<p>Conservatives in from the cold the clouds are pulling away in my home and native land. Harpers no Margaret Thatcher but he has a head on his shoulders this is going to agitate the hate America first’ crowd: </p>
<p>A centrist Liberal government is about to be replaced, if the polls are correct, by a centrist Conservative one
Conservative predecessors had won smashing victories, only to be overwhelmed in office by the vested interests of Liberaldom.
To avoid the same fate, Mr. Harper will have to confront the entrenched apparatus of Liberal rule, including the vast network of dependent client groups the party has cultivated over the years: big businesses, small businesses, activist groups, ethnic organizations, all on the federal dole and close to the ruling party.
He will also have to make reforms to Canada’s outmoded democratic institutions, notably the appointed Senate, in which the Liberals, quelle surprise, hold a majority of the seats.
Last, he will have to set aside some of his own privileges, placing limits on the powers of patronage with which prime ministers have consolidated their rule. The Conservatives must plan for when they are again out of power and remove the instruments by which they were kept out.
Previous Conservative prime ministers aspired only to run the Liberal machine for themselves, leaving the motor running for the Liberals when they returned. Mr. Harper wants to dismantle it, piece by piece.
<a href=“http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/opinion/23coyne.html?th&emc=th[/url]”>http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/23/opinion/23coyne.html?th&emc=th</a></p>
<p>I love Canada. One of the most beautiful countries in the world. Here’s my hope/guess for the future. If the Conservatives win today, it will be much more likely that Quebec will break away. Quebec’s votes have kept the Liberals in power. With Quebec independent, several or all of the Maritimes will want to join the United States - they’re poor provinces but as part of the US will become huge tourist meccas. Alberta will want to become part of Texas. BC can become a suburb of San Francisco. Prariie Provinces and Ontario can stay Canada - it was Kiefer Sutherland’s grandfather, Tommy Douglas, and Premier of Saskatchewan, who came up with National Health Care - that’s the system where you wait 6 weeks for a biopsy or a year for a knee replacement.</p>
<p>wow, biggreen, I can’t tell exactly how facetious you’re being in your post.
I think it’s doubtful that any of the scenarios you present will happen, now or ever, regardless of who wins this election. As for the healthcare system, as someone who is currently deeply involved in its use, I can assure you that the problems people cite, and the waiting times you posted, are greatly exaggerated.</p>
<p>Now, on to the completely different. From the opposite end of the political spectrum to Andrew Coyne, and with humor, at that:</p>
<p>One trait shared by every Canadian I have ever met: they do NOT want Canada or any of its provinces to be part of the US.</p>
<p>I think it’s far more likely that disgruntled blue states will try to become part of Canada than any Canadian province applying for statehood (and any blue state seceding from the US is not actually going to happen either). Throughout its history, the main way that Canada has defined its national identiity is as NOT AMERICAN.</p>
<p>Driver: Or futures in the Lobster markets! BTW - Halifax has the same climate as Boston - it’s a great city. And Nova Scotia’s Mi’kmaq First Peoples signed a treaty with both Canada and the U.S. in George Washington’s time that permits them to move freely between both countries - and to live in either country at any time. I was lucky enough to be in Halifax this year on Treaty Day, when that treaty is commemorated. There were a large number of Mi’kmaq veterans there wearing U.S. Marine Corps uniforms. It is a long tradition for the Mi’kmaq’s to join the U.S. Marine Corps - and then return to living in Nova Scotia. There are other First Peoples with similar relationships to the United States - <a href=“http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=844[/url]”>:: BlackElectorate.com ::;
Here’s a quote from the article - "He considers himself a Muskoday, a Canadian and an American, and is prepared to die for the United States if he is sent to the Middle East. “They have more pride in their country here,” he said. “I just think of them as our big brother.”</p>
<p>You know, Newfoundland didn’t become part of Canada until 1949. I have a friend who’s father-in-law still have his Newfie passport. It’s sad that Canadians - with such a beautiful country - define themselves almost solely by how they’re “not American”.</p>
<p>biggreen, thank you for the link but as I said in my previous post, I am immersed in the Ontario healthcare system at the moment with my youngest D. I have lived most of the past 30 years in Ontario so I’m well aware of what goes on with healthcare here. Our experience, and that of almost every single friend or relative who has needed acute care access, has not been similar to those times recorded on that link. Keep in mind that those numbers in your link are probably for the entire province, including every small town and village, many of which do not have their own hospitals. The situation isn’t that much different than in the U.S. in that regard, except that when they DO travel to larger towns and cities here to access that care, they actually GET it and don’t have to worry about how to pay for it. </p>
