Harper wins Tory minority government, CBC News projects

[CHIMO]

Harper wins Tory minority government, CBC News projects
Last Updated Mon, 23 Jan 2006 22:08:35 EST
CBC News

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper will become Canada's next prime minister, as Canadians have elected a Tory minority government and ended a 12-year reign of Liberal rule, CBC News projects.

At 10 p.m, the Tories were leading or elected in 99 ridings in central and eastern Canada, the Liberals in 89, the Bloc in 39 and 20 for the NDP.

In the Atlantic provinces, the Liberals, who won 22 seats in the June 2004 election, had elected or were leading in 19 of the region's 32 ridings. The Conservatives, who were hoping to make bigger inroads in the region, were elected or leading in nine ridings, only a gain of two. But they did increase their popular support by 4.5 per cent since the June 2004 vote. The NDP maintained their seat count of three. In the last election, the Liberals took 22 seats, while the Tories picked up seven.

Former Tory turned Liberal Scott Brison, the public works minister, Geoff Regan, minister of fisheries and oceans and Conservative MP Peter MacKay, the party's deputy leader, were among the prominent candidates re-elected in the region.


http://www.cbc.ca/story/canadavotes2006/national/2006/01/23/mainelecstory060123.html

[MelissaB]

1. Recommending

I came to check on the election before I went to bed. :(

[eve_was_framed]

5. ditto

[ClusterFreak]

2. Conservative MINORITY???

Let me be the first to say: THANK FUCKING GOD it's not a majority!!!

:party: :toast: :hi: :headbang: :woohoo: :applause: :popcorn:

[Darth_Kitten]

4. Here! Here!!

Prime Minister Harper. :evilgrin: :puke:

Oh, God, my country is now the world's laughing stock. :hug:

[il_lilac]

14. we sympathize

we thought we had smarter people here too.

[CHIMO]

8. Just Think

That Quebec will now have ten seats at cabinet. Harper said so. He said that anyone elected from Quebec would have a seat at cabinet. Must be true, heard it on CBC.

So what the hell are 23 MP's from Alberta supposed to do. Carry their brief cases.

Looks like a good set up.

Just watch out for the long term effects.

[eve_was_framed]

11. LOL...oh this is going to be good. Gee, when they start sending our

guys to fight in Iran then they can take the bulk of them from Quebec too for the sake of continuity, right? ;-)

[tuvor]

16. Are you joking?

Is there a link around? I can't believe he could be that stupid, especially being FROM Alberta.

[CHIMO]

18. Harper urges Quebeckers to vote Tory

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper today urged Quebec to vote Tory and have a voice in the next government, rather than vote for the Bloc Québécois, which he said can't influence events.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060117.wtories0117/BNStory

The comment came from the CBC, a commentator talking about the gains in Quebec. Although the above reference is a bit general I remember the tone and it was to the effect that any Quebec member to sit as a Conservative would have a seat at cabinet.

Just imagine when those who don't get a seat have to go home and explain why Alberta has more influence.

Maybe someone else that heard the comment on CBC could contribute.

[tuvor]

19. I'll be paying attention! n/t

[kevinbgoode]

20. Oh....isn't that a ploy to coax the BQ to help support the Tory government

and to strengthen Con influence in Quebec?

[CHIMO]

25. Perhaps

But it goes back to Mulroney, who brought in MP's who were considered, well not federalists.

So it seems that things have come full circle. The Reform now Conservative have to face the fact that Quebec represents near ten million people. Saying that "Alberta wants in" has to respect the fact that Quebec wants what they believe was promised.

[HuffleClaw]

22. suuuuuure. that'll work. NOT.

the bloq will tire VERY fast of harpers pretense at any support of quebec.

[kevinbgoode]

23. And I thought the Western provinces, which is Harpo's base

hate Quebec. . .I mean, they view Quebec as the opposite politically from themselves. . .

[eve_was_framed]

3. not the best result but I could live with a minority gov't over a majority

at this point in time! If this holds up it won't be for at least a year till there is another election because I'm pretty certain that the Liberals and perhaps the NDP would want to hold new leadership conventions next summer, me thinks.

[Darth_Kitten]

6. Thank goodness it's not a majority...

Too many smug rich white guys. ;) :evilgrin:

[eve_was_framed]

7. I would love to see just once a gov't that really looks and feels like us

and not a bunch of "smug rich white guys"...you know a gov't which is really representative of the people FOR the people! :-)

[Darth_Kitten]

27. If they only knew how many people just long for somebody...

to really understand their needs and concerns. :( But no, politics just seems to be about the rich looking after the rich. :(

[Roho]

9. NDP?

Dream on! Jack is the future of the party.

Martin is toast but Layton is here to stay.

Sorry Libs!

[eve_was_framed]

10. you may be right, I know that Martin in gone but wasn't certain about

where the NDP's stand on things or the Bloc for that matter.

[u4ic]

12. I feel sick...

:cry:

[Roho]

17. smile

this is the best result for progressive canadians.

[u4ic]

21. The best result for progressive Canadians

would have the NDP in power! ;-) (impossible, I know)

I just can't stomach that smarmy git. I don't have any love for Martin, either, but Harpy...:puke:

(I'm in Alberta, neocon central. Not much to smile about here)

[samhsarah]

13. Please someone here help....

I am so confused about how the Canadian government works. How could this possibly be a good thing? I know it is run very different from our government, but that's all I know.

[stevedeshazer]

15. Canada's system is parliamentary and has multiple parties

The only good thing here is that the Conservative party doesn't have a majority but they do have a plurality.

[daleo]

24. I honestly don't see this as a plus for Layton

He has traded an effective influence on a minority Liberal government for an unlikely alliance with the Conservatives. I don't see what they can cooperate on, though, so it is hard to see this as a plus.

The one way out of the dilemma I can see for him, it to promise to support a moderate Harper government, on the condition that Harper pass some sort of proportional representation legislation as a quid pro quo, or at least go some way towards modifying the first past the post system to make it more democratic. Then, he could say he was doing it for all Canadians, not just the NDP.

Harper would probably renege, though, as he will be smelling power and the corporate media will egg him on.

Things will be interesting, but really this seems like a bad result overall for the country.

[CHIMO]

26. Depends

Martin has 100 and a bit at the moment for seats. He might be able to ride out a leadership race because he still controls all the ridings. If that happens then the NDP could be seen as the real opposition and the Liberals could become a third party. Don't forget that the Liberals don't want another election right now.

I think that the NDP have shown that they are ready to step up to the plate and are not afraid if the people want to elect Conservatives. Then that is their choice and they have an option.

Contrast that with the Liberal philosophy that could not be elicited in the campaign because it was built on things that do not come from principles.