Stephen, before you get all ga ga over your own writings, You know and we all know that Iggy had a very full summer and help sign up recors numbers of new members and had numerous fundraisers while profiling the party for its move towards power.

I think your partisan ship is fine but you stretch things a little me thinks.

Ignatieff has tossed Harper a hand grenade, I fully expect Harper will throw it back.

You all may want to consider why the Libs want to pull the plug on this very unpopular con party and its leader who both seem aloof to the real world out there.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-busine…

Job losses for workers aged 25 to 54 have deteriorated faster over the past 10 months than they did during those two past recessions, says TD's Director of Economic Forecasting Beata Caranci in a research note. The average number of weeks workers in that category remained unemployed has also risen faster than before.

While recent statistics have shown that job prospects for Canadians aged 15 to 24 have been decimated by the recession, Ms. Caranci says that's in sync with trends seen in the previous recessions. Young people are losing their jobs at the same rate as before, but workers in their prime are faring worse than they ever have in past downturns. The trend among workers aged 25 to 54 holds steady even when the hard-hit manufacturing sector is excluded.

The unusually poor outlook for adult workers is worrying because how quickly they get back on the job is a big indicator of overall economic health.

“Those aged 25 to 54 represent the bulk (70 per cent) of the working age population, and thus wield a lot of influence on the nation's prosperity, income and spending patterns,” Ms. Caranci wrote. “In the 1990s and 1980s recession, it took two years or more for the average number of unemployed weeks to peak and level off, and we're likely facing another long-haul this time around.”

except Harper will pull the pin, count to three and then throw it back.

Halifax Shipyard lands $194-million contract
Nine patrol vessels to be built for Canadian Coast Guard

Great News for Hfx and Atlantic Canada, vessel to be distributed East coast, West coast and Great Lakes.

Another positive announcement that will help Canadians today and prepare for Canada's future.

Conservative Government continues to get it right.

This is a very stupid game of bluff because the Liberal leader hasn't the political savvy to pull this off.
Did he think about the Ways and Means motion? You know the one that gives the tax break for renovations……now already completed by some folks?
Reboot all you want Liberals but what you SHOULD be doing is, rethinking your 'purchase' and starting from scratch.

Just curious though, was this a decision made by a handful of people or an entire team? I'm thinking, door #1.

It is tempting to believe that Harper will engineer his own defeat and then make the Liberals wear the election call. Tempting, but not quite.

It is stunning to me that the 3 parties that signed an agreement and sent a letter to the GG stating that they would form a coalition gov't now just a few months later can't even agree to defeat it.It was a gross misread of the country that they believe they know and understand. This coalition I think will haunt them.Simply, it should have been obvious that it couldn't fly.

Add that to the continuous “This time we really mean it ” syndrom, Iggy and the Libs look weak.I recall when Harper failed to defeat the Martin gov't (remember the Stronach fiasco) ,it was Harper that took the heat for not cobbling the opposition parties together to vote in unison. He didn't make that mistake again.Iggy faces the same reality.If he can't defeat the gov't when he says he is going to then he will risk looking even weaker.

Either way This is a win win for the Conservatives. If there is no election then clearly Harper continues to govern for at least 1/2 year and likely longer.The other outcome although less desirable is an election; An election that the nobody wants , one that the Cons. can win and one in which the Libs take the heat for calling in the first place.

It is tempting to say bring it on but now is not the time for an election.

Michael Ignatieff has a real nerve: Do Canadians need ANOTHER election with not even a year past our last election and at a time of financial vulnerability due to an international recession? Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his party have had a pretty firm hand on the tiller in very rough waters and have a solid record with which to go into an election, but it's unconscionable that Ignatieff is even talking about an unneeded visit to the polls. Who gains? Certainly not the average Canadian.

On the other hand, it's pretty clear that Michael Ignatieff is not his own man — he's certainly not Canadians' man — and that his strings are being pulled by unnamed players standing in the wings, stage left I suspect.

So we hear that the Iggy ads are to start next Tuesday in an effort to improve the profile of the carpetbagger who wants to be PM. Well lets remember Dion said Canadians didn't know him and that in a campaign they will get to know him and love him. Well we all know how that worked out for Dion and the Libs.

If I have to see wall to wall coverage of Iggy twitching his hairy eyebrows and flicking his tongue while licking his lips I like many Canadians will be quick to use the remote control.

The fact is Libs have bitten off more than they can chew this time and Harper and the Conservatives are going to be elected to a majority government.

Parnel…you continue to troll on the Conservative websites. Will they not let you on Liblogs?

Unfortunately for Iggy Harper is going to raise the specter of a coalition to remind Canadians what almost happened last winter. Canadians by a far majority rejected the coalition of stooges particularly with Dion as PM when they had rejected him not more than six weeks before.

If polls are accurate the next parliament is going to be a minority. If the Libs win a minority they will need the support of the Bloc and/or the NDP..maybe both. That means the possibility of the coalition is no long hypothetical but could be a reality. Iggy is going to be plagued by the media to answer this question coalition if necessary but not necessarily a coalition. He cannot dodge it. He signed onto the previous disaster in the making. Harper will talk about it ad nauseum and the media will pose the question to Iggy in every press conference. This will be the ballot question in the next election. Not some silly words about how Iggy is going make Canadians better by 2017.

Mervin,I'm here to convert the great unwashed into good canadians and Liberals. Is that ok?

Mervin, please tell me why rhe Libs have bittten off more than thye can chew this time. What has harpo done to enamour himself with Canadians. Where are almost 70% of the voters located politically? They are not on harpos nut bar right list. Maybe if you count the rats now active in your hometown you might get a majority but that would be your best chance.

Iggy as opposition leader is running neck and neck with your dictator and has a real war room full of cannon fodder to level harpo.

