Harper, Layton to meet this afternoon
Looks like Layton is about to get in bed with Harper.
NDP Leader Jack Layton will have a face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister today.
It is likely the first tango in a series of political dances aimed at avoiding a fall election.
Rick Boychuk, Mr. Layton's communication's director, says his boss will meet with Stephen Harper this afternoon to talk about the NDP's "legislative agenda" with the goal of making Parliament work.
It's unclear what concessions Mr. Layton will try to extract from Mr. Harper.
The two sides will be looking for common ground to avoid defeat of the minority Conservative government in an anticipated confidence vote this fall.
The Tories teetered on the brink late in the spring, but a deal with Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff to study changes to Employment Insurance removed the threat of a summer election.
Conservatives and Liberals have met several times, but have failed to bridge their differences over EI.
It does does it? LMAO
NDP is 4 million in the hole. They cannot afford another election without selling the building they are housed in.
You spelled LIBEL wrong.
Sounds like this could be a repeat of last year, when Harper and Layton met and concluded there was no common ground. Of course last year Harper was forcing an election he wanted.
Layton better bring his own port-a-pottie. Harper might try to get him to sign something by denying access to the bathroom.
ETA: something like that happened in Munich in '38 when the chain-smoking British PM (Chamberlain) was made to meet in a location that prohibited smoking.
Too funny I was going to say the same thing earlier. :D
Where is the citation for this? I have not read it in the news anywhere.
If this is true I would hope Jack would at least extract a concession about the Government obeying the Court Order to release Omar Khadr from Guantanamo.
Even government is not above the law.
"Rick Boychuk, Mr. Layton's communication's director"
Who???
Over here
Is Lavigne on holidays?
Or gone?
Lavigne is federal secratary and campaign director - I guess someone new has the title of Dir. of Communications.
OH
NDP is 4 million in the hole. They cannot afford another election without selling the building they are housed in.
If you seriously think that the NDP is so averse to an election, then all the Liberals had to do was "call the NDP's bluff" in June and vote non-confidence in Harper and force the NDP to abstain or whatever - I wonder why they didn't do that if they are so sure that the NDP doesn't want an election?
I hope the NDP doesn't want an election. That is a different perspective then beign able to handle an election if one occurs.
I hope the CPC don't want an election, but these are the clowns that forced one on the Canadian Public Single handedly and were rewarded with extra seats. (So much for voter rebellion)
I hope the LPC don't want an election, and we won't know that answer until the LPC consult the polling oracles.
Perhaps Layton wants to talk with Harper about Canada's unemployed whom seem to constantly be overlooked by the 3 ring cicus that is going on between Harper & Ignatieff this summer.
EI on Layton's mind as he meets with Harper
NDP leader critical of deal between Conservatives and Liberals to investigate Employment Insurance changes
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/686173
Are the NDP 4 million in debt even?
Are the NDP 4 million in debt even?
No it is 3 and a little bit. However they will be getting 1.2 million for the quarter, they raised 800,000 last quarter and didn't raise in BC, NS, SK, or ON and broght in quite a bit on the convention. They probably have enough in the bank if they pinched pennies to pay it all off if they needed.
Guess they are not going to lose the building anytime soon then. ;)
Perhaps "LBAL" can enlighten us about how much debt the Liberal Party still has from the last election etc...
All the parties are in debt after an election, that's a fact of life.
Perhaps "LBAL" can enlighten us about how much debt the Liberal Party still has from the last election etc...
All the parties are in debt after an election, that's a fact of life.
No the Liberals just finishing paying theirs off and have about 2 million Cash on Hand, and the Conservatives had enough cash on hand to have theirs paid off like right away. Doesn't really means anything though becuase NDP has a different system then the other parties with Union membersworking for free for the NDP their worth is different from the Liberals and Conservatives.
Liberal Conservative Meeting on EI
C: "Nice job you boys did under Martin"
L: "Yeah, Ain't it grand?"
C: "Drinks, anyone?"
L: "Yeah, Let's Adjourn"
Toronto Star: "Liberals and Tories fail to reach agreement on EI reform"
Taped Raitt talk reflects poorly on Liberals June
"They did it at the Canadian Council of (Chief) Executives, there was three presidents of major banks who stood up in the room - and this is not from cabinet so I can talk about it - stood up and said, 'Ignatieff, don't you even think about bringing us to an election. We don't need this. We have no interest in this. And we will never fund your party again.'"
No need to fear Count Iggy forcing an election. Banksters have the Liberals on short leashes.
Layton said a little while ago at his press conference that the meeting with Harper was unproductive and that Harper doesn't understand the effect unemployment is having on Canadians and the NDP is not likely to support the Conservatives.
Jack made that "bed" damned uncomfortable, didn't he?
The NDP finished the campaign with $3 or 4million debt.
While the Liberals balked, and cut late election advertising, to stay under $2million in debt.
That wasn't risk taking by the NDP- its being in rock solid financial shape. If the NDP has to fight an election before the 2008 debt is paid off, it can still go full tilt. Not ideal, but still reasonably prudent.
