Canada: Politics: Conservs poll ahead of Libs, PM appoints Conserv reliables to over-Libbed Senate

CanWest News Service (Aug23,2k9) told us that a leading poll put the Conservative Party (Conservs, Tories) in a "big lead" over the IgLibs (Michael Ignatieff's Liberal Party, still in the doldrums since it lost its hold on parliament in 2006 due to widespread corruption in the Martin and Chrétien pur laine Liberals).

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives have surged to a big lead over the opposition Liberals in the eyes of Canadian voters, reveals a new poll, a trend that could dampen speculation of a fall election.

In a discouraging sign for the Liberals, party leader Michael Ignatieff trails the prime minister on bread-and-butter issues at the forefront of many Canadians' minds, such as the ability to steer the economy through recovery and rebalance the country's finances. If the trend continues, Ignatieff could soon be facing roughly the same poll numbers as his beleaguered predecessor, Stephane Dion [who never won a Federal election.

The Conservatives now command 39% in support among decided voters, compared with 28% for the Liberals, according to the survey, conducted exclusively for Canwest News Service and Global National by Ipsos Reid. Since the last Ipsos poll two months ago, the Tories have climbed five percentage points, while the Grits have slumped seven points.

The [New Democratic Party] NDP stand in third at 14% of the vote, up one point; followed by the Green party at 10%, up two points. The [separatist Fed party] Bloc Quebecois posted eight% in support nationally, while seven% of respondents were undecided.

This is all br+t news for the Conservs and their leader Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, and, under the reign of the Queen, is funtional head of Canada's govt. (The Governor General is titular head of govt here.)

Harper's party governs as the leading minority in the no-majority House of Commons, and now a week later their br+t news has been suddenly overcast by the daring political manoeuvre of PM Harper. One week after the his party's poll-leading news, he exercizes his long witheld powers to fill up all the empty seats in the upper house -- Canada's Senate, which consists of all appointees, over the years dominated by Libs, hence nowadays "IgLibs".

Senators make $130,000 a year and enjoy a lucrative pension plan.

Mr. Harper has failed in his efforts to enact large-scale Senate reform since coming to power [as Prime Minister following a Winter campaign on Feb6,2k8] facing stiff resistance from the Liberal-dominated chamber.

New Conservative senators will be expected to promise to sit for only eight years. Their colleagues who were appointed by previous governments [Martin, Chretien, Mulroney, Trudeau] are eligible to stay until the age of 75. In addition, [Harper's appointees] will be called upon to support the [Conserv] government's efforts to reform the Senate, in particular by calling for the election of future members.

Of course, charges of "hypocrisy" have ensued from the Opposition, but they have only themselves to blame for not effectively backing the national movement to reform the Canadian Senate championed by Harper, who wants to achieve a new institution which presently sits sullenly, a colonialist n+tmare perfectly protected by the Constitution, while traditional marriage is not (the latter in the name of "equality"). The full reform will be election of the entire membership of the Senate, perhaps by the provinces.

But, surely Harper's numbers will now slip; surely a backlash. Surely, upon the reconvening of Parliament on Sept14,2k9, the IgLibs will move a no-confidence motion to bring down the govt forthwith, tho the Conserv govt's term is not full.

Aug28,2k9 the Prime Minister appointed 9 new Senators, bringing the ratio to 46 seats Conservs to the IgLibs' 53 seats (total would be 105 seats).

This is the second time in a row that Mr. Harper has appointed senators when Parliament is not sitting, allowing him to escape opposition attacks. He named 18 new Conservative senators to the Liberal-dominated chamber last December, just before Christmas, including party fundraisers and officials.

The furore over that died down, as the relative weits of other policy-issues (for instance, Ignatieff's Iglibs made a full-fart move to inflate a movement to throw Harper out over Unemployment Insurance.

No Canadian govt can revamp UI according to the equality value without making a long fully consultative effort to bring the labour unions along, because several key unions and their blue-collar aristocracy have special historical arrangements with the Pogey-system.

Further Research:

PM to appoint Tory insiders to Senate Globe & Mail
PM's Senate stack a sad little affair
Sen Smit5h ends the guessing game National Post


--Politicarp