Edmonton Rally: Thursday, December 4th, 6:00 p.m.
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square.
STOP THE COALITION RALLY
When: Thursday, December 4th, 1:00 p.m.
Where: 10806 119 St: NDP Riding Association Office
With two opposing rallies happening on the same day, I can only imagine that the streets of Edmonton will look something like this on Thursday afternoon...
For the first time in my life, I am truly
Tories can't dance.
ReplyDeleteAw, come on, don't be scared. This is just free speech on both sides. Free speech yay!
ReplyDeleteAlthought I mirror Greg's sentiments, you also have to add the snow and SUVs.
ReplyDeleteIn all serious, I am glad a lot of people aren't out of work when this is all going on. We could have riots in the streets.
We can dance if we want to,
ReplyDeleteWe can leave your friends behind,
Cause if friends don't dance and if they don't dance,
Well they're no friends of mine.
"Stephen Harper - Brinkmanship: the Album, 2008"
Why are they going to the Provincial NDP office? Which is in a church
ReplyDeleteCanadian democracy is "fine". I'm sure that's true - in Ontario and Quebec to a great extent.. but, I haven't spoken to a single person in two days who hasn't ventured a thought that separation may in fact be the best option for this Province moving forward..
ReplyDeleteWould be interesting to run an independant poll, just to see if this is all 'huff and puff' or if there is something to it..
Laxer misses the point.. this is not about technical legality, and a CBC constitutional law expert this afternoon voiced that understanding. While it is not illegal or unconstitutional for the Lib,NDP,Bloq to seek the PM chair.. it will be very alienating for Western Canadians and Albertans. That isn't conjecture, it's reality.
While there are some Liberals and NDP supporters in Alberta who will be quite pleased with this turn of events - on a broader basis, there will be many who have lived through marginalization of Western Canada and Alberta in particular by Ottawa for over a generation, and who saw Harper as a hope for inclusion and respect in our federal government.
To have lost that, in an election, would be upsetting, but understandable, having regard to historical precident.. but to have "won" a minority election, and then to have that taken away, and placed into the hands of three leaders all from Quebec.. well, there is an emotional reality to that which is, perhaps, much more significant than the reality that its "legal".
Now.. consider the next step - which, apparently, will be a much more agressive hand-out system for eastern Canadian interests, followed by implementation of a much more agressive carbon reduction policy, where Alberta is already responding to oil at sub-$50 levels.. and it doesn't take much to see where this is potentially leading.
If Alberta jobs start going south to support a failing auto industry and other eastern interests, the reaction will be very real and perhaps lasting.
Perhaps it will just blow over, as we've become accustomed to in this Province, we get squeezed, we bluster, and then we capitulate, because, well, that's what we do.
Or maybe not.
Where was this support for a coaltion among the Liberals and NDP during the last election? Or before that?
ReplyDeleteIs the price of governing so high that it is worth the ideology of the Liberals and NDP?
I fail to see the humour in this situation, but then again, I don't write a blog where I try to gain as many hits as possible. I just thought campaigns meant something. But I've been wrong before.
Jeff: Governments are about compromise. While the NDP ran on a platform of roll back corporate tax cuts and the Libs on a platform of carbon taxes, both have compromised those pieces to work together to get stuff done in Ottawa. Since Harper didn't get a majority, he didn't get the "mandate" everyone thinks he has. He hasn't compromised and finally the dogs bit back after being poked too much.
ReplyDeleteThis is democracy. Kicking your opposition while they're down is just cheap.
"Kicking your opposition while they're down is just cheap."
ReplyDeleteNo doubt, no argument.
"Governments are about compromise"
ReplyDeletethat's interesting, here I thought governments were about leadership. But I guess power is more important than an economy that seems to be dropping even lower due to this "coalition."
It's funny how people use the word "compromise" when they are close to being in power, but when they are the critics and opposition they call it "breaking promises."
I'm learning alot today.
Location has changed for the anti-coalition rally.
ReplyDeleteIt is now at Linda Duncan's office at 10049-81ave where I'm told that they will be holding a Grand Opening.
I hope there enough cake.
I, for one, will continue working on my dance routine. After all, if I've learned anything, it's that when you're a jet you are indeed a jet all the way.
ReplyDeleteStill though, my provincial fundraising efforts may be bouyed by picketing Tories. I could just start whispering into the phone about how there is an angry mob shouting mixed Dion/Quebec and Anti-Choice slogans outside of our provincial office. Then I will ask for credit card donations to help provincial poltiicians Brian Mason and Rachel Notley by this Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
If they bother the churchgoers next door though, we may have to take swift action. I propose we attempt to sell them chocolate bars as part of the churches efforts to assist children in developing countries.
Either way, us poor provincial NDP staff will park our volvos and mountain bikes far, far away.
Poor tories. It's tougher organizing rallies than it looks eh guys?
Why are insults necessary? Is the high-road so narrow that we all must fight in the trenches?
