well current polls show that the NDP may well form Government next time

The answer Federally is certainly "no."

And even if they formed Government, the idea that they'd "legalize marijuana" is rather silly. I wish it were so, but I wish we would return to the pre-conquest Law of the English. And if wishing were all it took...

Incidentally, if we focused less on politics and more on restoration of our Old English Law, we'd be in a better place. But that requires boring reading, and it contains lots of curious statements about the relationship between God, Government and Man, so it's "over the head" of many contemporaries.

I've had some dealing with each of the Big Three Parties. The NDP were the most manipulative and scammy---they seemed like a bunch of hucksters, none of whom knew exactly what they were doing.

The Liberals had the same feel, but less so, because they projected a confident image---they have a large base of donors that is rather secure, due to their base being more than public unions trying to keep the gravy train running.

That's a big problem with the NDP, the correct perception that their biggest constituency are gravy-train riders. And we're not talking low-end gravy-train riders like people on welfare who spend 100% of their income into the local economy. We're talking high-end gravy train riders who have foreign investments, pension funds, etc. etc.

Now, the Conservatives. A bunch of very kind people, in my experience. Do I agree with them? Fuck no. Do they agree with me? Probably more than some of the people on these forums...but would they say so in public? No, because it wouldn't help them manipulate their base, and they are unabashed about that.

Way back when Bud the Oracle and I went before Parliament, I had a chat with Ed Fast, head of the Justice and Human Rights Committee, Conservative MP. He was very respectful, and he actually approached me to talk to me. I have never had an NDP or Liberal fellow approach me in good-faith. In the end, the Clerk of the Committee had to remind him it was "lunch time," otherwise I suspect he would have continued chatting with me.

So, if the Conservative Party could be shown that drug users are responsible business people who are just looking to support their families and so forth, I think there are inroads to be made. The Liberals and NDP, on the other hand, they're bought and paid for, the one by big corporations, the other by big unions.

Not that I believe much in politics, but, if I did, I would be joining my local Conservative Party and talking up the economic benefits of marihuana legalization---they pander to social conservatives, but that doesn't mean they're all social conservatives, you know. Maybe they're a tad bit more sophisticated than you think...

Too funny. Chow showed her true colours when she rolled over and stamped on her dead husband's values by sporting the blowhard two days after the convention. Broadbent had it right.

We had high hopes for the NDP when we brought them to power in NS. .. but they have out slimed and have been worst than te worst of the lib/cons we have suffered through...

Buddy gave 50 mil (25 of it it no strings) to a company and they walked away a couple of months later..and it goes on..the the funny part is the have been the harshest government on labour...aren't the NDP supposed to be pro labout ?

. NS has the higest taxes with no real return
. out gas prices are very high
. buddy is giving out multi million awards w/o tendering (one to IBM) ..even Harper (but not Chrétien) isn't that stupid..
. he wants ( supported by the cons) NS to be a min wage society where no one gets an education so we don't have to have successful companies locate here... just read the newspapers ( which I just cancelled) .. anyone who makes more than min wage is evil...especially if they work for the government..

With the feds .. don't forget the god like presence being given to the coronation of baby Tredeau to the lib.. a wild card. Will the West remember the NEP in the 80's that made the word bankrupt a household word ?

I would rather voting in someone that can fix our problems rather than voting out Harper and being stuck with a bigger mess. Will the NDP eve get a majority in Canada,,never w/o Leighton. My dad one said some parties are meant only to be in opposition...and that describes the NDP.

Sorry for the rant so early...stressful times in our household at the moment..

Im hoping the Greens/NDP win most of the seats next election. I dont trust mulcair though, he seems like a snake in the grass. The liberals arent much better then the conservatives.

Grassy
too true
in bc the endDP had 10 years and after being voted out for being idiots they were strongly in favor of proportional representation, Oh?, they had ten years to bring it in. On and on and on etc. etc.
The old parties are all stuck in the mud.
Want change, vote Green!
Green and strategic voting is about the only option we have right now. But what ever we do, we need to get rid of the extreme right wing wanttobeamerican con$eratives.
God save the Green
BB

I fear democracy is long dead, an illusion at best. The parties are the figureheads for the powers that be that actually run the county. We never used to be like this in Canada, but Harper (his face at least) has really kicked things up. We are moving towards the American model of intrusion, control and removal of rights.

We need a bigger change then a change in governing parties can accomplish.

Iam,

So what would be the solution ? US type politics isn't it, and some of the various forms overseas certainly are not it..

How about less lawyers, doctors and politic spinners like 'bama .. spin up their salaries and make it into a real job like only 60 hours a week so we will get better people...define their positions a bit better and remove the power from the bureaucracy because they don't have to account to anybody...

Anything is better (almost even Harper but no) than the Trudeau/Chretien dictatorship.. Dark hours were those...

Unfortunately, with proportional rep ..the smaller population, the weaker you are...how about all provinces get 1/10th of the vote so we are all equal ?

Grassy

Ya, love or hate em, at least everyone knew where ol' Pierre stood...on everything. Today is the day of say anything to get elected, then do what you please claiming new information or whatever other excuse is dreamt up that keeps you from fulfilling your election promises.

Trying to make everyone vote for the one party is how we got into this mess. Liberals voted liberal, unless they were VERY VERY VERY upset. The battle was in finding new Liberal supporters, not in persuading a Conservative to vote Liberal. Now we get upset and switch loyalties over stupid minor issues that the press tells us are important.

Meanwhile we allow the ruling governments to import Chinese miners, export whole logs, and go searching in California for tradesmen. Sure our economy might grow some new jobs, but how many are actually Canadians working at them?

What is the answer...I really don't know. What we have isn't working, and as you pointed out, there aren't many shining examples to follow either. I do know that if EVERY pot smoker in Canada voted, we would determine our next leader...