本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛LEVIS, Que. -- It's a great tactic: First, convince Canadians that they have nothing to fear from a Conservative minority.
Now, with less than a week to go and the poll numbers to back it up, Stephen Harper is focusing on introducing the idea of a Conservative majority to Canadians.
Global National Online Extras
» Jacques Bourbeau reports
» Harper on majority issues
» Harper woos Quebec voters
» Harper on abortion legislation
But even so, a majority Conservative government would be kept in check by a public service, Senate and courts stacked with Liberal appointees, Harper admitted Tuesday.
"The reality is we will have for some time to come a Liberal Senate, Liberal civil service - at least senior levels have been appointed by the Liberals - and courts that have been appointed by the Liberals," Harper said. "So these are obviously checks on the power of a Conservative government.
"That's why I say in the true sense of the word, there's no absolute power for a Conservative government and no real true majority. We will have checks on us and limits on our ability to operate that a Liberal government would not face."
Yet with the prospect of forming the the next government ever closer, the Tory leader campaigned hard in Quebec to try to convince French-Canadians that they have nothing to fear from what seemed unimaginable at the start of the campaign: a Conservative victory on Jan. 23.
Buoyed by rising poll numbers, the Conservatives are mounting a push in Quebec, where they were shut out in the 2004 election. Even a handful of the province's 75 seats would mean Quebec ministers at a Conservative cabinet table.
But it's still far from over. Harper attracted only about 100 supporters to a rally in the Bloc-held riding of Levis-Bellechasse and had a spot of trouble getting the crowd onside. Maybe it was his less-than-perfect command of French, or maybe it's just that cheering on a Conservative leader doesn't come naturally to Quebecers.
"For 16 years the Bloc has denounced the tendency of the Liberals to intrude in provincial jurisdiction," Harper told them.
"Has this intrusion stopped?"
To his chagrin, the confused audience replied "Oui!" He quickly shouted back: "Non!"
They got it right after that, though, and cheered as he warned that Gilles Duceppe's Bloc Quebecois has no real power to further Quebec's interests because it will always be in opposition and never at the cabinet table.
"Today the Liberal party only serves to discredit the image of federalism in Quebec and to drive voters to the Bloc," he said. "Even Mr. Duceppe in the English debate admitted that Liberal corruption, not separation, is the reason for the rise of the Bloc. But Quebecers are now realizing that he can't do much about it, except criticize and ask more questions."
Harper also tailored his stump speech for Quebec, dropping a reference to the national anthem and "a Canada strong and free" that he has made in English versions. But later he refused to say whether he considers Quebec a nation - a question Duceppe posed to Liberal Leader Paul Martin during one of the campaign debates.
"The Quebec legislature has passed resolutions on this subject," Harper said. "I respect whatever definition the Quebec legislature passes within its own areas of authority.
"Beyond that, I don't think it's a useful debate. I'm proposing precise changes, specific changes to the functioning of federalism, to enhance Quebec's place in Canada."
Harper said he's willing to work with any party, including the Bloc, if he forms a minority government after Monday's election, but he's clearly hoping for hoping for more than that.
In an apparent effort to assure some reluctant voters, he suggested a Conservative majority government would not enjoy the same level of power the Liberals have had.
"The reality is we will have for some time to come a Liberal Senate, Liberal civil service - at least senior levels have been appointed by the Liberals - and courts that have been appointed by the Liberals," he said. "So these are obviously checks on the power of a Conservative government.
"That's why I say in the true sense of the word, there's no absolute power for a Conservative government and no real true majority. We will have checks on us and limits on our ability to operate that a Liberal government would not face."
Meanwhile, latest polling data from Ipsos Reid, conducted on behalf of CanWest/Global News, shows that if the Conservatives were to win a minority government on January 23rd, 2006 with the Liberals in “distant second”, at least two-thirds (65 per cent) of Canadian voters believe Prime Minister Paul Martin should resign as Leader of the Liberal Party.
With a majority Conservative win, almost the same number (66 per cent) believe the Prime Minister should step down as the Liberal Leader—thus setting in motion a Leadership campaign and vote among Liberals.
