tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post113755089148483171..comments2024-03-28T04:04:03.006-07:00Comments on Paying attention: Watching on election night: early indicators, and seats that matterUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1400574.post-1137602253545628862006-01-18T08:37:00.000-08:002006-01-18T08:37:00.000-08:00Still think that Harper is not intent on making ra...Still think that Harper is not intent on making radical changes to Canada?<BR/>Then read these extracts from today’s newspapers:<BR/>“For some time to come” ....<BR/>Stephen Harper moved to reassure wary voters yesterday that a Liberal-dominated Senate, judiciary and civil service would provide plenty of checks and balances should his party walk away with a majority next Monday.<BR/>"The reality is that we will have, for some time to come, a Liberal Senate, a Liberal civil service -- at least senior levels have been appointed by the Liberals -- and courts that have been appointed by the Liberals," Mr. Harper said. <BR/>"So these are obviously checks on the power of a Conservative government."<BR/><BR/>And:<BR/>Power to stack the Senate (as Mulroney did):<BR/>Mr. Harper could accelerate the switch to Conservative control by using special powers that allow a government to appoint extra senators -- Mr. Mulroney added eight to pass the goods and services tax -- but this could trigger a political backlash.<BR/>Senator Jack Austin, the Liberal Government Leader in the Senate, declined to talk yesterday about how his party would operate in the Red Chamber should the Conservatives take power.<BR/><BR/>And Tories muzzle their extremists:<BR/><BR/>Jim Hughes, of the Campaign Life Coalition, said yesterday that he loved Ms. Gallant's attacks against abortion in 2004.<BR/>"I thought it was great, I thought it was fantastic," he said in an interview.<BR/>Mr. Hughes said that this time around, the Conservative Party has clamped down and muzzled its candidates, "hurting our democratic rights."<BR/>"They are less open than they have been in the past because they've never been on the verge of such a victory," he said. "It's great politicking on their part."<BR/><BR/>So, still think there isn’t a hidden agenda?<BR/>Wake up, Canada.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com