I think you're hoping against hope!!!

Mervin, you know as well as I the polls change dramatically during an election so why are you jawing on about current ones. The Liberla pollster discounted the summer polls for the Libs in a manner that puts them in a very good place for the fall.

Harpo used the same techique last summer when he calle dhis useless $350MM election. The Liberals now feel its their turn to have a kick at the can.

Mervin, you know as well as I the polls change dramatically during an election so why are you jawing on about current ones. The Liberla pollster discounted the summer polls for the Libs in a manner that puts them in a very good place for the fall.

Harpo used the same techique last summer when he called his useless $350MM election. The Liberals now feel its their turn to have a kick at the can.

Mervin, the only coalition will be the tories trying to bribe either of the other two parties. The libs made the coalition mistake once and will never bend that low again. Iggy has stated that firmly….he is going for a majority and wants everyone to be sure they understand that POV which certainy helps those millions of us who want harpo gone to park their votes with Iggy..

BatB… did we need the election last year? No one from the reformatorts will answer that question because they know it was a phoney call. This time the goverment will be defeated by a majority of parliamentarians and not pushed into an election by a greedy unethical PM.

” … did we need the election last year?”

We sure did. The House and the Senate had made governing impossible and were constantly blocking needed legislation. So, because the Opposition made governing impossible, Prime Minister Stephen Harper did what any good leader would do: He put it to the Canadian electorate: Who do you want to govern in Canada? Me and my party or another party?

The CPC win was a clear mandate from the Canadian people for PMSH and his party to continue to form the government, which the Coalition of Three Stooges trampled on a few months later.

I would love to see a CPC majority, so that the country wouldn't have to go through the constant indignity of one of the three Opposition parties, or all three together, trying to derail the duly elected government of our country. Michael Ignatieff is actually showing contempt for the Canadian electorate who voted for PMSH and his party to govern our country. It's obvious that his arrogance has blinded him from understanding this.

The 2008 election was called, because Dion was already threatening it. The Conservatives had governed in a 34 month minority and some birdies in the wind may have picked up the STINK of a coalition in the making.
Unlike this disgusting display of chest thumping,and after a 4 month paid vacation, the Liberals are at it again. A mere 10 months later.
They have no rational reason to attempt this other than, chest thumping and don't mess with us, posturing.

And God forbid,that they consider Canadians and the economy and the fragility of OUR LIVES….but screw us, as long as THEY get THEIR power, glory and…pension!

Well BatB, Your reasonong is very poor. he should have asked parliament for a confidence vote. That's the standard in this country, not back door elections.
we have an even worse situation this year because Canadians now know the Harpocrites cannot govern and we have a $50BB going on $60BB deficit, alarm bell growth in unemployment.

There are amny other issues as you are well aware that this bunch of losers are attempting to push down the throats of Canadians while looking for ways to avod votes or refernedums.

We simply need a change

Opposition parties threaten to defeat minoritiy governments all the time. So why didn't harpo wait until he was defeated as tradition dictated ad his own election demanded.

And if he felt threatened I guess he should be surprising us again and calling an election any day since iggy has threatened him with a non confidence vote.

Omar Khadr needs your help. This fall vote Liberal. It’s his only chance for freedom. Haha lol.

Omar Khadr needs your help. This fall vote Liberal. It’s his only chance for freedom. Haha lol.

Terry1, here's something from Jeffrey Simpson's column:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/if…
“Mr. Ignatieff flayed the government for not explaining how it would reduce the deficit, without saying what he would do. He criticized the government's stimulus package, without saying if he would have added to it. Did he want more or less spending? It was not clear.

He kept insisting that “we [meaning Canadians] can do better,” which is undoubtedly true in theory, without explaining just where and how in practice.

Presumably, a lot of Liberals felt too uncomfortable with themselves not opposing the government. They said their electoral decision was “principled,” which meant that in this case, as is usual in politics, it was not. Instead, it was a political calculation, the accuracy of which will be known in a few months.” [my bolding]

See? Even Jeffrey Simpson has seen through Ignatieff's charade.

You ask whether we needed the election last year.
By Oct. 2008, the minority Conservative government had lasted for 2 years, 207 days, the longest lasting minority government in Canada's history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_minority_g…
In contrast, as of August 31st, this present government has been in office a mere 300 days.

Surely even you can see the difference between those two situations?

Since the Liberals could not grab power through the coalition machinations, they decided to go for it now, before conditions improve even more.
And then they wonder why people are cynical about politics.

Parnel….I never mentioned the polls. However, there is one thing that is
consistent speaking about polls and that is Canadians faith in Harper's
ability to guide the country. He outpolls Iggy every time on leadership
questions.

If Iggy campaigns on something in the future he will surely lose the
election. Canadians are not interested in pie in the sky rhetoric. Remember
the Libs promised when back when to solve child poverty I think by the year
2000. We are still waiting.

I would certainly expect Iggy to campaign for a majority. Nobody campaigns
for a minority. However, there is one small point. Canadians may have a
different result waiting for the carpetbagger wanna be PM.

Try your best Parnel.. we unlike Liberals have our convictions which are not
for sale unlike Liberals who will steal bribe or say anything if they think
it will help them win.

Canadians and the media have spoken loudly that they do not want an election
and do not think it is necessary.

Iggy is going to face a hostile media as he tries to answer questions like
no new taxes but he will cover the deficit. He will have to answer the
question and he will not get away with simply spouting his usual garbage.
Saying he will eliminate waste and inefficiency will not cut it. Cuts to
social programs like healthcare and education is the tactic of previous Lib
governments.

Canadians are a pragmatic lot and while you can give yourself comfort that
they are left leaning time will tell. The polls that come out over the next
few days will be very interesting. I suspect the Conservatives poll numbers
will increase.

