Conservatives Win Majority Government in Canada

[Toro]

For the first time since 1988, Canada will have a Conservative majority government. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who had won two elections with minority governments, will govern with a surprisingly strong majority, with the Tories elected or leading in 165 of Canada's 308 constituencies. (A majority is 155 seats.)

W00T!

Equally stunning has been the redrawing of the opposition parties. As of 11pm ET, the Official Opposition will be the New Democrat Party, elected or leading in 104 ridings. The socialist NDP have never won more than 40 seats and have never been official opposition.

The Liberal Party, by far Canada's most successful federal party, is getting hammered, leading or elected in only 31 seats, their worst showing ever. And the separatist Bloc Quebecois, whose stated goal is to separate from Canada, is leading or elected in only 3 seats after winning a majority of Quebec's 75 ridings in the last five elections.

 

[rdean]

Do they have "Teabirthers" in Canada?

 

[Toro]

Do they have "Teabirthers" in Canada?

Nope.

 

[Mr. H.]

Interesting factoids there. Can you expound on the potential implications so that we may recognize a semblence of reason as to why one might care to give a fuck?

Thanking you in advance...

 

[Truthseeker420]

A conservative in Canada is a commie socialist liberal in America.

 

[Ropey]

I told you so

 

[Zander]

the pendulum swings....to the right.......then to the left......then to the right......

 

[Toro]

Finally tally

Conservatives 167
NDP 102
Liberals 34
Bloc Quebecois 4
Green 1

Awesome!

 

[Jroc]

Yeah!! Great news !! Congradulations to Stephen Harper!!

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Boo!! Screw Harper! >=(

Big ups to the NDP, though.

 

[xsited1]

As long as Canada keeps providing the USA with oil, I don't really care.

 

[Epsilon Delta]

Interesting factoids there. Can you expound on the potential implications so that we may recognize a semblence of reason as to why one might care to give a fuck?

Thanking you in advance...

How about the fact that Canada

- Is the United States' largest single trade partner?
- Is an important provider of oil and other raw materials to the United States?
- Shares the longest international border in the world with the United States?
- Has a strong claim to a portion of the Arctic Ocean and the Northwest Passage, a claim contested by the United States?
- Is a large-scale supplier of illegal drugs (especially MDMA and marijuana) to the US drug market?
- Is one of the United States' war allies in Afghanistan?
- Is part of NATO?
- Is part of NAFTA?

 

[Toro]

I told you so

Did you ever think we'd see the day when the NDP would win 58 seats in Quebec and 3 in the Prairies? Not me.

 

[Truthmatters]

I hope they do great things for Canada

 

[Ropey]

I told you so

Did you ever think we'd see the day when the NDP would win 58 seats in Quebec and 3 in the Prairies? Not me.

Actually not like this Toro. It was a sign from Quebec. They threw out the sovereignty drummers AND both the Conservatives AND Liberals. Only the NDP came in which is a sign that Quebec wants representation but not the Cons or Libs.

It's a fair cop.

 

[rdean]

Do they have "Teabirthers" in Canada?

Nope.

Oh.

 

[Trajan]

well done Harper, congrats Toro and all you great white northies...


*cough cough*..

Despite its reputation for leaning left, Canada has been economically opening and liberalizing since the mid-1990s. Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney negotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993 and later that decade, as the Canadian dollar swooned, the Liberals were forced to begin cutting federal spending.

Yet Liberals were only willing to go so far in shrinking Ottawa's bureaucracy. Enter the Harper government in 2006. It made tax cuts, a strong national defense and rationalizing government its priorities. And it made good on those promises. On January 1, 2008 Canada's general sales tax fell to 5% from 7%. Mr. Harper has also cut the federal corporate tax rate, which is now 16.5% and is scheduled to fall to 15% in 2012. (Add in provincial corporate rates of about 10%.) The U.S. federal rate alone is 35%.

Canada avoided America's housing mania and meltdown, but as our biggest trading partner it shared some of our economic pain. Conservative policy—low taxes and a willingness to allow the exploitation of rich oil and mineral deposits—has been a life saver for a small economy heavily integrated with the U.S. Its GDP grew by 3.3% last year, compared to America's 2.9%, and it now takes $1.05 to buy a Canadian dollar.


I am packing my bags....


Toro, are you worried about this, is it credible(?);

The bad news here is that Canada's extreme left is now the opposition party, suggesting a sharper ideological polarization more typical of America. New Democratic leader Jack Layton moderated his populist tone during the campaign but the party's official "constitution," as reported on in the Canadian press, is anything but moderate. It includes references to "the extension of the principle of social ownership" and promises to increase government control of the economy in the interest of social justice and the environment. If the Tories mess up, the NDP would be poised to take the country sharply to the left.


all from-
Review & Outlook: What Canadians Want - WSJ.com

 

[Baruch Menachem]

What did the Liberal party do that so ticked off the electorate that they went from biggest party to annoying nuisance?

The fall from grace of the PQ is also interesting.

 

[Toro]

What did the Liberal party do that so ticked off the electorate that they went from biggest party to annoying nuisance?

The fall from grace of the PQ is also interesting.

Google Adscam

That is the residual. It will take time for the Liberals to recover.

But they also elected a weak leader who, if you can believe it, spent 30 years - almost his entire adult life - outside of Canada.

 

[Samson]

What did the Liberal party do that so ticked off the electorate that they went from biggest party to annoying nuisance?

The fall from grace of the PQ is also interesting.

Google Adscam

That is the residual. It will take time for the Liberals to recover.

But they also elected a weak leader who, if you can believe it, spent 30 years - almost his entire adult life - outside of Canada.

Obama has spent almost his entire adult life outside of Canada, so he is a weak leader too.