[Newsbot]

Title: Full Text of Harper's and Dion's Addresses
Topic: Canadian Politics
Written By: sthompson
Date: Wednesday, December 03 at 18:26
PM Stephen Harper's address on TV tonight:
Good evening,

Canadians take pride in our history as one of the world’s oldest continuous democracies. 

During the past 141 years, political parties have emerged and disappeared, leaders have come and gone, and governments have changed.

Constant in every case, however, is the principle that Canada’s Government has always been chosen by the people. And following the light of this democratic tradition, Canadians have built one of the most peaceful and prosperous countries the world has ever known - a land of hope and opportunity that inspires others around the globe, and has drawn millions as new immigrants to our country.

On October 14, for the 40th time since Confederation, Canadians voted in a national general election. 

We are honoured that you returned our Government to office with a strengthened mandate to lead this great country through the most difficult global economic crisis in many decades. 

Canada’s Government is acting to deal with the crisis, right now.

- Further personal and business tax reductions are coming into effect

- We are doubling spending on infrastructure

- We are ensuring credit for businesses and consumers by injecting liquidity into financial markets

- We are helping seniors who rely on RRIR income

- And securing pension plans.

We are implementing the Automotive Innovation Fund and, working with the Government of Ontario, we are undertaking due diligence on any further requests for assistance from the auto industry.

We are increasing support and incentives for manufacturers, the forestry sector, and others to pursue business opportunities. 

We are implementing agreements with the provinces to enhance labour mobility. 

And, next month on January 27, we will bring in a budget which will contain additional measures to boost Canada’s economy, while making sure we avoid a long term structural deficit in Canada’s finances.

In preparation for that budget we are consulting widely with Canadians, meeting with premiers of our provinces and territories, and working in collaboration with our international partners in G20. 

The Minister of Finance will be consulting with the business community and interest groups.

We are consulting with, and expect to hear more from, the opposition parties in Parliament. 

We hope they bring forward specific proposals - we have invited them to do so. 

In fact, we have already changed some of our proposals to meet their concerns. 

Unfortunately, even before the Government has brought forward its budget, and only seven weeks after a general election, the opposition wants to overturn the results of that election.

Instead of an immediate budget, they propose a new coalition which includes the party in Parliament whose avowed goal is to break up the country. 

Let me be very clear: Canada’s Government cannot enter into a power-sharing coalition with a separatist party. 

At a time of global economic instability, Canada’s Government must stand unequivocally for keeping the country together. 

At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada. 

And the Opposition does not have the democratic right to impose a coalition with the separatists they promised voters would never happen.

The Opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. 

This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists; it is the time for Canada’s government to focus on the economy and specifically on measures for the upcoming budget. 

This is a pivotal moment in our history.

We Canadians are the inheritors of a great legacy, and it is our duty to strengthen and protect it for the generations still to come. 

Tonight, I pledge to you that Canada’s Government will use every legal means at our disposal to protect our democracy, to protect our economy, and to protect Canada.

Thank you, and goodnight.
 
 
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[ArghMonkey]

Hopefully the coalition works and gets rid of Harper,

Its bad enough that we have this neo-con in charge of our country but the fact that he wanted to choke off the other parties just goes to show Harper is a slimebag.

ABC = Anybody But Conservatives ...

[Calumny]

"This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists;"

Unless you're the one making them...right, Steve?

[gaulois]

And the ennemy is us. Amen.

[Scout]

Over and over again Harper has shown himself to be a liar and a hypocrite and to be completely without integrity and not at all concerned about the best interests of Canadians and our country, we need to get rid of him and now.

Despite Harper's attempt to deceive Canadians into believing otherwise, the Coalition is obviously legitimate or they would not be a threat to him and would not have the power to replace him as they clearly do, and it is a fact that the only reason the Coalition has any power is because Harper did NOT get the majority of Canadians votes, as he has falsely suggested, but rather the Coalition did. If Harper had actually gotten the majority of Canadians votes then what is happening now with the Coalition could not be happening, making it ridiculous that Harper and others keep saying that the Coalition taking over is undemocratic...it is clearly the exact opposite and in fact is more democratic than Harper, who was not chosen by the majority of Canadians, staying in power.

Harper is so narcissistic and power hungry he is a serious threat and embarrassment to Canada...look at how he lied when he promised Canadians a transparent and accountable government, and then turned around and did the exact opposite, and at how he copied the speech he gave to convince Canadians to get involved in a war, a war based on a lie, and his involvement in bribing a dying man with an insurance policy for his vote as the tape of him talking about being aware of an offer to Cadman for his vote supports, and his inappropriate, unjustified personal attacks on Dion during the election, and how he lied about the recession and the deficit and his promise to work with the other parties to serve all Canadians, then turning around and planning to cut funding to the other parties that received the majority of Canadians votes to destroy democracy in Canada and any chance of his working amicably with the other parties in the best interests of Canadians, and the complete nonsense about lying about Layton, Dion and Duceppe refusing to have the Canadian flag there when they signed the Coalition agreement when there clearly were 2 Canadian flags right there, and on and on and on. And what he is pathetically planning to do now to interfere with the Coalition taking over, which they have the legitimate right to do, and which is clearly not in the best interests of Canadians for Harper to do but rather clearly is all about him and what he wants and him not wanting to give up power.

The Coalition speaks for the majority of Canadians, as decided by Canadians,and have the right to exercise their power to do so and Harper or the Govenor General interferring with this right and the choice of Canadians would be seriously undemocratic and clearly not in the best interests of Canadians.

[gaulois]

Although I support the coalition, I think that rushing through to it (or sticking to the PCC government) would be a bad idea. I think that Canadians should be asked in a referendum-express (no campaign & short fuse before Chrismas!) whether they support or not this proposed coalition. The result of such a referendum may be divisive but would at least provide firmer ground to proceed from. We are deep in the quagmire and getting ourselves deeper in the longer we delay due course. Yep I do think that the GG should agree to the prorogation but ask for such a citizen decision. I see much merit in reengaging our citizenship and undertaking some collective therapy here.