Canada 2011 Official Thread

[redcommander]

Thank you. What is the numbers of seats Conservatives need for a majority?

[redcommander]

Wouldn't the NDP surge be good for Harper? They do hold less seats than the Liberals, and compete for a similar bloc of voters as them which could lead to the possibility of several marginals going the Tories way because of vote splitting. It seems kind of similar to how the PC and Reform parties divided the right throughout the 90's.

[redcommander]

God help Canada if the NDP somehow gets a minority government.

[redcommander]

Why exactly has the NDP surged? Is it just the result of Layton's debate performance?

[redcommander]

Do you think there is any chance that the polls have over estimated the NDP, and that once in the voting booth people casts their ballots for either the Grits or Tories because they know and trust their policies?

[redcommander]

It seems like the NDP and Liberals have key policy differences that would prevent a merger. the Liberal Party strikes me as a New Labour like party that promotes itself as being fiscally moderate but socially liberal. The NDP fits the model of a Social Democratic party. If both merged, many Liberal supporters might jump ship and support the Tories.

[redcommander]

It seems like the NDP and Liberals have key policy differences that would prevent a merger.

Which are what, exactly? Most of the difference between them is just a matter of priority and how far they're willing to take certain policies. Liberals wanted to raise the corporate tax rate, NDP agreed, but wanted to raise it more than the Liberals did. The Liberals proposed a large credit for people caring for their ailing parents, the NDP agreed, but wanted to provide more than the Liberals did. The Liberals want out of Afghanistan soon, but are willing to stall on it, while the NDP wants out immediately.

Alot of that is really the main difference.

The Libs did run their platform on how a government under Iggy would be less financially cumbersome and more fiscally restrained than Harper's.

[redcommander]

In other NDP news.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/05/04/pol-mulcair-osama.html

[redcommander]

Hasn't Harper been a supporter of restricting immigration to Canada since he became Prime Minister? It's interesting that his positions on the issue didn't hurt him or his party, but the party has been much more focused on winning various ethnic groups to their cause compared to their counterparts south of the border. In fact maybe Republicans should look at the Conservative Party as a case study on how to be more successful in future elections, considering the Liberal Party dominated minority and ethnic pockets of the nation throughout the 90's.

[redcommander]

Immigration is much higher under Harper than before.

The policy platform of the Conservatives seems somewhat vague on it, but from what it does say, it seems in favor of reducing immigration overall. Are there stats out there that contradict what the Tories claim?