Apolitical Staples

Yes I write about this on my own blog and provide the corresponding CTV Question Period interviews.

Based on Prentice’s interview specifically, I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Tories have gone into election mode.

He provides a well planned out set of talking points that are clearly aimed at Stephane Dion leading up to a possible election campaign.

I didn’t think a spring election was in the cards. I’ve changed my mind after seeing that interview. I think Harper has decided that the situation is too good to pass up. I think I have to agree with him now.

As you stated, Greg, I think think engineering his own downfall could be tricky for Harper.

However, someone wrote an article not that long ago, citing Trudeau as an example, arguing that it’s pretty easy to kill your own minority government. All you have to do is throw something in the budget that’s impossible for the opposition to support. Presto, you have an election.

Since it’s clear that Harper wants to make the next election about security (from terrorism, crime, and even economic uncertainty), there might be funding for certain provisions in this area that none of the opposition parties can support. More jails maybe? I dunno.

Should be a fun month, to say the least.

He cannot engineer his own defeat easily.

The GG could refuse his request for an election, and ask Dion to form a government which will, at the very minimum, delay the election till after Labor Day (which would suit all the parties, except the Tories).

Harper may be fearing the Afghan theater and the predicted El Nino weather impacts if he is really serious about a Spring vote.

“The GG could refuse his request for an election, and ask Dion to form a government…” Like that’s going to happen. She didn’t give Harper a chance to form a gov’t after Martin was defeated and it is not going to happen this time either.

How much credibility do anonymous posters think they have, anyway?

“She didn’t give Harper a chance to form a gov’t after Martin was defeated and it is not going to happen this time either.”

True, but she is one of many many people who has had a fight with Harper. So, she might just relish it, and it would be fairly easy to justify. The Italian President’s recent reasoning could apply, for example.

Besides, the punditariat may be preparing the groundwork for that scenario. Read Ibbitson’s recent G&M column; ditto Flanagan/feb14 (very carefully).

In fact, if you think about it, that may be the only way Harper (and, by inference, the Alliance/Reform wing) gets to hang on to power, short of gaining an increasingly elusive majority mandate.

Once Canadians have had a chance to evaluate Dr. Dithers II, they may be more than willing to grant Harper a majority.

I think all this talk of Harper resigning his government is just that — talk.

If he goes down, it’ll be on a vote of non-confidence. The opposition has provided him plenty of ammunition on this front.

anonymous - your comment about the many many people with whom Harper has fought is empty. Why? Because you neglect to point out whether or not the argument was justified and valid. Was the other person, for example, a civil service member operating in the Liberal style of abuse of power?

Please inform us about the GG’s ‘fight with Harper’. I’m unaware of this fight. When and what and why?

I myself doubt that Harper’s focus will be singular, and on the Afghan war.

I also strongly reject your view that Harper represents only the Alliance/Reform wing; and also, that his policies are unattractive to the majority of Canadians.

I’d prefer a fall election. I think that the only party that really wants a spring election- is the Liberals. They must get rid of Dion, as fast as possible, and the only way, short of throwing him into the Ottawa River, is to engineer a defeat in parliament, toss him out - and then, rebuild. The later they leave this - the worse it will be for them.

“The GG could refuse his request for an election, and ask Dion to form a government…” Like that’s going to happen. She didn’t give Harper a chance to form a gov’t after Martin was defeated and it is not going to happen this time either

That was Adrienne Clarkson, not Michelle Jean. Here’s a couple of articles on “reserve power”:

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=e71845be-ffd7-4c36-900f-b3ae796d531a&p=1

http://www.cbc.ca/news/viewpoint/vp_zolf/20020628.html

It would take all 3 opposition parties to defeat the Government. If either Jack or Gilles supports any confidence vote (budget) Libs are stuck with Dion.

Unless PMSH is not the man I think he is, IMO he will want to shoulder the fall out of the spring offensive in Afghanistan, not try to duck out before the trouble starts (cut & run from responsibility).

I think the prime consideration for Harper right now is the weakness of the Official Opposition. Basically, Dion is a punching bag who can’t fight back. It’s exactly the kind of opponent you want to face. Nothing else really matters. Letting Dion survive another few months could end up backfiring. You might never get a chance like this again.

Up until Jim Prentice’s interview on CTV’s Question Period, Harper was talking about governing for a year. Now he’s talking about governing for the next month. BIG change.

I don’t think Afghanistan or anything else matters. It’s the Liberal party’s current ineptness that is the driving force behind any Harper push for an election, imo.

Bruce Cheadle?

“Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice refused Sunday to dampen election speculation.”?

Come on, this is just the MSM wolf pack slavering at all the pontential news from an election. It also seems to me that the Canadian political blogosphere has reason to cheer a potential for an election, more grist for the mill.

I’ll go out on a limb right now and say that the budget will pass.

Fergy, I’ve been saying there won’t be an election either. In fact, if there is one, it might contradict my belief that a Tory-NDP deal on the environment is in the works.

However, the Prentice interview was a dress rehearsal for an election style speech.

Go to my blog. Watch the interview.

It’s not just Cheadle who was left with that impression.

“We’ve got a busy month” could just mean that… they have a busy month planned. Prentice isn’t Harper. Is there a quote - anywhere - of Harper talking about governing for a month?

The closest I’ve seen is Jay Hill in a Hill Times article saying the PM is going to TRY to govern, which sounded more like a warning to the underfunded Liberals than anything else (to me, anyway).

Harper is giving a speech in town on Thursday - I’ll see what he has to say then, but I’m expecting it to be sabre-rattling rather than a call for an election.