Hoo, boy.

[brinshannara]

So the Conservatives, the Bloc Quebecois and the NDP all voted against the Liberals in a no-confidence vote tabled yesterday in Parliament.

Parliament has fallen. The Prime Minister is asking the Governor General to dissolve Parliament. There will be elections in January.

I am saying right now, barring any miraculous scandals, that we will wind up with a Conservative minority government.

This annoys me. A lot.

I am further annoyed by the fact that regardless of who I vote for, my current Liberal MP is going to get in, because my riding is Liberal, has always been Liberal and always will be Liberal. Which is okay, except when the Liberals have this whole sponsorship scandal thing going on.

I am even further annoyed by the fact that the NDP has no support in Quebec. It's either the Bloc (and I will not waste my vote by voting for those separatist pigs!) or the Liberals. And while I'm glad that the Liberals brought in same-sex marriage, they were nowhere near as enthusiastic about it as the NDP was. The NDP didn't give their members the option -- vote for it, or else. The Liberals had a free vote, as did the Bloc.

I'm kind of all... well, at a loss when it comes down to it. I don't know who to vote for, because my major issue has, you know, been resolved. It definitely comes down to the NDP and the Liberals, though, but I still don't know what I'm going to do. But I will vote, as should everyone in EVERY SINGLE ELECTION, because it all MATTERS!

</soapbox>

And I am definitely going to work as a Deputy Returning Officer again, because DAMN ME, that's an amazing experience. :)

And yes, it's quarter to ten in the morning and I am awake. I've been up since 9. My DSL light is still flickering and someone's gonna get an earful if it's not fixed by noon.

That is all.

Comments

[timtwoface.livejournal.com]

I know things look dim - but really, I still think the Liberals are gonna win this one as a minority government. I also hope that this eliminates all of the crap that is in the Liberal party - and believe me, it's there, from Chretien down (even though funny-man Jean has already left). Paul Martin is solid, I believe, and I'd rather see him lead the country than anyone else.

Jack Layton is fine, but he just doesn't have enough support nationwide to make a big enough impact.

Stephen Harper is a joke. Seriously. I'm not anti-Conservatives as much as I'm anti-Harper. I liked them a lot more when they were the Reform party, with Stockwell Day or Preston Manning in power.

THe Bloc...oy, the federal government should grow some balls and actually pass a bill voting against the Bloc from being a part of the federal government. THEY ARE A PARTY TRYING TO SPLIT UP THE COUNTRY - they have no interest in anything that happens beyond Quebec's borders. If they DID, they'd have people in other ridings across the country. So...yeah. Ban them, and any future sepratist party, from having any seats in the House of Commons. I think that's fair.

Anyway, Martin's government will remain in power, I believe. The scandal is only REALLY big in Quebec, from what I can tell, and it's only a minor annoyance to much of the rest of the country. It will change some minds, but I doubt it'll be enough to topple the Liberals.

What riding in Montreal does Martin run in, anyway?

-Tim

[brinshannara]

Oh, so much to say! ;)

I don't want any of these jackasses to run my country, but Paul Martin brought in same-sex marriage, so for that, I guess I owe the Liberals at least some support. I've always voted Liberal, but I think it's time for a change, and I DO NOT mean the Tories. That said, the NDP isn't going to get in at all. :P

Harper is an ass. But he's a dangerous ass. But what freaks me out is that you liked them better as the Alliance or Reform parties! Stockwell Day and Preston Manning are also scary to me.

As to the Bloc... I think it's ridiculous that:

a) A separatist party is in *federal* politics
and
b) This party only runs in Quebec and, therefore, cannot ever get into power.

That said, the Bloc (and the provincial version, the Parti Quebecois) aren't all that evil. On the whole, they have very leftist leanings. If it weren't for the whole "split up the country" thing, I would actually vote for them. Or at least consider it.

The issue with the BQ is that they're looking out for Quebec's interests. Based on the history in this province, I can't say I blame them for doing so. Would Charlottetown have died with a BQ party influencing things?

I see that the rest of the country (hah, I almost wrote family, but that's really what we are!) is pissed at Quebec for being silly and distinct. Us with our French language laws and our different income taxes and our civil code instead of common law. The rest of the country thinks we get too much, we don't think we get enough (on the whole -- I think it's okay the way it is now, but there's millions of Quebecers who are terrified that their lives will be ruled by the evil English).

So maybe the BQ is serving a purpose. While their ultimate goal is, I agree, unreasonable, what they're accomplishing may be worthwhile. Quebecers get a say in government, the feds get another left-leaning party in the house, and there's no chance they'll actually *get into power*, so the country will never be broken up that way.

I see the BQ as a harmless threat that actually may prove somewhat useful at times, at least in terms of social perception.

I think Harper will get a minority, and I pray it falls quickly.

Martin runs in LaSalle—Émard. :)

[timtwoface.livejournal.com]

Thing is, outside of Quebec, no one knows anything about the BQ BESIDES the sepratist thing - and that's their ultimate goal.

As for the love of the Reform (not the Alliance, but the Reform, more notably), that was just so the west would have a bigger say in Ottawa's dealings - and that's been a big gripe for many westerners, as everyone feels it's been Ontario-and-Quebec-centric, while us four provinces out here have gotten the short end of the stick. Martin's been a little better and broadening his scope of the country and all, though, so that's why I dig him. And I think that he really is a good guy trying to do a good job. He just CAN'T because every time he's in the House of Commons, everyone gangs up on him and nothing gets accomplished, cuz it's all catfighting.

La Salle, eh? Hmmm...last time I was in Montreal (July 2004), I was scouring the city for a good Paul Martin poster to bring home with me. I DID find a Duceppe one under the Jacques Cartier bridge one night - I climbed the lamp post, cut it down, and brought it home on the plane a few days later. I intend to put it in my front yard in January. ;)

-Tim

PS - Harper sucks.

[jessruth.livejournal.com]

Been thinking about you these past few days, with everything going on up there. Glad you weighed in, so now I know what to think about it all! ;)