To suggest that running neck and neck with the government is good is
delusional. The country is in the worse recession and when you list the
things that the Libs say is wrong you would think the Count would be way
ahead.

Tell him to quit raising his hairy eyebrows and licking his libs with his
lizard like tongue. Body language experts suggest the licking of the lips is
an indication of lying.

I will match your war room against ours at any time.

You may want to consider getting your own blog. Every single time Stephen posts something you have a linkdump.

It's like you're trying to piggyback on his readership.

gabby, I love the way you sue the MSM when it suits you and then whine about them most of the time.

Iggy is not going to get drawn into being dogmatic until he has to during an election campaign. The Harpocrites will simply jump all over the stuff they like and put it inot their own policy planks. Yes, they are that devious and policy bankrupt. They have no clue where this economic mess is going to end up. Iggy has said he will unveil an economic policy plank that will include no tax increases but will have more impact day to day in helping Canadians in need.

As for the election call, my simple question is why didn't harpo wait until his government was taken down. That was the full intent of his four year legislation but he found a loophole to drive a truck through and he did. I'm glad he did in certain selfish ways because it drove my party to reinvent itself and get fully geared up to get rid of these turkeys.
In 8 short months Iggy has collected well over $10MM as of now, on his way to $25MM annually, and signed up almost 80,000 new Liberal party members bringing the total to over 100,000. He is more than competitive in the polls and the party's own pollster told him where he needs to apply his strengths in order to beat harpo and the dippers for a lot more seats. The pollster discounted the summer polls and used the end of session polls as a starting ground which had the party ahead of the reformatorts. In other words Harpos spending spree all summer just got us a large bill and an economic hangover.

As usual the libs will have to clean up an economic mess when they get into office.

gabby, I love the way you use the MSM when it suits you and then whine about them most of the time.

Iggy is not going to get drawn into being dogmatic stuff until he has to during an election campaign. The Harpocrites will simply jump all over the stuff they like and put it into their own policy planks. Yes, they are that devious and policy bankrupt. They have no clue where this economic mess is going to end up. Iggy has said he will unveil an economic policy plank that will include no tax increases but will have more impact day to day helping Canadians in need.

As for the election call, my simple question is why didn't harpo wait until his government was taken down. That was the full intent of his four year legislation but he found a loophole to drive a truck through and he did. I'm glad he did in certain selfish ways because it drove my party to reinvent itself more quickly and get fully geared up. Getting rid of these turkeys became the obsession it needed to be. .
In 8 short months Iggy has collected well over $10MM as of now, on his way to $25MM annually, (donations have spiked up dramatically this week) and signed up almost 80,000 new Liberal party members bringing the total to over 100,000. He is more than competitive in the polls and the party's own pollster told him where he needs to apply his strengths in order to beat harpo and the dippers for a lot more seats. The pollster discounted the summer polls and used the end of session polls as a starting ground which had the party ahead of the reformatorts. In other words Harpos spending spree all summer just got us a large bill and an economic hangover.

As usual the libs will have to clean up an economic mess when they get into office.

Mervin, Check you post. you specifically mentioned polls are showing us another minority government will be the end result.

the consistent thing is that the PM has the bully pulpit of office to keep his name out there. As much as harper has tried he can't get over a 30% or so popularity rating. Shameful performance. lets see where they sit in a month once the get to know me ad campaign from the libs is well underway. If Harpo was able to supposedly fram Iggy with hsi just visiting ads I think thes will reverse them and then some. October will bring an election with Iggy having wind in his sails and Harpo clearly on the defensive. Harpo and his minions are clearly terrified of an election which brings absolute joy to me.

Iggy will campaign on achievable goals with very practical ideals.

Fat_tony…what ignorant people like you seem to forget is that while Khadr is a despicable person from an even more despicable family he is a CANADIAN. If our government treats every Canadian that gets into trouble in same manner we should be terrified about going abroad. Harpos behaviour in this regard just shows his own ignorance of the larger world we live in that is fraught with danger for freedom loving people and we clearly need our governemnt to defend those freedoms.

Khadr should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law but with the complete understanding he be allowed to prove his innocence or guilt. These are guiding principles of our society.

As in every Canadian political party the final decision on any major issue is the repsonsibility of the leader. Iggy got a standing “O” in sudbury when he announced the party's decision to stop propping up this very weak government and begin to put them out of their misery.

His party is very much behind him because he is providing clear and decisive leadership and rebuilding the party for this generation ad beyond. They are clearly ready to govern and have an outstnding array of experienced poeple running behind Iggy and supporting him fully as his funding and membership drives have clearly shown.

You should be more concerned about your own party which is currently wallowing in self pity and whining, something they are very good at along with their typical angry Tory personality.

Why aren't you and your liberal friends pressing the Government to bring home the swirly faced Canadian in Taiwan for a fair trial? Are you being selective? Iggy said a Canadian, is a Canadian, is a Canadian. Liberal Party is two faced, only willing to support criminals of selective crimes. You shouldn't have it both ways. Liberals talk the talk, but don't walk the walk.

Mervin, your desperation is showing. Those Sask. rats must be really bothersome.

“Canadians and the media have spoken loudly against an election…..the media???jeez Mervin get real. Lets see if more people vote this time as opposed to the millions who sat on ther hands last fall making it the lowest vote total in history. People simply blocked their noses and stated home because Harpo was not their choice and obviously neither was Dion.

The lib pollster is a very seasoned political guy and he has all the repsect an independent like Nanos has. He told the party last election they were going to be swamped and Dion ignored the advice. He sees real growth potential for this upcoming election and knows where the real numbers are which of course is a secret for now as the party focuses on it regonal strengths and weaknesses.

