Manufacturing News: The Globe and Mail

Is Prime Minister Harper making the worldwide recession worse? The G & M thinks so. I want to fisk a few points. (Fisking: This is a term for taking a main stream media article and arguing specific points.)

Mr. Harper, who said in a television interview on Monday that he has never seen such uncertainty about the future, came under fire for giving in to fear at a time when Canadians need their Prime Minister to offer a more positive outlook – both to relieve anxiety and to keep consumers spending.

Do the writers of this article actually believe this? If Harper acts chipper and says everything is ok, Canadians are going to feel better and start spending more? We have stats and news from so many different sources in the world. Everybody knows things are bad globally. The Fireside Chat a-la-Roosevelt is not going to turn things around.

“I think human behaviour drives recessions and recoveries, and confidence in the future drives human behaviour,” said Liberal MP John McCallum, a former chief economist for the Royal Bank of Canada.

“Especially during difficult times, leaders have to inject confidence and hope into their citizens and Stephen Harper has done precisely the opposite with these comments.”

John "You're Not Allowed on the Airplane Because You're Too Drunk" McCallum is talking about inspiring confidence? He was part of the shaky Coup that tried to overthrow an elected government on the grounds that the dire economic situation called for drastic measures. This was inspiring confidence?

I read the article and think, did the Liberal Party Communications Department directly dictate it? How badly is the G & M in the tank for them?

The Liberals Really Think We Are Stupid

This is unbelievable! I decided to check out Liberal Hedy Fry's website (who is my riding's MP). I'm amazed at how she can say 2+2=5. Look at these consecutive posts, one addressing her constituents and one a press release. You don't even get a page break!

At the bottom of the first one: (read in full here)

The proposed coalition government is between the New Democrats and the Liberals only. The Bloc will continue to sit as an opposition party; they have only agreed not to bring the coalition government down, on a confidence motion, for 1 1/2 years in order to allow for stability of governance in a national crisis. Yet, the Conservatives deceive Canadians by suggesting that the Bloc will be part of a coalition government.

At the top of the VERY NEXT press release, (scroll down slightly still in the same view)

OTTAWA - Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion, New Democrat Leader Jack Layton and Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe today announced that an agreement has been reached among the three opposition parties to support a cooperative government to address the impact of the global economic crisis on Canadians.

HEDY IT'S YOUR OWN PARTY'S PRESS RELEASE!!!! They really have to cut out this crap about the Bloc not being part of the coalition. They also need to say what they promised them as a bribe to join.

This is the same woman who said in 2001"Crosses were burning in Prince George as we speak." It never happened. Truth is not all that important to her.

Intrigue In Ottawa

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc Quebecois have supposedly agreed to shoot-down a confidence vote on Monday.

Canada's opposition parties said Thursday they will vote against the Conservative government's fiscal update, sparking speculation the country could face another election in the midst of a global economic crisis.

I'm not going to get too excited about this because I simply don't believe it. The Liberals are leaderless and party funds are exhuasted. Canadians will be angry if they have to go to the polls again. It's all just bluster.

I welcome the Dippers and Liberals forming a coalition. Combined, they have 114 seats to the Tories 143. That means they'll have to join up with the Bloc, and no self respecting Liberal or NDP MP would want to be in government with separatists.

He might be sweating a little, but I think Harper is mostly sitting back and enjoying this.

UPDATE: Strack Attack wrote in the comments:

I'm starting to doubt my original thinking on this matter and maybe just maaaybe, the opposition is serious and will bring down the gov't. They have tabled a non-confidence motion and plan to put it in motion on Monday. Still this could merely be optics of playing tough this time around. The Tories can also avert this or postpone it with procedural tactics. Still, there seems to be some sort of agreement among the Dippers, Libs and Bloc and it appears Dion will lead it which in theory makes it all that much more plausible. Contrary to my own thinking the Libs must feel there is some sort of long term gain in doing this. I can't see them doing this for the good of the country. Who wants a flimsy coalition government lead by a guy who very few Canadians have confidence in to run our country through some of the craziest times we've had in decades? Did we not send a message saying just this a little more than a month ago??

UPDATE II: The Globe lists the opposition's gripes. This one has me hoping Harper hangs tough.

But it is the lack of movement on the economic front that both New Democrats and Liberals cited as the real impetus behind the decision to hold coalition talks. And neither party, they said, would be willing to back down unless the Conservatives do something dramatic in terms of economic stimulus — specifically help for the auto sector — over the next few days.

UPDATE III: Harper delaying the vote until December 8