Hamilton Votes 2008

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by flar

That's not so bad, we'll return to Liberal majorities.

Or to unstable Liberal minorities. Between the two de facto regional parties (the Bloc in Quebec and the Conservatives in Alberta), the only way a party can win a majority is by taking most of the rest of the country: Ontario, the Atlantic provinces, more of the Prairies, and B.C. The Liberals will have a hard time doing that without splitting the urban vote with the NDP.

Originally Posted by flar

The Conservatives got slapped down with the coalition gambit and won't be able to do as much damage (they'll have to act like a minority government) when parliament resumes.

That is a good thing, but Harper's approach has always been incremental - making a long series small changes that aren't harmful enough in themselves to warrant a vote of no confidence but cumulatively nudge the country to the right. That incremental process - a process supported by the more corporatist Liberals now in ascendancy - will continue as long as Harper continues as Prime Minister.

[BrianE]

What I don't understand are all the comments being posted by people on cbc.ca and ctv.ca and other websites. It's bizare! A few people are saying they will vote conservative now and not for Ignatieff.

An analogy might be:

'Well, my girlfriend isn't coming to the party so I might as well sleep with her ugly cousin... that will show her.'

[markbarbera]

Originally Posted by BrianE

What I don't understand are all the comments being posted by people on cbc.ca and ctv.ca and other websites. It's bizare! A few people are saying they will vote conservative now and not for Ignatieff.

An analogy might be:

'Well, my girlfriend isn't coming to the party so I might as well sleep with her ugly cousin... that will show her.'

You gotta take posts on cbc and ctv articles with a grain of salt. They are made mainly by MP's parliamentary assistants (on our dime) and are meant to reinforce positive messages about their party (and reinforce negatives about their political opponents). CBC is the favourite target of right-whingers for this kind of tactic.

PS: no that was not a typo.

[FairHamilton]

Still more mixed economic messages from our current (on hiatus) federal government.

From Flaherty: http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/553319

From Harper: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/08121...conomy_finance

[SteelTown]

Ontario will get 22 new seats in the next federal election so that should bring back another seat to Inner Hamilton, probably bring back West Hamilton riding.

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Ontario will get 22 new seats in the next federal election

Yet another reason for Harper to have pulled the plug on parliament prematurely.

[highwater]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Ontario will get 22 new seats in the next federal election so that should bring back another seat to Inner Hamilton, probably bring back West Hamilton riding.

I hope you're right. As a Westdaler, I feel totally disenfranchised lumped in Ancaster and Flamborough. Of course, that will leave red Dundas all alone in a sea of blue.

[flar]

The electoral districts are supposed to be independently and objectively chosen, but you can be sure the Conservatives will do everything they can to make sure completely urban electoral district boundaries are less favoured than boundaries that split up urban areas.

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by flar

The electoral districts are supposed to be independently and objectively chosen, but you can be sure the Conservatives will do everything they can to make sure completely urban electoral district boundaries are less favoured than boundaries that split up urban areas.

I'm sure they'll ask independent constituency expert Dr. Gerry Mander to draw up the new boundaries.

[flar]

Originally Posted by ryan_mcgreal

I'm sure they'll ask independent constituency expert Dr. Gerry Mander to draw up the new boundaries.

I wouldn't be surprised, Dr. Mander's expertise has been used extensively in the past.

[ryan_mcgreal]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

Ontario will get 22 new seats in the next federal election so that should bring back another seat to Inner Hamilton, probably bring back West Hamilton riding.

FWIW I just read on CBC that it will be 21 new seats.

Originally Posted by SteelTown

The new rule is one MP for every 115,000 residents.

Again, the CBC article notes that this would have been the ratio under Harper's former proposal. The new agreement gives Ontario approximately the same as the other provinces - one MP for every 105,000 residents.

[SteelTown]

The new rule is one MP for every 115,000 residents. Inner Hamilton has about 500,000? So we should at least have 4 ridings maybe 5 ridings?

[Millstone]

Originally Posted by SteelTown

The new rule is one MP for every 115,000 residents. Inner Hamilton has about 500,000? So we should at least have 4 ridings maybe 5 ridings?

The (post 2001) City of Hamilton (Hamilton, Dundas, Ancaster, Flamborough, Glanbrook, Stoney Creek) has ~500,000 residents, the old city has about 300-something.

[adam]

That's right, the majority of citizens live in the city of Hamilton proper. Here is a density map from 2001: http://www.brocku.ca/maplibrary/Atla...iondensity.pdf

[markbarbera]

Well, Mr. Harper's pattern of hypocracy in the name of expeince continues today with the appointment of 18 Conservative pork-barrelers to the senate. Note the appointment of good trooper Mike Duffy who apparently is being rewarded for his shameless media manipulation for the Tory cause over the years, particularly in his unfair smearing of Dion during the last campaign. If nothing else, Canada will be well-served to have his bovine bottom popped out of a broadcasting chair and squeezed firmly in the red plush chair of the upper chamber. Not that he will do anything besides bark like a seal in the red Chamber, but at least we'll be spared his ehtically questionable journalistic practices. Sadly he does leave behind a long line of trained seals on CTV, but CTV's days as a television broadcaster are winding down anyway.

Another hypocracy to be noted is today's appointment of Thomas Cromwell to the Supreme Court during proroguement of the House of Commons. Harper once was champion of the cause to vet possible justices before a House committee before confirming appointment. Another one of his so-called principles tossed out the window.

How can anyone support a man who is shamelessly doing anything and everything to cling to power, including abandoning his so-called principles on such issues as Senate Reform and appointments to the Supreme Court of Canada? In the immortal words of Brian Mulroney, there's no whore like an old whore...

[SteelTown]

Than we should have 5 ridings for Inner Hamilton (105,000), jeez this makes it pathetic that we currently have 3 ridings.

[MsMe]

A new Political joke just sent to me.

A cannibal was walking through the jungle and came upon a
restaurant operated by a fellow cannibal. Feeling somewhat hungry, he sat
down and looked over the menu...

+ Tourist: $5
+ Broiled Missionary: $7.00
+ Fried Explorer: $9.00
+ Freshly baked Conservatives, Liberals, Parti Québécois, New Democratic Party & Green Party:$150.00
The cannibal called the waiter over and asked, 'Why such a huge price
difference for the Politicians?'

The cook replied,'Have you ever tried to clean one? They're so
full of shit, it takes all morning.'