There is talk today about opposition parties perhaps being willing to form a coalition government. This is in response to the Conservatives' lack of definite policies to address the global economic crisis and use of the crisis as a screen to seek political advantage. They want to save $30 million by cutting public funding for political parties - a move that would, in the short term, greatly favour the Conservative party, but do nothing to address the economy. The government may fall on a confidence vote in the next few days and the possibility of a coalition amongst the current opposition parties would be a very strong bargaining chip.
Today I received an email from Steven MacKinnon, Michael Ignatieff's national campaign director. The email draws attention to the Conservatives' move to cut public funding and then asks for donations to Mr. Ignatieff's leadership campaign because, "Michael Ignatieff can only succeed with your support."
That rubs me the wrong way. It rubs me the wrong way because it's taking a direct and imminent threat to the Liberal Party and the Canadian political system, and using it to appeal for funds to a particular leadership candidate's campaign. Even though we have a Liberal Party leadership race under way, in the House of Commons we, the Liberal Party, should still be fighting the Conservatives together. If we do not fight them as one team, we won't win. If the NDP, Bloc Quebcois and the Liberal Party can get together to form a coalition, surely the Liberal caucus could work tous ensemble.
Fight the Conservatives as a united party. Support Stéphane Dion in the House. Fight the leadership race elsewhere.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
6 comments:
Harper is a radical conservative. Which leaves him helpless to fascist influences. Harper's handling of democracy feels like the early rise of fascism.
Sadly a lot more people support Fascism and the hateful propaganda on which it is based than we like to admit.
Fascism is corruption based on lies which start out as half truths and grow into deceit necessary to the gain and maintain power to protect against mythical enemies both within and outside the state. Worst still concentrated conservative media feels a patriotic duty to protect the naive public. Lies are not exposed but added on to, until fascism is embraced and suppresses resisters as internal enemies.
Removing campaign funding combined with Harpers abuse of election spending rules will destroy the ability of political parties to compete fairly. And destroy our democracy and replace it with a system buying votes. Sensible political interests which attract the majority of common people will not win, but rather political interest which make the rich richer will win. If anything the current system does not reward sensible political interests which attract the majority of common people enough.
This is a path to economic and political corruption and national destruction.
HOW MUCH has the private sale of the 407 cost the public through increased travel cost either directly or over crowding the 401?
The 407 was sold and is the gift that keeps giving. This corporate monopoly generates the kind of money that can buy a lot more advertising then families trying to make ends meet. But it cost us all and makes us less economically efficient.
I wholeheartedly agree. We are fighting a bitter partisan battle and this isn't a time to add to it by soliciting for partisan leadership donations.
This is exactly the sort of issue based fundraising we need to use online. I think it is a sign that Mr. Ignatieff's team understands what needs to be done.
No Jason, it's called playing partisan politics, exactly what Harper is doing right now.
Pot meet Kettle and you both are "black."
Jason, the issue is the right one to fundraise on, but, unfortunately, tying it to a leadership campaign implies that the Liberals are leaderless at this time when they need to pull together. The reality is that the Liberals do have a leader, Dion, and they are in the midst of a leadership campaign. Why ignore half of that sentence?
Where is Ferguson? Is he on vacation? A lot of us are wondering why we haven't received any letter from the party.
I agree that the Liberal Party of Canada should have used this issue for fund raising. The Conservative government taking away federal civil servants' right to strike for three years should be another one. The lack of any real policy to tackle the recession head-on is a third.
I haven't made my decision on the Liberal leadership race yet. It's just that Steven Mackinnon was the only one to ask me for a donation to a leadership candidate to fight the Conservative's proposal to cut public funding to political parties. I don't think this direct and imminent threat to the Liberal party and the Canadian political system was the right issue to connect to a leadership campaign's fundraising.
Post a Comment