While the LPC had to look over its shoulder even with $1-2million debt. Even with a banner year fundraising the Liberals will still produce less of a surplus this year than the NDP with an only average year fundraising. And while the LPC has got away from the financial cliff edge, they aren't out of the woods yet.
That opening post was funny- even before the meeting between Layton and Harper came to its quick and predictable end.
One of the reasons why the Liberals are always in such financial trouble is that they are a proverbial party that has too many chiefs and not enough indians. The Liberal Party by all accounts is a very top heavy organization with lots of potentates who get huge salaries to do nothing. They have grown fat from so many years in power and so they waste vast amounts of money paying huge wages to people who that being a Liberla means having a sinecure.
You guys managed to just groupthink yourselves into thinking that 4 million dollars debt is "rock solid financial shape". Have another sip of the orange koolaid folks.
Oh fuck off.
Hey LBAL, if you can rip yourself away from those intoxicating Liberal talking points, you might want to bone up on some facts.
http://www.punditsguide.ca/labels/Party%20Finance.php
Its all there, in blogpsosts and comments, whats favourable and unfavourable about all the party's finances. No spin though.
The Liberals are out of debt- they run such a bloated organisation that unlike the NDP they are in dire shape when they go into any debt- very short leash they are on.
But they don't have a net $2million cash on hand.
Let's be realistic here though, Tommy. LBAL makes a fair point - the NDP is hardly in the strongest financial shape, and in fact as Kady O'Malley reported for Maclean's earlier this summer, they have had the worst fundraising year so far of any of the parties. Of course they're not on the verge of financial collapse the way the Liberals were under Dion, but they're not in as strong a position as they were going into the 2008 election.
So Ken, has the NDP paid off some of its election debt?
And I agree tommy.
Let's be realistic here though, Tommy.
I am. What, it's news somehow that the NDP is cash strapped? That's the normal state of affairs going back to the CCF no doubt. They made it through before and doubtless will again.
Big deal.
If Layton isn't shopping his support around he's nuts. The NDP won't win an election and the difference between a Harper government and an Ignatieff government is the difference between hot shit and cold shit - it's still shit. In fact, I think Layton ought to make public his terms for supporting any minority government in the house for a predetermined period of time. And I think he should continue collaborating with the Bloc to ensure it is an effective set of demands. Then the Coniberals can either deal with Jack and Gilles or finally give up the charade and form a Coniberal government.
Paid off some of the debt. Slow start to fundraising this year [it wasn't just being nice deferring to all those provincial campaigns- it doesn't work to fundraise against them], but the debt would not have all been paid off yet anyway. Unilke the Liberals, because the NDP is able to quickly dispose of debt it can take on more campaign debt. The finances are planned that way, thats the only way the NDP can be in the same spending league as the Libs and Cons. Tighter management of finances allows you to go into debt short term for a campaign.
The Liberals have a big fat organisation that doesn't actually accomplish any more than does the NDPs, and spends as much on administration as do the Cons but accomplishes less. The Libs could service this organisation back in the days of the bag men and big corporate donations, AND have plenty for every election. Now they have to pedddle like mad just to get back to breakeven.
That in a nutshell is why the NDP is at least as financially election ready as the LPC, even with debt.
So even if the Liberals had permission from the banks to play at election, which they don't, theyre still in good financial shape in case banksters do give them a wink and a nod. It's hard for average people like me to keep up with how little we really know about that mysterious party and its closed door skunkworks.
Interesting how LBAL knew about and jumped on this so early yesterday.
Same as a bunch of Liberal "protesters" [aka, Hill staffers/interns] with their signs about the NDP and Harper being in bed together to get their pictures taken with Layton as he came in.
ETA: and where did that thing that looks like a press release [the opening post] come from?
Sorry to break up the thrilling horse race but...
What the FUCK is this? Stockholm, you racist piece of shit you should get banned.
Stockholm, you should know better than to use such expressions here. It's a racist expression and I don't care how innocuous you think it is, or how many people you know use it, or how "PC" you think it is to object to it. It doesn't get used here, period.
Le T, I understand that you're ticked about it, but that doesn't make it okay for you to call him a "racist piece of shit". Please don't.
Thanks for being quick about that Michelle.
The Liberals are sinking to all new lows, have picketers outside when Layton was going to meet Harper is beyond belief.
In fact, they apparently have spent too much time in bed with the Cons, as one would expect the Cons to do something like that. But then again so would the Republicans, maybe there is something to Republicans for Ignatief. :D
Well I learned something today. I've used that expression a zillion times and never had the slightest idea that it was racist. Now I know.
Would it be OK, if I said that the problem with the Liberals is that they have "too many generals and no foot soldiers"?
Personally, I like "too many queens, and not enough worker bees". Some might assume that's homophobic, but they don't know how many of the Liberal 'queens' I've met over the years.
Or we could say that the Liberal Party is "all hat and no cattle" - though it would be better analogy if the party was led by an Albertan.