Your post was the weakest agrument I've seen from you in a long time. I hope you'renot getting symptoms of tory whiner flu.

try yur best mervin, but we canadians who lost billions in the income trust fiasco know a little bit about robbery and theft.

We also know this government is stealing our future with titanic like deficits.

Liberals have the convictions of a party that has been mostly reponsible for Canada's wonderful richness of character and freedoms. Remember who has run the country for 34 out of the last 46 years during which we became one of the top five countries in the world. I'm sure you can find some principles there….then again if your blinders are glued on you won't be able to.

I think you need to lift your head from your doggie dish and read some more before you accuse. The libs have brought that perosn up as well as everyother stranded Canadian. Do the research and be embarrassed as usual. You are a shoot first and ask questions later type obviously. Here's a cookie little doggie. Now go play in your doggie pen.

“Liberals abandon EI reform talks with Tories”, aren't these MP's getting paid to do this job? Can Liberals just walk away from their responsibilities? That's just what this Country needs, subordinates stomping off when there is a little stress.

Oh sorry, I didn't know Liberals were soft on pedophiles, thanks for that.

Get lost….where did I say that?

You get more crazy daily.

Well well boys and girls her's the firs tpoll of the political season showing harpos summer lead was just that…summer

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/09/02/polit…

Asked which party they would vote for were a federal election held tomorrow, 32.6 per cent of respondents said they would cast their ballots for Stephen Harper's Tories, while the same percentage opted for Michael Ignatieff's Liberals, EKOS said.

The Liberal numbers represent a slight boost from the previous week, as well as a significant boost in the party's support from a year ago, when the Conservatives enjoyed a 13-percentage-point lead over the Liberals under Stéphane Dion's leadership ahead of the last federal election.

The Liberals have erased a small but persistent lead enjoyed by the Tories throughout most of the summer by improving their fortunes in the battleground province of Ontario, EKOS said.

Terry1, your typos are getting sillier than usual. On speed again?
“… I love the way you sue the MSM …”

Instead of focusing on quantity of gibes, try to concentrate on quality.

Live Lobster sales is where the dollar sales are. Who in their right would even attempt to ship live lobster; buy the thousands of pounds, to China. Not a good investment people. Insuring live lobsters to the states alone is outrageously costly. Shipping expenses is why fishers can't get a decent price at the wharves. Processed lobsters sales don't help the fishers either, the middle man stands to make a fortune. Iggy your rhetoric isn't helping the fishers today or in 2017.

GBBY, NOT REALLY. I tried to edit that post but the software doesn't always cooperate. it said could not edit my post. Being sponsored by a reformatort is the reason I suppose…..LOL

He can be prosecuted to the full extent of the law by the Americans in America becaues he is accused of killing an American. After that he can return to Canada, and then on to his fight against the west in Afghanistan. His mom is very proud of him, you know.

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Front/1140657.html

MacKay in conflict of interest
Defence minister says he forgot he was on boards of two family businesses
………………………………

Ha ha!! He forgot…..he knows the Libs were close to sinking him on this and he finally had to fess up.

he forgot……..Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

I've read a few analyses that identify the reason the Liberal$ are pressing for an election this quickly since the last is that they are concerned that Mr Harper is growing much more confident as his tenure in the role increases. There is deep concern that the trend toward increase comfort (and an increased grip on power) that the PM will hold after guiding Canada through the recession so effectively.

The political climate is an interesting one. In Toronto I'd say voters have had enought of the left and the social engineering that comes along with it, particularily the Mayor Miller / Adam Vaughan circle with their 'war on the car' and tax and spend approach.

I'm actually surprised that Ignatieff has moved the way he has as it seems he has played right into the PM's hand with the election stifiling the renovations tax credit and economic recovery as well as painting himself as the catalyst of a costly election 10 months after the last. He's smarter than this and thus makes me think this is the result of a nudge by the Rosedale elite.

Another reason w e need to turf the reformatorts :

All G7 economies will grow in the third quarter, except for those of Canada, Britain and Italy, OECD says in new outlook

B&P, that just more of your uninformed nonsense. The OECD has just put out a report that shows Canada as a laggard economically. The rest of your stuff is complete nonsense.

Too many partisans on here.

Iggy is making his move now because he sees a window of opportunity, followed closely by that window closing in 2010 when the economy will be in full recovery (including employment #s). He'll try and pin global economic pain on Stephen Harper (that's what i would try to do anyway).

Harper will try and fly a message that says Iggy is gambling with your job security, house values, and all the government goodies that are ready to roll simply so he can get a bigger office.

Fact of the matter is we're almost certainly looking at another minority government, barring an absolutely STUNNING change in voter intention.

Harper needs to pick up seats in Quebec and Ontario for a majority, but it seems unlikely as he's probably maxed out in Ontario already and he's lost some ground in Quebec.

Iggy needs to gain ground in Quebec and Ontario, but will be partially split in Quebec by Tory numbers still in the teens. If he can pick up Tory ridings in Ontario and BC he can have enough for a minority, but he needs EVERYTHING to go his way. That seems unlikely.

Terry – if you don't really have a retort, don't respond.

There's no requirement to comment on each and every post.

You made a BS comment and it was commented on…tell the truth and all will be well.

Typical liberal excuse. “It's not MY fault! – it's Stephen's fault!”

“edit function not working properly.”
To use one of your stock phrases: I call BS.

Terry – time to get a grip over there..

