Canada has a new Prime Minister

[Ladskater]

Not that anyone in the US would notice, but Canada just had a huge election and we now have a new Prime Minister - Stephen Harper who is replacing Paul Martin. I think Harper will get along better with Bush than Martin did. It should be interesting to see if Canada US relations improve. Goodness knows they have taken a beating since 911.

 

[CDMM1991]

It was interesting to see how Atlantic Canada voted. Harper probably would have been able to get a majority government if it weren't for us stubborn Maritimers. I do believe Canada-US relations will improve now that we have a different Prime Minister.

Who do you think will replace Paul Martin, as he has already said that he will not lead the Liberals in another election?

 

[Lynn226]

Not that anyone in the US would notice

Please do not stereotype.:scowl::disapp:

I've been interested in Canada since I was a child, even though I did not grow up in a border state. During my undergrad days, most of my international relations papers concerned U.S. - Canada relations. My interest since then has not waned. I've been following the Canadian election since it was announced last autumn.

U.S. networks did cover the Canadian election, but I do not think that it received the attention that it deserved.

And since this is a skating board . . . I have attended Skate Canada multiple times, but I have never attended Skate America. It's not that I haven't wanted to do so, but it just never worked out that way.

See you at SC 06 in Victoria, everyone. I bought my tix the day they went on sale.

Lynn

 

[Aloft04]

"Getting along better with Bush...", Ladskater, may not necessarily be a wise or virtuous thing. Be careful what you wish for.

By the way, with one exception, I've visited every Canadian province and know a great deal about Canada - good and bad.

I also take exception to your assertion that because I live in the USA I wouldn't notice your country has held an election. Maybe you didn't mean it to seem condescending?

 

[IndieBoi]

I think Ladskater said it in a humble tone, as in maybe to the majority of American viewers, the Canadian election may not have been perceived important enought that it went uder the radar.

As for the election results, Harper won only a small minority (even smaller than the Liberals' in the last parliament), so they won't be able to turn back time on social progress such as equal rights for all Canadians and women's ability to choose (BTW, kudos for Martin for championing and protecting equal rights for all Canadians!! ). In the mean time, the Liberals can take a step back, rejuvenate, elect a fresh leadership that breaks free from all the past unfavourable perceptions (from which they were actually exonerated), and come back firing in the next election.

What’s more, Harper is not equally-liked by Canadians across the board, so there wouldn't be a strong attachment to him that the Liberals would have to overcome in the next election. The results clearly showed that the Canadians cast their votes to hesitantly not re-elect Martin, instead of to award Harper a clear victory. Remember, with all the dissatisfaction with the scandal the Cons only garnered 36.25% of the votes, so the Canadian majority (63.75%) are NON-Conservatives.

 

[CDMM1991]

Anybody have any guesses as to who will replace Paul Martin?

 

[IndieBoi]

Can't make an educated guess yet, but I'd love to see Michael Ignatieff lead the Liberals into the next election.

http://liberal.ca/bio_e.aspx?&id=35023

Son of a distinguished diplomat George Ignatieff, Mr. Ignatieff is the former director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights and Policy at Harvard University. He is one of the most influential voices in the global debate on human rights, as well as the distinguished author of an acclaimed biography of British academic Sir Isaiah Berlin and such award-winning works as The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror.

Mr. Ignatieff received a degree in History at the University of Toronto and a doctorate at Harvard University. He is a former Senior Research Fellow at King's College, Cambridge, and has held teaching posts at Harvard, Cambridge, Oxford, the University of California, the University of London and the London School of Economics.

 

[IndieBoi]

"Getting along better with Bush...", Ladskater, may not necessarily be a wise or virtuous thing. Be careful what you wish for.

I agree...

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found that most Americans think Bush is failing second term.
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/bush.poll/index.html

A majority of Americans are more likely to vote for a candidate in November's congressional elections who opposes President Bush, and 58 percent consider his second term a failure so far...

I think Canadians have always had warm feelings for the American people. But the US government is a whole nother matter.

 

[Antilles]

I am happy that Harper won. I cetainly don't agree with all of his social views, but he is an intelligent man, and it was time for a change. It is unhealthy to have only one party capable of forming a government. With the Liberals going into a leadership race, they won't want to be running in a general election at the same time. They likely won't have a vote until the Fall, so Harper should be safe for a while.

I am certainly not concerned about my reproductive rights. Haprer says he doesn't want to touch the issue. No one does, pro-life or pro-choice. Getting into that debate could easily lead to political suicide. I am also not worried about gay marriage. 7 or 8 provincial Supreme Courts have already ruled on it, and changing the law won't likley get past the Canadian Supreme Court. With all of the crazy spending promises by Martin in the last year, the economy could be in better shape with Harper.


Ignatieff is a birlliant man with no political instincts. Heaven help the Liberals if he gets the job. He didn't perform so well as a candidate in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. My guess is that McKenna will throw his name into the race.There's also been talk about Martin Cochon and Brian Tobin. Goodale might run to to have a Western candidate. Stronach hasn't ruled out a run. I don't particularly like any of those choices.

McKenna seems to be the most talked about, but I don't know how well he would play outside of the Maritimes. Even though he's from New Brunswick, his French is rather bad. He'd need to work on that.

 

[Ladskater]

Please do not stereotype.:scowl::disapp:

I've been interested in Canada since I was a child, even though I did not grow up in a border state. During my undergrad days, most of my international relations papers concerned U.S. - Canada relations. My interest since then has not waned. I've been following the Canadian election since it was announced last autumn.

