It’s official: Canada has moved to the right. Canadians last night ended the 12 year run of the Liberal Party by electing the Conservative Party’s Stephen Harper. Via the Washington Post:
TORONTO, Jan. 23 — Canadian voters, saying they were fed up with financial scandals and ready for a change, ended the 12-year run of the ruling Liberal Party on Monday, ousting Prime Minister Paul Martin in favor of a Conservative Party likely to steer a path closer to the United States.
Returns in the national election gave a strong victory to Conservative leader Stephen Harper, 46, a political strategist from western Canada who jokes about being dull. He shrugged off Martin’s accusations that he is too cozy with U.S. conservatives for liberal-leaning Canada, the same accusations that crippled his candidacy in 2004.
But Harper fell short of winning a clear majority in the 308-seat House of Commons. He will need to compromise with opponents to form a government and further his agenda of scaling back social programs, cutting taxes and winnowing the power of the federal government.
The Liberal Party will swap roles with the Conservatives, becoming the largest opposition party. That change is a stinging rebuff of the party, which has regularly dominated Canadian politics since the country’s birth, and for Martin, 67, who has been prime minister for only 25 months. Canadians’ pride in clean government was shaken by a kickback scandal in the Liberal Party, and by their suspicion that the Liberals had grown cocky in office, they said repeatedly in public opinion surveys.
Remember those liberals who said they were going to move to Canada after President Bush was elected to serve a second term? Assuming they kept their word, where will these disgruntled liberals go now that they have a conservative government in Canada now as well as in the US?
Macsmind is thinking along those same lines.
Hat tip for the WashPost link: Betsy Newmark
Michelle Malkin has another good link roundup of post-election reaction in the news and around the blogosphere. Captain Ed, who was a blogging machine last night on the Canadian elections, shares some additional thoughts.
More: Brian Maloney at The Radio Equalizer blogs about the role of blogs and talk radio in the run-up to the Canadian elections.
Related Toldjah So posts:
And Germany’s no good for them anymore, either.
Comment by ArizonaTeach @ 1/24/2006 - 10:14 am
Wouldn’t be nice if, in a show of goodwill, the U.S. gave Canada back the $5 billion dollars it stole with the software lumber tariff?
Because, if he doesn’t, Harper is going to look as weak as Martin, and he’ll be tossed out in 12 months.
Conservatives stick together, right? Show us some love up here.
Comment by BC @ 1/24/2006 - 11:08 am
BC, how about proof of you allegations? How about Canada paying fair market value for the military hardware it begs from the US?
Comment by PCD @ 1/24/2006 - 11:17 am
If tariffs = stealing then every country is guilty BC.
Cut off our hands!!
Comment by Baklava @ 1/24/2006 - 12:21 pm
So, in terms of influencing our neighbors with our ideology, borders do not stop the flow of ideas and political persuasions. There’s a strong tie between the two countries based on our historical and political connections. But this time, Canadians had enough of the Liberals and voted in a Conservative Prime Minister. Deja Vu! They even already started to cut taxes, too. Hmm, I wonder why? On January 21, 2006, two days BEFORE Canada’s national election, President Bush did his Radio Address to the United States where he talked about his efforts on cutting taxes and how the U.S. economy grew because of it. Perhaps, Canadians heard President Bush’ speech about cutting taxes did they decide to let the Tory have the chance to run the government for a change? And one day after the successful Canadian election, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeevil Karl Rove talked about the successful results of cutting taxes, too, in his speech to the RNC on January 24, 2006, one day AFTER the successful Canadian election, with the topic “Our Ideas Will Prevail.”
Read more on the redrawing of Canada’s political map and compare that to the U.S.
Comment by McConnell @ 1/24/2006 - 12:56 pm
“…now that they have a conservative government in Canada now as well as in the US?”
No ST, we don’t have a conservative government in the U.S.
How much more money has to be spent, how much more does the federal government have to grow before conservatives realize W. and his cohorts in congress have made a mockery of the philosophy?
Best,
Frank
Comment by frank @ 1/24/2006 - 4:09 pm
Unfortunately, the US liberals don’t leave anyway…as always, they’re all talk.
Comment by camojack @ 1/24/2006 - 6:43 pm
Frank, Conservatives don’t have a working majority in the U.S. Even though we broke the 54 year stronghold that Democrats had on the Congress and state governorships and state legislatures, Republicans are a majority in numbers but governing and legislating to the LEFT of center.
There is a difference between Democrats and Republicans though. Be clear of that !! Tax cuts (which spurred the economy) for all income tax payers would not have been implemented. The initiative about Social Security would’ve never been mentioned (we have a long stairway to climb to get it implemented), the WOT would’ve been way different (waged with a 9/10 mindset).
Comment by Baklava @ 1/24/2006 - 7:03 pm
If the Conservatives clean up the Liberal Corruption, they get my vote. As long as they are not warmongers. The same should be done to the corrupt Republican Party, which should be voted out of office in November. Peace
Comment by steve @ 1/24/2006 - 7:36 pm
Malkin helpfully observes that Harper is bringing income tax cuts. Actually, Harper is rolling back recent income tax cuts — yes, raising taxes. He’s replacing them with a consumption tax cut, which is a smaller cut and less effective.
“If tariffs = stealing then every country is guilty BC.”
Tariffs, Baklava, are illegal if you have an agreement in place that says they’re not allowed. Maybe you should check “NAFTA” on Wikipedia or something and gain the minimum requisite understanding of the issue. Edited. –ST
Comment by M@ @ 1/24/2006 - 9:13 pm
It’s important to remember that a “conservative” in Canada is somebody like Joe Lieberman, maybe a little to the left.
Good call, steve. We sure don’t want yet another warmongering Canadian government threatening us from the north! And keep at it, voting the “corrupt Republican party” out of office. That strategy’s going so well for you guys. Although I am confused - you seem to imply that you vote both in the US and Canada.
Comment by Steve Skubinna @ 1/24/2006 - 9:19 pm
BC, how about proof of you allegations?
You can go here to get the poop on it. http://snipurl.com/lx34 The $5 billion figure is correct. By the way, it is a vocal minority of US lumber companies that have been prosecuting this dispute. Many producers don’t support or agree with it.
How about Canada paying fair market value for the military hardware it begs from the US?
Huh? Where did you get that from and what does it have to do with softwood lumber? And since when does Canada not pay FMV for military hardware?
Comment by Red Tory @ 1/25/2006 - 7:44 am