Tories to support budget but try to topple gov't

[Spazito]

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper announced Tuesday night that the Tories would be voting in support of the federal budget on Thursday, but that they would still try to defeat the minority government on an amendment.

The amendment in question proposes $4.6 billion in spending on housing and the environment and also proposes a delay in a series of corporate tax cuts.

Harper announced the decision after a caucus meeting Tuesday night, hours after high-profile MP Belinda Stronach defected to the Liberals.

Earlier in the day, Harper said Stronach's move made it less likely that the government would be defeated on Thursday.

more

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1116345932925_111755132/?hub=TopStories

(Delicious, positively delicious!)

[bennywhale]

1. I didn't know your conservatives were also called Tories like in England

How come?

[Canadian Socialist]

2. Just cause

because we used to be a British colony and a lot of language just stuck around.

[Spazito]

3. It goes back to before we were a fully formed country and

to our roots to English Parliament.

Here's a bit of explanation:

The origin of Canadian political parties can be traced to the early days of the English and French colonies of Upper and Lower Canada. The American Revolution had seen the influx into Canada of a substantial number of United Empire Loyalists. Settling largely in what is now Ontario (Upper Canada) and in parts of Atlantic Canada, the majority of the Loyalists believed in the need for a governing class. This class was comprised of the chief families as well as business and professional elite in the colonies and formed a closely-knit group around the British Governor. Like their counterparts in England, those who followed this belief became known as Tories.


Liberals were originally called 'Reformers'.

Here is the link I found this info on, it is quite interesting re the history:

http://www.liberal.ca/history_e.aspx?type=news

[bennywhale]

4. Cheers

that was very interesting. I particularly didn't know about the British Loyalists.

Cheers

[iverglas]

5. heh heh

I particularly didn't know about the British Loyalists.


Sure ya did. South of the border, they're called "traitors".

;)

[bennywhale]

13. Like in Britain the revolutionaries were called

traitors and terrorists. They were British after all.

[Jack Rabbit]

6. Will somebody please tell Mr. Harper . . .

. . . to sit down and shut up until he can talk some sense?

OK, I can imagine what happened in the CPC caucus yesterday. He found that at least a couple of his MPs were about the vote with the government on C-43, the main budget bill, so defeating that is out of the question. The whole party may as well support it. However, he thinks he can beat the budget amendment, C-48, which delays a series of corporate tax cuts. He probably has a better shot at that.

Nevertheless, the Stronach defection seems to have thrown the Conservatives for a loop and is giving me the impression that Harper no longer controls the caucus.

A week ago, we were wondering if the government could survive. We can still wonder about that, but now we can start wondering how much longer Harper will.

Just as an outsider looking in, it appears to me that Harper has been rather clumsy at leading an opposition.

[Spazito]

7. He has been very clumsy, imo

he is very self-absorbed, is not a team player in any sense of the word and I suspect he will be challenged at the next leadership convention.

He also did more damage to his party's attempt to pull the wool over Canadian's eyes that they are moderate, etc. He made a comment regarding Belinda's lack of intelligence in a very sexist context, it was disgusting but not surprising, his real beliefs often seep out no matter how he tries to pretend otherwise.

Here is another article that shines some light on his bad management:

Harper scolding may have pushed Stronach to act

More details are emerging this morning about the events leading up to Belinda Stronach's dramatic jump from the Conservatives to the Liberals -- a decision she said was very, very difficult.

snip

A few weeks ago, Stronach was summoned by Harper to his Rockcliffe mansion over comments she had made to The Globe warning against defeating the budget, which would kill money for infrastructure to her Ontario riding of Newmarket-Aurora.

A Tory insider told the newspaper that Stronach was reportedly told she was being frozen out of appearances in election ads.

A report in the Toronto Star suggests the meeting between the two ended in a shouting match, with Harper telling her she would never be the leader of the party.

more

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1116418510479_16/?hub=TopStories

Edited to add: I found Harper's hit on Belinda in this article:

Surprise defection triggers Conservative anger
CTV.ca News Staff

snip

"I've never really noticed complexity to be Belinda's strong point," he said.

(and another goodie from an Ontario conservative that will really help sell the Cons scam that they are moderate and not at all sexist, lol)

"I think she sort of defined herself as something of a dipstick -- an attractive one, but still a dipstick -- with what she's done here today," Runciman told CFRB Radio.

more

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1116347413338_5/?hub=Canada

[Jack Rabbit]

9. That could cause a real rift in the CPC

Should Harper postpone any plans to bring down the government in order to mend fences with CPC's moderates? They could very easily see any attempt to freeze one of their most visible members out of the limelight as an attack on them.

On the other hand, this could be nothing more than a clash of personalities. Nevertheless, it doesn't sound like Harper handled the matter well. He should have been more attentive to Ms. Stronach's concerns and reassured her that Aurora's in fracture needs would be addressed if the Conservatives take power this year. He seems to have given her no reason to support his present attempts to bring down the government and then gave her even less reason to do so.

[Spazito]

10. Harper knew Belinda and Peter (McKay) were working behind

the scenes to take him down, there is little doubt of that but he handled it all wrong. Instead of using the wise choice of 'keeping one's friends close but one's enemies closer', his arrogance, as usual, took precedence and look at the result.

[Jack Rabbit]

11. I am aware of the intrigue with the CPC

It would make a great Hollywood movie or beach read. Power. Betrayal. Sex.

Harper is playing a dangerous game on many fronts and not playing it very well. He embraces allies who want to desert him for independence and pushes away those who have the national interest in mind. The CPC is a big tent, whether Harper likes it or not, and in order to suceed he needs people like Belinda Stronach more than he needs people like Gilles Duceppe.

Thank you again, Mr. Spazito, for your patience in answering my questions about Canadian politics and government.

[Spazito]

12. You are very welcome!

Your questions make me go back and research what I should know, probably did know at some point and many things I never knew so I have found your questions very helpful to me in learning more about my own country.

[Hand]

8. "The worm turns... the worm turns..."

As Senator Byrd so eloquently put it last week re the nuclear option. This is suddenly starting to look like a confidence vote on Harper. Couldn't have happened to a nastier piece of... um, work.
:popcorn: :evilgrin: :rofl: