Canada: Tories and Alliance to merge

[Cascadian]

The two right-wing parties in Canada have agreed to merge in order to beat the Liberal Party in the next general election.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/16/international1850EDT0818.DTL


John

[Sephirstein]

1. Hmmm...

1. Martin's too popular for this to work.

2. The most it'll do is force Martin into a coalition with the NDP or the Bloc, which I don't think is necessarily a terrible thing, as the Bloc is basically all disgruntled Red Tories who do some good when they're not try to break up the country.

[_Jumper_]

2. Could it work down the road, though?

?

How do the erstwhile conservative parties in Canda compare to the GOP here? Would they be considered DLC'ers in America or are they true right-wingers?

[Sephirstein]

4. Tough question...

They range from people slightly left of Martin to wingnuts.

[_Jumper_]

6. Were there any major differences between the two CON parties?

?

[TrogL]

15. major differences

That's why it won't work.

The Alliance are basically Freepers.

The Conservatives are Liberals who don't wanna spend money except on tax breaks for the rich. The Conservatives have been known to get into bed with the NDP'ers which makes for very wierd bedfellows. You have Canada's national health care to thank for that (if I've got it right).

[TrogL]

5. They've given up on 2004

They're thinking towards 2008 with the hopes that Martin will piss people off and the "Conservative" party will be seen as Canada's saviour.

Progressive Freeper-wannabes? You've got to be kidding.

[_Jumper_]

7. They're all pro-choice, and pro-national healthcare

I don't know of a single Republican politician who is both. I don't know much about Canadian politics so I asked the question. Are they extremely right-wing on other issues?

[TrogL]

3. Oh, this is gonna be fun

The fireworks have started already.

Clark has denounced it.

The failed candidates from the just-finished Conservative leadership race are blabbing their faces off.

The grass-roots Alliance voters are never gonna go for it. Progressive Conservatives are gonna be pissed that McKay lied.

[MSchreader]

8. Agreed

I heard this on the CBC this morning and I had to pull over because I was laughing so hard. I really think that the Tories just shot themselves in the face.

"Clark has denounced it." That is definitely not good. Clark and his Alberta PCs have been focal point of the party since the latter lost control of Ottawa in the early 1990s. I sense that, if Clark is coming out against the merger, that it is already dead. At best, the new Conservative Party of Canada is going to be stillborn unless Clark signs on.

"The failed candidates from the just-finished Conservative leadership race are blabbing their faces off." I would imagine so, considering that one of the reasons that McKay's main challenger (I forget his name at the moment) lost last June was because of his "unite the right" position.

"The grass-roots Alliance voters are never gonna go for it." Maybe, maybe not. I would say, on the other hand, that most grassroots PC voters will reject it. I think this is especially true for Tory supporters in old Acadia and the maritimes, where the Alliance is seen as a pack of redneck goobers.

"Progressive Conservatives are gonna be pissed that McKay lied." No kidding! I was in Halifax when they picked McKay last June. The nearly-universal sentiment among Conservatives milling around the hotel I was staying at that day was that the reason McKay was chosen to lead the PCs was because of his opposition to the "unite the right" movement. Now that he has went against that, my guess is that the Progressive Conservatives are going to have a hard time in their traditional ridings -- including McKay's own riding in Nova Scotia.

Pull up your chair, get your popcorn and ... L-L-L-L-L-L-LET'S GET READY TO R-R-RUMBLE!

Martin

[_Jumper_]

9. Speaking of the PC's demise

What caused their party to disintegrate so quickly? They went from the premiership to having a mere two seats in one election!

[MSchreader]

10. Two words:

Brian Mulrooney.

His government was so laiden with scandal, it was something of a surprise they weren't completely wiped off the political map.

Martin

[_Jumper_]

13. I'll research him tomorrow

Thanks.

Hopefully the Republican's implode in 2004 like the PC's did!

[MSchreader]

11. Dupe

Dupe.

[MrPrax]

12. The Deep Roots of the Right

Yes the Right is very traditional in Canada...its roots go 'deep'

First Tories...then Progressive Party...then MERGER Progressive Conservatives...then Reform...then Alliance...NOW!!!
The Progressive Alliance Conservatives...
Try as they might...they will never be a ridiculous as the CFL having TWO teams called the Roughriders!!!



The Right in Canada is funny, inept and harmless

[TrogL]

14. I'm hoping to get ridden rough tonight

:evilgrin: