[bootlegga]

I have to admit I like the platform, even though i don't qualify for chunks of it (students funding or increased payments for seniors).

The thing is if Iggy uses the platform properly, he could conceivably get large chunks of people to vote for him - most notably seniors and youth - with the youth vote being a huge bonus and potentially enough to lift him from Official Opposition to minority gov't.

The trick is whether or not the Libs will campaign correctly or not. So far, they are and Harper and Co. has looked rudderless by comparison.

[saturn_656]

$1:

When did Ignatieff say that? I never heard Ignatieff talk about abolishing GST. Chrétien talked about getting rid of it, but intended to replace the GST with a VAT (Value Added Tax). The British VAT is practically the same as the GST. Liberal Finance Minister Paul Martin said that's just a change of name, so rejected it. Paul Martin chose to leave it alone rather than try to deceive anyone with such a thin excuse.

On this topic, let's take a quick trip down memory lane for a good chuckle. Although it was Chretien's promise (one he conveniently forgot about), it was Sheila Copps who made herself look like a Grade A jackass.

$1:

October 18, 1993 "CBC Town Hall"
Sheila Copps
"I've already said personally and very directly that if the GST is not abolished, I'll resign. I don't know how much clearer you can get. I think you've got to be accountable on the things that you say you're going to do and you have to deliver.

So we have Ms. Copps assurance, the GST goes or she quits. The Liberals were elected, the GST did not go, and big surprise, Sheila didn't quit.

$1:

April 26, 1996 "National"
Sheila Copps
"I think that making a fast-lipped comment in an election campaign should not put me in a position to resign."

Liberal, to the core.

[Winnipegger]

saturn_656 saturn_656:

So we have Ms. Copps assurance, the GST goes or she quits. The Liberals were elected, the GST did not go, and big surprise, Sheila didn't quit.

She did quit. She was asked to be the designated scape goat; she complained about that, but in the end did quit. Then when she tried to run for re-election, to get her seat back, someone in the Liberal Party manipulated the nomination vote so she couldn't. She was treated very unfairly. After quitting her seat in parliament to cover Chétien's ass, she wasn't let back in.

Let's see, who had a similar experience recently? Helena Guergis was kicked out of caucus for something her husband did. She didn't, her husband did. She did have a hissy-fit in the Charlottetown airport, that did deserver kicker her out of cabinet, but not caucus. The excuses for kicking her out of caucus were all about things her husband did.

Iggy has commented that Guergis was treated unfairly. Because of that, I expect Iggy won't pull a stunt like Copps or Guergis.

[OnTheIce]

jeff744 jeff744:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Winnipegger Winnipegger:

In the end Liberals as a Party were honest.

Honest?

The party that got voted in on a lie (GST) and voted out due to a spending scandal.

That's honesty for ya.

Any Harper got voted in on hundreds of them, still waiting for him to live up to one.

I know it's not often that politicians live up to promises, but perhaps you should take a second look, despite your obvious bias.

A couple they did within the first year:

-Lowered taxes for all Canadians

-Introduced the Universal Child Care Program

-Lowered the GST

[Bruce_the_vii]

I don't know why the good reception and optimism about the Grit promises. The country is four years away from a balanced budget if they start cutting the next time around and surpluses lie a couple of years beyond that. That is if the world economy recovers. In seven years the elderly will be 3% more of the population, and costs to look after Mom and Dad will be up. Ignatieff should realize that these big problems, the deficit and aging, focus attention on the opposition. People look to the opposition for leadership.

[DerbyX]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Honest?

The party that got voted in on a lie (GST) and voted out due to a spending scandal.

That's honesty for ya.

I know it's not often that politicians live up to promises, but perhaps you should take a second look, despite your obvious bias.

A couple they did within the first year:

-Lowered taxes for all Canadians

-Introduced the Universal Child Care Program

-Lowered the GST

Yes but he broke his promises on floor crossers, fixed election dates, accountability, Ice Breakers, deficit spending, etc.

Chretien's red book promises had a 78% completion record, albeit one Chretien himself said.

What was that point you were making about double standards? The CPC cannot claim some moral higher ground on promises kept or broken and in the end if broken promises are what helped bring down the Liberals then they should be what helps bring down Harper as well. Ditto his mounting scandals.

[saturn_656]

Winnipegger Winnipegger:

saturn_656 saturn_656:

So we have Ms. Copps assurance, the GST goes or she quits. The Liberals were elected, the GST did not go, and big surprise, Sheila didn't quit.

She did quit. She was asked to be the designated scape goat; she complained about that, but in the end did quit. Then when she tried to run for re-election, to get her seat back, someone in the Liberal Party manipulated the nomination vote so she couldn't. She was treated very unfairly. After quitting her seat in parliament to cover Chétien's ass, she wasn't let back in.

Three years later... after she commissioned a poll making sure she'd win in the resulting by-election. Which she did win.

If you want to call that quitting that is your prerogative.

[OnTheIce]

DerbyX DerbyX:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Honest?

The party that got voted in on a lie (GST) and voted out due to a spending scandal.

That's honesty for ya.

I know it's not often that politicians live up to promises, but perhaps you should take a second look, despite your obvious bias.

A couple they did within the first year:

-Lowered taxes for all Canadians

-Introduced the Universal Child Care Program

-Lowered the GST

Yes but he broke his promises on floor crossers, fixed election dates, accountability, Ice Breakers, deficit spending, etc.

Chretien's red book promises had a 78% completion record, albeit one Chretien himself said.

What was that point you were making about double standards? The CPC cannot claim some moral higher ground on promises kept or broken and in the end if broken promises are what helped bring down the Liberals then they should be what helps bring down Harper as well. Ditto his mounting scandals.

Never did say he didn't break any promises, they all do.

I was simply pointing out that he did live up to some promises, despite the posters indication that he didn't live up to anything.

[Bruce_the_vii]

This Globe and Mail article about the Liberal platform garnered 2,775 reader comments.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le1968843/

Meanwhile this Globe and Mail article on the vagueness of both the Conservatives and the Liberals on what they’ll do to cut the deficit garnered 39 reader comments.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... le1969473/

[Bruce_the_vii]

When the deficit soared to $56 billion I was expecting Ignatieff to be prudent and focus on cuts and some limited smart spending. He never did, instead he focused on expanding programs. If he had been parsimonious he would have been able to tap Harper with his plan for $50 billion in deficits to finance tax cuts for corporations and his expensive prison expansion on deficit money. Harper wandered into borrow-and-spend territory, like many before him. Harper gave the Liberals this opening and Ignatieff was out of position.

[Bruce_the_vii]

People conversant with adult responsibilities are concerned about the deficit. Apparently Ignatieff and Harper are not. Within a year there's going to be a gloves off punch up in Ottawa. The main three Canadian cities are ailing, the deficit is being ignored and the population is aging. The Canadian people don't care about the current "drunks", they can sit there in a deadlocked Parliament for all any one cares. Eventually, sobriety will prevail though.