Canadians, tell me about your conservatives.

How conservative are they? What is the likelihood that the election will go their way? What is the mood of the electorate? Will clearing out a few bad actors solve the problem, while keeping the gov't liberal?

that got into trouble. This prime minster was finance minister at the time. Quebec was going for another referendum of separatism and at least $100 Million was earmarked towards pro Canada advertising and the like - for the whole country. Flags were bought, ads put on the TV. Celebrities were paid to wear a Canadian flag T-shirt in Quebec. Then about 2.5 Million got into the hands of sticky backroom political types and funnelled back to the liberal party. Very few people knew about that. They all were canned or fired and the money has been paid back by the party. It seems the party nor the senior ministers knew how sticky the money was getting.

That Prime Minister - the one who instituted the program was a Quebecor and trusted with fighting the referendum. He was found guilty or perhaps having golf balls made to hand out. I think Canadians as a whole would be pretty upset if he had not lifted a finger to raise the profile of Canada in Quebec (and again some money went right across the country to "up" the name Canada and pay for festivals and the like).

So there was some illegal activity but it seems perhaps an aide to the old PM didn't know about the back room deals - just the hiring of Quebec hockey hero to wear a Canada Logo. The slippery people who took money through advertising firms in Quebec (who obviously got millions to do all the promotions and some of that is not well accounted for) and that $2.5 Million went back to the Liberal party. But again - backroom types not know or in public office. All quit in humiliation & shame now (some of them or most were party volunteers I think).

The Finance Minister - our current PM, was relieved of his duties as finance minister before someone blew the whistle and the facts started to require an investigation. So he was powerless to do anything until he won the leadership race as PM. And then there is was a the sponsorship scandal just waiting to break. And then he called for the investigation (he had been breathing too hard down the neck of the first PM - wanting the old PM to retire because he was the next in line - that is why he quit as Finance Minister) and had nothing to do with the scandal per se - other than alloting a certain amount of money to festivals and advertising firms as part of the sponsorship program - as any finance minister would do in building a budget. So he is perfectly not responsible - like I said the program was itemized and described in budgets. It was well known program (though the public didn't know how much money was being thrown around) and many MPs funded events in their own ridings. The money was available to anyone across the country. That part is on the up and up. And the country was in surplus at the time.

But in Quebec - the idea that advertising firms with Liberal connections (there is no conservative party in Quebec so firms would be either Liberal or separatist or independant)got over paid and tried to buy hockey heroes - well doesn't sound good to start with. But again - most Quebecors would have expected the feds to fight and fund festivals in a "pro-canada way" to a certain extent. But then to have someone paid $1 Million to wear a sweater with the leaf on it, and then to have some slippery back room types take some of that money and funnel it back to the Liberal party is really upsetting. They take their referendums very seriously and go through soul-searching when they have had votes on the issue (I think two so far and both times "staying in Canada won by very little). So it is a big slap in the face both ways for them. For separetists, who don't get any funding from federal programs such as this (obviously), and for everyone because it is just so sleazy & stinky and about power and privilege. The feds throwing "sloppy money" at an issue that is heart-wrentching.

So the PM got into power and won an election 18 months ago. Won a minority and put on a public investigation. And the conservatives tried hard to make the minority government fall when the worst of the sleeze came out last May. But lost by one vote. And the PM promised than when the inquiry & reports were all done he would call an election (In Canada the government has up to 5 years to call an election and they are usually less than two months long - thank god).. And it was supposed to be this fall. But the reports are not in. So the Conservatives again tried to make the government fall (Liberal minority formed a coalition with the NDP - NDP the left party and had been ruling sort of together in the last 18 months - and that has just fallen apart over the issue of "strict adhearance to public health care laws" I think). So the conservatives tried to lure the NDP into putting a motion in the house that would make the government fall - and the NDP said we are not going that far. You put the motion - this is your thing. So the Conservatives did and the government fell - and so now the PM has to call an election. They had tried to get the PM to agree to an election sometime in the winter (at their convenience but he refused).

People in Ontario were not happy with the Cons trying to force an election in May - at the height of the scandal - because it was so dangerous to do that while people in Quebec were really angry. People have cooled off a bit. The scandal still stinks. This PM is not responsible for it directly - but it is all over him. And the NDP & Conservatives all now are running on "time for change" cause it has been 12 years that Liberals are in government.(most of the federal seats in Quebec have gone to the Quebec independance party in the last few elections called the Block Quebequois - who are liberal-lefties - but want a separate country with many ties - for Quebec).

