Our provincial government is f----d

[mr x]

I've never in my life seen such ignorance as I have with Darrell Dexter's insights into Newpage. We are all fucked.

[Keggermeister]

I fail to see any value in an NDP government.

Maybe our neo-hippie-conservationalist population will wake the F@ck up and vote for a government that has the common man in mind.

Personally, I vote conservative. I find they get stuff done and actually listen to their constituents. It still steams me to think that years ago, I voted for that lying scumbag Stoffer because of his strong opposition to the LGR.

[mr x]

Stoffer...grrrrrrrrrr.

Although I must admit, at the provincial level, our last PC government was pretty bad. But stuff like this from Dexter just screams of incompetence/patronage:

A marker specialist will also be retained to conduct a study of the markets for newsprint and glossy supercalendered paper, which are produced at Point Tupper.

“I want the province and any potential new buyer to understand the global markets and identify opportunities to make sure that this mill is viable into the future,” Dexter said.

Does he honestly think that is an intelligent use of taxpayer money? Seriously. Fuck.

[Keggermeister]

Really though! The wheels of bureaucratism spin round.

[derek]

I personally believe NDP makes great oppositions, bad governments. But I absolutely fail to see how voting Conservative or Liberal - at provincial or federal level - improves anything. My long-time Conservative municipal and provincial representatives certainly never did a damn thing for me.

And I will continue to vote for Peter Stoffer who is the only representative I've ever had _anywhere_ who actually seems to care what I have to say. Call, write or email to him and you will get a reasoned and intelligent response. He might not _help_ but at least he acts like your opinion matters, which I haven't seen any evidence of from any of my other elected reps.

[Keggermeister]

I personally believe NDP makes great oppositions, bad governments. But I absolutely fail to see how voting Conservative or Liberal - at provincial or federal level - improves anything. My long-time Conservative municipal and provincial representatives certainly never did a damn thing for me.

A Conservative NS would see a lot more federal funding for a start...

And I will continue to vote for Peter Stoffer who is the only representative I've ever had _anywhere_ who actually seems to care what I have to say. Call, write or email to him and you will get a reasoned and intelligent response. He might not _help_ but at least he acts like your opinion matters, which I haven't seen any evidence of from any of my other elected reps.

Mr Stoffer offers up nothing but hot air to me. He stole the votes of constituents by lying to them. Fool me once...

[derek]

Mr Stoffer offers up nothing but hot air to me. He stole the votes of constituents by lying to them. Fool me once...

He's never done that. He changed one vote based on overwhelming constituent response. Tell all the veterans, and more importantly veterans widows, who he's gone to bat for - many of them life-long Conservatives - that he's nothing but hot air.

Hot air, is Bill Dooks, who made a point of coming over to our table at a lobster supper shortly before the last election, to tell us that he, personally, had arranged a contract for paving our road. That's traditional NS politics at its best. I was surprised after he lost the election not to see him on the road crew, since he has lots of free time, now. We never did get our paving.

You've got an excellent point that we'd get more federal funding with more Conservative MPs and a Conservative provincial government. I'm not going to support that level of corruption.

[KMcK]

I tend to vote conservative. While working for the province John Hamm's Progressive Conservatives got elected and I got fired. I went to the feds and then Stephen Harper got elected and I got fired. I went to another federal department and I got fired yet again. If that's how they treat loyal supporters, imagine how fair they are with their enemies.

My most recent termination was under an N.D.P. government, but that reeked of incompetence, not vindictiveness. Take your pick.

[Keggermeister]

I guess it really comes down to just that, picking the least worse party...

He's never done that. He changed one vote based on overwhelming constituent response. Tell all the veterans, and more importantly veterans widows, who he's gone to bat for - many of them life-long Conservatives - that he's nothing but hot air.

There were several independent polls done in his riding just after 391 got killed, His constituents supported scrapping the LGR across the board. I do remember Mr Stoffer stating the reason he flopped was that his constituents changed their tune, but it was never found to be an accurate statement. He was trying to save face.

