Comments on: The Canadian election: Puffin edition

By: christine

christine — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:25:13 +0000

From the opposite perspective (Oz expat in Canada), things looking good for Conservatives at the moment.

Lib’s best hope seems to be selling the strong team story (Dion was always a risky bet as leader). Harper’s been extremely keen to keep any of his lot from actually saying anything. One nice line from Dion (roughly): “I may not speak English as well as Mr Harper, but I can tell the truth better than him in both official languages.”

The Conservative’s economic policies appear to be basically to give a small tax break to a few hundred different interest groups, making the tax system an utter mess. The latest is a first homeowner’s tax credit. NOT a good idea. OTOH Libs aren’t managing to sell the carbon tax thing very well.

And the NDP is a joke, sorry. Saying that the carbon tax is bad because it’ll raise energy prices, but that they’ll introduce an ETS which won’t is utterly utterly misleading. Some discussion by an academic economist who is typically very sympathetic to the NDP here: http://worthwhile.typepad.com/

By: Idiot/Savant

Idiot/Savant — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:38:54 +0000

The Greens? Well ten percent would be solid numbers for them on the day.

And that 10% will likely see them get no seats, thanks to Canada’s unfair electoral system.

By: Renee

Renee — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 02:15:45 +0000

Watching Harper sell the family man thing is completely disgusting. How many Canadians are working two and three jobs to pay the bills and cannot remember what it is like to spend time with their kids? What about the short fall in public housing? Yeah he is sweet and cuddly alright, except that famillies don’t deserve socialized daycare, just a lousy hundred taxable dollars a month until the child is 6 as though daycare needs end there. Can you tell I am anti PC? He may not have a hope in hell but Layton is our best chance.

By: paul walter

paul walter — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 02:07:23 +0000

This dumbing down of political conversation in Canada ( Puffin sh-t!?), this is something to do with this Asper lot dumbing down press and media there?

By: Down and Out of Sài Gòn

Down and Out of Sài Gòn — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:30:58 +0000

The Greens outpoll Bloc Quebecois nationally (10% versus 8%) but only have ONE sitting member, Elizabeth May. Now where have I heard that before?

By: carbonsink

carbonsink — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:00:57 +0000

Hmmmm … global financial meltdown, an economy addicted to carbon-intensive industries, and Dion wants to introduce a carbon tax?! The Conservatives will romp it in.