I am done with giving the Harper Cons the benefit of the doubt. I'll believe they'll actually amend the residency requirements law only when I see them bring it to the Commons and whip their caucus to support it.
A tail dragging romp through the swamps of the world
I don't agree at all, because until I see the legislation get royal assent will I actually believe it. That is how distrustful I am of this man and his government.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't like gay marriage, why would they want there to be any red tape stopping gay divorces? Do they want the statistics to show gay marriages don't end in divorce as often?
ReplyDeleteAs for following some other country's rules for recognition of marriages there and applying those rules here, they don't want that because, while convenient in this case, it would require them to follow the rules of countries that do recognize polygamous marriages.
Despite lifesite getting hot and bothered that the government will re-open one of their pet socon issues, it won't happen. After being cornered in the debates by Duceppe, Harper went beyond his usual position of no government abortion legislation (but free votes are another matter). He said any such bills will be defeated by his government. The Rev "Dr." McVety retaliated by publicly commanding his followers to abandon Harper.
Since Harper won a majority anyway, the socons have been thrown under the bus since they proved themselves to be disloyal.
Harper's already got his eye on 2015. With Jack Layton dead, he knows there won't be a giant orange wave. The 2 million liberals who lent their votes to him to stop Layton being the senior partner in a presumed coalition can't be relied on to switch in the last 48 hours next time. So he's playing the reasonableness card, especially on issues that may annoy his base who have no place else to go, but are part of his perception of the "liberal" priorities. He sees the Liberals as not too different from conservatives, especially on economic issues, but opposing gay divorce makes him look mean spirited and will push those liberal voters away.
And what precisely is the Conservative government alleged to have done wrong here?
ReplyDeleteThis is the biggest non-story I've read in some time.
rabbit, it's the rapidly accumulating baggage of the CPC that makes people assume they've got something up their sleeve here. I don't agree in this case. The arcane residency laws that are now somehow the Liberals' fault were also never mentioned by the CPC at the time. I think this is a windfall and Steve sees an opportunity to look good with no down side. I mean really, how will the homophobes in the base be against making it *easier* for gays to divorce, undoing what they shouldn't be doing (according to the base) in the first place?
ReplyDeleteHarper is now trying to look reasonable and responsive on this for both the next election and to make the opposition to other parts of his agenda look overwrought.
liberal supporter:
ReplyDeleteThe "arcane residency laws" were put in place by the Liberals, not the Conservatives.
If the Conservatives did anything wrong here, it was that they failed to think through all of the ramifications of current divorce laws in Canada and elsewhere. But then, who did think it through until this ruling was made? Certainly the gay community didn't, despite having an interest to do so.
Pretty weak tea, this entire affair.
Funny how we agree on this rabbit, yet you are doing the usual passive aggressive "what are you saying the Conservatives did wrong this time?" routine. You forgot to tell us we think Steve is the anti-Christ as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is a welcome diversion for the government though, what with the Northern Gateway hearings, and trying to tamp down the Prince Rupert alternative that would cost more, but avoid tankers in the narrow channels around Kitimat.
liberal supporter:
ReplyDeleteYou seem to make debating points up at random.
When someone criticizes the government, it makes perfect sense to ask precisely what the government is supposed to have done wrong. That's not "passive aggressive", that's clear thinking.
That no answer is forthcoming suggests that this is a hand that should be thrown in.
Rabbit, your false premise is that it was stated that the Conservative government did anything wrong. If you can cite where such was stated, I will stand corrected.
ReplyDeleteWhen in fact, the government itself, the bureaucracy that is, did something unexpected, though their lawyers were in fact interpreting existing law. It is widely seen as wrong, and now the political leadership (the Conservatives) say they will do something about it.
You are mislabeling speculation that this may have been orchestrated deliberately, as criticism of the government, then demanding to know "what they did wrong".
Perhaps your hand, the one that tries to claim anyone is saying the CPC did something wrong, is the one that should be thrown in.
If people being vigilant about this government (more than in the past, which resulted in the current majority) bothers you, too bad. You can look forward to another 3 years of scrutiny.
And this very post is about watching carefully to see that the CPC does what it now says it will do. Tough luck if we are not sufficiently fellating the dear leader for being the broken clock that is sometimes correct.
As per usual with harper's government, there is more to the story than meets the eye. When I reflect on the ongoing campaigns that the reformers engaged in to discredit the liberals, the tv ads, the mail out "voting" cards on who would handle such and such issue, I see this is a well played card to again, discredit the liberals, and to have harper come out appearing to be a moderate. (on an issue I really do think he wants to disappear, but his base won't give it up). Harper is a brilliant strategist, he knows exactly what he's doing, and it's no different than this issue. He also had to have known that the unorganized left would over react as well, thus making them look like idiots. We keep falling for his tricks time and again and until we beat him at his own game, say hello to the naturally governing party, the western reformers.
ReplyDelete