Talk Elections

Thoughts?

Government survives first year majority (http://www.torontosun.com/2012/05/01/government-survives-first-year-majority)

BY MARK DUNN, SENIOR NATIONAL REPORTER
FIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, MAY 01, 2012 05:59 PM EDT |
UPDATED: TUESDAY, MAY 01, 2012 09:31 PM EDT

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper blew out candles this week to mark his 53rd birthday. Wednesday, he gets to celebrate the one-year anniversary of his first majority Conservative government.

And what a year it's been — from erratic ministers and stealth fighter procurement headaches and ramming through an omnibus crime bill to ditching the long-gun registry and burying the Canadian Wheat Board.

While one opposition party mourned the death of its leader and the other the wounding of its brand and both accused the Conservatives of cheating to win last year's vote, Harper pushed through his agenda with ease and controversy.

And fights were picked along the way.

Quite the dissonance between this and the death of bin Laden.

May Mulcair save Canada. We already know where US is headed, but maybe we wont have to move that far.

I remember coming home (to my parents house) that night after maybe 4 hours of leaflet dropping and remembering it being on TV.

I came home from a show, meaning that I will always remember that show, and the convo I had with my mom on the phone while walking to it about how I was excited because of Canada's elections. Then I come home and learned bin Laden is dead. What a night.

I have a few disappointments- mostly in the government. This year has so far been marked by an unending string of banana peels and Harper failing to use the deep bench of Cabinet talent (plus a Cabinet twice as large as it should be) effectively. For the opposition, I'm just deeply disappointed that this alignment is probably permanent.

The Purgatories actually took over in 2006, but I digress. As for my thoughts on this first anniversary of the worst day in my life, I'll only say that this government has proven far worse than even my wildest nightmares. But the slow destruction of this country was to be expected from a Purgatory majority.

Breaking news: Hashemite slams the Tories

In other news, the Pope has confirmed his Catholicism

May this majority enjoy many more years. (Well, there's definitely 3 more at the least).

The person who pleasantly surprised me the most in Cabinet this past year was John Baird, of all people. For the Dippers, most promising frosh are Boulerice and Laverdiere.

Grits: Did pretty well, but Tom Mulcair's election is probably the final nail in your coffin.

Would you go as far as saying that Bush is better? For example if they swapped posts.

Not Leslie? I'd keep an eye on her. Baird is pretty competent, imo. Clement has become damaged goods, looking like McKay is on his way as well.

I like Leslie a lot (in fact, I'll tip her as the next non-Tory PM assuming this alignment is permanent) but she's a sophomore, not frosh. For the Liberals, their most promising personalities are, IMO, Brison, Hsu, Lamoureux, Trudeau.

Agreed on Clement but not MacKay. Harper wants to make him politically radioactive rather than go through the hassle of removing him and causing a media sh**tstorm.