More than half of Canadians favour Liberal-NDP co-operation
HyperionTheEvil @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:20 pm
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... le1596408/
$1:
A new poll suggests more than half of Canadians favour some sort of co-operation between the federal Liberals and New Democrats.
But The Canadian Press-Harris Decima survey indicates there's no consensus on what form that co-operation should take.
Twenty-eight per cent of those surveyed favoured a non-compete pact between the two parties, wherein they would agree not to run candidates against each other in some ridings across the country.
Fourteen per cent favoured a Liberal-NDP coalition government after the next election, while 13 per cent said they'd prefer an outright merger of the two parties prior to the election.
Another 30 per cent – including 50 per cent of Conservative supporters – said they would rather that the two parties not co-operate at all.
The telephone survey of just over 1,000 Canadians was conducted June 3-6 and is considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20.
The poll comes amid a resurgence of interest among Liberals about finding some way to co-operate with the NDP. Interest has been fuelled by tepid poll numbers and the recent installation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in Britain.
A number of Liberal luminaries – including former prime minister Jean Chrétien – have mused about the merits of combining Liberal and NDP forces to defeat Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff weighed in on the weekend, saying he's open to leading a coalition government if necessary, if that's the hand he's dealt by voters in the next election.
But he flatly ruled out any pre-election arrangement with the NDP, including a merger or a non-compete pact.
The Tories are attempting to revive public outrage over the idea of a coalition, reminding voters of the unpopular coalition of “separatists and socialists” former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion tried to cobble together in 2008.
They're also trying to preempt any attempt by Liberals and New Democrats to form a coalition if the Tories come up short of a majority but still with the most seats in the next election.
Mr. Harper insists the public will not tolerate “losers” forming a coalition government, that only the party with the most seats gets to govern.
However, there are plenty of examples of so-called losers taking power in parliamentary democracies around the world, including the current Israeli government and the 1985 Ontario government.
But The Canadian Press-Harris Decima survey indicates there's no consensus on what form that co-operation should take.
Twenty-eight per cent of those surveyed favoured a non-compete pact between the two parties, wherein they would agree not to run candidates against each other in some ridings across the country.
Fourteen per cent favoured a Liberal-NDP coalition government after the next election, while 13 per cent said they'd prefer an outright merger of the two parties prior to the election.
Another 30 per cent – including 50 per cent of Conservative supporters – said they would rather that the two parties not co-operate at all.
The telephone survey of just over 1,000 Canadians was conducted June 3-6 and is considered accurate within 3.1 percentage points, 19 times in 20.
The poll comes amid a resurgence of interest among Liberals about finding some way to co-operate with the NDP. Interest has been fuelled by tepid poll numbers and the recent installation of a Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition government in Britain.
A number of Liberal luminaries – including former prime minister Jean Chrétien – have mused about the merits of combining Liberal and NDP forces to defeat Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives.
Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff weighed in on the weekend, saying he's open to leading a coalition government if necessary, if that's the hand he's dealt by voters in the next election.
But he flatly ruled out any pre-election arrangement with the NDP, including a merger or a non-compete pact.
The Tories are attempting to revive public outrage over the idea of a coalition, reminding voters of the unpopular coalition of “separatists and socialists” former Liberal leader Stéphane Dion tried to cobble together in 2008.
They're also trying to preempt any attempt by Liberals and New Democrats to form a coalition if the Tories come up short of a majority but still with the most seats in the next election.
Mr. Harper insists the public will not tolerate “losers” forming a coalition government, that only the party with the most seats gets to govern.
However, there are plenty of examples of so-called losers taking power in parliamentary democracies around the world, including the current Israeli government and the 1985 Ontario government.
At this point i am as well, the conservatives are starting to signs of arrogance and rhetoric that is very disturbing, plus they're starting to let the crazies out.
commanderkai @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:41 pm
Oh noes. 500 people don't like the Conservative government or PM Harper.
saturn_656 @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:55 pm
Believing that co-operation with the NDP is a fast track back to power for the Liberals would be a mistake.
