As you can see it looks like the Governor General might well say yes to such a proposal from the opposition parties. Such a coalition would be WRONG and would NOT represent the desire of Canadians who made a statement on October 14th that they wanted a Conservative Government. But if it does happen, we believe the Conservative Party has no one to blame but itself. Scrapping public welfare for political parties was the right thing to do, but Stephen Harper made a mistake and underestimated the opposition parties. If our Party loses power after only two months in office since the election, we cannot keep Harper on through another term. We have failed to get a majority government on his watch. And now his mistake could make Stephane Dion the next prime minister, every Conservative's worst nightmare.
This is not us trying to find fault with Stephen Harper. He has been a good and capable leader who has brought about a Conservative government, something that most people (and most of all the mainstream media) never thought possible. But the problem is that there is something keeping more Canadians from supporting him, maybe spooked by some of the things in his history like the "northern European welfare state" statement (which was taken out of context but still hurt perception of Harper). We believe that Jim Prentice has none of these handicaps and would perform better at connecting with the average Canadian.
If we are still in office after December the 8th, the authors of this blog will continue to support Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his leadership. But if we lose power before Christmas, we will be in favour of a change at the top of the Conservative Party, and our choice for the job will be Jim Prentice!
51 comments:
I have to doubt your so claimed 'tremendous respect' for Stephen Harper, or for that matter the party itself. The very creation of this blog threatens party unity! It is irresponsible to even mention others for leadership at this time. It is important that Conservatives show a united front behind Stephen Harper at this time!
I think it is important that Tories recognize that Stephen Harper has lead us to this point, where we risk losing power to a dysfunctional party, socialists, and separtists.
I also think that Jim is the guy that can get this party back on track!
Congrats for having the balls to say what so few will!
Grassroots Conservatives everywhere should be worried about the current situation Prime Minister Harper has got us into. We need to consider all our options, and I think Jim is a great one. While I hope the government doesn't fall to socialists and separatists, I'd be happy to see Jim take the reigns once the dust settles.
It boggles my mind that any true Conservative could be talking about replacing Stephen Harper during a time, when the socialists in this country are trying to replace the Conservative government with an illegitimate coalition.
Stephen Harper won the Conservatives this election and we need to stick behind him!
What the hell is this? Is this a joke?
Either the Liberals are getting crafty or Prentice is getting a little bit too ambitious.
I think it is a shame that contemporary Conservatives have been so Americanized that they can
make the absurd claim that Canadians vote for a leader or a government.
This is not Hollywood; it is not Disneyland; it is not Washington. It is Canada. Canadians vote for MPs.
The majority of MPs in the Commons, the people's representatives, do not support the Harper government. That's called parliamentary democracy. You might do better in politics if you learned a little about it.
Don't adjust the deck chairs on the Titanic quite yet. Blogs like this are fodder for the drive by media especially the CBC-Canada's Biast Communicator. The Dual-citizen, Jumpin' Jack and the Bloc-heads are a dogs breakfast better flushed than stirred. Don't count Stephen out yet. There'll be plenty of time to panic later, should the left's palace coup succeed.
Prentice would be a great choice.
If you add a donation button< I will contribute the first $100.
We need to be prepared!
You're delusional if you think Prentice, or anyone else, would appease the Opposition Parties. They have been plotting this take-over for some time. They are now in programmed "nitpick everything Harper does" mode--its too much, its not enough, its too soon, its too late, its not fair, yadda yadda. This website has a whiff of
Liberal backroomers around it. I
gotta get outa here, before I'm overcome by the stench !
I have always liked Prentice but let me tell you now: I would never, NEVER vote for someone I thought was undermining Harper's leadership. Especially at a time like this. If the coalition does seize power - and I doubt ultimately that it will - we will need to all pull behind Harper to get the majority (for us) that would likely follow such a situation.
Websites like this are divisive at a time when we need to pull together and it leaves a very bad taste in my mouth. I can't imagine that I am alone. You are likely doing your guy more harm than good here. Give your head a shake.
In the middle of a political and economic crisis, we change leader?
Makes no sense; is this website set up by the Libs?
I like Prentice and wouldn't mind him as the next leader, but now it not the time.
Yep, let's vote for Jim!
Wow this is a great idea! Dont listen to these anonymous naysayers. This is true democracy happening. I think that we Conservatives should look at this as an opportunity to start discussing our future beyond Harper. Let the debates begin!
Harper is the best PM we could have for economics. What of this mess is his fault.
If he hadn't started by cutting spending at the top, we would have all been screaming. When he tried to cut the govt. spending, then everyone is screaming louder.
