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You are here: Home / Archives for Stephane Dion

Duh, what’s going on?

December 4, 2008 by Brigitte Pellerin 4 Comments

Please forgive the recent hiatus. I was busy plotting birthday parties (there’s triple-chocolate cheesecake involved, is all I can say) and – oh yeah – getting some work done. You know. Work. The kind that helps pay the bills.

Anyway.

I haven’t had much time or energy to pay attention to the ongoing Parliament Hill saga. Apparently, there’s talk of a coalition to replace the Tories. Unless of course enough people wake up in time and realize Stephen Harper has managed, once again, to trap his hapless opponents. I don’t particularly like Mr. Harper. But I sure don’t believe he’d be dumb enough to get himself trapped by Messrs. Dion and Co.

Re-anyway. I am not particularly upset by any of this. For one thing, it’s not exactly surprising (not even the part where the Bloc gets to play a major supporting role; all parties have explored similar possibilities). And whether it happens or not, things aren’t likely to change. The only kind of government this country ever gets is the socially liberal, big spending kind. There isn’t one political party that speaks to me. Not one. But they all want to reach into my wallet to pay for things I don’t like – yes, very much including the Tories, who spend more these days than anybody ever did.

Seriously; is there any reason for someone like me to care one way or the other? I’m having real trouble thinking of any, but I’d like to know what our readers have to say.

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Andrea adds: I’m a “reader” of sorts. Read this blog religiously, actually. Mostly looking for typos and such, spiffing it up here and there… anyhoo. Never miss a chance to express your opinion, I say.

I care because while Harper didn’t prove to be small-c conservative at all, there’s not an economy out there that the NDP didn’t successfully tank. They have a proven track record, so to speak. That leaves me concerned for all kinds of things–but mostly for the poor, those living on the margins, those who lose their jobs and are left with nothing but an NDP-sponsored government handout. My second point: Harper caused this (I recently mused whether youthful inexperience is actually a hiring requirement in the PMO). But is the removal of government subsidies for parties–a firing offence? Not sure.

Why you should continue not to care–on the other hand. Because this will all come to an election sooner or later. Carry on with your cheesecake (sounds delicious). (And paying work. I’ve heard of that. Gotta go.)

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Rebecca adds: I am also having trouble caring, which is unusual given my politics junkie status. Frankly I don’t like any of the players very much right now. Duceppe is the only one actually representing the interests of his constituency; I guess it’s our loss that Canada isn’t part of his constituency.

I’m chiefly curious to find out how much of this is part of a Rovian Grand Plan by Harper, and how much is wild flailing. A lawyer of whom I’m fond (they do exist) is of the opinion that “Harper speared himself, is frantically trying to pull out the harpoon, and may take constitutional democracy down with him.” I’ve also heard from people much more plugged in than I am that this has been in the offing since well before the October 14th election, which wouldn’t surprise me – as Brigitte says, all political parties scheme this way – but does mean that Harper’s real error was in giving the clowns an opening, not in committing some offense so grave that the three parties united to restore harmony, balance and Coke in the water fountains.

The larger lesson here, one of them anyway, is that minority governments are awful, and coalitions are worse. With the rise of the BQ and the Greens, they might be here to stay, and if (ftu ftu ftu) there’s another conservative schism, we’ll be permanently consigned to the ranks of unstable democracies that hold election every 18 months, like Israel and Italy.

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: coalition, Gilles Duceppe, Jack Layton, Michaelle Jean, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper

I love it…

September 23, 2008 by Brigitte Pellerin Leave a Comment

… when liberals (and Liberals) silence their women. It’s so dashed progressive.

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Andrea adds: The story notes that “Krieber can’t be relied upon stick to the campaign script.”

Because that script has, er, been working so well thus far? Getting off of it seems like the only positive out. But they aren’t silencing Krieber because she’s a she. If Krieber were running, they’d silence Dion. (At this point, I bet some are wishing they could do just that.)

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: Janine Krieber, Stephane Dion

Didn’t take long

September 14, 2008 by Brigitte Pellerin 3 Comments

Stéphane Dion warns against a Conservative hidden agenda. They never get tired of that line, do they.

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Tanya adds: Dion said, “So I want to ask him: how far is [Harper] more right-wing than Canadians?”

