Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Tuns' Sour Take on By-Election

Just when I was enjoying the Liberal Party's embarrassing showing in Quebec, Paul Tuns AKA "Captain Bring Down", pours cold water on the whole thing.

Writes Tuns:

"For once what is bad for the Liberal Party is also bad for Canada. After winning only its second seat in Quebec (ever), NDP leader Jack Layton will believe his party has a chance in the province; the Harper Conservatives will likewise focus on extending their presence in Quebec; the Liberals will be desperate to regain their stature there. All this means that Quebec will be the center of Canadian politics for the foreseeable future. Again. Let the posturing and bidding commence."

Sheesh, even when we win, we lose.

12 comments:

OMMAG said...

The circle of Life..... Liberals started all the separatist BS in the first place ...... you know they'd be happy to do it again.

Only problem ...... no economic argument and no support from.....well anywhere.
Liberals are becoming recognized for their true value in Quebec .... Nothing.
Next .... the Island of Toronto.

Anonymous said...

C'mon. Whoever wrote "Quebec likes [a] big spending statist" a few blogs ago knew exactly what they were talking about.

However, does the above fact change once the CPC gets its majority government and becomes the Liberals of old?

I would have to guess, "no." I think you guys have it all wrong. Quebec now has the CPC over the barrel.

You cannot outthink Quebecers!

Anonymous said...

I agree with the above remarks.

Maybe Ontarians should actually look at some of these stats!

In 2007, the CPC increased transfer payments to Quebec by $2.3 billion to 18.731 billion which averages to
2 436/Quebecer

In comparison, Ontario gets 21 billion which averages to 1 636 per Ontarian.

However, equalization payments will also increase to Quebec in 2008-2009 to 7.622 billion (60% of all current Canadian equalization payments go to Quebec) -- Ontario gets zero in equalization.

Adscam may have been the better bargain, and that is only after one single "Conservative" budget.

In future years, Quebec will likely have their hands out further while expecting to not have to send troops to die in battle (Ontario has about 40% casualties in Afghnaistan to date.)

The CPC may have transiently quelled "separatism," (although the long term results remain yet to be seen) but at what cost?

It maybe time for Ontario to wake up, and start asking the tough questions.

Gerry's debate with American-born, Tom Flanagan, might be a good place to start!

Anonymous said...

Holy smokes!

Where are all the Harpercrites to shoot these comments down? Where is the Civitas' punditocracy?

The stone silence to the above criticisms is quite telling!

Where are all the folks that are supposed to label me a "liberal" or a member of the Taliban?

Hollow victories are just that... hollow victories.

We all know that the CPC is playing a mugg's game, and it is eventually leading to us a bad place where we as a country have already been before.

Anonymous said...

Hey, you know who's getting off really easy in all of this? Gerard Kennedy. Saw him schmoozing with Iggy in the film from the by-elections.

Kennedy's also got plenty to answer for in Ontario re: education by golly. What a mess.

NB taxpayer said...

I don't see why Paul T sees this as a negative, unless he believes the only way to move forward in La Belle province is by buying votes and members like the libs did.

I think there is room for strong member and candidate recruitment on the ground. The conservatives have had two-and a-half years to do this, however, very little organizational improvement is evident in a majority of ridings in Quebec (which I believe cost them one riding on monday night).

Btw, I think the same can be said out east as well. Maybe a spillover from Rick Anderson's obsession with Ontario during the two reform campaigns he ran for Manning?

Anonymous said...

nb taxpayer:

That is, in fact, the only way to move forward in Quebec, and the CPC has taken a page from the Liberals' handbook there...

Anonymous said...

"In future years, Quebec will likely have their hands out further..."

I disagree!

After receiving "Special status," a few extra billion in transfer in 2007, a "Get out of war" free pass and control of all their programs, what's left for Quebec to ask for.

Harper sure is one tough negotiator. He must have learned that from the tough stance that Albertans take with their oil companies.

Now, if we could just send Harper to Afghanistan to engage in peace talks with the Taliban...

Anonymous said...

Coyne's story in the National Post: "The real story: the Bloc's collapse" is quite telling.

Here is a member of the Civitas Society giving advice to planners of the Liberal Party of Canada.

In other words, how do we {the CPC and Libs} continue this silly dance, flip-flopping roles without dealing with any of the real issues or producing any meaningful, significant change.

What's a "real conservative" to do in this country?

Answer: Hope like heck that Danny Williams wins.

Monkey Loves to Fight said...

I don't see what is wrong with all parties trying to reach out to Quebec, as long as it is not done at the expense of other provinces. I suspect considering how much we pander to Quebec, than any party that goes overboard will get punished elsewhere in Canada, so I am too worried here.

Anonymous said...

"Twelve voices were shouting in anger, and they were all alike. No question, now, what had happened to the faces of the pigs. The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig, and from pig to man again; but it was impossible to say which was which"

-George Orwell
Animal Farm

I give up... Next election, I will stay home too because I have seen all of this before.

Anonymous said...

Another view and I tend to side with Lorrie. The amusing thing it the way Taliban Jack thinks he has become a dragon slayer.

Canada was the real victor
By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN
There was a bigger winner in Monday night's three federal byelections in Quebec than Prime Minister Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Jack Layton. The winner was Canada.
With Harper's Conservatives picking off a seat from the staggering Bloc Quebecois and the NDP overwhelming the Liberals in their former fortress of Montreal, Quebecers sent out a powerful message not just to one another, but to the rest of Canada.
They told us, as they started to do in the last federal election, that they will no longer tolerate being forced into the straitjacket of having to choose between out-of-touch separatists and arrogant Liberals.
It wasn't just the Conservative and NDP victories that were significant (in the case of the NDP, only the second seat they have won in Quebec).
It was that Liberal and BQ support dropped across the board.
http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Goldstein_Lorrie/2007/09/19/pf-4507999.html