You can kiss my ass goodbye if you think my support for Prime Minister Harper is weak.
You can kiss my ass goodbye if you think milk toast is better than hardy rye!
IF I wanted a Joe Clark with Viagra, I'd support Scott Brison.
As a small c conservative who believed Harper's pledge not to hike taxes on income trusts I and hundreds of thousands of Canadians were devastated by his betrayal. His stated reason, tax leakage, has been thoroughly debunked and the real reason, pressure from a few corporate CEOs, reported in the G&M.
Harper's removal and replacement with someone of honour, which I believe Mr Prentice to be, will be the first step to regaining my trust in the CPC.
I think the architects behind this blog should be spending your energy supporting Stephen Harper and his government at this time of need rather than leading a thinly veiled flank attack and promoting dissension.
Prentice like Harper, Baird, Nicholson, Flaherty etc.. are not conservatives they are Freemasons.
Ergo there conduct and policies.
Harper has to go, the secret agenda to cut funding has no support in our party. When was this dicussed? The election? The policy convetion in Winnipeg? NOT!
I too will donate $100 as soon as there is a donation button.
To those who have pledged financial support first of all, THANK YOU, and we will make sure to keep you posted if/ and when an actual leadership campaign might emerge. For now we are keeping our costs minimal so again thank you, but we respectfully decline.
Sincerely,
CONSERVATIVES for PRENTICE
I think it's a great idea. Lets face it, Harper is not thinking straight, perhaps too consumed with anger. He (Harper) needs a to walk away from things and cool down.
I am officially withdrawing all support form the CPC. I have supported the party as a member and financially since we all came back together.
This webpage proves that there are elements in the party that are no better then the power grabbing Liberals.
For this reason I will no longer support the CPC, nor any other political party in this sorry excuse for a country!
62% of Canadians did not vote for Harper so of course Candians didn't vote for this government. For years I've heard Conservatives complain that the Liberals had a lock on power and were not representing most Canadians. Well, the Conservatives don't even have a parliamentary majority (only 38%), and yet are acting and talking like they have more than 50% of votes.
I never liked the Liberals ruling with less than a true majority. I certainly have no cause to respect the Conservatives doing so.
Harper himself advocated a coalition to replace the government in 2004.
I look at Flaherty's 'economic update' -- which he says was months in the making -- and I see many controversial moves, none of which were raised as proposed policy by the Conservatives in the last election.
This is an example of why progressive argue that Harper has a hidden agenda.
I would hope Prentice to be more forthright about Conservative policy than Harper. Instead of hiding the details, I would hope Prentice would openly discuss why such policy changes are necessary, rather than cloaking himself and the party in a sheen of mushy middle.
As for "ending political party funding welfare" -- well, I see nothing in Flaherty's update about ending the very generous tax credit given to donors for political donations. Like any other allocations of public money, this costs the treasury and is a subsidy as well.
If Flaherty/Harper really intended to end so-called "public welfare for political parties" he'd can the tax credit as well, as it transfer millions to political parties from the public coffers -- especially, I might add, to the Conservative Party, which relies on that subsidy more than any other political party.
Which is why Flaherty didn't scrap it.
By staying anonymous, you only look like one of the opposition groups trying to cause a rift within the Conservative party.
If you're legit, then you should claim ownership for your idea, though I guess you wouldn't be able to play both sides of the fence anymore.
I wonder what Prentice thinks about others trying to make his career decisions for him?
You red tories make me sick. It's all about power isn't it?
If I wanted a centrist in Prentice, why wouldn't I just vote for a Liberal?
I can only hope that this is a liberal backroom trick. The timing of website is an insult to everyone in the Conservative party who has worked for party unity and to get us elected. Shame on you.
You better hope that none of you guys are tied to Prentice. If you are, he is done like dinner
Take down this website now!
There is little doubt that if Conservatives are going to survive in the long term, they will have to have a moderate leader.
The reality is MOST Canadians are smack dab in the centre of the political spectrum. Swing a little to the left or a little to the right and you're ok.
Go too far either way and Canadians will take you down.
All the sweater vests in the world will not make Stephen Harper a Red Tory or a moderate and and you just can't pretend that you are if you're not. Now, I'm not suggesting that Harper does not have a legitimate political ideology. He does. It's just not one that appeals to a majority of Canadians and while he can expect his "base" to cheer him on, he can't expect the populous to support an extreme partisan agenda just because it's wrapped up in an economic policy during a financial crisis. Despite all his efforts to make him appear more centre, this terrible fiscal update did nothing but cement the idea that Harper is nothing more than a power hungry ideologue and clearly he insisted on it at his own peril.
