Canada shifts to the Left

[xpanda]

Our federal election was yesterday, with preliminary results as follows (apparently a few ridings are in recount right now):
Liberals - 135 Seats
Conservatives - 99 Seats
Bloc Quebecois - 54 Seats
NDP - 19 Seats
Independant - 1 Seat

(The Bloc is a Quebec-only party that will ultimately be marginalised and not play a central role.)

To win a majority, one party has to win 155 seats, which no one did. So, the Liberals will form the government, and will require the help of the NDP and one or more members of the Bloc to jump sides and create a coalition majority.

This represents the largest shift to the Left that I can recall, and is a tremendous indicator. Stephen Harper, the Conservative leader, could have won this election were it not for his strong desire to shove his head up Bush's arse. Look for Canada/US relations to involve more diplomatic, but less progressive, negotiations.


From the news:


TORONTO (CP) - New Democrats could wield more power in Canada than they have in 30 years after winning enough seats to help prop up a Liberal minority government.

Jack Layton promised to responsibly use the central role he sought and won Monday after election results that showed the party increased its seat count substantially. The NDP will have more clout in Parliament than it has since 1972, when the Liberals under Pierre Trudeau governed for about 18 months with the help of the New Democrats.

Layton made it clear Monday night that he intends to use that power.

He rattled off a shopping list of Liberal promises that match NDP priorities, including the protection of public health care, opposition to weapons in space, implementation of the Kyoto environmental accord and a national child-care program.

"My commitment to Canadians tonight is that we will hold (Paul Martin (news - web sites)) to it with every ounce of energy we have," Layton told hundreds of party supporters.

"We will not let you down."

Layton also made a point of mentioning the one condition he has clearly imposed for supporting a minority government.

"We will just see how interesting Paul Martin finds the idea of proportional representation," Layton said.

Layton also tried to calm concerns about the influence his left-wing party could have. He pointed to past achievements of minority governments supported by the NDP, including adoption of the flag, the start of a national housing program and medicare.

 

[EverFresh]

Does everyone speak french up there?

 

[xpanda]

Not even close. In Ontario, we take it in school until grade ten or something, but then we forget most of it. Most in Quebec, including anglophones, speak French, tho. You pretty much would have to there.

 

[jointpleasures]

x,

I thought I read on yahoo this morning that there was a shift to the conservative party as they gained seats with the voter turn out as low as it has been since the late 1800's. Tried to reread the article before posting this, but can't find it. Confused.

 

[Phaedrus]

I wish the bloody Québécois would get on with it and secede already ...

Separatists Cheer Bloc Sweep

Quebec needs to be on its own. That is what we are showing tonight, Bloc says

by Miro Cernetig
The Toronto Daily Star

Montreal—Swigging beer in celebration and erupting into cheers as the Bloc Québécois wave swept Quebec ridings, hundreds of separatists vowed that they are now on the path to another referendum and that Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe will help them carve out a new country.

As the crowd chanted "sovereignty, sovereignty," waving Quebec flags and toasting him with beer, Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe told Canada last night Quebecers have embraced sovereignty and will fulfill their destiny.

"My friends," said Duceppe, his face dripping with sweat and his voice hoarse, "Quebec is a nation."

With results showing he would match or surpass the 54 seats that Bloc leader Lucien Bouchard won in 1993, Duceppe reached out to the other leaders of Quebec's separatist movement.

Rumours are swirling that the 56-year-old Duceppe, now elevated to a major role in the sovereignist leadership, might now have his eye on the leadership of the Parti Québécois. From there he could have a chance to call another referendum if the PQ beats Jean Charest's Liberals in the next provincial election, at least three years away.

But Duceppe sought to play down such speculation, thanking current Parti Québécois leader Bernard Landry and praising former PQ premier Jacques Parizeau.

He said he now wants to go to Ottawa to work with the other federalist parties.

"Quebec has shown its faith in a sovereignist party, in sovereignist MPs," he said. "Quebec has given its confidence to sovereignists.

"Let's find a way to work together, respecting each other," he added, in English.

He also brought up the memory of PQ founder René Lévesque, saying that he had cleaned up corruption in Quebec politics and that with his questions on the sponsorship scandal before the election "the Bloc cleaned up Ottawa."

Duceppe did not discuss his specific plans to work with the probable Liberal minority government. He plans to hold a news conference today that will begin to spell out the Bloc's agenda.

Said Sylvain Thibodeau, selling fleur de lys outside Duceppe's headquarters last night: "He's better than Lucien Bouchard ... Bouchard didn't do what he said. But I believe Gilles Duceppe will do what he says.

"We want our own country," he said, as Bloc supporters bought badges from him.

"Canada doesn't want us. Look what they say in the West. Quebec needs to be on its own. That is what we are showing tonight."

The official Bloc spokespeople were less adamant that last night's sweep of Quebec, which promised to surpass Bouchard's 54 seats, was a clear step to another referendum.

A vote on Quebec's future can only be called by the province, and at the moment, the separatist Parti Québécois is out of power.

"With a majority of Bloc MPs, there is no doubt that this is an endorsement for the idea of sovereignty," declared Serge Ménard, who was re-elected as a Bloc MP last night.

"But as for a referendum. That timing will be decided by the National Assembly."

With a major victory in sight, Bloc strategists were quietly saying the party would prefer that a minority government last two years or more.

It takes at least a year to plan and prepare for an election campaign, one official said.

