From Jay Currie:
Looking to Form
[...]The great slug of the Liberal Party will simply ooze into power on momentum and the sheer idiocy of Ontario voters (and more than a few dummies out here.)[...]
Two things:
1) More people voted conservative in Ontario last federal election than there are people in Alberta. (I know Jay is not in Alberta)
2) Maybe Ontario voters collectively were right. Ever since the election the Conservatives have not shown themselves to be all that ready for power yet, in my opinion.
3)Labelling Ontario voters as "idiots" is hardly helpful to your cause. They voted mostly for Liberals for many different reasons. Find the reasons and address them, don't dismiss them as stupid or you simply confirm what many Ontarian's suspect: those in the west care only about the issues of the west.
(Yes, I know Ontarians have been guilty of political navel-gazing in the past or even today. But if you want to build a nation-wide coalition, you don't tell the biggest part of that coalition that their concerns are second rate or unimportant.)
2 comments:
good point - the liberals' ontario victories weren't exactly resounding. just because the most seats are there doesn't mean ontario elects the government on its own.
generally, westerners care about issues besides regionalism/federalism... but in a federation with distinct political cultures in various regions, one must accept these things will come up from time to time.
i don't think ontarians will really endear themselves to anyone if they label themselves "the biggest part" of the coalition known as canada, mind you :) just because you have the biggest population doesn't mean you're the most important province... haha, come on. in terms of commons seats, yes. in the senate, quebec/atlantic canada/the west can shut ontario out. the amending formula of the constitution requires 7/10 provinces.
Any government elected to power in the House of Commons almost always requires some degree of control of the seats in Ontario. No other province has that clout. So labeling Ontario "the biggest part" is not chest thumping, its reality. I'm not saying its the most important province by a long shot.
As for the Senate, its a joke in my opinion and should be abolished. Reform of the Senate would be so difficult as to be practically impossible. Get rid of it I say!
Thanks for the comments. :)
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