Re: Torontonians are sick of Miller:

- Latest poll has either Smitherman or Tory taking him down comfortably from his previous 60% + approval rating

Re: War on the Car:

- Vaughn himself admitted that there was a 'War on the Car' on talk radio in Toronto
- Several new laws put in place around adding bike lanes to key downtown arteries, restricting left hand turns, a new car tax for the right to own and drive a car in Toronto

Re: Tax and spend approach:

– Property taxes in Toronto have increased each year under Miller ahead of the rate of inflation
- Surplus has been spent and it down more than 75% since he took office
- Unions (CUPE, City counsellors, firefighters etc etc) have each received raises greater than the rate of inflation
- Number of public sector employees has increase dramatically at city hall
- No change in the level of services

Harper has guided Canada through recession:

- GDP increased last quarter, indicating the recession is over by definition

That is a reasonable analysis and done without calling anybody any names.Rather refreshing.
I do think though that the window of opportunity would have been in the spring. Now is not as good but I suspect as you suggest, it will only get worse for Iggy.

We also agree that we are looking at yet again another minority. So then what? Another election in 6mnths,9,12?? What is the point?

An area of speculation about a potential election would be that the Libs and NDP will try and form a coaliliton gov't should the numbers be good enough (that is if Libs+NDP >Cons.). This I believe is a real possibility that will be denied by both parties during a campaign.We have already seen this type of behaviour and this was also denied during the last election.

Thanks, and ditto on your post. I do agree, if you were gonna push this button,, better to have pushed it in the spring.

A coalition seems like a possibility, but i wonder how high the price will be for Jack to agree to team up with the guy that pulled out of the failed 3-way last Chirstmas (if he's still the NDP leader after the election, that must be considered as well) I would think there's still bruised feelings from the break-up, and it won't be an automatic for the NDP.

One word to best describe Iggy….Self-serving! He is a legend in his own mind.

Calling for an election at this time with no real issues…self-serving.

Coming back to Canada to be a PM….self-serving.

Ignatieff ooozes with self-interest.

What an elite.

No to Ignatieff, the Russian Czar.

“All G7 economies will grow in the third quarter, except for those of Canada, Britain and Italy, OECD says in new outlook”
Terry1, as usual, you are misinformed, and you are misinforming.

http://www.agi.it/english-version/business/elen…
“Rome, 3 Sept. – The recession of industrialised countries is slowing. The OECD has raised its GDP estimates for the G7 countries in its 'Interim Economic Assessment'.
According to the new forecasts, the GDP of these countries will fall by 3,7% in 2009, after a 4,1% decline was predicted in June. Italy's GDP is now estimated to fall by 5,2%, after the previous 5,5%. The OECD has also raised its estimates for Japan (from -6,8% to -5,6%), Germany (from -6,1% to -4,8%), France (from -3% to -2,1%) and Canada (from -2,6% to -2,5%).“

Notice, Canada’s GDP is expected to fall by -2,5% rather than the previously expected -2,6%, which means a small but significant 0,1% gain.

And compare that GDP dip to other countries’ losses:
Japan – -5,6%
Italy – -5,2%
Germany – -4,8%

That is, Canada’s drop in GDP is smaller than that of the above-named countries.
Two other countries not mentioned in the excerpt:
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/10/32/43615812.pdf
U.K – -4.7%
US – -2.8%

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601068…
“Of the G-7 economies, the OECD said the U.S., Japan, Germany and France will each expand in the third quarter. It estimated Italy and Canada will shrink before growing in the subsequent three months. The U.K. will shrink this quarter and then be flat, when Japan will contract again, it said.”

http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/09/03/oecd-f…
“The group also shaved its forecast of what Canada will lose in economic activity by one-tenth of a percentage point, now predicting that the country's GDP will shrink by 2.5 per cent.” [instead of 2.6%]

So, there is slight improvement projected.
This is precisely what the PM has been saying. There is room for some very cautious optimism, but we are not out of the woods yet, which is why now is no time for another election just so the Liberals can prove … what, exactly? That they can talk up a storm?

May sanity prevail.

Liberals? We can do better.

Gabby, Whose sanity? yours has a long way to go if you continue to push lies here.

My post used the term ” all economies will grow except,etc” and was precise.

Your post said the “decline” was less than expected by .01%. Was that growth or less decline? you are playing with words. I say negative growth is a decline. I say I'm right and you are wrong.

You can quote the harpocrite all you want but he hasn't a clue about the movements in the economy. This is the time for another election becasue it appears the majority of MP's will vote against his party.
The rest is just hyperbole as usual.

Terry1, your cretinous reply is par for the course.

From Bloomberg.com – not from me, not from the PM.
“Canada will shrink before growing in the subsequent three months …”
Your statement intentionally omitted that very salient part – so you did wilfully misinform, whether you want to admit it or not.

Just because you think it does not make it so.
You may think I'm wrong – fine, it's your opinion, not a fact.
However, it is a demonstrable fact your posts continue to be ABC:
Asinine, Boorish, Coarse.

BTW, the link in my previous comment was not icluded intentionally. The fact of writing Bloomberg dot com automatically generated a link.

The links I did provide are the ones featuring OECD estimates re: GDP.

Gabby, vs your D, E and F

droll
evasive
foolish

Smile now!!!!

David, for the last time there will be no lib/dipper coalition. Not a hope in hell of one.

I keep hearing minority government. The Canadian public wants a majority; the refomatrories cannot deliver one in a million years with this lesdership.

The Libs can grow their vote more than any other party in Canada. they only need to get their missing 800K voters from the last election off their hands and grow their vote on top of that by 3 or 4% and they will be near or in majority territory. Their votes are always more efficient than the reformatorts and so a majority is feasible. Harpo could see his drop his party drop down to around 80 seats if all goes well for the Libs.

I want to know when Nik Nanos became the guru of all things political.

Ignatieff is stealing a play from Darrell Dexter's playbook. I'm going to stick with the Harper's plan on the economy, but “we can do better”. It worked for Dexter, maybe because he has had 10 years to acquire a fan-base in NS.

Terry,

While you say the Canadian public wants a majority, i haven't seen any recent data to support that, not to mention 'canadians want a majority' would imply that they want an election to create a majority, and there's certainly no numbers that suppor that either.

