If you look at the states, there are several factions in both party. There are only 2 parties but there are actually more groups of senators and congress people that work together within and across party lines than the number of uniform Canadian parties. Health care reform there would be an open and shut case if they voted the way Canadian parliament does but convincing the moderate democrats in the party has been half the battle.

Another thing that bugs me about Canadian elections are the lack of open primaries….I think constituents should be choosing the candidates for each party, it allows grass roots candidates to actually have a chance at running.

So I guess I agree to a certain extent that our system does actually have problems, I just don’t think it has to do with minority gov’ts…its one of the benefits of our system. In the US the opposition party can filibuster whenever they want with no fear of an election and it leads to a lot of problems.

To Aron Walkhouse the gun registry was mismanaged, but the idea is sound. The police force use it to anticipate what kind of situation they are getting into. It helps to know there are guns in the house when responding to domestic disputes. It also helps to encourage people to report stolen firearms, which does help keep them off the streets. At this point the money has already been spent, so to kill the system now would be foolish. But I will agree that it was a joke how badly it was managed.

If the opposition is not ready to bring down the government on an issue in a minority gov’t, then it is because they do not believe the Canadian public would vote them into power on the issue at hand. Therefore it’s a good check on the opposition from stopping any minority gov’t legislation they want.

On the flip side, it’s also good when the gov’t is doing something that a large amount of citizens do not agree with. The opposition party can bring down the gov’t and will be voted into power on election day.

The system is fine, the problem most of you have is someone you don’t like (for personal reasons, you’ve really made no references to any political ones) is the prime minister.

Ignatieff just represents more of the same liberal party stupidity. I *want* to vote liberal but they just keep making it so hard. Until they put forward a leader that is a viable prime minister, and come up with some kind of coherent national policy, the country is going to continue to be divided and Harper will be the best choice of the 3.

Harper isn’t perfect, but he is by far the best leader and candidate for prime minister of Canada, and that is why his party continues to win and why I continue to vote for them.

It was things like waffling efforts to americanize our copyright law that keep us putting weaker and weaker minorities in place. Someday they are going to take the hint and realize that we want them to act like Canadians and be proud of it.

If they keep up this act of theirs they’re going to have to get used to seeing the skull and crossbones every day they come to work from now on. The way things are going, future minority governments are probably going to have to accept being boarded by a few pirates now and then just to float a coalition.

You meant to say “*I* don’t want an election”, right?

You also meant to say: “I am a shill for the PMO’s well established and utterly stupid talking points”, yes?

Sounds to me like you caught a bad case of the Harper Herpes. You know, when you get into bed with a filthy, lying, backstabbing politician and wake up with a rash of stupid things to say?

Yeah, you know.

“Time to put the needs of Canadians first”?

You basically quote the Conservatives slogan from an election or two aggo, cleamim to be a former Liberal suppoter and expect us to expect you’re not a Conservative shill?

You’re also using another Conservative talking poing by saying “Canadians have clearly indicated they do NOT want another election.”

Really? I’m a Canadian and I want Harper gone asap. Thanks for speaking for me with such a half assed broad statement.

You Conservatives have no ethics or decency. It’s clear you’re a Conservative going around pretending to be a Liberal. You’re a traitor to Canada and the Canadian way

I’m a NDP’er who’ll be voting Liberal because of people like you.

You disgust me.