<p>Without going into too much personal detail, my D saw our family doctor with a concern one day, the next day saw a specialist and had the necessary biopsy. My father-in-law had a hip replacement two years ago after a wait of 3 weeks, and a knee replacement last year after a wait of one month, and the only reason it was that long was that he was required to see his cardiologist first. So the moral of the story is, don’t believe everything you hear. It’s not perfect but it sure beats 40 million people with no insurance at all.</p>
<p>A political party with members that take kick backs from companies, appoint cronies, have a sense of entitlement and have kept the other party out of having any kind of say…at that is just Canada?</p>
<p>No, you could go ahead and include The Democratic Party
…oh yeah…I almost forgot…Republicans too;) </p>
<p>…and I have my doubts about the Greens, Libertarians, Socialist Party of America, Communist Worker’s Party, Natural Rights Party, and especially a candidate who goes by the sobriquet of, ‘Vermin-Supreme.’ He ran out off the District of Columbia on a militant program of dental hygiene (had a promising start, but that whole fluoride in the water thing just took him down in the end) let’s see–what other parties are there
I guess where corruption is concerned, seen one, seen 'em all: so says me! </p>
<p>Though I hear there are not a few philosophical differences between a couple of these rascals.</p>
<p>But why are the Canadian’s so angry about their corruption, and here in America, we see corruption, and say, oh well, everyone does it? Think about KStree Project, now that is cronism at its finest. </p>
<p>What I like about those third parties you mentioned is that, while they may be small and may be niche, at least topics of concern and interest are brought out, ie, global warming, labor, workers rights, healthcare, constitutional rights, freedom, etc.</p>
<p>Would we be better off with just two mainstream parties who play the political game? </p>
<p>I would much rather have a vibrant interesting confused debate than a tired dry safe one, and without third parties, underground groups, etc., we would be back in the 1950. Now that was a thrilling time</p>
<p>OK, I’m willing to consider splitting Halifax three ways with BigGreen and FountainSiren–assuming BG’s prognostication pans out. We could have our own mini-San Francisco–sans kooks. Plus lobster futures. And we could practice our French.</p>
<p>Don’t start packing yet, driver. Looks like it’s going to be yet another minority government, which means that not much will happen for another few years, when they’ll decide to do this crazy election thing all over again.</p>
<p>I don’t see how Harper can form a government. The New Dems are way to the left of the flaky and corrupt Liberals and nobody can coalition with Parti Quebecois. When all is said and done I won’t be surprised in Martin looses the elestion and keeps his job. Canada’s “problem” is it needs a new constitution or new parties. It was basically designed on the assumption that it would be a two party system but it is not.</p>
<p>All the Canadians I know do. They can’t tell you what being Canadian is, but they can certainly tell you what being Canadian is NOT.</p>
<p>Here’s a pretty good joke. It’s the only Canadian joke I know (and it’s really an American joke too):</p>
<p>Given its history and geography, Canada could have had the best of three world. It could have had American technology, British stability of government, and French culture. But what it ended up with is British technology, French stability of government, and American culture.</p>
<p>I do believe the original joke involved British culture and French cuisine, and Canada ends up with French technology, British cuisine and American culture.</p>
<p>/actually, French technology isn’t that bad, it’s just paradoxical, to paraphrase someone else, they invented high speed trains that stop at stations which only have squat toilets…</p>
<p>Well, let’s hope the election results are a wake-up call in Canada. It’s a wonderful country - a bit too Europeanized but that may change as they see growth rates drop and unemployment go up in Old Europe. Montreal is booming - lots of new construction, great restaurants. The Quebecois do like to be different but they seem to like Americans more than they like Ontarians. </p>
<p>CSPAN had the CBC on last night - watching the election returns and seeing the correspondents in the various “ridings” gave a real sense of how small (in a good way) Canada is. It’s like 3 degrees of separation in Canada. I hope Canadians don’t start splitting apart the way the Dems have done in the US. At the end of the day we’re all - Canadians and Americans, Dems/Reps/Liberals/Tories - in this together.</p>
