allow that to happen because it would mean disaster for our country.


There's a lot of uncertainty going on in the world right now from the crisis in the Middle East to the dire financial straits in the United States and Europe etc. If you don't think that any of that affects us, think again.  Another problem that is about to hit the wall  as each day goes by and that is pensions and health care. They are what you call unfunded liabilities and as the population ages we need to find a way to pay for them if we still want those programs.   A Conservative majority government is the only option to deal with these issues and keep Canada on as even keel as possible.

To quote John Ibbitson, "The truth is, ideology aside, Canada could use a dose of majority government right now."  So lets all buckle down,get to work and make it happen.
It is in the best interest of the country.
This new CPC ad signifies that we are in good hands and that we need to continue with this PM and  Conservative government next time though with a majority.

OK, Here We Go Again!

Elections Canada continues it's vendetta against the Conservative party.

OTTAWA - Two Conservative senators are facing charges under the Elections Canada Act over a controversy dating back to the 2006 election.
Senators Doug Finley and Irving Gerstein, along with two former party officials, are facing administrative charges laid earlier this week by Elections Canada.
The charges are not criminal and would likely only result in fines of up to $1,000 if they are convicted.
Elections Canada and the Conservatives have long fought over whether election ads, bought by the Conservatives for local candidates in the 2006 campaign, violated the law. Elections Canada maintains that although the ads were paid for by local candidates, the ads were really national ads and should be charged against the Conservative Party's national spending limit.
If that were done the Conservatives would have spent more in 2006 than the law allows.
The party won a court case against Elections Canada in January 2010 when Justice Luc Martineau called the Conservative elections expenses legal.

They lost the court case! So why are they doing this and why now?  Other parties did the same thing, why is EC not going after them?  What about Liberal leadership debts?  Why has EC has granted  them extension after extension when they shouldn't have?   Meantime, it's our money EC is spending on this vendetta.   EC has appealed and that appeal is still before the court. Can't they at least wait until the appeal process has ended?
Seems like double standards here by EC.   Liberals get free ride, Conservatives have the hammer coming down on them.  It almost appears that the so called "non-partisan" Elections Canada is indeed partisan. Here is  good reason to grant PM Harper and the Conservatives a majority, to clean house in every faction of the snivel service including Elections Canada.  Just by continuing on this witch hunt, Elections will have shred completely any credibility they've had.
EC, you lost, give it up!

BTW. Is there any way one could find out how much taxpayer money EC has spent on this?  Are they under the Access to Information Act?