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Not a fandom post
Jan. 24th, 2006 01:17 amI think I'm the only person on my flist not utterly upset by the Conservatives getting in. ^^; I didn't vote Conservative (I make my choice by candidate since it's a formal gesture in my riding of Mont-Royal, which used to belong to Pierre Elliot Trudeau and has been staunchly Liberal since the 1930s), but I did feel that a change of governing party was necessary. Not inevitable; but there is a sense that the electorate felt it could make a difference, and that the results are representative of their informed choice (even voter participation is up by a few percentage points, after having slipped steadily through the - I think - deservedly complacent nineties). In other words I feel lucky to be part of a lively and participatory democracy. ^^
Harper has an extremely cautious mandate from Canadians, as represented by a minority even smaller than Paul Martin's previous. The Liberal leadership campaign will give him a chance to show his governing chops, and much of that will have to be conciliatory: with nearly 80 seats between the Bloc and the NDP to balance power I don't believe steps to the right on social issues will be taken. Call me an optimist but I agree with Kim Campbell just now on TV that so-called social conservatism is an untenable stance for a ruling party practically speaking, in Ontario and eastward. It's one of the reasons I'm happy to live in Canada. As for Quebec itself I'm actually somewhat glad of the Conservative seats, because 1) it ensures the province will be represented in the next government and 2) it demonstrates that Quebecers are willing to cast a protest vote or a vote for change that is not sovereignist by default. Of course the Bloc still holds the vast majority of seats but no one expected them to lose any at all, the sentiments of disgust re the Gomery Report running as high as they did.
To put things into perspective, personally I remember back to Meech Lake but my nearly voting-age sister has no memory of there being any Conservative MPs from Quebec ever. She is really weirded out. XD
Harper has an extremely cautious mandate from Canadians, as represented by a minority even smaller than Paul Martin's previous. The Liberal leadership campaign will give him a chance to show his governing chops, and much of that will have to be conciliatory: with nearly 80 seats between the Bloc and the NDP to balance power I don't believe steps to the right on social issues will be taken. Call me an optimist but I agree with Kim Campbell just now on TV that so-called social conservatism is an untenable stance for a ruling party practically speaking, in Ontario and eastward. It's one of the reasons I'm happy to live in Canada. As for Quebec itself I'm actually somewhat glad of the Conservative seats, because 1) it ensures the province will be represented in the next government and 2) it demonstrates that Quebecers are willing to cast a protest vote or a vote for change that is not sovereignist by default. Of course the Bloc still holds the vast majority of seats but no one expected them to lose any at all, the sentiments of disgust re the Gomery Report running as high as they did.
To put things into perspective, personally I remember back to Meech Lake but my nearly voting-age sister has no memory of there being any Conservative MPs from Quebec ever. She is really weirded out. XD
