Before the Minister of Finance even finished reading his budget speech, Stephen Harper was at the microphone saying he would support the budget. It is possible that there was a secret agreement when Harper reacted so quickly. However, that all changed after Jean Brault's testimony at the Gomery Inquiry and the polls began to show the Conservatives gaining strength. At that point the Conservatives decided to bring down the government.<br /> <br /> Up until that point both the NDP and the BQ were publicly at least, rejecting the budget.<br /> <br /> It would seem to me that if there was an earlier agreement it was with the Conservatives alone. In the end it was the Conservatives who publicly first supported the budget and then just as publicly backed out. Therefore, I would say it is your MP who is "out to lunch" on this one.<br /> <br /> I will certainly be looking for another option for my vote in this election. I will not be voting Liberal or Conservative because both parties are too desperate for power.

   

What changed from the time the conservatives backed the budget, "this is not a budget to call an election on", and now? The NDP made Martin shovel some tax dollars to the majority taxpayers, the public. This is unacceptable to the conservatives who only support corporate welfare. <br /> <br /> I have no idea what the bloc thinks it is doing.

   

[QUOTE BY= Milton] <br /> I have no idea what the bloc thinks it is doing.[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> I wonder if they do. <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/evil.gif' alt='Evil'> <br /> <br /> Innes, I believe that if a budget is passed, then that is the only agreement that matters. Once the house votes for a budget, especialy in a minority government, then it's considered a done deal acceptable to all parties. Before that, and to that end, anything goes <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/wink.gif' alt='Wink'><br /> <br /> <br />

   

The BLOC reflects the will of Quebeckers to get these damn Libranos out of office at all costs.

   

[QUOTE BY= Samuel] The BLOC reflects the will of Quebeckers to get these damn Libranos out of office at all costs.[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> Last election you voted Bloc and did the Liberals leave office? <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/rolleyes.gif' alt='Rolling Eyes'>

   

What do the parties want? I'll tell you:<br /> <br /> LIBERALS - they want to stay in power, which they will do by painting the Conservatives as out of line with Canadian values, and as having a secret agenda (a secret agenda that is apparently worse than the Liberal secret agenda <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/wink.gif' alt='Wink'> )<br /> <br /> CONSERVATIVES - they want power desperately because they know once the public stops caring about Gomery, the Liberals will get back in. They will do this by painting the themselves as Liberals without the corruption (as if the Conservatives are corruption-free)<br /> <br /> BQ - they want to be the sole Quebec representatives federally so that no government can include Quebecers, and they can further their cause for sovereignty. THey will do this by downplaying their policies on separatism (like in the last election) and run purely on rage.<br /> <br /> NDP - they want influence, either with this government or the next. They would prefer a Liberal government in the next parliament, but they aren't comfortable with them either. Their best case scenario, a coalition with the Liberals that they can manipulate easily. They want to be seen as the party with the most integrity, and so far, to me, they are succeeding (mind you, I am an NDP supporter, so my analysis might be biased).<br /> <br /> You know, it's times like this I wish we still had the PCs, because their centrist policies would make them a great alternative to the Liberals.

   

[QUOTE BY= dino] [QUOTE BY= Samuel] The BLOC reflects the will of Quebeckers to get these damn Libranos out of office at all costs.[/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> Last election you voted Bloc and did the Liberals leave office? <img align=absmiddle src='images/smilies/rolleyes.gif' alt='Rolling Eyes'> [/QUOTE]<br /> You are still reading people out of context dino. Milton was asking why the block would vote against the budget. Quebeckers want Libs out of there pronto and no amount of candies from Martin will buy a different opnion. Yes I know the Liberals bought and scared the ROC into votes last election.

   

Why is it impossible to create an alternative to the Liberals in Quebec without embracing separatism? No intelligent person in Quebec believes that there would not be an enormous cost to separating for both Quebec and the rest of Canada.<br /> <br /> It is easy to understand why the separatists do not like the budget: they want it all for Quebec. They can do that successfully. The Conservatives are willing to pay the BQ game because that party's ideology is based on the principle that "greed is good." The two parties have a great deal in common: they both claim to be sovereignist parties. However, they have different concepts of what sovereignty really means: the BQ supports the sovereignty of Quebec; the Conservatives promote the sovereignty of capital.<br />

   

[QUOTE BY= Innes] Why is it impossible to create an alternative to the Liberals in Quebec without embracing separatism? <br /> [/QUOTE]<br /> <br /> Think. <br /> <br /> Canadian politics has nothing worth offering to Québécers, nor to Canadians it would seem. <br /> <br /> In regards to federal politics, last year’s election pointed out that Québécers are fairly united while the ROC is deeply divided. This year’s election will only make it even more evident to all. <br /> It is Canadians who are breaking up their nation, not Québecers. <br />

   

Yea, the Quebecois are the only ones in step.