The Reform/Conservatives, also known as CRAP (Conservative Reform Alliance Party),starts week two down 2% (39%-37%) after Larry Smith's langauge gaffe, coalition fiasco ( now we are for it (2004), now we aren't(2011), backing down from a challenge to debate Liberal leader Ignatieff one-on -one, charges of elections rules violation against senior Conservatives in 2008, and polls showing Canadians do not trust him with a majority. They start week 2, with Harper playing street hockey to highlight their plan to allow tax breaks for adult fitness/ gym memberships, but only after the budget has been balanced. They are running ads questioning Ignatieff's committment to Canada, attacking him as an "opportunist" for returning to Canada after many years teaching abroad. I, personally find this troubling (as someone from abroad, who has lived in Canada for many years). There is a very nasty streak in Harper and his minions on the issue of citizenship....A canadian is a Canadian, is a Cnadian, one is no more Cnadian than the other. This is an example of the fear and divisiveness that they promote. They always want to personalise the election a la USA, with all the hatred for those who are not like them.
The Liberals are up a couple of points after the first week and have released their platform. They had a good first week, when all the negatives were directed at the Ref/Con. They promise to slash spending, increase taxes on the rich, encourage home-owners to go green, allow voting on line, cut advertising, limit size of the cabinet and PMO and invest in technologies to reduce oilsands' impact on the environment. T hey would boost spending for aboripinal education,language training and pledged $40 million for a veterans' learning benefit. They will pay the $8.23 billion packet with "savings"...$3 billion in first year in office and from a 1.5% increase in corporate tax. Now they have to sell Canadians on this package.
The NDP are up to 18% in the polls. They continue to focus on health-care and benefitted from the Blocs' candidate racial comments that people will not vote for Romeo Saganash, because he is Cree. The riding of Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou, covers half of Quebec's 1.7 million square kilometre and is presently represented by Yvon Levesque, who made the statement. This reveals the mean, nasty and racist streak that is just below the surface of some of the more nationalist/ chauvinist Blocquists. The NDP hope to increase their seats in Quebec with some high-profile candidates like Saganash.
The Bloc, bar this remark, are expected to increase their total in Quebec at the expense of the Ref/Con, especially in the Quebec City area, because of the hockey arena funding and the recent announcement by Harper to fund the hydro development in Churchill Falls/ Labrador.
The Liberals are up a couple of points after the first week and have released their platform. They had a good first week, when all the negatives were directed at the Ref/Con. They promise to slash spending, increase taxes on the rich, encourage home-owners to go green, allow voting on line, cut advertising, limit size of the cabinet and PMO and invest in technologies to reduce oilsands' impact on the environment. T hey would boost spending for aboripinal education,language training and pledged $40 million for a veterans' learning benefit. They will pay the $8.23 billion packet with "savings"...$3 billion in first year in office and from a 1.5% increase in corporate tax. Now they have to sell Canadians on this package.
The NDP are up to 18% in the polls. They continue to focus on health-care and benefitted from the Blocs' candidate racial comments that people will not vote for Romeo Saganash, because he is Cree. The riding of Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou, covers half of Quebec's 1.7 million square kilometre and is presently represented by Yvon Levesque, who made the statement. This reveals the mean, nasty and racist streak that is just below the surface of some of the more nationalist/ chauvinist Blocquists. The NDP hope to increase their seats in Quebec with some high-profile candidates like Saganash.
The Bloc, bar this remark, are expected to increase their total in Quebec at the expense of the Ref/Con, especially in the Quebec City area, because of the hockey arena funding and the recent announcement by Harper to fund the hydro development in Churchill Falls/ Labrador.
