Election Questions
September 13, 2008 · By Adam Dyck
This is Robert Stanfield, long time Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of its Conservative Party, and a leader of Canada’s Progressive Conservative Party during the Trudeau era. In provincial politics he turned a pitiful party with zero seats into a political powerhouse that won majority after majority under his leadership.
He entered federal politics when he threw his hat into the race for PC Leader, a position he had previously declined to compete for. When he did announce, however, he quickly became the front runner and a favourite for Anti-Diefenbaker Conservatives.
He led the party into the 1968, 1972 and 1974 elections, losing all three times to the Liberals. He favoured policies such as official bilingualism that were meant to appeal to Quebec voters, but in the end he failed to manage any great successes in the province.
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Stanfield, like Harper, ran his party in an election times very closely before that of the American Presidential election, in 1972. Also like our current situation, the election was closer than most in recent memory and many predicted a Conservative victory. Another similarity would be that the Liberal Party did not really have much of a platform, and voters had a hard time finding ways to align themselves with them.
Of course, there were differences. Dion is no Trudeau, and the Liberals went on to win, albeit very closely. And there was no Bloc to get in the way in Quebec.
However, it seemed rather similar to me, and it brought to my mind some questions that I think we should ask about the current election.
1. Is there a scenario where we could see the Liberals winning, either by majority or minority?
2. What would this election look like without the BQ? Would the Conservatives, Liberals, or NDP gain the most? Who would LOSE the most?
3. What happens to Harper if he DOES lose? Does he keep the leadership?
4. What happens to Dion if he wins? Does he become the next Chretien?
5. Is there a scenario we could see that would have the Bloc losing their major party status, either now or in the near future?
If you can answer these questions, please do.
I think he was actually the premier of NS.
Stanfield was from Nova Scotia not Newfoundland.
The Halifax International Airport is named after him coutesy of Stephen Harper.
1.
I can’t see them winning honestly. there would have to be a major mistake done by Harper and then only a minority.
2.
I think the support would probably go threeways almost evenly, with a lot of pro-sovereignty voters not voting at all.
3.
If he loses he’s probably stepping down, unless it looks like Dion becomes the next Joe Clark.
4.
As I said above, he becomes the next Joe Clark. Iggy and Rae don’t want to wait years to get rid of him, they want him gone now. I can’t see a Dion government lasting long because the Green shift would never pass a vote (assuming it’s a minority) and the CPC would never sit on it’s hands like Dion and allow Dion to carry through with his agenda.
5.
I can’t see the BQ losing party status, that is having less than 12 seats, anytime soon.
Edited my typo.
Now pardon me while I go run into the wall repeatedly.