With nary a Canadian flag in sight, last night's Montreal victory party quickly turned into a nationalist's love-in.

Gathered in a Montreal nightclub, where they swigged back plastic cups of beer and stared at two giant TV screens showing the results, the crowd often rose to its feet when it became clear Liberal ridings were falling to the Bloc wave.

When Radio Canada announced a Liberal minority government, hundreds of people rose in unison.

"Au revoir, Canada," yelled one man, wearing a baseball cap festooned with Bloc signs and raising his glass to a stage outfitted with eight Quebec flags. "You won't have Quebec to kick around anymore."

"After the sponsorship, the Liberals deserve to be thrown out," said Pierrette Roy, a Bloc supporter who has spent her vacations working for the separatist cause. "People had no choice after that but to vote for the Bloc.

"There will be another referendum," she predicted. "There must be a referendum. Quebecers are a people. We're a nation. We are showing that tonight."

Duceppe was never specific during the campaign about the strategy the Bloc Québécois would adopt in the next Parliament.

But there was never any doubt he was looking forward to a minority government, the most powerful position the Bloc could have in Ottawa. It would enable him to play the role of kingmaker, cherry-pick the policies he wanted and push for a decentralization of federal powers, all of which would play into the Bloc's ultimate goal of Quebec's separation.

"Whatever is good for Quebec," the Duceppe repeatedly said. "That's what we'll support."

One of the first things Duceppe plans to propose in the House of Commons is a reform of the unemployment insurance fund, $45 billion of which he says was used by the last Liberal government for other things.

The Bloc wants the fund to be run by workers and employers, with a provision that Ottawa can't dip into it for other purposes.

Issues that will draw the Bloc's wrath and possibly defeat a government were spelled out repeatedly in the campaign: Any attempt at scrapping the Kyoto accord to fight global warming; interfering with a woman's right to abortion; cutbacks on subsidies to Quebec's aerospace industry. There was only one major glitch in the Bloc campaign — when Parti Québécois leader Bernard Landry said a strong vote for the Bloc would be a boost to separatism and lead to another referendum within five years.

It was a statement that was obvious to Bloc supporters — Duceppe himself said that he was "not hiding his option" and said he'd like a referendum as soon as possible.

But Landry's statement came late in the campaign, when the Bloc leader was courting soft nationalists and even federalists, who were abandoning the Liberals.

The primary focus of the Bloc was corruption in the Liberal government, a hot button Duceppe pressed over and over again, reminding voters of the $250 million sponsorship scandal. The party's slogan — un parti propre au Quebec, a clean party for Quebec — hit that issue brilliantly.

 

[EverFresh]

Doesn't the Queen own Canada?

 

[xpanda]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by jointpleasures:
x,

I thought I read on yahoo this morning that there was a shift to the conservative party as they gained seats with the voter turn out as low as it has been since the late 1800's. Tried to reread the article before posting this, but can't find it. Confused.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

The Conservatives gained seats, but lost total votes. I'll explain: the Progressive Conservatives and the other right-leaning Alliance party got together six months ago and formed the Conservative Party of Canada. Whatever you read is likely comparing the PC to the CPC, which is technically not accurate.

 

[xpanda]

Phaedrus:

The Bloc sweep was more of an anti-Liberal vote than a Quebec separatist vocalisation. Duceppe is thrilled with his 54 seats, as he should be, and will use it to gain Quebec favours, not separation. It is astounding, IMO, that we can have a separatist party funded and representing Canadians on the federal level. Ridiculous. But welcome to the multi-party system.

 

[Phaedrus]

I know; I just think it would be really cool to see a resurgence of secession in the so-called civilised world. A few years ago the Québécois in Canada and other movements (Italy and Belgium come to mind but can't think of the party names) were really spicing up the news (at least to the extent that Canadians and Flemish persons can actually "spice" things. Italians have it down pat, of course.) It was fun, it was chaotic, it was like a very civilised end of the world. I liked it.


Phaedrus

 

[xpanda]

Stay tuned, then, because the Albertans hate our guts these days. Apparently, pre-election, their separatist movement had 20% support. They were expecting it to double if the Conservatives didn't win a majority, which of course they didn't. We'll see. Lots of $ in AB.

 

[Phaedrus]

WOOHOO!

Phaedrus

 

[Woody0]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by EverFresh:
Does everyone speak french up there?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Mais oui. And live in igloos and provide little old ladies visiting Niagara Falls with street maps of Canada.

The seal hunt in Saskatchewan is now illegal due to protests from the US.

 

[Shotgun]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by xpanda:
Stay tuned, then, because the Albertans hate our guts these days. Apparently, pre-election, their separatist movement had 20% support. They were expecting it to double if the Conservatives didn't win a majority, which of course they didn't. We'll see. Lots of $ in AB.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmmm...lots of oil there as well. What kind of military is up in Alberta?

 

[EverFresh]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>The seal hunt in Saskatchewan is now illegal due to protests from the US. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well I'm glad they stopped the seal hunts because that was cruel

 

[xpanda]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Shotgun:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by xpanda:
Stay tuned, then, because the Albertans hate our guts these days. Apparently, pre-election, their separatist movement had 20% support. They were expecting it to double if the Conservatives didn't win a majority, which of course they didn't. We'll see. Lots of $ in AB.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Hmmmm...lots of oil there as well. What kind of military is up in Alberta?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Two bases in Alberta which we'll be taking back, and they love your George W.B. Ditto on racists and bible thumpers. Frankly, you can have them, $$ and all.