...is interesting in Canadian politics - the rapidly increasing downward spiral of the Conservative Party of Canada. They appear to understand less and less as the days go by:
Conservative Leader Stephen Harper says the government's same-sex legislation will make it through the House of Commons only because of support from the Bloc Québécois, and that, says Harper, means the legislation "lacks legitimacy." BQ Leader Gilles Duceppe immediately pounced on Harper's remarks, saying his party has as much legitimacy as the Conservatives. On his way into question period on Monday, Harper told reporters that the majority of federalist MPs will vote against the bill that extends the right to marry to gays and lesbians. He warned that the Liberals will face a backlash from voters outside Quebec over the bill. "It makes it an issue of Quebec versus Canada. Most Canadians have a skeptical view of Pequistes breaking up the country," said Conservative deputy leader Peter MacKay.So...each seat in the House of Commons is not an equal seat...and saying that the seats in Quebec are less legitimate than elsewhere is not the thing that will cause a backlash in Quebec? Coming from the party that based all its strategic assumptions until last week on a working partnership with the separatists, this is beyond rich - it assumes we are all as stunned as the Tory leadership apparently is.
And I am going to start making that distinction. Good faithful Tory supporters are being shamed by these fools. Canada deserves a better opposition and Tories deserve leaders who have some grasp on reality. I'd be worried to attend a BBQ with these guys this summer for fear of their starter fluid technique.
Comments
Ben - June 28, 2005 12:22 pm
I expect this from Harper who seems dead set on sabotaging his own career. I was disappointed that McKay chimed in. After the Belinda incident he was looking pretty good. He took the high road, played the part of innocent bystander and looked like a good alternative to Harper. So much for that.
Alan - June 28, 2005 12:36 pm
I think they got a bit of sunstroke during that football throwing fun day they had a few weeks ago and it's just never quite gone away.
SayNay? - June 28, 2005 1:02 pm
This remark is simply obtuse, and shows a clear lack of political savy on Harper's part - or worse, a deliberate further attempt to 'drive a wedge" between Quebec and the TROC.
It completely ignores the fact, that regardless of what one thinks of the Bloc or what side of the same-sex marriage debate you are on, polls in Quebec show that its population supports same-sex marriage by the widest margin anywhere in North America - somewhere between 60-75%!!!
It doesn't matter one whit who represents the "majority" of Quebecers in Parliament - it seems that on this issue, anyway, they are pretty strongly "united".
Alan - June 28, 2005 1:09 pm
Jay said it very well in a comment way down at the e-blog:<blockquote class="smalltext">I've said it before, and, sadly, I suspect I'll be saying it again....Dumb.<p>Short plank dumb.</blockquote>
Nils - June 28, 2005 1:11 pm
The Conservative Party is essentially the Alliance with a new name ... and the Alliance came into being as a party that would rescue "the rest of Canada" from those French bastards in Quebec. So .. are surprised when Harper tries to ride that pony into the same-sex debate?
Moron.
And the Conservatives picked him, so no, they don't deserve better.
Alan - June 28, 2005 1:22 pm
My basis for my uncharacteristic sympathy with the Tory is that they have a reasonable policy platform from their point of view that came out of that convention that the glum one slumped around, claiming it was all for nothing, that he would lead as he saw fit and all would be well. That platform should being battered over the heads of each of us on a daily basis as Don shows his local blue candidate doing - likely against central office orders. You know, just because you vote for someone does not mean you meant to pick such a dud - though you can imagine that my glee at their misfortune in doing so is visceral.<p>Was there ever such a time of cacaphonous cascade of craptacular leadership in Canada?
Don - June 28, 2005 6:02 pm
I still think the previous group of Chretien-Day-Clark-McLaughlin-Duceppe was the worst ever.
Alan - June 28, 2005 6:09 pm
No way...I think. Clark actually did something in his career, though not at that stage. His work against apartheid as Foreign Minister when the Maggies and the Ronnies were giving the whites arms and trade won me over for life. Plus he is no longer being measured against anything, with the demise of the PCs.
And love him or hate him, Chretien orchestrated the end to debt. Was Jean really worse than Martin? It will depend on the Gomery findings on them personally for me.
Perhaps there was a moment with that interim leader guy of the BQ in there somewhere. I will agree that McLaughlin was definitely worse than Layton and, for all his faults, at least Harper does not think the Flintsons was a documentary.