No Mandate

[Chaerophon]

Harper Edges Into PM Slot
For our Canadian friends: will Mr. Harper's taking over for Martin make that much of a difference?  The trading of one minority government for another strikes me as the checks and balances working vis a vis potential runaway policy changes.

I noted, in other articles, Mr. Martin's attempts to dispose of the "notwithstanding clause."  How big a factor was that in the recent election? 

Occhi
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Occhi,

I don't personally think that Harper will have much chance to make a significant impact. He doesn't have anything close to a Mulroney-sized mandate. The Liberals and the NDP will have popular opinion on their side if he attempts to do any of the following things: ban abortion, agree to missile defense, send troops on any US-led extravaganza, enact anything remotely recognizable as two-tier health care. He goes there, and he loses.

Then again, he may be able to sufficiently damage our tax structure to further necessitate the latter in ten or so years time...

The Conservative vote in Ontario was nothing more than a temporary protest. I suspect that we'll have another election in 1-1.5 years, at which time Michael Ignatieff (maybe Brian Tobin?) will be leader of the Liberal Party. At that point, we'll have another Liberal majority.

As far as the notwithstanding clause... I'm not sure of how concerned your average Canadian was with that provision (although I'm sure that the Quebecois were not fans).

The media is suggesting that it was Harper's comments re: abortion that did the most damage to him in the Toronto area, which led to the slimness of his minority. The NDP surge in BC was another contributing factor (resulting from issues having to do with our Liberal provincial government whose platform is more in line with the federal Conservatives than the Liberals... confusing I know).

One positive that came for this election - the candidate that I voted for in my riding won! First time that's ever happened! :D