The nearly unanimous commentary that Stephen Harper shot himself in the foot with this ill advised fiscal update is absolutely true. I'm not sure any of the columnists are seeing beyond the week or two of parliamentary brinksmanship to come.
Stephen Harper may well have written his own political obituary. The tentative Conservative voter (the voter that came to the Party in the last election or two, but is not stuck there) has had a major dose of doubt as to what they were really voting for. This fiscal update will, in one fell swoop, alienated a huge number of voters. It was the classic bait and switch. Harper was not only ruling like he had a majority, he was ruling as if the people who voted for him completely trusted him and as if the people who didn't don't count at all. He was wrong on all fronts. And Conservatives have every right to tell him so. Support him, that's fair enough. But, to blindly follow the leader in light of a blunder that is so huge it threatens the long term viability of the CPC is simply foolish. You don't have to divide the party in tatters to express a different opinion. Or do you? I hope for the sake of democracy and the fine tradition of debate in dissent in the Conservative Party and every other Canadian political party for that matter, it has not come to that.
The timing of this website insults every member who cares about the unity of this party.
You reds just don't get it. You think we have to be Liberals to form government. If that's the case then why don't you go join that party.
For us true conservatives we will support a PM that has a large enough base to win a government, but will not cave on all of our principles to do so.
Mike Harris was by no means a centrist and he won back to back majorities in communist Ontario. Ernie Eaves and John Tory were reds like Prentice and got spanked!
If Prentice would be sincere in putting the 'progressive' back into the Conservative vernacular, then an old red tory such as myself may be enticed to return to the fold. Western populism with its not so thin veneer of intolerance, xenophobia and christian overtones has always been a no-go zone for many of us. Two thumbs up to this honourable endeavour.
For all of you questioning the timing of this discussion, I offer the thought that perhaps Prime Minister Harper should have should have waited for a better time to make the announcement on party subsidies.
He made a majority government move, in a minority. And may I point out that he must take repsonsibility for this minority. As he was given a gift in the form of Dion yet he was still unable to win us our majority.
Harper's blunder is only a blunder for the Conservative Party and Conservative government only if they follow Harper over the cliff.
The only alternative to a Harper minority is NOT the Liberal-NDP-Bloc coalition, but the Conservative caucus asking Harper and Flaherty to fall on their swords for the good of the party and country, so a new Conservative minority with a new PM and a new finance minister can seek the confidence of the House of Commons next week.
This is Stephen Harper's blunder alone.
The Conservative Party should not make a second blunder by letting the opposition coalition get to a confidence vote. Replace Harper and Flaherty immediately, and go the the Commons with a new PM and a new finance minister and 140 plus MP's supporting them.
There is no way the opposition can trust Harper on anything now. They have to defeat him now while he has left himself prone, or Harper will just be more dangerous to them in the future. A cornered animal has to attack. Harper left the Opposition no where to retreat so they have to attack. A new Conservative PM next week opens the door to an Opposition retreat. It demolishes their case for defeating the government.
The caucus has to ask Harper to fall on his sword.
P.S. I am a political junkie, but not a member of any political party, nor a member of this group. I have voted Reform, CA, and Conservative far more often than I have voted Liberal, as I have a tendency to voting against sitting governments.
One more thing. I have sent an e-mail to the office of the prime minister under my real name suggesting that he fall on his sword.
So I may be anonymous here, but Harper's office has received my opinion that he should fall on his sword with my real name attached.
Harper has been anything but conservative: Under his tenure federal spending has shot up at more than twice the rate of inflation; he cut the GST when he should have cut the income tax; he raised taxes on income trust businesses resulting in many being sold off to foreign private equity players who pay no tax here; showered billions of new 'equalization' money on Quebec; past a motion calling Quebec "a nation"; past his law on fixed election dates then promptly broke it.
If this is what passes for "conservative" then there is no need for a Liberal Party.
As Jim Prentice’s riding president and campaign manager in the recent federal election, I feel it necessary to make several points to those who are posting on this blog as well as the architects of this site. First and foremost is the fact that this site is neither endorsed, supported nor in any way encouraged by Mr. Prentice, nor any of the people who work or volunteer for him – in fact quite the opposite is true.
It is unfortunate that at a time when conservatives need to be working together to prevent what is a desperate power play by the opposition to seize control of our democratically elected government, that a site like this would be created. All conservatives and any Canadians who believe in democracy and the importance of stability during this time of economic crisis should follow Mr. Prentice’s unwavering support of and loyalty to our leader and our Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.