Like, all Canadians?  The short answer to that question is that he’s more right-wing than some and less right-wing than others.  (I never went to politics school ‘n stuff, but I think that’s why, like, democracy exists…no?)

 

My take on this is that Dion isn’t very liked.  But if he can get Liberals to hate Harper enough, they’ll come out in droves to vote.

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: hidden agenda, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper

It’s not every day…

August 21, 2008 by Brigitte Pellerin Leave a Comment

…that I agree with Stéphane Dion. But he’s right about this:

Stéphane Dion has challenged the prime minister to clarify his view on abortion, threatening to reignite the debate as Canada careens towards an election.

[…]

“I think all Canadians have the right to know what the party leader thinks,” he said. “I gave my opinion. I want to hear the opinion of Stephen Harper.”

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And Andrea is staying true to form: and disagreeing with Dion. He only wants to know Harper’s stance on abortion now because he’s bought into the misinformation on Bill C-484, which expressly excludes abortion. Voting in favour of Bill C-484 is not a vote against abortion, much as Joyce Arthur would have us believe. If I thought that–I’d blog about it more often. In any event, all we’d get from Harper at this stage would be Ye Olde “I support a woman’s right to choose” too, and given the circumstances, I wouldn’t expect any different. Now if Dion weren’t asking, and if Harper were to clarify under different circumstances…that’s a different story. Then, yes, I’d like to know his stance on abortion. As it stands, I’d prefer Dion clarify his position, on, oh say, the environment. Or finances. Or just about any existing policy debate… where to begin…

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper

Women and politics

June 9, 2008 by Andrea Mrozek Leave a Comment

I’d hate to call this piece in today’s Globe paternalistic and simple, but what the heck. That’s what I think it is.

The situation highlights what pollsters see as an escalating political trend line: the Conservatives as the party for men, the Liberals as the party for women. … The Harper government was doing better with women earlier in its mandate, explained Mr. Nanos, with emphasis on such policies as health care. But as the focus switched to things such as defence spending and cutting taxes and a crackdown on crime, the support drifted away. … But now, as women progress on so many fronts, it is hard to find them or their causes in this governing party.

Really? And if we’ve progressed soooooo much, one would hope we’d have moved away from the idea of the One Unanimous Female Voice. (And the idea that women don’t worry their pretty little heads about things like defence and taxes.)

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: Conservative Party, Female voters, Globe and Mail, Lawrence Martin, Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, Stephen Harper

Dion “gives his word”

June 5, 2008 by Andrea Mrozek Leave a Comment

And we all know how much that is worth. Thank goodness it’s Dion giving his word. Anyone else and I’d almost be worried.  

I want to give my word to all the women of Canada that the Liberal Party of Canada is against to reopen woman’s right to decide as a debate,” the Liberal leader pledged.

Dion should rephrase this quote for so, so many reasons, but above all because not “all” the women of Canada want this promise…But why bother criticising… It’s just too easy. No fun at all.   

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: Bill C-484, Stephane Dion

Meanwhile in the cynical community…

March 6, 2008 by Brigitte Pellerin Leave a Comment

Folks ain’t none too pleased with Liberal leader Stéphane Dion’s non-position on C-484.

Sir, while you were absent from the House of Commons today, a vote was held. The vote in question allowed Bill C-484 to pass into committee. Because you saw fit not to whip your party’s vote, because it did not interest you sufficiently to attend, your leadership will now come under harsh scrutiny. This Bill is an insult to the intelligence of Canadians and a blatant attempt to undermine the ability of women to maintain the right to bodily self determination and personal autonomy. This Bill is a bald faced attempt to enshrine in law a definition of life that precedes birth and creates criminal precedent for ending that newly defined life. Mr. Dion, while I sincerely hope this Bill is killed in committee, your inaction and abandonment of Canadian women’s rights has defeated any faith I might have had for your growth as a leader. You are clearly unfit for the job.

[…]

Mr. Dion please step down. This nation will not elect you Prime Minister. You are a non-entity, a milquetoast and a flop. The Liberal Party might as well appoint a traffic cone to the leadership. At least people will take notice of a traffic cone. As for the members of the Liberal Party who saw fit to vote for the travesty that is Bill C-484, you will not be forgotten come the next election cycle.

There are others, as listed here. Whoopee-dee-doo.

Filed Under: All Posts Tagged With: C-484, Liberals, Stephane Dion

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