[Raven23]

Though the "New Dictatorship Party" fits their acronym... I'd go more for of a communist take on the NDP. The only good thing about the NDP is their stance on social issues such as this. Once they get their hands on either actually financing anything or actually governing, they are simply a walking plauge. The cant manage economy or money and they cant govern democraticly.

[alsocanadian]

Although they don't all agree:

"NDPers take on Layton
A group of New Democrat MPs are taking on leader Jack Layton for "whipping" them to vote the party line on same-sex marriage, and are demanding that he drop the order."

(Wow, you have the words “Layton”, “whipping”, and “same-sex” all in the same sentence…..)



IAM(also)CANADIAN

[QBC]

That's why the NDP will never get into power nationally in Canada. Too much of this sort of policy in their platform. To the average Canadian, the economy and health care are the real issues that are important to them. Same sex marrige......who gives a rats ass? Lets them marry and let this stupid issue die.

[Rev_Blair]

The NDP have always been very clear on issues like this...their MPs can either vote with the party or abstain. The thing is that the MPs knew exactly what the policy was when they ran. So did the voters. There was never any doubt about it.

The party itself is very democratic when comes to setting the policies, but once those policies are set, you are expected to support them both during the election and in the House of Commons.

As for the absurb accusation that Raven makes about fiscal responsibility and the ability to govern, the NDP have a record as good or better than their conservative counterparts in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Colombia. Check the historical records.

[hormel26c]

I beg to differ. I cannot speak for Saskatchewan or Manitoba, but I have intimate knowledge of the performance of the NDP in British Columbia. They perpetrated a reign of lies, deceit, fiscal irresponsibility, enormous waste and arrogance. They produced not one, but two falsified budgets, cooked the books to produce a fiscal picture that the auditor general declared a "complete fantasy" and engaged in expensive capital projects without competent oversight or financial management. Ethically they were no better or worse than other parties but the scandals involved those at the highest level. Two successive NDP premiers were forced to resign due to involvement in charity scandals and influence peddling respectively. While the latter was charged with Breach of Trust and eventually acquitted, it would have been better had there been no reason to have a trial at all. The loss of public trust was so severe that the BC Liberals (a deceptive name) were returned to the legislature with an obscene majority, with no effective opposition (the NDP held two seats at the last election).

[alsocanadian]

Hey, don't forget Bob Rae
I agree with QBCGuy. I'm just the average Joe. I just want to be able to support my family, and maybe get some health care if I get sick. Whats the big deal with marrying these guys


IAM(also)CANADIAN

[Rev_Blair]

I said:

$1:

As for the absurb accusation that Raven makes about fiscal responsibility and the ability to govern, the NDP have a record as good or better than their conservative counterparts in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Colombia. Check the historical records.

"As good or better than." The political climate in BC has always been entertaining for those of us who don't have to live under it Hormel. The NDP record is no worse than the conservative (under whatever name they are using) record. In Saskatchewan and Manitoba they have been consistently better in spite of a complete lack of cooperation from business.

It's also important to note that the charges led to an aquittal. It was a political witch-hunt.

I'm not going to get into the Bob Rae thing with you, AC. I'll just point out that he was only in power for four years and his spending set the stage for the boom that Mike Harris enjoyed.

[Dan74]

Giving Bob Rae credit for the booming economy when Harris was in is such a load of horseshit.
The MPP from Brantford for the NDP during Bob's reign stated" 6 months after us getting the boot it is like we never happened".Most of the things Rae did were changed or down right thrown out the first year.
You have no idea what you are talking about here Rev.Rae was a major fuck up and trying to say Harris reaped the rewards is just your way of avoiding admitting how bad he really was.

[alsocanadian]

Amen Avro (about the Fiberals, I mean)

[Rev_Blair]

$1:

Giving Bob Rae credit for the booming economy when Harris was in is such a load of horseshit.
The MPP from Brantford for the NDP during Bob's reign stated" 6 months after us getting the boot it is like we never happened".Most of the things Rae did were changed or down right thrown out the first year.
You have no idea what you are talking about here Rev.Rae was a major fuck up and trying to say Harris reaped the rewards is just your way of avoiding admitting how bad he really was.

So infusing the economy with money had no effect? Sorry, but that goes against everything that every economist ever has said. Whether they agree or disagree with the method or whther the effect is positive or negative, they all concur that it has the effect of stimulating the economy. The argument is over whether or not it is worth it.

That isn't the argument you make though because you lack the wherewithal to understand how things work, Dan. Instead you cling to dogmatic soundbites like a hillbilly with a second-hand banjo and a hard-on for his sister.

[Dan74]

Rev_Blair Rev_Blair:

$1:

Giving Bob Rae credit for the booming economy when Harris was in is such a load of horseshit.
The MPP from Brantford for the NDP during Bob's reign stated" 6 months after us getting the boot it is like we never happened".Most of the things Rae did were changed or down right thrown out the first year.
You have no idea what you are talking about here Rev.Rae was a major fuck up and trying to say Harris reaped the rewards is just your way of avoiding admitting how bad he really was.

So infusing the economy with money had no effect? Sorry, but that goes against everything that every economist ever has said. Whether they agree or disagree with the method or whther the effect is positive or negative, they all concur that it has the effect of stimulating the economy. The argument is over whether or not it is worth it.

If as you say Bob Rae was on the right track and was the reason Harris reaped the rewards does that say the Harris years were good for Ontario.And by your thinking the reason the Federal Liberals had so much luck was because of the PC goverment before them?With things like the GST and Free Trade?
The Ontario and Federal NDP have gone out of their way to distance themselves from the Rae years.They have never claimed tobe a well run goverment with the broken promises for public auto Insurance and increased social spending which sent the welfare rolls rising(FEEL FREE TO LOOK THAT UP).
Harris was by no means perfect and he fucked up but unlike other parties He had the balls to admit it.
Rae managed too make it harder on all buisnesses large and small to stay open during a really tough recession.Things did get better and to say it was because of Rae's spending than how come He changed his ways the last 2 years.Cutting spending and giving a social workers 10 days off without pay a year?Pissing off all the unions that voted him in?
So what paved the way?
The cutting or the spending.
And who is wrong now?
Rae has since left the NDP because he felt they were out of touch with today's politics.
So is Rae wrong or the NDP you gotta choose one here

http://www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/Bob-Rae

[Rev_Blair]

Hey, maybe Dan can play his banjo for us this weekend, Avro.