tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post7251782920561867454..comments2024-02-07T16:22:39.625-05:00Comments on Jeff Jedras: A few questions for Bob Rae and the other nervous nelliesUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-53602090871277486642008-02-17T21:12:00.000-05:002008-02-17T21:12:00.000-05:00Jim,If the writ drops before March 17th there's no...Jim,<BR/><BR/>If the writ drops before March 17th there's no vote in TC, that campaign is canceled and the general begins. I think new spending and donation limits may also apply, since it would be a new campaign. If the writ is dropped after March 17th, they'd be out of a job and have to run all over again. <BR/><BR/>Joan, I hear they've got a plane now, so that's one off the list anyway. <BR/><BR/>Bailey, wasn't time for anything but work this trip. Didn't even make it to the pool, alas. The Braves train at Disney's Wide World of Sports I think, in Orlando. Camps don't open till next week though I don't think.<BR/><BR/>Ottlib, I don't think it would be hard at all to come-up with a narrative to justify bringing down the government. A bullying PM, contracts for friends, a laundry list of broken promises, trying to gut the wheat board, firing civil servants, inaction on the environment, and so on...topped off by a budget that doesn't address the economic needs and priorities of Canadians. It's time. And this far into the government, we can't prop them up any longer. At some point, enough is enough.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14971310821484459106noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-8591115004292705672008-02-16T02:07:00.000-05:002008-02-16T02:07:00.000-05:00I am so mad at what was allegedly said by a senior...I am so mad at what was allegedly said by a senior Liberal. One senior Liberal said that they would either make Dion change his mind (on election) or "push him off the ledge". The Liberal leadership election is over. Get over it!cyberwandererhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01918723359152490583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-4484996512309870982008-02-15T12:17:00.000-05:002008-02-15T12:17:00.000-05:00joan:The minimum number of days in an election is ...joan:<BR/><BR/>The minimum number of days in an election is 36 and E-day must be on a Monday.<BR/><BR/>JB: if the election is called before March 17 I believe the by-elections are cancelled and they are just rolled into the General Election. If the election call is afterwards then they have to run again.<BR/><BR/>Jeff: Right now the perception is the Conservatives are horny for an election and they seem to be willing to do anything to get it.<BR/><BR/>If they produce an innocuous budget and the Liberals vote against it, with the other opposition parties, then that perception will change to the Liberals.<BR/><BR/>Political parties have to have a reason to go to the polls. Some issue that Canadians can latch onto. Liberals saying they are going to the polls because they do not like the budget is silly, unless there is a provision so outrageous in it they can point to it. Most indications seems to be the Conservatives are not going to do that.<BR/><BR/>I would point out that Stephen Harper supported the economic update in November 2005 and let it pass and it did not do him any harm in the subsequent election.<BR/><BR/>The Liberals can do the same thing. Let the budget pass, maybe even support it, and then find another issue to bring down the government later in the Spring. If they win the election they can then produce their own budget with their own provisions, as Stephen Harper did with his cancellation of the Child Care Program.<BR/><BR/>That would deny Mr. Harper an election on his issue and provide the Liberals an election on theirs.ottlibhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12695135535019042279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-53432345336579446272008-02-15T11:07:00.000-05:002008-02-15T11:07:00.000-05:00While you are in Florida are you going to try and ...While you are in Florida are you going to try and stop at any baseball Spring Training facilities? Dunedin is like 2 hours away I think but there must be a few closer to Orlando. Aren't the Braves in Orlando?Baileyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12423615329119443537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-39751745513584293242008-02-14T19:27:00.000-05:002008-02-14T19:27:00.000-05:00"There's talk the BQ and the Cons are trying to wo..."There's talk the BQ and the Cons are trying to work a deal for the BQ's support on the budget, which means it would pass no matter what we do. I don't care. A Liberal no-vote or abstention in that scenario would still have the same harmful effect, and would still be completely unacceptable."<BR/><BR/>Of course if the BQ are going to support Harper the liberals can safely vote against the budget without triggering an election.<BR/><BR/>But I suppose our little anonymous MP friend couldn't wait for the outcome of these discussions before putting Dion back in the hotseat. I mean, that whole "the party is divided" thing really did a lot for the liberals last year, so might as well keep it going...Gaylehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08112657859825911939noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-73995543698992359122008-02-14T16:10:00.000-05:002008-02-14T16:10:00.000-05:00Rae and folks need to pay off their debts by the e...Rae and folks need to pay off their debts by the end of May. An election distracts them from what they should have done last year (it has been now 14 months since the convention).<BR/><BR/>The Party is not ready for a short election. I believe it could be as short as 28 days. They don't have a plane ready, which may be a good thing, since they may save some money (which they do not have a lot of). Policy-wise, we are probably better than we were last year.<BR/><BR/>A BCer in Toronto, you claim that the Conservative budget will be "a minimalist budget that does nothing to address the worsening economic situation." I disagree with you. I believe the Conservative budget will have lots of goodies, even if it may put us in a deficit. Why would the Conservatives not spend themselves out of a recession?<BR/><BR/>At the end of the day, I believe Liberals may be forced to vote for the Budget (like the Democrats in the U.S. capitulated to Bush's tax cuts) to avoid being viewed as not doing enough to avoid a recession.MississaugaJoanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07302396652312132141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19402125.post-44185411895199818452008-02-14T15:34:00.000-05:002008-02-14T15:34:00.000-05:00Whooee! Loose lips? Maybe Garth's up to his old tr...Whooee! Loose lips? Maybe Garth's up to his old tricks. <BR/><BR/>I'm a little out of my depth on the by-election deal. There's a by-election in TO Centre on March 17. If there is a general election in April or May, does TO Centre vote again? Seems like a waste of money if they do. Of course, it could be a do-over for the losers and they'd have the advantage of knowing what the winning strategy was.<BR/><BR/>I'm plannin' on comin' to the big smoke and knockin' on doors for GPC candidate Chris Tindal. If yer out stumpin' fer Bobby Rae, maybe we'll cross paths.<BR/><BR/>JBJimBobbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04603665575714484326noreply@blogger.com