Unite the center-left, or Harper will rule until 2025 - 2 - this just makes no sense to think like this

If there were a temporary merged grouping, just for one election to bring in pr and then disband...I'd suggest calling it something like the Democracy Alliance or the Canadians For Democracy.  This avoids the "p word" and allows for the creation of an electoral coalition of equals.

You could it the Progressive Democratic Alliance, to revive Gordon Wilson's short-lived brand from B.C. provincial politics.

public healthcare  - ba ha ha ha.  You mean the Liberals that refused to enforce the Canada Health Act.  Please the zombie is down.  Don't let it get back up again.

The key here is the economy.  If it tanks the Conservatives will lose big the next election.  If it does well they will take all the credit, maybe they stay in power maybe not.  I do believe Harper will go out on a crest and will not take them into the next election either way.  The NDP has a lot to lose in the next election if they do not perform in Opposition.

France, New Zealand, the UK all governed by the right. The US Congress is Republican. Australia's Labour PM facing backlash from Unions opposing the Carbon Tax.

And now Canada has fallen as the left is fractured and we have 5 years of a US clone.

Sad.

Frankly, I'm wondering if the big Quebec scoop-up is a double-edged sword--or in the process of being set up as such.  After all, consider what, in media and over the tweeting grapevine and whatever else, has quickly become the favourite visual meme for the NDP's Official Opposition Caucus...

JeffWells wrote:

No merger.

The right was divided because Reformers split from PCs. The left was divided because the Liberals were always in the superior position to the NDP, and were able to triangulate progressive votes away from it on account of that advantage. That advantage is gone. It's only Liberals who want to claim it from us now by "merger."

 

I'm not saying a simple "merger" is the answer. But if the parties joined together, they would be able to stop the vote split, especially in urban ridings. To suggest that the Liberal party is full of redneck right wingers because of their strategic error of voting for Conservative bills to avoid election is just plain ignorant.

Most Liberals, and a huge chunk of their core support feel at home in the NDP. I'm from BC. Many Fed Libs support the NDP provincially...even when the Fed Libs had more seats out here.

We need a single, progressive voice. You may not feel the urgency now, But when we have legislation threatning abortion rights and gay rights and sending our young people into useless wars, then you will.

And if there's a lot of "blue" Liberals? Good. Let them head over to Harper.

And the mooting of merger is not `defeatist`, it is about winning, really winning, not just symbolically. 

KenS wrote:

Thank's for posting Ellen Brosseau's picture. I havent seen it for a couple days, and with all the other goings on, I forget how warm and proud her picture makes me feel.

Actually, I've found it hard to *escape* over the past couple of days, whether glimpsed on office-lobby CP24 or otherwise--and framed more as a Snooki-esque punchline than as something to feel "warm and proud" over...

Since I work outside and dont watch TV, I didnt see any of that. But I knew it was aware it was out there, and was expressing enjoyment of the irony.

Whats a CP24 and a Snooki?

My cultural education is lacking without kids around on a daily basis. CP24s and Snookis might not be something aimed at kids. But kids can keep you updated pretty well on all the zones of popular culture.

Quite so, klexo.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfGB855SQ1A
Tommy Douglas predicted it: A merger and a 2 party system.
The man was a genius.

Business Leftist wrote:

How can anyone call this a great election? Jack Layton is a wonderful man with a social conscience like no other leader in our political landscape...but what will he do in Stornoway? Harper's policies under a majority over 5 years will hurt women, children, single mothers, students, LGBT people, working families, immigrants and unions...so how can you celebrate those results if you are progressive??? 

It's the best result that could be hoped for with 45% of English Canada bound and determined to vote Conservative and that will probably be the case until that government defeats itself. That's usually how change happens in Canada.

Business Leftist wrote:

Harper's policies under a majority over 5 years will hurt women, children, single mothers, students, LGBT people, working families, immigrants and unions...so how can you celebrate those results if you are progressive??? Unless you work in the banking or prison industry, or fly a fighter jet...

Chretien paved the way by not seriously turning back on the damage Mulroney did to the country. Pretty much all of these things also happened under his watch. Liberals did not enact national child care. Liberals changed the rules to the EI system to the detriment of working people, some of whom would have included single mothers. Liberals cut funding to universities, allowing tuitions to skyrocket. Liberals dragged their feet on implementing LGBT rights, and only after the courts forced them to. Liberals voted agaisnt federal anti-scab legislation. Liberals implemented a landing fee for immigrants. Harper actually celebrated the direction the Liberal party was moving, and the fact that it was done under pressure from Reform. You're absolutely right, progressives cannot celebrate any of these things having happened.