David Higginbottom
President, Calgary Centre North Conservative EDA
Loyalty to party and country should come before loyalty to an individual.
Is Harper being loyal to party and country by not resigning for the good of the party and country?
There is no need for the Conservative Party to commit another blunder and lose government because of Harper's blunder.
It is Harper who will have lost the confidence of the majority in Parliament, NOT the Conservative Party.
David Higginbottom,
You are fair to distance Jim Prentice from this blog if he is indeed not behind it. In fact, it could do immeasurable damage to any real leadership ambitions he has for the future.
HOWEVER, it is disingenuous for you to describe the Opposition's action as purely a power grab. Mr. Harper HANDED them this opportunity, nay, looked them in the eye and DARED them to do it. It is the single worst political miscalculation of his career.
So, protect your own candidate, who in my observation is a decent and honest man who does not need to be viewed as Judas because of a blog. But, to expect the party faithful to support what Stephen Harper and only Stephen Harper did to cause this situation is unrealistic.
I don't have any respect for Harper at all. He thinks Canadians are idiots when he plays his little political games like cutting public funding to political parties. Canadians don't see this as cost cutting but an obvious attempt to destroy the Liberals. Prentice is a gentleman in the tradition of Robert Stanfield and I hope he will become the next leader of the Conservatives.
Go to this blog for the real story
http://conservativeforprentice.blogspot.com/
Fully support this site here. I am a moderate who is slightly right of centre. I supported the old PCs, but could not vote Conservative under Harper and his actions to date prove me right. At the same time I worry a coalition of the NDP + Bloc Quebecois + Liberals would take our country too far to the left. I would be fine if the Liberals were given a chance to govern and did everything on an issue by issue basis as they have generally been moderate and reasonable.
If Jim Prentice is chosen as leader I would consider returning to the Conservative fold, but definitely not with Harper as a leader.
It is a known fact that 62% of Canadians voted AGAINST the CPC, so I've gotta ask: How in the world do you manage to conclude that the results of Oct 14 point to Canadians wanting a Conservative Government?
A coalition government is what Canadians want, and we Canadians are finally going to get what a dysfunctional electoral system couldn't deliver.
All of you are destroying Canada. There was a time when I would have suggested that you all move to the US and leave the rest of us alone, but the tide turned even there...
Conservatism -- the outmoded, selfish and reactionary ideology responsible for financial crisis, poverty motivated crime, environmental damage, and social disparity -- has burned itself out. It's a satisfying thing to watch...
This website is a hoax, it was created by:
Jeff Monaghan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Monaghan
just some silly sour grapes here
Well, the people hardly voted for a Conservative Party. In fact, 60% didn't. It's important to keep that fact in mind. The Conservative Agenda as it has been for quite awhile is hardly conservative, nor is it inclusive of the Canadian people, their country or the welfare of either. It's been pro-American, instead. An overhaul of the party is in order.
It appears that you don't understand our electoral system if you claim that Canadians indicated that they wanted a Conservative government on October 14th. The reality is that we don't elect governments in this system, we elect individual Members of Parliament who then decide on who constitutes the government. The essential component of that government is that it has the confidence of the majority of the members of the House.
Stephen Harper and the rest of the Conservatives who initially stood behind him in this outrageous attack on opposition parties, public service workers and victims of the economic times we live in have shown utter contempt for the political process in this country as well as the millions of people who voted very clearly to deny a majority for any of the parties presenting. There is no way that The Tories can regain that confidence after such a breech of conduct.
Yes, let's give Harper the boot. How could he lead us to such a debacle. I'm for Prentice. Perhaps Harper should step down this week to appease the socialists.
We can't let the left take over. We are the only party who can lead Canada down the right path. We were elected to lead in the last election. The left has no right to be the government. How dare they.
Call out the army. We could have our own tiananmen square. Mr. Harper, pull out all the stops. It is vital you hang on to power AT ANY COST.
What blood sucking scum would start a "Dump Steve" movement after all he has done for Canada. Steve tried to stop funding to his opponents, he will soon suspend Parliament and then try to force an election upon Canadians. Why can you not get behind Steve on this? Jim has supported fully Steve so why can you not do the same ? Well if the party does dump Steve I guess all Conservatives will have to support Jim. After all, Satan is not available.
One last quick comment - a lot of people are supporting Mr. Baird - he is behind Steve - even if having Mr. Baird behind him makes Steve mighty nervous. As they say on the support for Mr. Baird site: Log Cabin Conservatives for Baird !
Wouldn't Rob Anders be a better choice?
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