Thursday, October 08, 2009

Warning: The following subject matter may not be suitable for all voters.

OTTAWA — Michael Ignatieff insisted Wednesday he has no plan to raise taxes, denying a report that he's about to embark on a politically risky "adult conversation" with Canadians about the painful measures necessary to eliminate the country's ballooning deficit.


While I tend to agree that a promise of raising taxes might not be the wisest strategy, what does it say about the state of our political system when party leaders have to deny reports that they're going to treat the voters like adults?

posted by calgarygrit at 7:45 a.m.

25 Comments:

  • CG,

    I don't understand who is advising MI, they are framing the LPC to reach below 23% territory.

    "Adult conversation" frames the LPC as arrogant and condesending.

    Iggy defends taxes as vital for paying for things that are important and now denies any difference between the CPC current strategy of letting the global recession fade.....

    The LPC has become the party of tweets and press releases.

    Now Bob is using his Senate supporters to undermine the leader.

    By Blogger CanadianSense, at 8:25 a.m.  

  • Iggy is responding to reports that were fed by people from his own party. There is no caucus discipline they cannot issue a press statement coherently.

    It should be clear even to bitter partisans now that the Libs. are in no position to govern. They are in disarray and should retreat from their positon that they have lost confidence in the government. There is growing evidence that it is the Liberals that have lost the confidence not only of the Canadian people but its grassroots members.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 8:31 a.m.  

  • The story itself is fairly harmless (like everything Ignatieff says).

    But it sounds like the OLA got their signals crossed. That's the worrisome part of this.

    By Anonymous Deb, at 9:31 a.m.  

  • Its about time someone start talking to Canadians like adults. Iggy should be cannonized for his heroic to decision to scrap the way he's been talking to Canadians for the last 5 years and start talking to us like adults.

    What a breath of fresh air. I smell a majority in all of this.

    By Anonymous Finally Iggy will Treat Me like an Adult, at 9:54 a.m.  

  • I hate to say it... but maybe we should have an election soon... + though I won't be voting for them... maybe it would be good (in the long term) if the Conservatives get a majority...

    (1) People can finally wake up to how awful they are... because it's a lot harder to pretend everything isn't your fault when you're 100% in control.

    (2) The Liberals would get 3+ years of time to focus on putting together a real package that they can sell to voters + completely re think the way their organization works.

    Politics in this country is really starting to get depressing... I HATE HATE HATE Harper... but honestly we aren't getting anywhere with the way things are right now... all of the parties are spending all of their time positioning themselves for an election that could happen at any time and 0% of their time crafting well thought out policy.

    By Blogger MERBOY, at 10:19 a.m.  

  • Wikepedia entry for Robert Stanfield:

    "In the federal election of 1974, Stanfield ran on a policy of wage and price controls to help inhibit the rapid inflation of the era. Trudeau mocked the idea, saying that one couldn't say, "Zap! You're frozen!" to the economy. Trudeau later wrote in his memoirs that Stanfield's platform allowed him to be sniped at from all directions. After regaining a majority government...Trudeau would implement the controls in 1975, drawing widespread criticism for the abrupt reversal."

    Any discussion of austerity will bring out every possible special interest group to criticize it.

    Since 1968, no PM has been required to be a good steward of the public purse to win an election.

    Stanfield, Clark, and Dion (and his Carbon Tax) lost elections discussing austerity. And remember, 1. Harper beat deficit-killer Martin because he promised to cut the GST, and 2. Chretien promised to eliminate the GST in 1993.

    Talk of Austerity may be what is required and what adults talk about, but it is not what will help the Liberals end the Harper regime.

    By Blogger MississaugaPeter, at 10:24 a.m.  

  • Thanks MP... now I feel way less depressed.

    By Blogger MERBOY, at 10:29 a.m.  

  • I think that attack ads have largely "poisoned the well", in the sense that they discourage politicians from discussing controversial ideas.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 10:46 a.m.  

  • " I HATE HATE HATE Harper"

    Awesome comment, Merboy! This is what Canada needs to see. They need to see how much we hate Harper and then they'll start asking why they don't hate Harper as much as we do. then they'll realize they do hate Harper like we hate Harper. Then, we'll win a majority!

    I HATE HATE HATE HARPER!

    By Anonymous I'd vote for Iggy with my own blood, at 10:51 a.m.  

  • When I think of Harper, I want to drink the blood of a goat. He makes me that mad. If I met him in a dark alley, I'd kick his coke-fed ass.

    Without Michael Ignatieff, Canada is over. LEt's face facts and get real, Liberals: Canada is doomed unless we rally behind our leader!

    By Anonymous LoyalToTheCore, at 11:23 a.m.  

  • Well Calgary Grit is this the face of the new LPC:LoyalToTheCore's gangster 3rd. world mafia mentality: Hate and violence against Mr. Harper because the natural governing party isn't in power!!!

    Frankly, I'm disgusted. This adds nothing to the conversation. If you keep this type of non-discussion on your web site then it says everything. Everything!

    By Anonymous Jon Evan, at 12:13 p.m.  

  • Stuff it, Jon. You're obviously a neo-con Harper-droid. I have news for you: Canadians are finally clueing in on what you folks are up to... and they don't like it.