Been reading a lot of Lib writing, and they want to rebuild the Libs.

NDP is in euphoria, and consumed with their own situation. They are trying to make themselves believe they can win a majority next time.

The ugly reality, is that Harper is going to rule Canada with an iron fist, covered up by the media for 2-3 majorities, since the center vote is goign to be split.

Even Rex Murphy is doing soft-propaganda for Harper. You can see the media-elites sucking up to Harper now, they want to keep their jobs. Just watch the CBC start to go soft on Harper, as they want to keep their jobs.

And Harper will run his programs, some in our face, many others in secret. The RCMP will be his personal force for political dirty tricks.

Sadly, I predict Harper is going to run Canada as he wants for probably 3 mandates, as those guys know how to control the media. They will re-engineer Canada with 1000 cuts, and the media will be his cheerleader.

The Joe Average voter won't know what's happened until its too late. You see that grin on Harpers face? He knows power is like capital, once you have it, and know how to use it, its hard to lose it.

Unless there is one clear choice for center politics, then Harper wins. He has it locked up.

One thing I read in Chomsky years ago, was the extent of being an "intellectual" in the political sphere is based on being the most profilgate  at lying.

This has now come to Canada, full on. The soft-propagandists, as well as hard propagandists (professional liars) for the neo-con agenda have taken over. The most dangerous are the soft-propagandists, who sound reasonable.

It makes one think of the book POWER by John K Galbraith, a great book. But his idea is that right-wing power wins, as basically it is more rigid and follows orders. Whereas the left, is more democratic and diffuse, thus its like herding cats.

I don't see any signals coming out from the center-left about uniting to defeat Harper. None. I see those professionals in the center-left, more concerned with their own situation.

I hope I am wrong, but I see Harper in charge for easily 15 years, unless someone can do something. On top of this, any opponent that comes up against Harper, is going to have the defacto "secret police" of Canada turn up every single thing they ever did. And believe it, that will be used against them.

Other than the G20 fascist nightmare in our backyard, this is the worst day for being a Canadian. Now Harper will carry out his agenda, one step at a time, using the media to cover most of it up.

Harper will continue to divide and conquer, its the oldest strategy, and it works.

Majority Conservative governments "as far as the eye can see" is not inevitable. There's a very good chance that the Conservatives will not be able to win a majority in 2015. Almost everything went the Conservatives way this election, so a repeat is not a certainty by any means. I think there's probably something like an 85% chance that the next parliament will produce a minority or coalition government. Considering that the Conservatives hardly ever go above 40%, the Conservatives should consider themselves very lucky to have a obtained a majority with under 40% of the vote.  The Conservatives are only the second government ever to get a majority with under 40% of the vote. (Chretien's 1997 majority is the only other case.) The vote splits in this election worked exactly in favour of the Conservatives and that will not likely replicate in 2015.

The political landscape in 2015 will be different and many of the differences then will work against the Conservatives. The biggest hurdle the Conservatives will likely face in 2015 is that they will no longer have an unpopular McGuinty government to juxtapose themselves against in Ontario. In all likelyhood by then a right-wing Hudak government will hurt the Conservatives chances of winning a huge amount of seats in Ontario via a fake FPTP majority. And in all likelyhood by 2015 the Liberals will have a more popular leader that will also increase the chances of Canada returning to minority territory. So the chances of a Layton led minority in 2015 is actualy pretty good.

One huge silver lining from this election is that support for PR has likely increased exponentially within the BQ and federal Liberals. Both parties have now suffered unfarly because of FPTP and both are much more likely now to support electoral reform. Unlike the past,  PR/Fair voting now  works in favor of the the Liberals and BQ. If they don't support electoral reform now, they both deserve to be destroyed by FPTP. This election has forced the Liberals and BQ to discover the hard way, like the NDP has, how FPTP unfairly distorts democracy. So PR has been given a huge boost by this election and this will greatly benefit Canada in the long-run. It would seem that the Liberals, BQ, and many progressives had to learn the hard way how undemocratic and unfair FPTP is. This election has been a learning moment in favour of fair voting. After this election, the NDP, Liberals, BQ, and Greens should all strongly support PR/Fair voting.

