Canada has become a more conservative nation, Harper says

[inanna]

Source: The Canadian Press

OTTAWA — Stephen Harper contended Saturday that Canadians have become more conservative while his rivals slammed the prime minister for trying to remake the country in his own right-wing image.

Harper launched the ideological debate in Fredericton, N.B., where he remarked that Canadians had come to embrace "small-c" conservative values since he got into politics.

He also said his Conservative party has simultaneously shifted more to the centre of the political spectrum and he warned that it must remain there if it wants to continue governing.

"I think the Canadian public has become more conservative," Harper said at the start of a weekend swing through Atlantic Canada.


Read more: http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5imt7QyezO6iHudgPVNwCqS5rCHWA

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Canadians unimpressed with leaders after week one: poll

OTTAWA - As the federal political leaders wrap up their first full week of campaigning this weekend, a new poll indicates their performances during the early days may have caused them more harm than good.

The Ipsos Reid poll, conducted for Canwest News Service and Global News between Sept. 9 and 11, shows Canadians' impressions of the leaders slipped instead of strengthened, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper had the worst week of them all.

Thirty-six per cent said their impression of Harper had "worsened" since the start of the campaign on Sept. 7, compared with 32 per cent for his main opponent, Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe also failed to impress - 23 per cent said they had a worse opinion of him-and 15 per cent said New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton fell in their eyes.

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=f08a37a2-4519-4692-bf57-f85ea1c68ac1

[Writer]

1. I thought they wanted more money...

goes to show how little I know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqkN8XsYtJI

[Sebastian Doyle]

2. Harper wants so bad to be another Chimpy

Fortunately, the Canadian parliamentary system of government keeps him restrained. But I've often wondered what would happen if the neocons (of which Harper is one) decided they wanted their own "New Perle Harbor", say in Toronto, Ottawa, or Vancouver.

Would there be enough DLC types in the "Liberal" party who would cave along with the Conservatives and allow him a Chimpy style government, if that happened north of the border?

[Demeter]

3. My Condolences, Canada

The power-mad-bull disease has struck across the border.

[Gillian]

4. Our Canuck neighbor says that every time she gets high.

Must be the good health care and low military budget.

[tuvor]

5. Well, of COURSE he's going to say that.

[shadowknows69]

6. Welcome to the club of tin pot tyrants Canada

[applegrove]

7. He's implying he will govern from the centre if elected. Because he knows

4 outta 10 Canadians will vote strategically to make sure he doesn't get a majority. 39% of Canadians believe if Harper gets a majority, Canada will be unrecognizable for all the neocon policies that will be implemented.

[roamer65]

8. No it hasn't, you Bush clone.

The NDP + Liberals together amount for much more support than you get. Too bad Canada has a fractured center-left. A Liberal-NDP coalition would send his lousy Reform party ass a packin'.