A majority!!!!!!

[mossrose]

Finally! A majority government for Stephen Harper's Conservatives!

NOW maybe the government can actually get some work done instead of walking on eggshells trying to please the other parties so they vote with them!

Thank you, Lord!

:mossyay:

Drat.

[Cow Poke]

Finally! A majority government for Stephen Harper's Conservatives!

NOW maybe the government can actually get some work done instead of walking on eggshells trying to please the other parties so they vote with them!

Thank you, Lord!

:mossyay:

Drat.

Can you give us noncanucks a couple of examples of what this could mean, please?

[mossrose]

There are 302 seats for Members of Parliament (MP's), in the Canadian House of Commons, which is basically Parliament.

The Conservatives have been "in power" for the past several years, but because they had less than the 155 seats needed to form a majority government, they have not been able to get much done, as the other 3 parties would vote together as a block and usually not with the Conservatives.

This is such a problem that a year and a half ago, the Libs and NDP and Bloc decided to sign a contract which basically formed a coalition to take down the Conservative government. There was a huge backlash against them by the populace at that time, and Parliament was pro-rogued (dissolved for a time) by the Governor General. I think the Libs lost a lot of their support then. How morally wrong is it for the 3 opposition parties to cry "sour grapes" and try to take down the ruling party that was elected! It was disgusting.

So far, tonight, the Conservatives have 167 or so. Not all polls are totally counted, and even if this fluctuates a little until all the votes are counted, Harper has a healthy majority.

The really big surprise is that the New Democratic Party (NDP), which had only about 30 seats for decades, has pulled ahead of the Liberals to become the "Official Opposition". They have about 100 seats, the Liberals have about 30, and the Bloc, which shouldn't be in there in the first place, since the only place they run candidates is in Quebec, is down to 3 seats, from probably 50 previously. I suspect the NDP has picked up most of those in Quebec that were formerly Bloc.

Thank God the NDP didn't get elected as the party in power! They are socialists and stand for big government and taxation up to the collective eyeballs of the people.

Does this help a little?

[Cow Poke]

There are 302 seats for Members of Parliament (MP's), in the Canadian House of Commons, which is basically Parliament.

The Conservatives have been "in power" for the past several years, but because they had less than the 155 seats needed to form a majority government, they have not been able to get much done, as the other 3 parties would vote together as a block and usually not with the Conservatives.

This is such a problem that a year and a half ago, the Libs and NDP and Bloc decided to sign a contract which basically formed a coalition to take down the Conservative government. There was a huge backlash against them by the populace at that time, and Parliament was pro-rogued (dissolved for a time) by the Governor General. I think the Libs lost a lot of their support then. How morally wrong is it for the 3 opposition parties to cry "sour grapes" and try to take down the ruling party that was elected! It was disgusting.

So far, tonight, the Conservatives have 167 or so. Not all polls are totally counted, and even if this fluctuates a little until all the votes are counted, Harper has a healthy majority.

The really big surprise is that the New Democratic Party (NDP), which had only about 30 seats for decades, has pulled ahead of the Liberals to become the "Official Opposition". They have about 100 seats, the Liberals have about 30, and the Bloc, which shouldn't be in there in the first place, since the only place they run candidates is in Quebec, is down to 3 seats, from probably 50 previously. I suspect the NDP has picked up most of those in Quebec that were formerly Bloc.

Thank God the NDP didn't get elected as the party in power! They are socialists and stand for big government and taxation up to the collective eyeballs of the people.

Does this help a little?

It helps a LOT!

Thanks, Moss!

[mossrose]

I should mention that the NDP and the Libs have basically traded places. The NDP normally had about 30 seats, and the Libs 100 or more, sometimes really close to the Conservatives. Such a switch is weird.

AND, the Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff, has lost his own riding. I think to an NDP, but am not sure........I keep missing that particular bit of info on the telly.

[Cow Poke]

So, what policies/legislation would you like to see come about?

What do you realistically expect may happen?

[Raphael]

I take it you're glad you don't have to deal with MMP like we do?

[mossrose]

I expect to see a continuation of steady economic recovery that Harper has tried to bring about the last couple of years.

I expect to see a better judicial system and less criminals let out onto the streets to re-offend.

I expect to see some forward steps in health care........not holding my breath on that one, but still, you never know with a majority.

Frankly, it's been so long since ANYTHING of import got done around here, that I am only sure that we won't be taxed to death. Anything else is a bonus.

[rogue06]

Parliament was pro-rogued (dissolved for a time)

Sure. Support me and get dissolved





And the important thing for us here in the U.S. it means no carbon cap.

[mossrose]

And the important thing for us here in the U.S. it means no carbon cap.

Not to mention that we still have the oil sands, which Jack Layton of the NDP determined to shut down, etc., destroying the goose that laid the golden egg for eastern Canada.

[Cow Poke]

Sure. Support me and get dissolved

There goes the neighborhood.

[mossrose]

Here's the lineup:

Conservatives -- 166 (previously 143)

NDP -- 103 (previously 36)

Libs -- 34 (previously 77)

Bloc -- 2 (previously 52)

These numbers are not solid yet. They fluctuate slightly as the evening progresses.

[Cow Poke]

Congrats, Moss..

When does this all take effect? When do these newly elected peeps take office?

[mossrose]

I am not sure of the time frame, but I expect Harper will be sworn in not too long from now. When I find out, I will let you know.

There's not usually a long time frame between the election and the carrying on of Parliament.

[Little Shepherd]

I remember in the GWB years, liberals always loved to say how if he got reelected they were going to move to Canada.

So with this change, does it mean that next time it'll be conservatives trying to flood across the Canadian border?