As John Ivison pointed out this evening, the Liberal Party of Canada is divided on how far to take a coalition partnership with the NDP. Current polling numbers suggest that the probability of the Liberals and Dippers having enough seats to control the Commons without the Bloc (who Canadians will not welcome into any coalition government, even if Stephen Harper tried to do it in 2004; two wrongs don't make a right). If the Liberals and Dippers were to pull candidates in ridings with one finished ahead of the other that would maximize their projected seat count and increase the probability that they have enough seats to form a stable coalition.
If the Liberals start pulling candidates they lose the right to call themselves a truly national party, and they will also get fewer total votes at a time when vote subsidies still exist and the Libs are desperate for money. The question that nobody really knows the answer to is how many Liberal voters in the center of the spectrum defect to the Tories when the Grits shift to the left hand side?
How far are the Liberals willing to take a potential coalition? Right now that is the biggest point of debate within Liberal party ranks.
''How far are the Liberals willing to take a potential coalition?''
ReplyDeleteLiberals are flexible.
After this week, no matter how much denying Iffy does, 'if it's doable' they will do it!
A vote for the Liberals is one vote closer to Deputy PM Jack Layton.
It is remarkable that now Liberals pretend to be concerned about a betrayal of the Liberal party identity and history.
ReplyDeleteThey signed a deal with the sepratists to try and allow them to govern. Next they dump their leader without any process.Then all potential leaders one by one drop out of the race to coronate Ignatieff.
How has any of the above anything other than betrayal?
"We can do better"
The Liberals have lost national status in my opinion by a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteLiberals have demonized the rural voters, Western voters in smaller cities, conservatives who don't share their views of a large nanny state.
An election map shows how Vancouver-Toronto-Montreal in the bulk of their support.
The only region they carried in popular support was Atlantic Canada in 2008.
The friends of LPOC are having a difficult time with the level of Liberal support being stuck at 25%-29% for the last few years.
The continued publicity of the internal war benefits the NDP and CPC.
The track record goes back to the 70's with Turner-Chretien. (In my memory)
We have at least two camps, possibly three vying for power after Ignatieff.
Ontario, Quebec, Atlantic it should be based on their biggest strength in MP support and NOT money.
If it was ATL would have a Liberal leader.
Let's push Wayne Easter for next leader.
I suppose it's only natural that you'd assign Iggy and Bob citizenship of Crete, in Greece, since by all economic indicators that nation is in really big trouble. The main difference between Greece and the Liberals is merely a matter of scale.
ReplyDeleteOr are we talking about "cretins"?
Iceman, don't believe the Liberal B.S. In Harper's 2004 letter to the GG, he never said anything about forming a coalition government, just that the opposition parties were in discussion and that the GG should consider consulting them. That's all. Totally opposite of Dion's 2008 letter where it specifically states the Liberals and NDP with support from Bloc can form a coalition government.
ReplyDeleteThe evil of ancient Crete notwithstanding, I went with the spelling Cretan instead of Cretin because I was splicing it into "Clash of the Titans". Whether that literary style is professional or not, I'm sure most people understood the point.
ReplyDeleteThe Liberal base will not allow a merger. They will hear this at BBQs all summer. The coalition will happen post-election. All they are doing now is trying to "normalize" the idea.
ReplyDelete