He cites two main differences between the current and former Conservative prime ministers: Mulroney's team had competent people, and was less dominated by doctrinaire right-wingers."I would say they had people with qualifications at that time, first of all," Duceppe told a news conference, when asked about the anniversary Friday.
"It's not case with their (Conservative) team in Quebec right now. Quite a difference."
Duceppe says there were high hopes in Quebec when Mulroney took office – and he gives him credit for trying to bring the province into the constitutional fold.
The Bloc leader says he never supported the Meech Lake accord but that plenty of people in Quebec did hope for its success.
That attempt at constitutional reform failed in spectacular fashion, leading to the decimation of the old Progressive Conservative party and the birth of two new regional parties including the Bloc.
Duceppe says the other new party – Reform – bears a close resemblance to the current crop of Conservatives.
He says unlike the current team, Mulroney built a big coalition comprising people with different political philosophies from different parts of the country.
"They were not, I would say, straight-minded as they are (today), just like the old Reform party," Duceppe said.
Duceppe: Harper is no Mulroney
As much as I despise Mulroney, I have to agree with Duceppe.
Mulroney had a personality and some personal charm, as sleazy as he was. I could imagine having a beer with Mulroney and his blarney - whereas everything that comes out of Harper is either painfully cringe-worthy lies or agonizingly boring justifications.
Nail my hand to the bar, and I'd take a hacksaw to my wrist to get away from Harper.
That's like saying there'll never be another Al Capone, or another Neville Chamberlain, or another RB Bennett. Who cares? Brian Baloney sold the country down the river, and Chretien finished the deal by the mid 90's. There shouldnt be one union person who doesnt vote NDP. You get what you vote for, or in the Northerrn Puerto Rican case, what you don't vote for.
Harper: Speaking to Canada's Dark Side
Wow on that article LTJ.
Even bigger wow on the whacked out commentaries
Other Western political leaders are disavowing this Manichean view of the world. British government officials no longer use the phrase "war on terror." In the U.S., Bush's successor, Barack Obama, is attempting to rebuild America's damaged relationship with the Islamic world.Here in Canada, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff has publicly recanted his earlier support for Bush's invasion of Iraq. As well, the former essayist no longer muses on the virtues of "coercive interrogation" techniques (which the United Nations and others call torture).
Indeed, anyone listening to the outrage of the Liberals as they attack Harper's human rights record might forget that it was their government that first concluded that Abdelrazik should be left moldering in Sudan and Khadr in Guantanamo.
The then Liberal government even downplayed Khadr's age when he was imprisoned without trial seven years ago, lest the public be reminded that, as a child soldier, he was eligible for special consideration by his U.S. captors.
It was also on the Liberal watch that an overly zealous RCMP anti-terror unit contributed to the jailing and torture in Syria of Canadian Maher Arar. As a judical inquiry eventually found, Canadian officials working for that same Liberal government were complicit in the torture abroad of three other Canadians: Abdullah Almalki, Ahmad El-Maati and Muayyed Nureddin
I thought that she missed mentioning Harper's personal hand in the rendition of each and every American conscientious objector/deserter to the U.S. military authorities as soon as can legally be accomplished within the Canadian system, despite overwhelming public sentiment against it, and parliamentary objections.
At least Mulroney took note of all the polls.
It has been very apparent of late, that there is a concerted effort amongst CPC supporters to blanket and bombard online media with commentary and vote. Its not as pervasive amongst LPC supporters, but certainly a Liberal Paper attacking Harper in a densely Liberal Stronghold of Toronto, would not have comments or votes this skewed in favour of CPC (Right Wing Comments) without a concerted efforts by CPC supporters.
The NDP and other parties should be active when reading articles that support their positions. However, it is rare, and thus most comments in many online versions of a National Or Regional Paper are dominated by some very stupid and extreme right wing views.
Some of these comments are outrageous and obviously some CPC supporters are well on their way to Cyber Bully prison. ;)
If parties aren't active online in posting or supporting, then at least there is some pleasure in reading these Lunatic comments that are worthy of Fox News/Comedy Channel.
On would think that people should get heartily sick of reading Harper supporter's commentary and start rejecting it.
moreover, the Cons have a war room remember.
Harper's response to the court action today was:
"ultimately it was the GG's decision"
So Ms Jean, that is what you get for supporting Harper's anti-democratic porogue of parliament, thrown under the bus.