We are not used to having minority governments. But since the Bloc Quebecois was created - only the Liberals can win a few seats in Quebec. The conservatives win in Alberta, the west and some seats in the Maritimes (and lots of rural votes in Ontario - Ontario itself has had a long history of old conservative rule - and the times when the old conservatives got into power federally - which is rare - well Ontarios cities can go conservative too and do). The NDP do well all across the country but don't win a province in any election. But suddenly we are used to a minority government and find it okay. And the NDP are running on that - we do our part in the coalition - don't be afraid to vote for us. And NDP vote is great. (When Canadians are afraid of the Cons getting in - they tend to (Ontario) vote Liberal). Ontario already had years of a neocon running the province and really it was just one crisis and one mean battle after another (well you know about neocons now too). So people in Ontario for various reasons (fear of Quebec leaving if a conservative government is the one trying to keep Quebec in confederation), fear of neocons (because they are assholes and don't represent our values), and anger at Liberals for being slimy in the sponsorship scandal and tired of Liberal rule. But there is a big rural vote in Ontario which is conservative. So Ontario is the battle ground it seems.

The conservatives have a base in the West and Alberta - based on alienation from the past. But young people move to Alberta all the time and it is changing I think. Still it is pretty solid for the Conservatives outside the cities. And at times too - the base in Alberta just want Quebec to go and get over with it. (Which makes the rest of Canada cry).

So Ontario has lots of seats. The rural vote is either conservative or NDP mostly. The City vote Liberal, NDP in Eastern Canada or conservative & NDP in Western Canada. With a few exceptions.

The values are the same across the whole country(bloc is again a liberal party). Cons are not so liberal, but there are not enough of them so their conservative leaders try and paint themselves as having the same values as the rest of the country. But really they don't. And like NeoCons everywhere - they do not really talk about all the things they plan on destroying when they get into power - they just campaign vague and then tear the nation apart once they win (like they did in the us). Canadians know this and do not trust them. Looks like so far, Harper, the con leader is starting the same old campaign "we have the great values of canada - we will not go negative this campaign and we will overturn gay marriage". (So they are basically lying their faces off from the get go - they insist on sunny pictures during the campaign and euphamisms and then when they get into power we all know they will dismantle social programs and play people off against each other - but in the campaign they will sunnily talk about values while trying to build wedges & hate in our land and then of course - call anyone who points out their duplicity as "fear-mongers". Its just so gross).

The Liberals will run on keeping the country together, that they are really and truly the same as Canadians in terms of values and that they govern as they campaign and have a long record of Canadians being pleased with programs and the economy (but tired of looking at their faces). NDP is running on how they are for fighting for social programs and rights of the little guy - not messing up the economy - being for social programs like training in science in universities and the like, and that - even though they have never formed a federal government - they have debth and great MPs (they really do) and that the more of them who get voted in the merrier because they can work and form a coalition with the Liberals and get some policy goals met (in other words the NDP are running for another coalition and saying - someone needs to slap the Liberals around and be on their tails - vote for us and we will protect social programs, health care and keep them in line). The Bloc Quebecois are like the Party Quebecois in that they are not liars. (Thank god - they actually want to win a majority of the vote for independance - they don't want to trick people or start fear wars within Canada - though they do want independance and will go after the scandal to their own ends - because they are politicians - but they are not horrid fearmongers as a party - like neocons are). They will run and say - 'hey - it is a federal election. We are for independance but obviously that fight will take place on a provincial level when we get the chance there - but we are running federally so we are talking about social programs and what is good in Canada and how to make it better for all of us who are partners. And that sponsorship scandal just shows that the Liberals cannot be trusted so don't vote any of them in because they humiliated us in Quebec'.

That's all I can think of now.

Thank you.

what the neocons in Canada want. The two political neocon elders at the press conference for that Fraser Institute Report were: Mike Harris is the former neocon premier of ONtario (and boy did he euphamize his way through the election and then in week one he just starter tearing apart policy like a madman with no care whatsoever about the consequences to needy people (sound familiar)

and Preston Manning whose father was the political hero of many Westerners but who started the Reform Party of Canada as a cry and power attempt from the West - that decimated the old Progressive conservatives and their base - and now they've joined. So Preston was the voice of the west for a decade in Ottawa. And his Reform Party joined with the Progressive Conservatives to for this new neocon incantation known as Conservatives. And these guys do and want what your neocons do and want but they haven't won federally (new party) so they paint themselves up really pretty and innocent in their attempts to pretend to share Canadian values with the vast majority of the country. And they attack gay marriage too. Which is a little different in Canada since only 20% are fundies and the rest religious or not are liberals.

