The sense of a federal election as early as this fall is becoming more of a possibility in the minds of Canadians. Not sure we really want an election but we are getting more impatient with the current Harper minority government.
The recently released Nanos tracking poll shows some interesting attitudes. Looks like Winter 2009 will be one of discontent with Stephen Harper and his government. His best before date passed effectively last November with his deceitful economic update that almost cost him his government and his leadership.
The patience of Canadians with Harper is wearing thin. We are tired of his negative ad bullying and belligerent politics that predominate his leadership. He is also showing us his astonishing ineptitude at governing in in a time of recession.
Here are the Nano's poll findings as at August 2, 2009:
Some 54% of use still think a minority government show be able to work, which underscores a hesitancy to support a quick election.
What we like about a minority government is that is forces the parties to work together. This is the aspiration of 55% of us. Harper's style is to not cooperate at all so he is seriously out of step with the value driver of the majority. He has had almost 4 years to show some capacity to co-operate but it is just not in his DNA. Interestingly 32% of us are unsure why we liked a minority government. This indicates an underlying unease about Harper's leadership in a minority government that is growing.
60% of those of us who are fed up with the minority government situation, say they are inefficient. We can't have this in a recession when we are spending billions of taxpayer's dollars on stimulus plans. Harper has been half-hearted and hapless about implementing the public infrastructure stimulus plans and his delay is not letting the provinces and municipalities to their job of creating jobs.
Here is the big news finding from Nanos. Almost 60% of us think Harper has not done a good enough job to "deserve re-election." Only 30% still have confidence in him and his leadership and only 10% are unsure.
If that statistic holds into and through the next election and leadership is the ballot question, Harper is toast. We can only hope at this time but it is looking like a leadership change is in the air for the Prime Minister's Office and a minority government is not the preferred option.
For better or for worse (because I don't think that everything that PM Harper & his gov't has done has been bad), there's a big difference between people thinking that he doesn't deserve to be re-elected and voting for someone different. That will depend on a whole other set of issues, not the least of which whether Mr. Ignatieff is seen as trustworthy: the jury is still definitely out on that one.
ReplyDeleteI like my MP in Crowfoot, Kevin Sorenson, but I'm definitely not a Harper fan, precisely for the reasons outlined in your comments, Ken. A less partisan and more conciliatory Tory leader would likely make a world of difference in that party's electoral future.
The regional differences are probably significant but you have to wonder if Albertans are finally beginning to lose their patience with Harper.
ReplyDeleteThe recent attack ads against Michael Ignatieff that were paid for by taxpayers and that masqueraded as information bulletins from Tory MP's were pathetic and sad testimonials of where Tories want to go with democratic reforms. Yes, its time for Harper to go.
a majority government with iggy at the controls; what a nightmare concept
ReplyDeleteMore deep analysis and sound reasoning from the self-righteous right.
ReplyDeleteThe Conservatives may only need 40 per cent support to form a majority government, if the unhappy voters are unable to agree on an alternative.
ReplyDeletePolitics will be interesting to watch if the Cons lose seats, but remain the largest group in Parliament. If the Liberals and NDP finish second and third, but can form a coalition government without BQ support, I think that would likely happen. An Iggy minority might be the real nightmare for the self-righteous right. Another possibility (in theory at least) could involve a Cons MP of moderate disposition emerging as a contender for Harper's job.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, Ken, but in law the GG (I think) can ask anyone to try to form a government. By convention, usually the incumbent is given the first opportunity. If he fails or declines, the leader of the party with the most seats is asked to give it a go, followed by the leader of the second largest block. Beyond that, the GG can pick anyone she thinks has a realistic chance of succeeding.
If a majority of MPs reject both Harper and Iggy, would someone like Jim Prentice prove acceptable, as an alternative to another election?
I find all of this quite fascinating. But here's the rub. I do not feel moved to participate in it at all, not in any way.
Winnipeg plays Saskatchewan on the Sunday before Labour Day. You hope for a good game. But whoever wins, well, meh.
But Ken, I thought you said the left/right labels were irrelevant today?
ReplyDeleteApparently, only when it suits your own socialist interests.
Anon @ 11:55 Who said anything about left-right in this post? It is about a poll that indicates that Mr. Harper can no longer assume he is a preferred choice for Prime Minister.
ReplyDeleteHe won because we Canadians voted against the Liberals but we, in our collective wisdom, did not give him absolute power of a majority. Now he is looking like he may not retain even a minority position.
I like his new messaging that we need a majority government in these uncertain times. He is no beacon of leadership clarity and Canadians have come to realize that.
BTW I am not a socialist but a strong proponent of social justice. Not the same thing.
Ken mentioned left/right actually:
ReplyDeleteKen Chapman said...
More deep analysis and sound reasoning from the self-righteous right.
At least you have the courage to sign your name to your beliefs, Ken. Good on ya.
ReplyDeleteYup - I did mention some people who are self-righteous "RIGHT" - but in a COMMENT response to an anonymous comment @6:12. I did not mention it in the post. If you choose to invoke a left-right construct, I reserve the right to respond to it.
ReplyDeleteIt is useful to helping govern the country and our political institutions any better? I still don't think so and most Canadians will agree with me. The poll I quoted says most Canadians wanted the minority government to work by the parties co-operating more on a voountary basis. Harper is not capable of that. He even had to be forced to review EI terms and conditions with threats instead of good governance.
More to the point, what are you Harper conservatives types afraid of that you can't use your own names when commenting on blogs? I don't think I have ever had a pro-Harper partisan comment on this blog that has not been anonymous or a nom de plume of some form.
I know who Crackers 2000 is as a pro Harper guy because he is a friend of mine. But the rest of you are simply discredited hacks because of your fear or cowardice.
Is the Harper PMO watching you guys? Are there consequences for being open and transparent with your public opinions while he is in government? Is that why you cower in the shadows and take cheap and unsubstantiated shots?
Come on you guys. Show some spine and tell us who you are. If you want our consent to govern us at the next election, the least you can do is tell us your name.
You spend so much time complaining about anonymous posts. Why do you even allow them? Typical radical leftist ambiguity.
ReplyDeleteI spend the time hoping to convince you guys to step up to the plate and be real citizens. I have faith that you guys will come up with some courage to use your right of free speech openly and in all its glory.
ReplyDeleteI have hope that you will take personal responsibility for your remarks and opinions. I have hope that you will want to share them with us in a way that we can get to know you and learn to trust you and come to respect you, even if we disagree with you.
Some folks need to be anonymous and you can tell that mostly by the substance of their comments. But the superscilious "contributions" of so many anonymous comments makes you wonder why we should continue to bother with them.
Including them does show the rest of us something about the kind of people and partisan we don't want to give any political power. So in that sense, continuing to accept them is useful in some way I suppose.
I am thinking of running a poll on this blog once I finish the Children's Service series in a couple of weeks. I wonder what other reader think about if I should continue to accept those anonymous comments that add little if any value to the conversation.
I hope you keep the anonymous comments Ken as their content often speaks for itself. For me I work in Government and with HR staffers dedicated to trolling the Internet looking for anything a government staffer gets involved in the concenquences could come like in retail when a manager does not like an employee, they don't get terminated, they just less and less hours till they quit on their own in frustration.
ReplyDeleteI was just reading Harper's thoughts about the elections and he claims he certainly doesn't want them this fall. Whatever. Hopefully we will see a new leader soon.
ReplyDeleteJay