tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667867.post114696966302215119..comments2023-10-22T10:46:18.594-04:00Comments on Cardinal47/Politics and living in the world: Will Harper's grand plan succeed?cardinal47http://www.blogger.com/profile/15686583132311235803noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667867.post-1147022472264166612006-05-07T13:21:00.000-04:002006-05-07T13:21:00.000-04:00I meant that Harper is giving Duceppe an excuse to...I meant that Harper is giving Duceppe an excuse to stay onside and not defeat the budget because of his pledge to rectify the fiscal imbalance. Duceppe is not eager for an election right away. The reality is that Harper is hoping to make further inroads in Quebec but he's putting at risk the Conservative seats in Ontario.cardinal47https://www.blogger.com/profile/15686583132311235803noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667867.post-1146985333660151002006-05-07T03:02:00.000-04:002006-05-07T03:02:00.000-04:00He is obviously using the fiscal imbalace issue to...<I> He is obviously using the fiscal imbalace issue to keep Jean Charest and Gilles Duceppe onside. His objective is to gain seats in Quebec next election, enough to secure a majority.</I><BR/><BR/>That's actually reverse thinking my friend. If quebecors know they can get the same results by voting BQ, they'll vote BQ. Deuceppe is the one who will gain seats by working with the Cosnervatives.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667867.post-1146974218521139662006-05-06T23:56:00.000-04:002006-05-06T23:56:00.000-04:00Everyone is derisive to McGuinty on his stance: th...Everyone is derisive to McGuinty on his stance: the other premiers, the Conservatives and the media (see Randall Denley in the Citizen), but if he actually makes it a campaign issue, watch out. His demand for per capita money from Ottawa would dramatically increase the immigration money for example. All other provinces enjoy this, but Ontario, where Toronto is home to almost 50% of all immigrants to Canada each year, just gets block funding. Per capita funding on immigration alone would cost the federal government billions. And if it was to go further and match the funding Quebec gets in its special deal (Quebec runs it, the feds pay for it), Ontario could kiss its deficit goodbye (but that would be dreaming to think that there would be parity with Quebec). It will be resources next: where some provinces get to keep their royalties, and collect equalization at the same time, and other provinces don’t. It will be interesting to note what happens on that front in September at the projected first ministers’ conference on equalization.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8667867.post-1146970329199268732006-05-06T22:52:00.000-04:002006-05-06T22:52:00.000-04:00Harper has been adept so far but IMHO he has misca...Harper has been adept so far but IMHO he has miscalculated on the fiscal imbalance. I think he will be dragged into a swamp from which he will find it difficult to extricate himself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com