Apparently there maybe an election happening in Canada pretty soon...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051129/ap_on_re_ca/canada_elections

I was just watching the live coverage on CBC

Looks like Paul Martin is no longer the Prime Minister of Canada...

Looks like Paul Martin is no longer the Prime Minister of Canada...


That's good news.  He really wasn't a good Prime Minister.  I miss Mulrooney  ;D

I can't believe the NDP is coming in 3rd before the Bloq. That's great. Maybe we can get more seats this time. Could you imagine Jack Layton as PM (wishful thinking)? He says he backed the Conservatives because he wasn't sure they would continue to fight private health care... but if the Conservatives come in first this election, the NDP couldn't possibly expect them to protect the national health service from private clinics.

Personally, I think the Liberals will come in first again, and I think Layton believes that as well. This was probably just a grave warning to Martin and the Liberals that if they don't stay on the same page re: the national health, they can kiss NDP support goodbye. But I would seriously be miserable with a Conservative government. The Liberals aren't perfect, but they're better than the CP.

Unemployment in Canada is at a 30-year low and Canada runs a budget surplus.

That says something about their leadership.

go-o-o-o NDP!!!

go-o-o-o NDP!!!


http://canadianleaders.abctheorists.com/images/buttons/ndp.gif
http://www.ndp.ca/ndp-drupal/files/orangetieweb.jpg

Ladies and Gentlemen, the next Prime Minister of Canada! Mesdames et Messieurs, le premier ministre prochain du Canada!

(yeah right, but I can dream)

Well, it was expected the Liberal government would fall, what with their recent record of corruption and handing out government money to their chronies. They've lost a lot of the faith of the Canadian public.

Well, it was expected the Liberal government would fall, what with their recent record of corruption and handing out government money to their chronies. They've lost a lot of the faith of the Canadian public.

I still believe they will come in first. But maybe it's just that I can't imagine anyone trusting Stephen Harper's Conservatives. Thanks to Sirius Satellite Radio's attempts to service Canada, I now can listen to CBC 1 News until I explode, and I can keep up with all the news about the elections.

Not that I really care, but it's relevent to the topic.

Conservatives surge ahead of Liberals in new poll
CTV
01/08/2006

The Conservatives have taken an eight-point lead over the Liberals, with strong momentum that could carry them to victory on Jan. 23 unless the other parties can derail their campaign, says a new poll.

"They've got to put a halt to this, because this momentum number won't stop, and it will continue to translate into a higher vote preference for the Conservatives," Tim Woolstencroft, managing partner of The Strategic Counsel, told CTV.ca on Sunday.

The survey, conducted by The Strategic Counsel for CTV and The Globe and Mail, shows the Conservatives have jumped ahead after making headway in Quebec, Ontario and Atlantic Canada (percentage point change from a Dec. 20-22 poll in brackets):

Conservatives: 37 per cent (+8)
Liberals 29 per cent (-7)
NDP: 15 per cent (-2)
Bloc Quebecois: 13 per cent (unchanged)
Greens: 6 per cent (+1)


When asked which party has momentum going towards the Jan. 23 vote, the results showed the Tories have a huge advantage over the other parties (percentage point change from a Dec. 20-22 poll in brackets):

Conservatives: 53 per cent (+30)
Liberals: 14 per cent (-19)
NDP: 6 per cent (-4)
Bloc Quebecois: 6 per cent (-3)
Greens: 1 per cent (-1)


Conservative Leader Stephen Harper's focus on the sponsorship scandal and alleged income trust leak seems to be working. There has been a rise in the number of Canadians who think the values of the Conservative Party match their own (percentage point change from a pre-election, Nov. 24-27 poll in brackets):

Conservatives: 29 per cent (+5)
Liberals: 23 per cent (-4)
NDP: 17 per cent (-1)
Bloc Quebecois: 9 per cent (-2)
Greens: 5 per cent (+1)


The Conservatives are also beating the Liberals on which platform voters prefer. Twice as many Canadians found that the Conservative Party has introduced the most appealing policies:

Conservatives: 36 per cent
Liberals: 18 per cent
NDP: 12 per cent
Bloc Quebecois: 5 per cent
Greens: 3 per cent


"The Conservative policies have been targeted at the middle-class voter, and clearly that's connecting," Woolstencroft said.

"We see that in Quebec, and we see that across the country. Those moderate, middle-class policies have struck a chord."

Regional numbers

Conservatives have made a dramatic jump in Quebec since Christmas, far surpassing the party's 2004 election results and taking votes away from the Bloc.

With momentum still climbing, especially outside Montreal, Woolstencroft said the Tories will likely win at least two seats in the province (percentage point change from a Dec. 20-22 poll in brackets):

Bloc Quebecois: 52 per cent (unchanged)
Liberals: 21 per cent (-8)
Conservatives: 19 per cent (+11)
NDP: 6 per cent (-2)
Greens: 2 per cent (-1)


"When we ran our model last week and they were at 15 (per cent), we had them at one seat in Quebec City," Woolstencroft said. "At 19 points, they're probably picking up two, three or four seats."

Even in Ontario, where Liberal support has remained strong, the Conservatives have reached a statistical tie with the Grits (percentage point change from a Dec. 20-22 poll in brackets):

Conservatives: 41 per cent (-8)
Liberals: 40 per cent (-7)
NDP: 14 per cent (-2)
Greens: 5 per cent (+1)


In 2004, the Tories had 32 per cent support in Ontario.

Over the Christmas period, votes went from the Liberals to alternative parties such as the NDP and the Green Party, said Allan Gregg, chairman of The Strategic Counsel. However, those same votes are now starting to shift again, but not back to the Liberals.

"The NDP vote and the Green vote have gravitated towards the Conservatives," Gregg said.

In B.C., where 36 seats are available, the Tories have made a large gain and hit another campaign high (percentage point change from a Dec. 20-22 poll in brackets):

Conservatives: 37 per cent (+8)
Liberals: 28 per cent (-7)
NDP: 26 per cent (-4)
Greens: 9 per cent (+3)


"Unquestionably, one of the most competitive regions in the country," Gregg said.

Meanwhile, support for the Conservatives remains firm in the Prairies, while the Liberals have fallen to their lowest point since the start of the campaign (percentage point change from a Dec. 20-22 poll in brackets):

Conservatives: 53 per cent (-1)
Liberals: 18 per cent (-5)
NDP: 20 per cent (+5)
Greens: 9 per cent (-1)

Link: http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060103/ELXN_poll_jan08_060108/20060108?s_name=election2006

Even if the Conservatives do manage to snag even a minority government, they won't be able to get anything done in Parliament. The Libs, NDP, and the Bloc are all leftist parties.