In the end, I voters were heard and come Sept 19th when the house sits it will be done.

[mr x]

He's never done that. He changed one vote based on overwhelming constituent response.

No, he changed that vote at the in person request of Jack Layton, who ever so fraudulently claimed that vote was not whipped. Peter made a lot of hay on being against the gun registry, and in the moment of truth, he proved not to be a man of his word. I am with Nick, fuck me over once - you won't get a second chance...

[derek]

I guess it really comes down to just that, picking the least worse party... {/quite]

No, it comes down to voting for the best candidates because the parties are all crap - and I believe Stoffer's the best representative I've had in 35 years of voting, and probably the only one I've voted for more than once.

There were several independent polls done in his riding just after 391 got killed, His constituents supported scrapping the LGR across the board.

I've never seen an independent poll (and not just on this issue - they're always weighted to find a particular result). Certainly, it can't have been "across the board" because none of his constituents that I know wanted to scrap the registry, though I'm sure there were many of the good ole' boys who did.

I do remember Mr Stoffer stating the reason he flopped was that his constituents changed their tune, but it was never found to be an accurate statement. He was trying to save face.

In the end, I voters were heard and come Sept 19th when the house sits it will be done.

What "face" did he need to save? He voted his conscience - which is something that the Conservatives did permit their members to do - at considerable personal cost, because whether he's right that the majority of his constituents wanted to keep the registry or not, he did lose a lot of votes from those who wanted it scrapped.

Voters gave the Conservatives a mandate, which doesn't mean they agreed with every single plank of the Conservative platform, and given that the majority of Canadians live in urban centres it seems pretty hard to imagine the majority of Canadians actually voted to scrap the registry. If the fact that "voters were heard" really means they voted to get rid of the registry, then I guess Stoffer was right that his constituents wanted to keep it - after all he was still returned by a considerable margin.

And X - if the vote was whipped, how is it that none of the six NDP members who voted to abolish the registry were punished?

Anyway, he hasn't "fucked you over" (either of you), since he doesn't represent your ridings.

[mr x]

That wasn't voting with your conscience, unless conscience has a new meaning over there. How was the vote whipped? Layton hand picked and leaned on enough of his members to get the result he wanted for his party. That's a whip, no much how much sugar you pour on top.

For FWIW, I believe I do pay taxes for property in his riding. He represents Canadians, and votes on laws that effect all Canadians. Both are good enough for me to give him a kick in the nuts.

[Keggermeister]

What "face" did he need to save? He voted his conscience - which is something that the Conservatives did permit their members to do - at considerable personal cost, because whether he's right that the majority of his constituents wanted to keep the registry or not, he did lose a lot of votes from those who wanted it scrapped.
MP's are not paid to vote with their conscience, they are paid to represent their constituents.

Voters gave the Conservatives a mandate, which doesn't mean they agreed with every single plank of the Conservative platform, and given that the majority of Canadians live in urban centres it seems pretty hard to imagine the majority of Canadians actually voted to scrap the registry. If the fact that "voters were heard" really means they voted to get rid of the registry, then I guess Stoffer was right that his constituents wanted to keep it - after all he was still returned by a considerable margin.
I am with you on the first bit, no party has everything I look for, however I vote for my liberties and rights first. If you don't think that gun owners had a major influence this election, look up what happened to Mark Holland in Ajax. Guess who won.

And X - if the vote was whipped, how is it that none of the six NDP members who voted to abolish the registry were punished?

Anyway, he hasn't "fucked you over" (either of you), since he doesn't represent your ridings.
He has "fucked me over" I lived in his riding for over 5 years and voted for him because of his good service and LGR views. I thought it was a good compromise . Additionally, as a Canadian hunter he screwed all of us. The vote lost by a margin of 2.

This chatter is all moot though... stay tuned.