Before I Change The Subject...

Just a couple more things then I will move on.  Back to, you know, Brazil, where I currently am (and am oh so happy to be!!!) But first, a few things to clarify:

1) I am not some sort of Stephen Harper Lover or closed minded conservative.  There are many aspects of his policy that I can't stand (such as his views on gay marriage!), can't say I really feel all that great about any politician in Canada (I used to live in Rob Anders' riding when I lived in Calgary...yikes. I moved!) but in this instance I really don't think my political stance based on which party happens to be ruling affects my feelings on what is happening right now.  If Stephane Dion had won the election (you know, the one that was about 2 months ago? I know, it's so hard to keep track... ) and the other parties were pulling this stunt, I really don't feel I would be any more pleased about it. I think the timing is terrible and it makes Canada look awful from an international standpoint (which is the point of this blog - all things international!).  And no, I don't think throwing buckets of money at the problem (or the auto industry) is going to help. And no, I am not excited about the prospect of having the liberals in power again - it was not so long ago they were, and how it all ended up was far from pretty.

2) I must apologize and retract my statement about Stephane Dion having publicly stated he would step down. I am sorry, and have misinformed you.  Apparently he has not been talking about it, just everyone else has. Gleefully, I might add. Oh and apparently his French skills are better than I thought... wow I sure have lost a lot of French in learning Portuguese...

3) Here are some more entertaining facebook "stati" on the topic so that I can prove I am not the only one, well, excited about this:

• S is almost certain that 3 wrongs don't make a right, no matter what the situation is.
• K thinks a good old fashioned game of quarters will help solve all this coalition confusion.Time to find out who really knows how to throw it down.
• G asks the question: If Harper, Dion, Layton and Duceppe had a knife fight to the death, who would win? We all would.
• S is wondering why I bothered voting...
• T is happy there is a little controversy in Canadian politics. We need to get a little excited. It's good for us.
• L: Canadian political crisis along with the global economic crisis, clinched it. So long remaining hair. I need comfort food.
• S is absolutely amazed at how easy it is to overthrow the Canadian Prime Minister and take over the Government.
• P is thinking, at a time like this, how can the GG's options include perogies?

Comments

[DD4Y]

"2) I must apolog2) ize and retract my statement about Stephane Dion having publicly stated he would step down. I am sorry, and have misinformed you. Apparently he has not been talking about it, just everyone else has. Gleefully, I might add. Oh and apparently his French skills are better than I thought... wow I sure have lost a lot of French in learning Portuguese...
FACT - Stephane Dionne is stepping down. There is a leadership convention in May. After that conference, whomever is chosen Liberal leader would become the leader of the coalition.

[Daily Rio Life]

In case people are interested:

There is going to be a protest at 1pm, on Thursday, December 4th, at NDP M.P. Linda Duncan's office at 10049 81st Avenue in Edmonton. All Edmontonions and Albertans get out and protest!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please visit, and sign up for a national day of protest, on Saturday, December 6th:

http://www.rallyforcanada.ca
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please sign the online petitions at:

http://www.canadians4democracy.ca
http://www.petitiononline.com/CANADIAN/petition.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E-mail Campaign:

Stephane Dion: Dion.S@parl.gc.ca
Jack Layton: Layton.J@parl.gc.ca
Governor General: info@gg.ca

E-mail the Queen:
http://www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page3776.asp

The Queen has ultimate authority here and is likely advising the Governor General, so this is a good avenue!

November 29th, 3pm e.t. ~ 550 + members
November 30th, 1pm e.t. ~ 1,130 + members
December 1st, 9pm e.t. ~ 3,500 + members
December 2nd, 8pm e.t. ~ 25,000 + members

[Daily Rio Life]

Gotta just say...
I can certainly see why people are annoyed with Stephen Harper (arrives in a motorcade at Rideau Hall this morning after traveling literally across the street from his official residence...?). But again I am all for a united front in Canada.

Some interesting things from Rick Mercer's blog yesterday - read the whole thing yourself here: http://www.rickmercer.com/blog/index.cfm/2008/12/3 (RM is calling for the resignation of both Dion and Harper, by the way, which I don't really agree with either...)include:

"And so we now face the notion that within a matter of days or weeks a Liberal NDP Bloc coalition led by Stephane Dion could form a new government of Canada. Stephen Harper will have no choice but to quickly rebrand the Conservatives as Canada's New Opposition.

In theory a coalition could work. If aliens from outer space landed and were running roughshod over the country perhaps a Liberal, a socialist and a separatist could put their differences aside and work together to defeat the alien overlords. A global economic crisis, however, is probably not enough for these three wildly divergent visions of Canada to gel.

This is many things. It is unimaginable, it is a little embarrassing and, it makes our parliamentary system look like a laughing stock.

However it is not, as Stephen Harper insists, undemocratic, illegal or un-Canadian."

ends with:

"And so as we come down to the wire, and both leaders are digging in, we can only hope that this unprecedented bizarre week gets just a little stranger.

Because in a week where every day we have seen things never before predicted there is a simple solution.

We need one more historic press conference attended by two political enemies. A joint press conference between Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion.

A historic event where they both apologise to their country and their parties, in that order, and then they resign immediately – no questions please.

Because quite frankly they deserve one another and Canada deserves better."