Read that Fraser Institute Report. That tells you what they want. Though the Cons will never say it.

of the current political situation in Canada. It's greatly appreciated.

what bothers me, (but it's a common tale)..is the Voter who doesn't even know the Fundamental differences between Lib and Con, Right and Left, and there are many...they just vote with the masses based on headlines. I hope people are becoming more informed.

the separatists spent millions on advertising and the Prime Minister's office thought it was working. The time around the referendum were dark days in Ottawa, Chretien took the idea of Canadian unity very seriously. He saw the millions spent on advertising and (quite rightly) thought they needed to do everything in their power to cement "Canada" in the minds of people in Quebec. I have no doubt the the sponsorship program was born out of genuine concern for Canada and not some sinister plot to steal money.

..if separation took/takes place, what would that cost?? They saved a financial crisis from occurring had that happened. The US, with the US media, is a great example of how 'easy' it is to herd people into doing what you want them to do. Conservatives parties are very good at divide and conquer.

the PQ, or some PQ ad firms, got some money too. All MPs across the country were entitled.

Like I said - both people inside and outside Quebec expected our government to fight for the country.

Chretien also went with the clarity issue - trying to force the PQ to not ask vague and "baby step" questions in the next referendums. Trying to force them to as a Yes or No question re: do you want to separate. Instead of the usual "do you want to give us the power to start negotiation a separate Quebec". The liberal hope was that the PQ don't get a yes vote on the "do you want to let us start negotiating". Which would mean the PQ could then negotiate while still in Canada and the Feds would have to talk. And then the picture of what an independant Quebec would look like would emerge. And it would be easier for Quebecors to then vote on that final option because it would be all or mostly laid out. Less anxiety.

So yes - we all expect our government to fight for unity. But this ended up sloppy and sleezy. And now the cons are using it to try and make some inroads.

Harper is running around pretending he has integrity. He's playing the high-road.

Funny thing is - last election - during the debate - the BQ leader came out as the favorite in terms of the debate on issues. It is a dark horse that looks like a duck, talks like a duck and says it is a duck in politics. So with Layton on the left and the BQ on the left and the Liberals on the left - Harper is in trouble.

Polls today say they are neck & neck (Liberals and Cons). Shows you just how bad the cons are doing since everyonr is disgusted and deeply annoyed about the scandal and not particularly impressed with Martin as a visionary (though I think other than health care and poverty - the libs are on top of much - not as if the country needs huge amounts of new programs). And yet the Cons are tied. (Conservatives are the only other party than liberals who have made government federally).

I've heard that the Canadian CONS are ideologically on par with the mainstream American Democratic party. I watched the CON party convention, they are desperately trying to look more liberal to some Canadians and more conservative to other Canadians. They voted against adopting an anti-abortion view, but they publicly speak out against same-sex marriage. They are for large tax cuts (mostly for corporations) and privatizing heath care (and just about everything else). Some are very conservative (Stockwell Day) others are not (David Orchard).

There is a chance they could get elected but with Stephen Harper as party leader I expect the government to go the way of Joe Clark, it wouldn't surprise me if Harper only lasted 90 days.

The mood of the electorate is very different in many different places, in francophone Quebec the mood is "fuck the liberals" in Alberta there is about 20%-35% of the population who's opinion is "fuck Canada, we should separate, why should those socialists get any of my money!" -that is the conservative base. My prediction is that voter apathy will run high this election, where it runs the highest might determine the winner.

There are a lot of coulds in this election; the NDP could pick up 15-20 seats and create a new progressive coalition government, the Liberals could pick up 4 seats in Quebec, the Liberals could win a majority, the Conservatives could win a minority. Right now any of those things are possible.

I heard an interesting theory, Peter McKay and his supporters want Harper to lose this time around so he can replace Harper and they can put up a real fight with McKay at the helm for the next election.

old or American by birth. The thing about a booming oil economy is that they keep sucking up young people from all across the country. And Calgary & Edmonton are as multicultural - or on the road to - as any other city in the country.

The young don't have the same beefs as the old in the West.

People are disgusted with the cons because they like and euphemize. People in Ontario know what cons mean first hand. It means within 4 weeks they will start to impose huge change and tear down social programs. They will stop all advocacy by week 5. Any program that could make a person grateful for governance will be undone. People will be realing from funding cuts and in shock and displaced by the suddeness and a con government will just ignore it (Katrina - they have a shit happens ideology to suffering - except, unlike Katrina, the cons will have caused the hurricanes & crisis that cause the pain with speedy and bully implementation of policy changes).

It is going to be an angry match. Because Harper will pretend he wants nothing but values and compassion and will not say what his policies will be. And 70% of the country understands what he is about.