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted from January 13th to January 15th, 2006, in which a total of 8256 Canadian voters were surveyed via the internet, yielding results which are accurate to within ± 1.1% (19 times out of 20).更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net
Now, with less than a week to go and the poll numbers to back it up, Stephen Harper is focusing on introducing the idea of a Conservative majority to Canadians.
Global National Online Extras
» Jacques Bourbeau reports
» Harper on majority issues
» Harper woos Quebec voters
» Harper on abortion legislation
But even so, a majority Conservative government would be kept in check by a public service, Senate and courts stacked with Liberal appointees, Harper admitted Tuesday.
"The reality is we will have for some time to come a Liberal Senate, Liberal civil service - at least senior levels have been appointed by the Liberals - and courts that have been appointed by the Liberals," Harper said. "So these are obviously checks on the power of a Conservative government.
"That's why I say in the true sense of the word, there's no absolute power for a Conservative government and no real true majority. We will have checks on us and limits on our ability to operate that a Liberal government would not face."
Yet with the prospect of forming the the next government ever closer, the Tory leader campaigned hard in Quebec to try to convince French-Canadians that they have nothing to fear from what seemed unimaginable at the start of the campaign: a Conservative victory on Jan. 23.
Buoyed by rising poll numbers, the Conservatives are mounting a push in Quebec, where they were shut out in the 2004 election. Even a handful of the province's 75 seats would mean Quebec ministers at a Conservative cabinet table.
But it's still far from over. Harper attracted only about 100 supporters to a rally in the Bloc-held riding of Levis-Bellechasse and had a spot of trouble getting the crowd onside. Maybe it was his less-than-perfect command of French, or maybe it's just that cheering on a Conservative leader doesn't come naturally to Quebecers.
"For 16 years the Bloc has denounced the tendency of the Liberals to intrude in provincial jurisdiction," Harper told them.
"Has this intrusion stopped?"
To his chagrin, the confused audience replied "Oui!" He quickly shouted back: "Non!"
They got it right after that, though, and cheered as he warned that Gilles Duceppe's Bloc Quebecois has no real power to further Quebec's interests because it will always be in opposition and never at the cabinet table.
"Today the Liberal party only serves to discredit the image of federalism in Quebec and to drive voters to the Bloc," he said. "Even Mr. Duceppe in the English debate admitted that Liberal corruption, not separation, is the reason for the rise of the Bloc. But Quebecers are now realizing that he can't do much about it, except criticize and ask more questions."
Harper also tailored his stump speech for Quebec, dropping a reference to the national anthem and "a Canada strong and free" that he has made in English versions. But later he refused to say whether he considers Quebec a nation - a question Duceppe posed to Liberal Leader Paul Martin during one of the campaign debates.
"The Quebec legislature has passed resolutions on this subject," Harper said. "I respect whatever definition the Quebec legislature passes within its own areas of authority.
"Beyond that, I don't think it's a useful debate. I'm proposing precise changes, specific changes to the functioning of federalism, to enhance Quebec's place in Canada."
Harper said he's willing to work with any party, including the Bloc, if he forms a minority government after Monday's election, but he's clearly hoping for hoping for more than that.
In an apparent effort to assure some reluctant voters, he suggested a Conservative majority government would not enjoy the same level of power the Liberals have had.
"The reality is we will have for some time to come a Liberal Senate, Liberal civil service - at least senior levels have been appointed by the Liberals - and courts that have been appointed by the Liberals," he said. "So these are obviously checks on the power of a Conservative government.
"That's why I say in the true sense of the word, there's no absolute power for a Conservative government and no real true majority. We will have checks on us and limits on our ability to operate that a Liberal government would not face."
Meanwhile, latest polling data from Ipsos Reid, conducted on behalf of CanWest/Global News, shows that if the Conservatives were to win a minority government on January 23rd, 2006 with the Liberals in “distant second”, at least two-thirds (65 per cent) of Canadian voters believe Prime Minister Paul Martin should resign as Leader of the Liberal Party.
With a majority Conservative win, almost the same number (66 per cent) believe the Prime Minister should step down as the Liberal Leader—thus setting in motion a Leadership campaign and vote among Liberals.
These are the findings of an Ipsos Reid poll conducted from January 13th to January 15th, 2006, in which a total of 8256 Canadian voters were surveyed via the internet, yielding results which are accurate to within ± 1.1% (19 times out of 20).更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net