U.S. networks did cover the Canadian election, but I do not think that it received the attention that it deserved.

And since this is a skating board . . . I have attended Skate Canada multiple times, but I have never attended Skate America. It's not that I haven't wanted to do so, but it just never worked out that way.

See you at SC 06 in Victoria, everyone. I bought my tix the day they went on sale.

Lynn

Sorry for the sterotyping, but I lived in California for about five years (grades 3-6) and I remember most Americans not knowing much about Canada. My most asked question was "do we live in igloos?"!! No! Only if we live in Inuvik!!!!

Thanks for the repsonse.

 

[Ladskater]

"Getting along better with Bush...", Ladskater, may not necessarily be a wise or virtuous thing. Be careful what you wish for.

By the way, with one exception, I've visited every Canadian province and know a great deal about Canada - good and bad.

I also take exception to your assertion that because I live in the USA I wouldn't notice your country has held an election. Maybe you didn't mean it to seem condescending?

No, I was not meaning to be condescending. It's a well known fact here that most Americans pay little attention to what goes on above the 49th parallel - ever watch Rick Mercer on the CBC interviewing Americans about Canada? Of course it is all "tongue-in-cheek." The fact is, Canadians know more about the US than the US knows about Canada. Also, our politics are sooooo boring, we don't pay much attention to it either!!! No offense meant....

 

[Ladskater]

I agree...

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found that most Americans think Bush is failing second term.
http://edition.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/26/bush.poll/index.html



I think Canadians have always had warm feelings for the American people. But the US government is a whole nother matter.

It's true. Our politicians (especially librals) like to "stick their foot in their mouth" all the time about the US. Remember Caoline Parish? Our former Prime Minister- Chretien had a hard time keeping his cabinet members from insulting the US government. I think Paul Martin had the same problem. I don't think it bodes well for two neighbouring countries to be bashing one another. The world is a harsh enough place. We should be trying to get along. We don't have to agree on everything, but insulting remarks should be kept on the home front.

thanks.

 

[Kara Bear]

Hi, Heres another stubborn Maritimer who voted Liberal. I'm rooting for McKenna to be the next PM!

 

[Lynn226]

My most asked question was "do we live in igloos?"!! No! Only if we live in Inuvik!!!!

That's funny because the only people I ever heard about living in igloos were the Eskimos.

Thank you for your response.

 

[Aloft04]

The fact is, Canadians know more about the US than the US knows about Canada..... No offense meant....

No offense taken, but I don't think it is a "fact". Like you, I have lived in both countries and simply can't agree with your assertion.

Folks who choose to be ignorant of their neighbors dwell on both sides of the
49th parallel (but I'll spare you my experiences because I think that type of dialogue is elitist and divisive.)

Folks who choose to be ignorant of their own homeland are equally available in both places and probably even a little more scarey :yes:

 

[Ptichka]

What I found most amusing about the Canadian elections is the "Soldiers. With Guns. In our Cities. We did not make this up" ad. Talk about sticking one's foot in the mouth!

 

[IndieBoi]

Anybody have any guesses as to who will replace Paul Martin?

With McKenna and Manley having decided not to run for the Liberal leadership, the remaining front-runners are Scott Brison, Michael Ignatieff, Belinda Stronach, and Brian Tobin.

If Stronach won though, it would make for a Dynasty-esque battle between her and Harper.

 

[Antilles]

I doubt Stronach or Scott Bryson would get the leadership. I have never heard of someone sitting as an MP for one party becoming leader of a different party. I was surprised about McKenna. Now people are starting to tout Tobin a little more. Joe Volpe and Bavilqua (totally butchered the name, I am sure) are also being mentioned. it will be interesting.

It is true that plenty of Canadians and Americans are ignorant about their own country and their neighbours. I would think Canadians have a slight edge in knowing about our neighbours, but not because we are superior in any way. I think the world's only superpower draws plenty of attention from everyone. It's just a natural reaction.

 

[Ladskater]

No offense taken, but I don't think it is a "fact". Like you, I have lived in both countries and simply can't agree with your assertion.

Folks who choose to be ignorant of their neighbors dwell on both sides of the
49th parallel (but I'll spare you my experiences because I think that type of dialogue is elitist and divisive.)

Folks who choose to be ignorant of their own homeland are equally available in both places and probably even a little more scarey :yes:

Perhaps, but as our great Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau put it: "living next to the US is rather like a mouse being in bed with an Elephant."

 

[Shmuzzy]

It's a basic fact that Canadians are more exposed to American culture than vice-versa. TV is one of the main reasons. Practically every Canadian can get ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, or you name it. How many Americans can get CBC, Global, or CTV to name a few? Not many on these boards I think since not many seemed to be able to watch Skate Canada or Canadian Nationals live, while I had no problem watching Skate America and U.S Nationals. In fact I had to record a few hours of stuff since US/Canadian Nats were on at the same time.

To get back somewhat on theme, Belinda certainly has the dough to make a run for the leadership, but not the experience. Brison, although a turncoat like Belinda, has the "advantage" of his sexual orientation going for him. He would be seen as a good symbol of how "progressive" the Liberal party is. Ignatieff certainly has the academic credentials but some of his past comments about Iraq, as well as his known support of the missile shield probably don't sit very well with his peers. I think the favourite has to be Tobin. Most people remember him for the "Turbot War" and the unusually aggressive stance he took against the EU for overfishing. If people can forget that he was a close buddy of "Chretien the criminal" than he probably stands a good chance of winning. I think he is going to come out of retirement to give it a go. He wants some redemption after getting run over by the Paul Martin steam roller last time around.