As for Layton-- you can also recognize that he is a person who learns from mistakes. The NDP in his first campaign as leader spoke out of their rear ends on several critical policies and got criticized for it (I am speaking about tax proposals to take everyone under 18k off the tax rolls but this effectively wiped out the tax advantages for seniors, disabled etc.). Since then the NDP in general and Layton in particular have done a very good job of making sure they know what they are talking about before they speak. I do not want them to change this. Being a little slow off the mark on somethigns is less of a deal than rushing in and getting it wrong. Some of the respect the NDP is earning these days is because of this. Some of the problems the Cons are facing are because of a lack of this.
f it is categorically wrong to change the Long Form census from mandatory to voluntary, then why didn't Jacques, Gilles and Iggy make announcements of their own immediately after the Cons announced the change?
Good question. The long form census changes were snuck in during prorogation.
Quote:
"I'll give you my long form census when you take it from my cold, dead hands!"
NDP Leader Jack Layton says he's prepared to sit down with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reach a compromise on saving the mandatory long-form census.
Layton's news release is below, and you can watch the news conference on demand at CPAC here.
He's asking for a meeting with the Prime Minister "to help him find a solution to the problem he's created". For example, amending s.31 of the Statistics Act to remove the penalty of jail time.
As for Layton-- you can also recognize that he is a person who learns from mistakes. The NDP in his first campaign as leader spoke out of their rear ends on several critical policies and got criticized for it (I am speaking about tax proposals to take everyone under 18k off the tax rolls but this effectively wiped out the tax advantages for seniors, disabled etc.). Since then the NDP in general and Layton in particular have done a very good job of making sure they know what they are talking about before they speak. I do not want them to change this. Being a little slow off the mark on somethigns is less of a deal than rushing in and getting it wrong. Some of the respect the NDP is earning these days is because of this. Some of the problems the Cons are facing are because of a lack of this.
That is worth pointing out I think.
All good points, Sean.
Good question. The long form census changes were snuck in during prorogation.
NDP Leader Jack Layton says he's prepared to sit down with Prime Minister Stephen Harper to reach a compromise on saving the mandatory long-form census.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/07/29/layton-harper-census-reform.html#ixzz0v5jDGVEU
Layton's news release is below, and you can watch the news conference on demand at CPAC here.
He's asking for a meeting with the Prime Minister "to help him find a solution to the problem he's created". For example, amending s.31 of the Statistics Act to remove the penalty of jail time.
Closing for length. Please start a new thread!
Pages