May I introdouce Canada's new Prime Minister, Stephen Harper

[Doug]

Canada take a small baby step to the right with the election of a Conservative minority government. They ousted the 12 year reign of the corrupt, complacent and Liberals. There are many ways for this new government to be defeated in Parliament, therefore they will have to tread softly which means their anti-gay marriage and anti choice stance will have take an almost non-existence priority.

I'm happy that the Liberals have been slapped in the face but the Conservatives are on a very short leash.

Conservatives - 124 seats
Liberals - 103
Bloc Quebecois (Quebec French Separatists) - 51
New Democratic Party (left) - 29
Independent - 1

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So does this mean that the Canadian Parliament is hung? The liberals in the UK have been trying to get a hung parliament for donkeys years but their election results haven't yet risen to the occassion.

[Smiles]

So does this mean that the Canadian Parliament is hung? The liberals in the UK have been trying to get a hung parliament for donkeys years but their election results haven't yet risen to the occassion.

In theory the Conservatives are "hung" in the sense that they have a minority and will rely on other parties to keep going as a government. Probably forget any 'controversial' legislation (as in, for instance, the overturning of the Gay Marriage Act) as they would be defeated readily.

In reality however, all the parties have to be very wary of bringing down the government (for whatever reason). This has been the 2nd election in 18 months, and both produced minority governments. Canadians are in one of their regular 'a-pox-on-ALL-your-houses' moods and any party with a desire to be the destroyer of this Conservative government would be relegated to the shit-hole for a very long time.
So I suspect this new government will last 2 years or so until everyone's in a better mood (i.e. forgotten everything!) and then the Liberals (with a brand-spanking new leader) will win another majority and go on to govern for the following 15 years or so with a proper majority.

Such is the Canadian political cycle (circus?) ... it never changes.

Cheers ...

...but not very well...

[Surfcrest]

When the Liberals took brave steps to enshrine updates to legislation that directly improved our way of life as Canadians, they did it together and as a united caucus. Had some of these choices been decided in the house by free vote, the outcome may not have been the same. While it may be dangerous for a conservative minority to lead the charge in taking back what has already been given, the option of redefining other legislation might have similar results. Free vote was a popular idea of the conservatives while in opposition. ItтАЩs doubtful that there are any newly elected conservatives that donтАЩt want to redefine marriage and family.

On a positive note, Stephen Harper split with Preston Manning over differences that Preston Manning was overly influenced by the reform grassroots. Harper appears to be a leader that leads more from the top, a strategy that Mulroney too was able to adopt behind the big questions then of Free Trade and National Unity. This grassroots movement has us all clearly in their sites and donтАЩt take away their guns either.

With the announcement that Paul Martin will step down as party leader and MP, the Liberals will undoubtedly preserve the will of the conservatives until they have had time to regroup themselves and crown a new leader. Needless to say, they will be too busy to address the real reason for their defeat this time. By the next time we are all dragged back to the polls, that will all be forgotten anyway so what did it matter anyway

This grassroots movement has us all clearly in their sites and donтАЩt take away their guns either

Is Hedda's Hopper one of their sites? (Or perhaps you meant "sights" as in "gun sights"?)

I'll bet she's excited to be cited.