Canadanarchy!!!

[mmbt0ne]

Canadian government toppled by no-confidence vote

Monday, November 28, 2005; Posted: 7:31 p.m. EST (00:31 GMT)

(CNN) -- After months of political instability, the government of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin fell Monday evening when three opposition parties united to topple him with a no-confidence vote in the House of Commons.

Martin's center-left Liberal Party had been dogged by a corruption scandal. It will now face voters in an expected January election that could end 12 years of Liberal rule in America's largest trading partner -- after a campaign over the Christmas holidays that the prime minister argues most Canadians don't want.

The opposition Conservatives, the leftist New Democrats and the separatist Bloc Quebecois joined forces to bring down Martin's government, which had lost its majority in an election last year. Monday's final vote was 171-133.

The date of the new election will be announced Tuesday, but it is expected to be in mid- or late-January.

The Conservatives and Bloc Quebecois had been threatening for months to bring down Martin and force an election. But until Monday, his government had survived with the support of the New Democrats and a handful of independents.

The Liberals have run Canada since 1993. Recent polls give them the edge over opposition leader Stephen Harper's Conservatives, but with fewer than 40 percent support among those polled, indicating that another minority government is likely.

Polls also show that in vote-rich Quebec, the Bloc Quebecois is well ahead of the other parties, making the task of assembling a majority even more difficult.

The Liberals took big losses in the House of Commons in June 2004 amid what was known as the sponsorship scandal, in which government money was paid to advertising firms to shore up support for Canadian unity in French-speaking Quebec.

Investigators determined most of the money went to firms with Liberal connections, with little or no work done in exchange, but placed most of the blame on former Prime Minister Jean Chretien.

Martin was cleared of wrongdoing and issued a dramatic apology on behalf of his government in April. The Liberals agreed to pay $1.1 million back to the government after an initial report was issued November 1.

But Harper's Tories have readied a good-government platform for the upcoming vote, with Harper vowing to curtail the influence of high-priced lobbyists in Ottawa if he becomes prime minister.

Martin had proposed elections in March, after the expected release of a second report on the sponsorship scandal. He blasted the opposition earlier this month for moving toward a quick election, because the campaign would take place over the holidays -- "when Canadians least want one."

Martin, who became prime minister in December 2003 after Chretien retired, became the fifth Canadian leader to lose a confidence vote. The last was Conservative Joe Clark, in 1979.

The Liberals' political difficulties mark a sharp turnaround in Canadian politics. Just five years ago, with the political right divided between two rival parties, the Liberals coasted to a clear majority for their third consecutive election win.

But the right has since unified into the new Conservative Party, which, coupled with the sponsorship scandal, helped cost the Liberals their majority in last year's election.

[mr_whomp]

had to love paul martin's speech about how great a feeling it will be for canadians to sit down for christmas dinner and be able to watch on tv the real life scrooge, aka conservative party leader.

That being said if the liberals are re-elected I'm going to puke. They lied and stole from the voters. That being said, there are no really good alternatives. It will be [censored] though if after all this we have another minority government.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
had to love paul martin's speech about how great a feeling it will be for canadians to sit down for christmas dinner and be able to watch on tv the real life scrooge, aka conservative party leader.

That being said if the liberals are re-elected I'm going to puke. They lied and stole from the voters. That being said, there are no really good alternatives. It will be [censored] though if after all this we have another minority government.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm really getting sick of the media and politicians making such a big deal about the fact that the election campaign will run through Christmas. I have yet to meet one person who gives a rat's ass that they didn't wait until the Spring to bring down the government.

At one time in my life I actually respected Paul Martin and thought he'd make a strong Prime Minister. I've lost all respect for him since he came to power, though. The Liberals' entire election campaign is going to consist of convincing Canadians that the Conservatives and Harper are too "scary" to elect. I just hope that the rest of Canada doesn't fall for it.

[mr_whomp]

How could you have respect a man who was responsible for budgets that stole millions of dollars from tax payers? Personally i think anyone who votes liberal has to be off their rocker (unless your local liberal candidate is someone highly respected that you feel ought to be in government regardless of party leadership).

But I mean comeon, this election should really have a none of the above slot on the ballot. Personally i think canada needs a political party like the conservatives but without their backwards attitude towards things like abortion/gay marriage/etc.

[Gamblor]

"How could you have respect a man who was responsible for budgets that stole millions of dollars from tax payers? Personally i think anyone who votes liberal has to be off their rocker (unless your local liberal candidate is someone highly respected that you feel ought to be in government regardless of party leadership).

The Gomery Commission showed that Martin was only responsible for producing the budget. He had no discretion as to how the budget was actually spent, i.e. which ad firms were chosen to run the program.

In fact, the Commission found that the Liberal Party skipped the normal avenues of accountability in choosing which companies were chosen. Chretien was not found negligent but was found to have been lax in his responsibilities.

That said, the Liberals are a joke and to have them in power after this incident would be a declaration by the voters that they would happily have any Liberal candidate SIITPs.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
"How could you have respect a man who was responsible for budgets that stole millions of dollars from tax payers? Personally i think anyone who votes liberal has to be off their rocker (unless your local liberal candidate is someone highly respected that you feel ought to be in government regardless of party leadership).

The Gomery Commission showed that Martin was only responsible for producing the budget. He had no discretion as to how the budget was actually spent, i.e. which ad firms were chosen to run the program.

[/ QUOTE ]

In terms of Gomery, I blame the Liberal party as a whole (the culture of "entitlement", as Gomery put it), and not Paul Martin in particular. There's no evidence that he knew of anything that was going on with the sponsorship deals in Quebec. I find it much harder to believe that Chretien knew nothing of what was going on, but that's an argument for another day.

However, the fact that Martin is not personally responsible is irrelevant. The Liberals need to be punished for what they did. This wasn't one or two bad apples in the party -- this was a scam that involved dozens and dozens of members of the Liberal party. To re-elect them would be sending the wrong message as to what Canadians are willing to tolerate from their elected officials.

In 1993, after many scandals came to light, Canadians overwhelmingly voted against the Progressive Conservatives and basically destroyed the party. I don't undestand why it doesn't look like the same thing will happen to Liberals in 2006. They might not win the election, but they won't be reduced to 2 seats like the PCs were in '93. It's sad, really.

[CORed]

Wow, Canada's political landscape is starting to look a lot like Italy's: Multi-party parliamentary government with no party getting a majority and shaky coalitions.

[Gamblor]

The question is it better to have a minority that represents the voters and gets little done, or a two party system in which half the country is protesting everything and has nothing but hatred for the other?

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
The question is it better to have a minority that represents the voters and gets little done, or a two party system in which half the country is protesting everything and has nothing but hatred for the other?

[/ QUOTE ]two party, with three being the absolute most, because everyone knows Fours are for whores.

[BluffTHIS!]

[ QUOTE ]
The question is it better to have a minority that represents the voters and gets little done, or a two party system in which half the country is protesting everything and has nothing but hatred for the other?

[/ QUOTE ]

America has throughout its history had bitter political debates and made it through nonetheless. Lots of minority views in each party eventually become mainstream.

And why should Canada be spared bitter divisive politics? What else have they to do locked inside when it's cold out except gripe about the other party?