Liberal Leadership Convention musings

[train]

- Largely a non-event because it's a coronation, but a cheerful one none-the-less because the Libs are up in the polls, due to recapturing Quebec lost during Dion"s short, but ugly reign;

-One motion designed to recover membership is the change to 1 member, 1 vote - apparantly the party is the last to adopt this. The NDP and Conservatives having adopted this long ago, Didn't know this;

- Libs are finally out of debt although the cupboards are still reported bare;

- Media coverage has been pushed to the back pages due to Chrysler, swine flu and the absence of suspence;

-no policy pronouncements of substance are expected

 

[onthebottom]

• 
  Largely a non-event because it's a coronation, but a cherrful one none-the-less because the Libs are up in the polls, due to recapturing Quebec lost during Dion short, but ugly reign;
  One motion designed to recover members is the 1 member, 1 vote - apparantly the party is the last to adopt this. The NDP and Conservatives having adopted this long ago
  Libs are finally out of debt although the cupboards are still reported bare
  Media coverage has been pushed to the back pages due to Chrysler and swine flu
  no policy pronouncements of substance are expected

Broke and no policy positions... a perfect political party.

OTB

 

[train]

Broke and no policy positions... a perfect political party.

OTB

Yeah the no policy positions is a tried and true opposition party tactic until they are ready to do battle, although Iggy made one regretable slip of the tongue last week when he said he would probably raise taxes if elected.

 

[WoodPeckr]

Broke and no policy positions... a perfect political party.

OTB

Just like your present day GOP....

 

[train]

While these figures will seem paltry to our neighbours to the south:

Figures released by Canada's electoral officer on Friday showed that in the first quarter of 2009 the Liberals raised C$1.9 million (US$1.6 million), much less than the C$4.4 million raised by the Conservatives.

Hard to believe there will be an election any time soon dispite the ongoing economic disaster and the polls.

 

[WoodPeckr]

You could always do what the conservatives down south do.
Go into debt over it.
DICK Cheney always said 'deficits don't matter!'....

 

[landscaper]

the liberals need both the other parties to back an election call,

The bloc is really not interested because mthe liberals are going traction in Quebec at the Bloc's expense,

The liberals don't want to be labeled for joining the bloc and the NDP in causing an election that nobody wants

All the other parties want the tories to wear the reccession. In a perfect world the recession ends just in time for the liberals to force and electioon and take credit .

The liberals still need major money and their organization is still in serious trouble from the sponsorship issues

I really expect this government to go at least two more years before thwe plug gets pulled.

 

[Cinema Face]

the liberals need both the other parties to back an election call,

The bloc is really not interested because mthe liberals are going traction in Quebec at the Bloc's expense,

The liberals don't want to be labeled for joining the bloc and the NDP in causing an election that nobody wants

All the other parties want the tories to wear the reccession. In a perfect world the recession ends just in time for the liberals to force and electioon and take credit .

The liberals still need major money and their organization is still in serious trouble from the sponsorship issues

I really expect this government to go at least two more years before thwe plug gets pulled.

I agree. There won't be an election any time soon. I heard that the Bloc is way down in the polls in Quebec. They don't want and election and a yes vote from them is needed to make an election happen.

However, that won't stop them from making threats.

 

[landscaper]

It is a stall mate at present, I give the Ignatieff honeymoon 3 to 5 months, he will need to start making real policy decissions after the BBQ season or teh rest of the country will start thinking he is nothing but an egotisitcal, elitist windbag, oops my blue shirt is sort of showing .

Expect a lot of trial balloons during the summer when parliment and the media is in standby mode, regional theories and city specific stuff.

Expect an imediate Tyesday or Wednesday announcement that the federal govt should finance the Tororonto street car purchase regardless of what teh province wants. He really needs the votes in Ontario.

His ineptness the mayor of Toronto announced a contract that he did not have financing for to force the other levels of govt to cough up. The negotiations with the province were stalled for some reason so he announced the purchase anyway securew in the knowledge that nobody wants to can a job producing scheme specifically in a union shop.

 

[oldjones]

The point landscaper missed is that every party needs the others onside to avoid an unpopular and likely unwinnable election, Conservatives most of all.

They are all minorities. No one has a mandate from the people, although the GG asked Harpo to be her first minister.

First party to demonstrate real centrism will get a majority next time round.

If only it could be the Bloc.