You say all you need the 'missing' 800,000 votes plus another 3 to 4 percent and the Libs are sitting pretty. Jeez, of course they would be !!! That's an 8% to 9% swing in Liberal support based on the previous election results!! That's mountain moving kinda results, and again other than personal opinion i see nothing to support this level of shift in support.

If i wanted to be a partisan hack i could point out that Paul Wells calculated (actually someone on his blog did) that in specific ridings Harper was 20,000 swing votes away from a majority in the Harper/Martin election. That number fell to 4-digits in the Harper/Dion election (8,000 i think).

Of course, that's 8,000 specific votes in an election that had over 13 million ballots. But to say that the Libs need is approx. 1.4 million voters (either showing up or switching votes) is actually PROOF that we'll almost certainly have another minority government.

Worth repeating:
Twenty five years ago today, Brian Mulroney won. Twenty five years! Within a short while, his government would be remembered for being one of the most corrupt in Canadian history; for whipping up division with constitutional dice-rolling; a $42-billion deficit; for sowing the anger and distrust that led to the creation of the Reform Party and the Bloc Québeçois; for rendering us an adjunct to a Republican White House; and so on.

He wasn't all bad, of course. Free trade was the right thing to do. He wasn't interested in chipping away at the wall between church and state. And his stand against apartheid was courageous and his greatest achievement.

Most of all, the Fall of 1984 was about change. People wanted change, and they got it.

The Fall of 2009 is like that.

Elections are about choices. And the choice that is coming is simple and important. It's a choice between change, or more of the same.

Good G*d, Stephen.

This blog has been clogged by one commenter. It's very difficult to navigate because there's no chronological order to posts or replies to them.

Other blogs are much more accessible.

Can't something be done to return this blog to some sense of sanity.

Frustrated in Toronto,

been around the block

One of the EKOS polls recently had that statistic from one of their weekly polls. The % was rather high like in the 70's.

As for movement of 1.4 mm votes back to the Liberals I would suggest that this would be back to traditional levels for them. The Libs have not lost brand appeal and if the current can capture their imagination once again they can pull this off. They do know what's needed and how to get there and no matter how hard Harpo tries to disrupt that he will fail if the Libs are clearly on message and stay focused something I do see with Iggy.

The Libs may not get all the way back in one election but once the tide has turned, as it has right now against the Tories, they will ride it to an eventual majority.

Harper has clearly failed to connect with voters and in fact had fewer votes in the last election than in 2006. He was flat ass lucky the Lib voters stayed home which may have been his calculation all along. The Libs are reinvigoorated and very united in spite of what some people here may try to spin.

The NDP peaked last election and cannot sustain that momentum no matter how hard they try. Their desperation is clearly showing with “let's make a deal” Layton begging Harper to give him some crumbs.

The bloc are only at 35% in todays poll with the Libs a reasonably close second at 30%. Quebeckers have sldo indicated thye wouldlike representation at the governing level and while Iggy can potentially deliver on that, Harper no longer can.

so that's my Friday summary!!

I think it was short block with a bat nest under a bridge as the focal point.

Yaaawwwwnnnnnnnnnnn…

Don't forget 83 million dollars for a Quebec hi tec firm and money for three B C plants one Quebec plant and one in Halifax Nova Scotia to build coast guard lifeboats.

Terry since the Ignatieff and the Libs had such a wonderful summer signing up record number of members does that mean that the Libs will finally repay the 40 million stolen from taxpayers and put into liberal coffers?

You seem to quote a lot of liberal hypocrasy: What did the big JC do with Mar Arar, why was he not brought back to Canada: Omar Khadr was first sent to Guantanamo in 2002, Canadian Prime Minister at the time Liberal Paul Martin, why was Khadr not repatriated to Canada then; Ronald Smith a Canadian is on death row in Montana and has been there in the 1990's why did JC not bring him home. Another Canadian was executed in Texas for first degree Murder why did JC not bring him home. Could it be that the libs talk a good game and do nothing.

Terry,

You’re right (and i was wrong or uniformed), there was an EKOS poll that did show that a majority of canadians (51%, not 70%) would prefer a majority goverment.

But, quoting the president of Ekos: “Canadians seem to have had their fill of minority governments andwould like to return to the good old days of stable majorities. However, neither of the leading parties is anywhere near achieving that.”

You suggest this idea that 1.4 million votes is just simply ‘the traditional support’, but again, i don’t see any evidence of that, and neither does the president of EKOS apparently. I’m getting the sense that this is more your ‘hope’ than it is ‘fact or reality’.

Might i point out that since the voter splitting on the right ended with the creation of the Conservative party, the Liberals have been unable to win anything more than a minority.

And other than bumper sticker talk (the tide has changed, you got lucky last time) there doesn’t seem to be any indication that the country is about to be swept into a new majority government.

In fact, historically governments in power during global recessions tend to be at a severe disadvantage. The fact that positive economic news is starting to come out and the Libs DON’T have a significant lead in the polls already means something incredibly extraordinary is going to have to happen during this election in order for a Lib majority to take place.

i’d add that there will have to be a collapse of Tory support for a Liberal minority. And still, other than ‘the reformatories are going down’ kinda talk, we’re more likely to end up having two parties with VERY close seat totals tyring to form the next government.

Which would mean that you’re complete and utter dismissal of a Lib/NDP coalition seems premature.

The oracle has spoken?
Do you think it's right to use someone else's arguments, without giving the person credit?
Does your oracle know you quote him without attribution?
You do know that he is a litigation-happy kind of oracle, don't you?
Do you know that he may sue you for appropriating his intellectual property, what little he may possess?
Don't you ever write anything original of your own? – cretinous epithets don't count.