The problem with the Liberals is that they have a bureaucracy in each province for a federal party. The Conservatives are top-down, with all power emanating from the Leader's Office which is now the PMO. The provincial PC Parties have some board members on the CPC national executive, but that's about it for provincial influence. Provincial PC Parties are more or less autonomous.
The Liberals operate in Ontario as the Liberal Party of Canada (Ontario) which shares an office with the Liberal Party of Ontario. This is distinct from the LPC in Ottawa. The LPC(O) has its own board of directors and paid staff, and this situation is duplicated in each province. If the Liberals were smart they would scrap these vestiges of an earlier time when there were no telephones.
The NDP's provincial bureaucracy is its provincial parties, which makes it more efficient than the Liberals, but the main reason many of us won't join the NDP. People should have the freedom to belong to any provincial and any federal party. It's quite OK to be a federal Conservative and a provincial Liberal, and indeed vice-versa. If the NDP wants to be in the game, it has to remove the requirement to belong at both the provincial and federal level.
The provincial and federal NDP send out so many fund raising letters that I am sure people are getting donor fatigue. Less letters with more punch would do a better job. If you get a fund raising letter every week it is eventually going to go into the recycling before being opened.
The Liberals have improved their fundraising game somewhat, and are learning to adapt to what the Conservatives and the NDP have done all along, i.e. asking for small amounts from tens of thousands of people rather than asking for tens of thousands from small amounts of people.
I think the Conservatives are still the best fundraisers.
It's ok with me.
The brain trust is desperately trying to do so- but so far has been unable to even nip at the edges of the octupus. No doubt, the author of the opening post is all too well aware of this.
"Hi LPC(X) bureaucracy, would you like to be abolished?"
"Go fly a kite."
If Layton isn't shopping his support around he's nuts. The NDP won't win an election and the difference between a Harper government and an Ignatieff government is the difference between hot shit and cold shit - it's still shit. In fact, I think Layton ought to make public his terms for supporting any minority government in the house for a predetermined period of time. And I think he should continue collaborating with the Bloc to ensure it is an effective set of demands. Then the Coniberals can either deal with Jack and Gilles or finally give up the charade and form a Coniberal government.
This is the best strategy I've heard, maybe ever, to get some decent government for a change.
Its not a bad idea to have a specific list of demands for Harper (given that only he is in a position to say yes or no since he is in power). Of course in reality, there is zero chance that Harper would make any concessions to the NDP when the Liberals are still by far the "cheapest date in town".
There is a difference between Harper and Igantieff. Harper is an ideological small "c" conservative. he may feel has to put some water in his wine in the short term to get to where he wants to go - but he has an ideology that diametrically opposite of the NDP's. Ignatieff belives in NOTHING. He just wants to be PM so he can enjoy some pomp and ceremony.
The most ideal (realistic) outcome would be for the Conservatives to win just a few more seats than the Liberals. That would force Ignatieff to form a coalition or accord with the NDP. If the Liberals win a minority, they'll govern on the right and be propped up by the Tories for a while.
(As much as I'd love an NDP government, it's not going to happen any time soon).
I agree 100%, we don't want the Liberals to have the most seats, we want them to be just a few seats behind the Tories so that the NDP has maximum leverage.
Actually, I want the NDP to be the official opposition - which is realistic. I don't want the NDP to lose seats but gain seats. And I liked that Jack ran for PM in the last election.
Michael Ignatieff's office!
Thursday, Aug 27 @ 12:00 noon
656 The Queensway, Toronto (Etobicoke) M8Y 1K7 (directions below).
Are they NDP staffers picketing Iggy? :P
It appears that liberals only protest and picket when there is $$$ involved.
I should have added:
Congress Labour Adjustment Working Group.
Oh...so they are actually picketing about something then, which would be Iggy's failure on EI. As opposed to making a scene about nothing for which they were paid.
It appears that liberals only protest and picket when there is $$$ involved.
I was talking about "form" (embarassing a competing party leader) and not "content" (the righteousness of the issue). I don't think it's "beyond belief". It's standard political operating procedure.
For the Liberals and Cons perhaps
So it's okay for NDP supporters to attempt to embarass their opponents, but it's somehow unfair for other parties to do the same? I just don't see either as a big deal.
The people in the background look like their out of touch with reality.
Strawman.
The Cons and the Libs get their paid staff to set up situations.
Those who are picketing the Cons and the Libs for their EI actions, cannot be sdetermined to be NDP supporters at all.
The picket is at the Liberal leaders office, not the conservatives that I'm aware of (but that's besides the point).
Contrary to my earlier statement, perhaps the OFL was successful in mobilizing unemployed workers to go to the demo. But it would be naive to believe that there are not going to be paid staffers in attendance. That's just how it works.
The Liberals in the background of the Layton picture look like idiots.
Yep, they did at that.
That they picketed over nothing makes it even moreso.
Well, if the stunt made them look like idiots, perhaps it was a good thing for Layton?
I'm surprised those Liberals in the picture aren't waving Kenyan birth certificates and shrieking about "death panels"!!