Yawn
No election. The budget is boring. Once again, Jim Flaherty has failed to deliver. I suppose I was wrong to get worried about the Tories using the budget as an electoral platform.
Is this budget perfect? No. Does it include enough Liberal ideas for the Liberals to support it? I think so. What would be our election call? "It's not enough"? I don't see that as a great campaign strategy. Now that Afghanistan is no longer a partisan issue, I don't see what we would be campaigning on.
I will say this, though. The projected surplus is pretty darn low. If Flaherty hadn't spent like a drunken sailor the last two budgets, both of which the Liberals opposed, then we would be in a much better position today as a country.
Let's move on.
12 comments:
We have a latter day Quintus Fabius Maximus in Stephane Dion now. The only difference is that Fabius had a more certain future.
Ah, but you did support the budget update in the fall, Jason and they spent a fortune on that one. Nice try though.
They could go now Jason, you don't need a reason. Hell Chretien had an election about nothing against Stockwell Day, no reason - just an election. I think worries of voter backlash against the party that brings the government down are utterly ridiculous. This is Canada man, it just never happens here...
Grumpy, The problem is with your wish, Mr.Dion is no Jean Chretien, and never will be, and Stephen Harper is not Stockwell Day. Your really want to take a chance like that with out an issue to pin the election on. Good luck, It would be like juggling with Nitro Glycerin my friend and good back far big time, what the hell would you campaign on, We deserve to be back in power, we had our time out after Adscam and we promise to be good now.
It's interesting Jason, that a couple of weeks ago, you were calling for an election, and now all of a sudden, you don't think we need one.
The Liberal bloggers/grassroots are not going to be happy over yet another stand-down, and we're already seeing plenty of evidence of that discontent.
Not that I totally blame Dion - the Capitulation Caucus got listed in the Hill-Times the other day, and I'm sad to see Rae and Hall-Findlay are among those listed as urging yet another stand-down. I can't blame Dion if the Nervous Nellies outnumber those who want to go. I actually have gained a easure of respect for John McCallum, who shows he at least has a spine.
A couple weeks ago, Afghanistan was an issue. I thought that was our election issue. Now that it is gone, I don't think the budget is good/bad enough.
If Flaherty hadn't spent like a drunken sailor the last two budgets, both of which the Liberals opposed, then we would be in a much better position today as a country.
The Liberals did not oppose the first Harper budget, check your records. It passed unopposed.
Jason, don't you wonder whether the Liberals should just state that they won't vote the gov't down unless it does something truly horrid between now and October 2009? If the caucus wants to go down this route, then why not end the nonsense? Why not have just one bad headline instead of countless others?
I am an election hawk, but if the Liberals want to use the Fabian strategy (I can't see why - the Hannibal of Canadian politics has retired), why not have the courage to do something like what I suggest? I really do think that this weakens Dion's image everything this happens. If it must be done, I'd rather see it done once and then forgot about.
I really do wish that Liberal supporters would stop thinking that Harper will give them an opening. It is not going to happen - he is not that stupid. Do you think he would rush into an election that is not a certain win?
Whenever the Liberals want to go to war, they should issue their own motion of non-confidence and put a poison pill for the Conservatives. I'd rather see it happen this way when the Liberals are dictating the agenda and not the other way around.
A couple weeks ago, Afghanistan was an issue.
Afghanistan is still an issue--with Canadians.
If it's not an issue with Stephane Dion's Liberals, then that's just one more piece of evidence, like the decision to support Harper's economic program once again, that they're out of touch.
This is a crock Jason and you know it. If the Liberals were 45% in the polls now, its safe to say we would not be having this conversation and you would be coming up with entirely different talking points.
I was hoping for further tax cuts, but I didn't expect them after the last couple budgets. Overall I'll give him a pass. Nothing to benefit me but nothing to hurt me either. (usually the best you can hope for when dealing with a government) Most of the things he did are mostly in line with my views. (which means Dion and Layton think I am not a Canadian.... good strategy to get me to switch my vote to them)
Gotta take issue with a couple posts here:
..."If Flaherty hadn't spent like a drunken sailor the last two budgets, both of which the Liberals opposed"
Don't remember opposition to the budget... I remember a teacher scolding about all the things that Mr. Harper did wrong... and then letting the project go ahead anyway without opposing it. (abstention, aka. actions not in line with principles... or cowardice cus they are acting on behalf of the party and not as they claim Canadians)
"It's interesting Jason, that a couple of weeks ago, you were calling for an election, and now all of a sudden, you don't think we need one."
Would that have anything to do with Mr. Jean Lapierre's comments about how in the last 40 years never has a liberal leader called a meeting to say "let's go" and the troops did... nothing???
I truly think you guys missed your chance Jason. Weakening of the Bloc to 33% (all time lows) strengthens both the federalist parties in Quebec. Coulda forced them to vote for the budget instead
Then there is 4 more by-elections coming up in 3 weeks. One where Bob Rae will win. I don't know if that will make the liberal party look stronger, or Dion standing between him and Iggy... looking weaker. (Dion looked good not going too hard on the budget until Rae got on and said the caucus was going to vote later on whether to abstain or to vote for it.)
Then there is the talk about Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River.... In deep turmoil. Not to mention troubled talk out of Vancouver-Quadra. oi.
What would it to to liberal morale to lose 1 liberal seat out of 4 in the by election? How about 2????
Could you possibly pack more flippant comments in such a short post?
1) The budget is "boring"? What would be "exciting" - massive new spending, grand social engineering projects that allow government to wiggle its tentacles ever more into everyone's lives? That is usually what "exciting" initiatives seem to be from a Liberal perspective.
2) It adopts enough Liberal policies? Super. So how many times do the Tories have to pass Liberal budgets - I count that this makes three - until the radical-right-wing-ideologes line is officially dead?
3) Please tell me that you didn't just complain that Flaherty "spent like a drunken sailor". At the time, the accusation as I recall was that Flaherty was not spending enough.
4) If the Grits are so concerned about a deficit, why are they muttering about a lack of spending now at the same time? What of Dalton McGuinty's complaints - does Dion agree with him?
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