Gabby, I certainly didn't take credit for it myself. The fact it was WK written was not the point of it all and I did not want the piece to lose focus. Of course being a reformatort you would not understand focus. It simply has to have attack dog language full of lies in it for your reading pleasure.

I think you should do some reading this long weekend and see what the PMO has been up to during a belt tightening recession. Fat City in the PMO's office…………I guess it takes a lot of expensive people to create the lies and obfuscation that comes out of that dungeon of despair.

There is no economic management in this government. Run by a bunch of goons.

Conspiracy Yes/No

-Does the Coalition still exist?
-If Canadians don't need and/or shouldn't have an election during this sensitive economic time, what will the GG decide if the government is toppled, election or coalition?

Maybe I'm paranoid and shouldn't be I guess, but the opposition is campaigning pretty much as they did last time, except they are not flying the coalition banner.

Is a coalition government still possibly?

I think it still a possibility. “A coalition if necessary, but not necessarily a coalition”. The left will do what ever is necessary to rule. The left say it is an acceptable option. Technically they are right, but I don’t think it is the most desirable outcome of an election. Taliban Jack as finance minister or defense minister, Hmm.

Truth be told, there are but very Liberals who want anything to do with the NDP at all. The coalition was a blip, and it won’t likely to occur again.

I've just seen the new Liberal ads. They are pretty low key. If that's the best they can do, then I expect it won't be hard for the Tories to “do better”.

Low key and honest as opposed to attack dog mode is fine with me. The attack ads are ready anytime the Harpo thugs want to start that ball rolling. There are dozens playing on the web to see how the repsonses go and they will then bring them into a mainstream blog and then onto TV. Great circulation and then great publicity. Smart politics from smart people

Make sure you're sitting down, Terry1, because I'm going to shock you.
I agree with one point you made.
I prefer low key to what you call “attack dog mode” too.
That's why I find your “comments” boorish and coarse.

But getting back to the ads … I have made similar points before, here and elsewhere.
I'd much rather see and hear politicians tell the public what their achievements have been thus far, like this blogger did:
http://www.crux-of-the-matter.com/2009/07/05/up…
in addition to what else their party hopes to achieve.

However, don't think I've suddenly converted to your side. Your side has very often used “attack dog mode” and I expect they will again.

BTW, what's with this blatant inaccuracy: “The attack ads are ready anytime the Harpo thugs want to start that ball rolling. “
Who started the “ball rolling,” if not your leader, with his finger wagging “Mr. Harper, your time is up!”?
Already shifting the blame for an unnecessary election?

Gabby, items one and twenty five are the two biggest jokes of the Harpo regime andf the blogger is palying very loosly with several others. I know fr a fact the Blue water bridge truck link was/is under construction long before the Harpo announcement…..that's not stimulus its simply PR BS. He also made an announcement for Hwy 5 extension in the gatineau region and it happened just after I was right there and saw that work had been going on for some time. Word I got is that he cajoled the Quebec government to let him make that announcment when the typical joint signs were already up. The Libs first started that original hwy 5 project years ago.

I could and will go on in due time…………thanks for the info that allows me to further embarrass his majesty.

Iggy started nothing. all he said was that his party had decided that the reformatorts no longer would get any support from his party to due their poor management of many many files. That's factual not attack style.

I'm dying for this election to happen so don't look here for me to back off.

It is funny to watch the Liberals in their bid to get back power make such fools of themselves.The likes of Goodale, McCullum,Bryson trying to convince the voters that they are going to save Canada while we are now starting to recover from a world wide recession faster than any G20 country,to want to push a 300 million dollar election on us at the same time trying to convince Canadians that working for forty five days and getting EI for a year is the way to go.We who have worked hard all our lives and have on occasion used EI say leave it alone. We all know those who conveniently get laid off after a few weeks and sit on their butts for a year while we pay them.We also know how immigration system allows people to come here as refugees ahead of the line and sit on their butts. A justice system that leans toward the crook and law breaker.If this is the Canada they want it is not the one my family wants.

Keep it up every time you post you just add more votes to the conservative base

Centigrade, I think you still live in a farenheit world. The OECD just cam eout with a report late last week stating that Canada was behind most other Countries in its recession recovery plan. I don't know where you got your “story” but I'll bet its from a disney cartoon.

By the way its labor day and there are 500,000 more canadians unemployed this year vs last. Imagine if the reformatories were not in denial about a recession last fall instead of plotting an unethical election and were focusing on the events that unfolded right under their eyes.

I don't think so but your level of intelligence is not required in the Liberal party in any event.

“… the reformatorts no longer would get any support from his party to due their poor management of many many files.”

How can the “former Harvard brainiac” – to quote Sun columnist Greg Weston – reconcile the fact he and his Liberals voted FOR the stimulus package and now he says he can no longer support the government that is trying to implement that same stimulus?

It would be much more honest and refreshing to tell voters: “Look, we're fed up of being the opposition, because we think we're Canada's royalty … er … we represent Canadian values and we have our … I mean your best interests at heart … blah blah blah … evil Stephen Harper and Conservatives. I'm nice and he's not.”

Just in case … don't distort the information (the link) I provided in one of my previous posts … that site is not a site run by the Conservative Party.

That is a blogger who happens to support the Conservative government, and she set it up on her own free time, with some suggestions from various bloggers and regular commenters at her site.

So your plan “to further embarrass his majesty” is once again proof of your unhealthy fixation on PM Harper. He had nothing to do with that site

And you know what's really hilarious in all this?
The majority of anti-Harper commenters are the same ones who argued time and again, during the coalition controversy, that we don't elect a PM, we elect a riding MP, and once the election is over, the 308 MPs decide who the PM is going to be. Yes, they actually said that.
Learn how your government is formed, they exclaimed.
You don't understand our system of government, they heckled.
The leader of the party is not that important, they chortled.