ReplyDeleteHaven't people realized yet that there are no winners in all of this? Yes there might be a change of government, but after the excitement dies down can people honestly say that we are better off? Does politics come across in a better light to the "average" person?
We are all lowered because of this, and it's sad. And what makes it more sad is how apparently it is a funny joke as well.
that's interesting, here I thought governments were about leadership
ReplyDeleteSee, this is where Tories fall down. Governments, especially minority governments, are all about being able to count up to 155. Harper, for reasons known only to him, failed to do that.
What a banana republic you Canadians are supporting. The only political crisis in decades years is started when a group of politicians want to work together and another one doesn't like that.
ReplyDeleteYou people are a joke. Banana republic!
Devon K.
SanDiego, USA!
Young Conservative Steven Dollansky is planning a protest against the NDP. Don't forget to invite CASA!
ReplyDeleteThis should be good.
"I haven't spoken to a single person in two days who hasn't ventured a thought that separation may in fact be the best option for this Province moving forward..
ReplyDeleteWould be interesting to run an independant poll, just to see if this is all 'huff and puff' or if there is something to it.."
The Western Standard magazine used to do a yearly poll on Western secession.
But secessionist talk in Alberta has always been all huff and puff; I mean, even given the 'gifts' of the NEP and the high-water mark of Western discontent in the 1980s, all that the whole of Albertan secessionists managed to accomplish was to send one person to the Alberta Legislature in a byelection. He held that seat for nine whole months.
Besides, the precedent set by past leaders of the secession movement (like this guy, or this one) have managed to pretty thuroughly discredit that 'movement' - 'movement' being a generous term - and make separatism entirely a fringe idea. Perhaps not surprisingly, either, is that most secessionist groups that have come to pass usually do so under a cloud of infighting and power plays.
So secession not only would have to prove itself as a viable solution to the real problems facing Alberta (it hasn't), but also do a lot of work to remove the stigma of being a traditional haven of far-right wingnut politics, religious extremists and out-and-out racists.
But I must say.... I've heard conservative friends over the years assert, when my fellow liberals complain about political 'unnecessary roughness,' that politics is a blood sport.
Separatist talk at the slightest setback, though? I'd fear for the future of the conservative movement if y'all can't take a bloody nose and learn from mistakes.
I want to see Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion dance while they chase each other around Parliament Hill.
ReplyDeleteSupport the coalition? Are you freaking out of your mind?
ReplyDeleteClearly you haven't thought it through.
Bloc Senate seats, giving the separatist cause legitimacy, oh, and a veto power over the government - all of which will happen if the Liberals go in on this. Not to mention that it will be political suicide for the Liberals.
Go ahead. Have your 6 months of Parliament. The election choice then will be quite clear - separatism v. federalism. It will be a wipe out. I dare them.
Haha... I get most of my news from Daveberta, definitely not a planner. However, the location is, in fact, wrong.
ReplyDeleteI don't really know what a "Conservative" protest will look like Thursday. It's been a while since the last CPC "Stop the tar sands" event (who, by the way, is the facebook account organizing the pro-coalition rally).
As for CASA, I doubt they have a stance. Has anyone heard if CFS has fallen all over themselves to endorse the coalition yet in the name of lower tuition?
Roblaw wrote:
ReplyDelete"...many who have lived through marginalization of Western Canada and Alberta in particular by Ottawa for over a generation, and who saw Harper as a hope for inclusion and respect in our federal government."
I have to say, I think that the likelihood for Albertans' "inclusion and respect" is slim in any case, even if Harper managed a majority government.
I don't know whether Alberta Tories are unable to count, or just anti-democratic.
Even with a sweep of 28 seats for the Tories, the math works against them having as much influence as they seem to want. Let's say Harper gets a slim majority (155 seats). 28 seats would be only 18 percent of the Conservative seats(and less with a greater majority!), and the political reality is that the tail doesn't wag the dog.
So I don't know how Alberta Tories in particular think that their agenda would have all that much clout Unless they believe that their continual support of the Conservative party means their votes somehow count for more?
Albertans who wish to be heard would do well to be less predictable in their voting patterns. The CPC spent very little time in Alberta, taking its support for granted. You can bet that if we actually had competitive elections (at the provincial level, too!), ALL parties would pay MORE attention to Alberta, not less.
I'm sure the CFS is too busy doing bong hits with the Carleton Student Unions to notice what's going on.
ReplyDeleteWhat does this do to the Liberal strategy of trying to be competitive in every riding?
West Side Story -- I actually laughed out loud when I got to the bottom of this post. If there is dancing, my Thursday will be 100 per cent more entertaining. Fingers crossed!
ReplyDelete..it's funny, because Vancouver, where I lived for three years, is actually traditionally non-conservative.. don't see them getting much attention either, relative to Quebec, Ottawa and the GTA.. suppose to a great extent its about the "numbers".. or maybe it's about "parties".. maybe if the local MP represented his constituency more freely somehow, that might change things.. who knows.. but it's broke, and needs fixed.
ReplyDelete