HyperionTheEvil @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:56 pm
commanderkai commanderkai:
Oh noes. 500 people don't like the Conservative government or PM Harper.
I use believe that the conservatives have some useful capabilities. But now they've become as stiff minded, and arrogant as the liberals were. They're starting to blow good money for no reason and then doing their best to spin it into something else.
HyperionTheEvil @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:57 pm
saturn_656 saturn_656:
Believing that co-operation with the NDP is a fast track back to power for the Liberals would be a mistake.
Which has been one of the CPC's bullet points. The same thing the liberals said about the PC and Reform parties merging,. The CPC doesn't want to face a combined effort.
The conservatives have been power now for years, time for a change.
saturn_656 @ Tue Jun 08, 2010 6:03 pm
HyperionTheEvil HyperionTheEvil:
The conservatives have been power now for years, time for a change.
That's it?
You're not going to consider policy, the parties positions on the issues, etc?
They've been in too long so lets vote for the other guy?
HyperionTheEvil @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 12:28 am
saturn_656 saturn_656:
HyperionTheEvil HyperionTheEvil:
The conservatives have been power now for years, time for a change.
That's it?
You're not going to consider policy, the parties positions on the issues, etc?
They've been in too long so lets vote for the other guy?
I've considered the thing they've done, they've done well on the economy but now their getting full of themselves and i don't like the anti-democratic and discriminatory actions they're taken lately.
Bruce_the_vii @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 1:39 am
A coalition. Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition is currently proping up Harpers government - and some people still saying we aren't run by a coalition.
Khar @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:37 am
I think it's interesting that only fourteen percent wanted a coalition government after the next election, and only thirteen would want the two to merge. Although poll results are, of course, going to vary wildly, I think this says a lot about how many Canadians want co-operation but don't want the two parties together, or to take power after the election through a coalition.
Bruce_the_vii @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 2:49 am
That would be about the situation
martin14 @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:08 am
It won't help.
Both parties have zero for leaders, policies, vision for the future.
0 + 0 still equals zero...
Khar @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 3:12 am
Bruce_the_vii Bruce_the_vii:
That would be about the situation
Sorry, I'm confused, do you mean "yup, that's about it?" or is there a situation I missed which is specifically mentioned in that article about as coalition being developed to beating?
Otherwise, it's no different from any other polls -- whenever any big event happens they poll people to see where everyone stands. Or is it just too late for me to be up?
DerbyX @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 6:05 am
Threehundredeight blogspot reported an Angus Reid poll dealing with just this thing back in May.
In short, the results of a Lib/NDP merger depended on who was leading it.
Ignatieff:
CPC: 143
Lib-NDP: 114
Bloc: 51
Not a majority for the CPC and despite a con victory the power will lie between the left leaning parties and you can be sure that any budget and subsequent policy will reflect that. Clearly though this shows why the Libs are struggling in that Iggy simply has not be able to win the public. It took Harper a long time for the public to accept him so too shall Iggy require that time.
Rae:
Lib-NDP: 130
CPC: 126
Bloc: 52
The slimmest of victories for the Lib-Dems. This will end Harpers tenure for sure. The CPC will be forced to support a leftist agenda lest they be forced to sit powerless on the sidelines as the Lib-Dems simply accept Bloc support. This shows that far from being a political pariah Bob Rae still has political clout.
Layton:
Lib-NDP: 145
CPC: 120
Bloc: 43
This shows that despite the grumblings of many on this forum Jack Layton is nowhere near the level of disrespect in the eyes of the public. Despite the fact his NDP run a distant 4th in terms of support, he himself commands a great deal of respect.
Very few Libs will reject either a coalition or a merger I think.
Arctic_Menace @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 6:32 am
Wow. I never thought I'd see the day that the NDP polled higher than the Liberals and depending on who you ask, the Conservatives. 
Public_Domain @ Wed Jun 09, 2010 6:40 am