So why the obsession with Harper, eh?

enote1971 . Since he worked in Jean Chretiens office.

Holding your nose and voting ofr the package was one thing. The fact remains that the reofrmatoriies have not implemented the package or have screwed it up or have been lazy or all of the above.

It would have been much more refreshing had the reformatories admitted in
November how screwed up they were and out of touch with world realities.

Evil Stephen Harper is the most exact thing you have said in many a post.

Gabby, I'm not obsessed with Harpo. I just think he's the worst PM in history and want him gone. Its that simple!!!!

I asked you for proof of that once before and you AWOL…..put up the proof or shut up.

Gabby — I just noticed your link to the Harper government accomplishments. I thought I should tell you and those who commented on that list here that it has been synthesized in the last two hours — although the (#1) URL link remains the same. Read also a (#2) post I just published on the topic as to why I shortened the list.

http://www.crux-of-the-matter.com/2009/07/05/update-to-harper-govt-accomplishments/

http://www.crux-of-the-matter.com/2009/09/06/the-harper-govt-43-core-accomplishments/

The EKOS poll did say 51% but ther eis another one that was up in the high 60's or mid 70's that didn't really make sense since the voting intentions were basically a draw. However, my point is there appears to be a desire to return to majority government. the Libs are the only party that can achieve that. Significant gains in Quebec are quite possible as Iggy has captured some imagination there and will return to that model now that summer is over. The NDP vote is very concentrated and there are about 15 seats they could be very vulnerable in as they won by having the greens and Libs split the vote. Some of those were also splits with the reformatories, but few IIRC. That leaves Ontario and BC where Iggy has yet to really focus while harpo has been busy leaving deficit dollars all over the place. In spite of what you may hear and say Mcguinty is still very popular and has a significant machine the Feds will borrow in many ridings. Of note the Federal Libs lent their machines to the provincial cousins in many important ridings last election.

The last fact to consider is the voter turnout last election. The Libs could not get their voters out and they simply stayed home,over 850,000 of them. Harper's total vote count was off by over 150,000 IIRC, not very impressive consodering how he beat up his opponent for months prior to the election. I specifically know of Liberal votes who went reformatorybecause they wanted to ensure their party got the message about Dion. I saw it first hand but would be hard pressed to think it was very many, but none the less it did happen. there are many progressive reformatory supporters who don't like Harper at all and may vote for a Liberal leader who is more to the right than the last guy but still more or less left of center.

A reformatory collapse is not without merit especially if Iggy catches on with voters which he appears to have in many respects. That will sort it self out in the next month or two. Don't underestimate his ability to draw the donations he has so far. He has tapped into a lot of dissatisfaction that has resulted in a groundswell of base support.

Lastly, the Liberal machine ha sbeen reworked totally and they have the same or better voter software the reformatories have. They now have great reach right across the Country and can support some weaker riding associations much more effectively thus taking strategic votes away from the party in office in a particular riding. Its a powerful tool.

Adding up those possibilities, and assuming they run on all cylinders, leaves me with some hope the Libs can potentially win a majority or close to it.

Finally, no matter what there will be no Liberal/Dipper coalition. They may seek Dipper support in the house if needed but that's a normal minority government thing. The history of the Liberal partyy is to stand alone in front of the voters. Dion's adventure last fall was a serious exception but would not have lasted through an election. I do say, however Harpos history was written in that period.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/691885

A Harris/Decima poll in July found that two-thirds of Canadians wanted to elect a majority government in the next vote, a view fuelled by a sense that successive minority governments have accomplished about all that can be expected.

Obviously much too high for the adscamers. They prefer to deal with those who cannot understand english or french by promising these poor people things they know they will never keep.” Ruby don't take your guns to town”

I guess thye should appeal to peoples baser instincts and personally everyone in sight.

You are obviously some twit who considers yourself an intellectual and try and be a wit but you are only half right

I can not turn off my notifications and am being plagued by some the link yo
have given to stop will not work can you stop them from your end

All Reporters know about this. How come your don't.

show me the proof and not your typical BS.

Centigrade, a little hint which may work to stop notifications:
Right under the boxes for comments, moniker and email address, there's the “post comment” function.
Under that, there's a “subscribe to all comments” sign.
Click on the up arrow so that the “do not subscribe” sign shows.
That should stop the notifications.

I think there has been a lot of ink spilled on silly ideas of what it means to “work” in parliament.

Good performance means different things to different audiences. Even so, being the most petulant is no-one's standard.

For the NDP, success is to make the governing party implement part of your agenda.

(For the Bloc, it is to gain some advantage for Quebec (or make some claim of alienation). For the Liberals, success is to make the government look bad. Failing that, it is to be seen as having a superior alternative. )

The NDP have taunted the Libs, not for voting for the Conservatives but for voting with the conservative agenda. The NDP will suffer no loss of face for voting with the conservatives so long as they can claim to have formed part of the agenda.

uhhh, don't typical hand grenades explode on three seconds? So Harper would be holding the grenade when it exploded?

Am I reading your comment correctly…or did you mean he'd throw it on the 2 count?

Centigrade, I just listened to the Liberonies on the Radio saying that the stimulus money is not being used. They claim there is no infrastructure going on. How rediculus can you get. You can't drive 5 KM and run into a major construction site. From Qebec to Toronto. I guess the Liberonies don't go anywhere.

Nova Dog. A coalition is the only way Iggy could become Priminister. I suspect, that is his plan.
He must know that he cannot possibly win a majority. We would again be presented with a fact.
Just like last time.

Nova Dog. A coalition is the only way Iggy could become Priminister. I suspect, that is his plan.
He must know that he cannot possibly win a majority. We would again be presented with a fact.
Just like last time.