My crystal ball tells me that the next parliament in 2015 will produce a minority parliament that will see the NDP, Liberals, BQ, and, Greens finally establish PR. And if they don't support PR/fair voting whole heartedly, they will have no reason to complain about the Conservatives winning unfair fake FPTP majorities.

The Conservative's fake FPTP majority should make it much clearer to one and all why FPTP must be replaced ASAP.

I also have a hunch that the Liberals will choose Carolyn Bennett to be their next leader. She supports electoral reform. Being a doctor she seems to know what kind of medicine Canada's political system needs.

I also think that after the BQ's experience in this election and with the growth of Quebec Solidaire, a PQ provincial government will likely implement PR/fair voting in Quebec.

And here in BC, I wouldn't be surprised if a provincial NDP government implements MMP. The NDP here has fair voting -MMP in their platform and an election is likely to take place here this year or next.

With parties now winning majority governments with less then 40% of the vote, and minority governmets and coalition governments possibly forming with under 30% of the vote, it is getting much more likely that Canada will implement PR.

oo, all the papers are following the new propaganda points...Harper is mainstream now...

Its all lies of course, he hasn;t done anything yet.

they will hammer that meme, while Harper does his deeds behind a screen of fog.

They are smart propagandists, they know first impressions count, so they will mock the NDP for now, and destroy them just enough to keep them low, but not too low.

Believe it, Fantino cop buddies have opened dirty tricks files on all those people already. Its a nightmare, I hope the civil society of Canada can wake up.

Life, the universe, everything wrote:

Yeah, I actually think her election is something to celebrate not be embarassed by.  She is obviously well-balanced and lord knows we could use more MPs like that in the House regardless of party.

Normally, it would be, and it would have been awesome if she won somewhere close to Ottawa or even on Montreal Island, but I fail to see how having an urban Anglophone from Ontario representing a rural Quebec riding does any favour to our long-term credibility there. Thankfully, we have plenty of awesome new MPs who do. :-)

And either way, I'd take a Quebec represented by 75 Ruth Ellen Brosseaus if its keeps the Alfonso Gaglianos and the Andre Arthurs out of office.

Life, the universe, everything wrote:

Yeah, I actually think her election is something to celebrate not be embarassed by.  She is obviously well-balanced and lord knows we could use more MPs like that in the House regardless of party.

Bravo, Life, I fully agree - and I think I was one of the few here supporting Ruth Ellen [i]before[/i] the election. There's a new wind blowing. If the only ones disturbed by it are a few non-Quebeckers and the National Post, I think we're on to a good thing.

The NDP has an opportunity like never before. Lord only knows how they're going to manage it. Let's help them work it out. "Centre-left" mergers, I think, can be ruled out right off the bat. I do believe that Canadians have just voted against the "centre".

I have to say I am getting a little effin tired of all these comments about the sky is falling because Harper has a majority as if the world was about to end.  I'm getting old now.  I have been here many times before.  Yes there will be tough times ahead and we will see things happen we will hate.  But this was the decision of Canadians under our antiquated electoral decision.  Pissing and moaning is not going to change a single damn thing.  

This is also a historic opportunity.  Harper is going to screw over a lot of people.  In four years time we (and by that I mean progressives - not just New Democrats) will have an opportunity to reverse that by defeating the Conservatives and replacing it with a new government.   Canada will still be here, we will have problems to deal with, but baring a huge meteor our country will still exist.  We have to begin organizing now.  We need, under our system, to convince about 10 % of Conservative voters, or about 12% of non-voters that there is a prudent, practical, progressive alternative that could govern in their interests.  This project looms largest in Ontario based on the results, but it is needed across the country.  That's it.  It isn't a huge task and we will be helped every day by an arrogant government that will undermine what most Canadians believe in.  In four years the average person will be hurting even more than they are now, seniors will be in worse shape and young people will find it harder to get the education and training they need.  It is our responsibility if we believe in what we say to get out there and hit the bricks -resisting this government when necessary, but more importantly talking to people in a positive way about an alternative.  Over the top histronics will only push people to Harper - this election proves that.

Quit whining - we have been here before- and over your life we will undoubtedly be here again- but it is how we react that matters.  If we cover our heads and go hide for 4 years we will get what we deserve.  We build a coaltion to defeat Harper one citizen at a time.  Wasting time talking about mergers only sets us back.  Canadians have spoken- at this point in our history they have said that they NDP is the vehicle they trust most to take on the Conservatives.   We should respect that and begin the building process to defeat them in 4 years time.  Quit wasting time- the clock is ticking.