Canadian no-confidence vote: the Aye's have it

[Greeby]

passed the needed 153 vote-mark

[CatBoreal]

1. Crud....

...hope the opposition parties have fun trying to pound campaign signs into the frozen ground.

[dsc]

2. I have heard reports that same sex marriage played a role in this

is that accurate?

[Chevy]

4. More about

government corruption in Quebec and a party who has been in power for to long.

[Telly Savalas]

5. Not really.

[Lisa]

8. same-sex marriage hasn't been in the news that much recently

It kind of fell off the radar here in BC, after it was legalized more than a year ago ... and after the press got tired of the obligatory pics of happy couples (and we all woke up and the place hadn't been destroyed by locusts or hellfire), it became boring.

I was chatting with a staffer in the fed Liberal MP's office, and she said that they got a blizzard of postcards and phone calls right after the laws were changed -- most of them were from the US, organized by anti-gay groups. Canadians don't seem to be as worked-up.

[dsc]

9. glad to hear that

I hope we don't lose this major gain in all of this.

[Lisa]

11. my guess is that it'll become such a normal part of life ...

... that it won't be a big deal either way (just as, say, women voting or going to university isn't controversial anymore).

There was a same-sex wedding in the local park a while back, and the residents just kind of nodded and treated it like another wedding (nobody heckling or making a big show of snubbing, but on the other hand, nobody getting all teary-eyed except for the participants).

I had to go to the hospital last month, and the lady next to me was there to give vital information on her spouse, who was having an operation. The nurse didn't bat an eyelid when the spouse turned out to be female ... and neither did the dozen or so people within earshot (a variety of ages and ethnic groups). Granted, they were in a hospital so they might have had more pressing issues on their minds, but still.

I am hoping that this means there won't be a rollback. Once something is accepted as part of our culture, people are resistant to changing it.

[LSparkle]

3. I watched the debate on C-Span this weekend and found it odd

The only thing I can think is that the NDP is trying to force this election in hopes of gaining enough seats to force the Libs to pay attention to their agenda (and make good on some apparent campaign promises). Otherwise, why on earth would they side with the Cons and the Bloc?

[Telly Savalas]

6. The NDP wanted the Liberals to make a clear stand

on not privatizing health-care. Paul Martin refused to play ball, so Layton pulled the plug.

The NDP isn't siding with the Cons at all.

[LSparkle]

7. That's what I thought -- I likened the Liberals to the DLC

and the NDP to "real Democrats" -- their leader repeatedly talked about the "Americanization" of health care and industries "taking jobs south." If I lived in Canada, I'd definitely vote NDP.

[SidDithers]

10. So why not wait until after the Gomery final report...

and the election promised by the PM?

Yeah, a Christmas election is gonna win tonnes of support.

Sid

[Lisa]

12. just think of irate citizens pelting pollsters with snowballs! (n/t)

[Telly Savalas]

13. Why wait two or three more months to get good government?

Since the debates will likely be scheduled after the new year and the election will be at least 3 weeks after x-mas, I don't get all this "Christmas election" hoopla.

I really like the results the the NDP have been getting in the minority government and would like to see more, but my resentment at having to vote in mid-January runs so deep, I'll vote for the Grits out of spite.

Yeah, right.

[SidDithers]

14. Why grandstand now, for something you were gonna get...

in two or three months anyway?

CBC did almost an hour on the upcoming election tonight, a full month before Christmas. People are not going to want to be hearing about the campaign all through the holiday season.

I really liked the results that the NDP have been getting, and I thought that Jack Layton was such a nice man, but it turns out he's just a slimy politician like all the rest of them. Oh, look at all the snow, I think I'll just stay home instead of voting this time.

Jack better pray for good weather on Jan 23.

Sid