    Like my leader said, "Harper, your time is up!"

    By Anonymous LoyalToTheCore, at 12:27 p.m.  

  • I suggest you read Norman Spector today in the Globe and Mail. Very interesting indeed.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:29 p.m.  

  • Harper's secret weapon is having Kinsella as Iggy's political consigliere.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:47 p.m.  

  • Mafias need a 1st world tax base to tax avoid, Jon. And last election it was Liberals who had their brake lines cut; CPC didn't say a fuckin word about this.

    MERBOY, Liberals ran $10B year surpluses and added a quality-of-life improving programme every few years, thus our rise to top of world's UN Index (are we still in top 10?). Cons look set to run a $25B/yr structural deficit once recession ends. So a four year CPC term, assuming Clinton/Chretein growth rates (while paying down their respective fed debts), takes a decade to recover from. Not a good tradeoff IMO; after a decade people will forget Harper/Flaherty deficits.

    By Anonymous Phillip Huggan, at 1:18 p.m.  

  • Phillip Huggan nails it!

    Except, I think the Harper-Flaherty structural deficit will be $44B/yr. Those rat bastard couldn't count to ten with their own fingers.

    Everybody knows that if Iggy were in charge, we'd have 0 deficit and a growth rate of 12%. Unemployment would be 2% and half of europe would be begging to join confederation.

    Let's have an election and kick Harper and his cronies out! Canadians are tired of the silly games. It is time to start dreaming Big.

    By Anonymous Iggy Inspires Me, at 1:32 p.m.  

  • ^ Needs more hate , or at least some .

    By Blogger Bill D. Cat, at 5:04 p.m.  

  • Help me understand: exactly what does Ignatieff mean when he refuses to take an increase in the GST "off the table", if he is ruling out any tax increases.

    Has he taken it off the table (contrary to his clear statement in which he refused to do so) or does he plan to raise the GST (contrary to his promise to not do so)?

    Does anyone actually know? Does he?

    By Blogger Paul, at 5:42 p.m.  

  • We have some anonymous posters that are very accomplished at satirizing Liberal partisans.

    Unless some of you actually ARE Liberal partisans, and not just doing a parody ........ in which case <<< SHUDDER >>>

    By Blogger Robert Vollman, at 6:03 p.m.  

  • Maybe Robert Vollman should volunteer a little pledge of loyalty to Michael Ignatieff and Team Liberal before he starts calling people out.

    It is not our fault that we've read every page of every Ignatieff book ever written and feel a tingle just thinking about each reference to himself he makes in those books. Even in the fiction where all the characters are talking about the latest Ignatieff piece in The Guardian or whatever.

    It is not our fault if we dare to dream. Dream Big. Dream Humungous. Dream Guarantuan. Dream Collosal for Canada.

    You, Robert Vollman, in your dreams, Canada is paralyzed, wanting to run, commanding the body to run, but something won't let it. And Canada is being chased by a monster but it can't move.

    In our dreams, Canada runs for the roses, scores a triple crown and eventually becomes some of the finest glue the folks at Eylmer every made.

    By Anonymous Dreams of Iggy's Father, at 8:51 p.m.  

  • The takedown of Ignatieff by the Desmarais/Chretien/Rae/Kinsella gang has been textbook.

    They even planted Kinsella in Iggy's inner sanctum.

    They triangulated the divorce with Coderre and Iggy's Quebec base with the Outremont affair, leaving Iggy naked in Quebec.

    "With a little help from my friends..." indeed.

    By Blogger whyshouldIsellyourwheat, at 9:26 p.m.  

  • I think most Canadians see Harpy as a self-centered, uncompromising individual, but don't yet know what to think about Ignatieff. Canadians have only heard of the Opposition Leader who wants an election. All Ignatieff needs is a sustained effort to get his message out and the Liberals will be fine. We would have had this effort by unleashing ad spending in a campaign. Without that, it will take a while longer for the average Canadian to get to know how great he really is (in spite of the internal Liberal Party gowing pains any new leader needs to adjust to). Once they do, the choice between him and Harpy will be an easy one.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:30 p.m.  

  • "Once they do, the choice between him and Harpy will be an easy one."

    F$#@ing A.

    All we really need to do is get people to know the real Michael Ignatieff.

    He should go on a listening campaign once the fall session ends, with town halls and the whole bit. And he should do more interviews so people can get excited by him.

    It is just a matter of getting to know him.

    By Anonymous Iggy n a Heartbeat, at 11:19 p.m.  

  • "Canadians have only heard of the Opposition Leader who wants an election."

    Bang on! No one was paying attention when Ignatieff took over. The media overblew the whole coalition talk.

    Heck, we should have an adult conversation about a coalition with the NDP and Bloc.I'd bet it would work.

    By Anonymous True Patriot Love, at 11:21 p.m.  

  • I must admit, Iggy's hard swing to the right has me almost wanting to see him lose the next election and resign as leader so that we can move a little more to the centre or centre-left.

    It's actually insane how far he has swung the pendulum to the right in federal politics. Bloody scary.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:57 a.m.  

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