 

[landscaper]

The point landscaper missed is that every party needs the others onside to avoid an unpopular and likely unwinnable election, Conservatives most of all.

They are all minorities. No one has a mandate from the people, although the GG asked Harpo to be her first minister.

First party to demonstrate real centrism will get a majority next time round.

If only it could be the Bloc.

Actually I did not miss anything. My point was that any party wanting to hange the status quo needs all three parties to vote against the govt. It is not going to happen for the reasons I pointed out.

Some in the liberal party are looking at the pol numbers and wanting to hit ther hustings right now, that is not an option.

 

[Anynym]

Interesting coverage of the convention.

The only real policy to come out of the Liberal Convention was (1) to listen to the Party Membership on important things like leadership contests, unlike the one they just had, and (2) to tell the world that the Party Membership wants the Carbon Tax - that the duly elected leader says he's going to ignore.

Any other party, and the media would be all over the complete hypocrisy of this Party. But turn to CTV NewsNet's coverage of this one, and you'd think the female reporters were going to wet themselves with glee over the rockstar they just met.

 

[thompo69]

Interesting coverage of the convention.

The only real policy to come out of the Liberal Convention was (1) to listen to the Party Membership on important things like leadership contests, unlike the one they just had, and (2) to tell the world that the Party Membership wants the Carbon Tax - that the duly elected leader says he's going to ignore.

Any other party, and the media would be all over the complete hypocrisy of this Party. But turn to CTV NewsNet's coverage of this one, and you'd think the female reporters were going to wet themselves with glee over the rockstar they just met.

Might help if you actually read the so-called "carbon tax" policy resolution. The resolution called for either a carbon tax, a cap and trade system, or a combination of the two. Ignatieff has said he is against a carbon tax, but in favour of a cap and trade system. No hypocrisy at all.

 

[Anynym]

Might help if you actually read the so-called "carbon tax" policy resolution. The resolution called for either a carbon tax, a cap and trade system, or a combination of the two. Ignatieff has said he is against a carbon tax, but in favour of a cap and trade system. No hypocrisy at all.

You might want to try to tell that to the news media, who unanimously indicated that the resolution was for a carbon tax.

 

[thompo69]

You might want to try to tell that to the news media, who unanimously indicated that the resolution was for a carbon tax.

Yes, and the media is always right.

 

[landscaper]

Yes, and the media is always right.

Obviousley you have not asked any of them if they are correct lately.

Silly boy

 

[train]

A female friend remarked that Iggy looks so much better now that he has had his eyebrows trimmed.

Other than the obligatory election sabre rattling nothing much was reported.

 

[landscaper]

report today that the liberals are threating an election in June if the Tories don't fix the EI system to suit them.

Interesting seeing as it was the liberals who destroyed teh system in order to fund the no deficiet budget that Paul MArtin and the rest of the liberal cacus likes to crow about

 

[slowpoke]

report today that the liberals are threating an election in June if the Tories don't fix the EI system to suit them.

Interesting seeing as it was the liberals who destroyed teh system in order to fund the no deficiet budget that Paul MArtin and the rest of the liberal cacus likes to crow about

Iggy's strategy with that EI threat seems to be about discrediting the NDP and the Bloc. Now that Liberal popularity is rising in the polls, Harper is climbing into bed with the Bloc and the NDP to avoid being defeated in the house. So Iggy can embarrass the NDP and the Bloc by asking for enhanced EI benefits for workers who have lost their jobs. The NDP & Bloc would normally be in favour of a boost to EI payouts & training for workers. But those two parties will now have to choose political survival over their traditional base of support. This looks good on them....

 

[train]

Iggy's strategy with that EI threat seems to be about discrediting the NDP and the Bloc. Now that Liberal popularity is rising in the polls, Harper is climbing into bed with the Bloc and the NDP to avoid being defeated in the house. So Iggy can embarrass the NDP and the Bloc by asking for enhanced EI benefits for workers who have lost their jobs. The NDP & Bloc would normally be in favour of a boost to EI payouts & training for workers. But those two parties will now have to choose political survival over their traditional base of support. This looks good on them....

If you think about it this works in both the Conservatives and Liberals favour. I don't seriously think the Libs want a June election. They need time to replace the good talent they lost and get a war chest. They are barely out of debt.

The decision Iggy and the Liberal power brokers will have to make is to force an election and incur the public's wrath or wait until next year when the economy might be well on the way to recovery.