Haldimand "Federal Election 2008 The Duceppe Games"

I have a problem with Duceppe's invitation to sit at the debate table. Now I probably wouldn't have taken that point of view, but once I heard Duceppe's comments to the press after the debate I was not impressed with him!

Duceppe is the leader of a party that only exists in one province in Canada. Do you think it was fair that he was involved in the debate? The Liberals, NDP and Greens never once attacked him, why?, the answer is simple, he can never be the PM of Canada, therefore not a direct "threat".

First I asked myself, what is the Leaders debate all about? The answer once again is a simple one, to help us make a decision on who we think is the best person to be Prime Minister of Canada, a position that Duceppe could never have.

It became clear after the debate that Duceppe had one purpose, Quebec, not Canada. So in my opinion Duceppe doesn't care what we think here in Haldimand, so he trots off to Toronto, Ontario and campaigns "against" another party. That wouldn't be a problem for me as I really don't care who attacks who, but in this case Duceppe in my opinion is playing a game in partnership with who knows who! That is dirty pool!

Here is one question the press asked Duceppe after the debate; (question not in exact words)

You are going to Toronto tomorrow to speak, why if you are not running for the Prime Minisiter?

Duceppe's answer, they need to know our point of view! If you want to stop Harper this is the way to do it! If it is good for Quebec we support it!

During the debate "Trust and Accountability" were talked about. Why would the leader of a party that has no possibility of ever being PM of Canada spend so much of his time trying to convince others of who "not" to vote for? OOPS you don't need to answer that Duceppe already did; "If it is good for Quebec we support it". So it is obvious that Harper is not giving a "blank cheque to Quebec" and Duceppe will do whatever he can for Quebec, not "Canada"!

So Duceppe runs to Toronto to campaign? No one in Toronto can vote for him unless they move to Quebec. This was only a plan to help the Liberals and NDP defeat the Harper government. Nice game plan!

My hope is that the next election the leader of the Bloc is not invited to the debate.

The Leaders Debate should only involve those that are running to be PM of Canada.

Here is what was said about Duceppe's stop in Toronto;


Bloc urges Canadians to shun Tories
By Martin Ouellet, THE CANADIAN PRESS
2008-10-03

TORONTO - On a rare campaign stop outside his home province, Bloc Quebecois Leader Gilles Duceppe implored a group of elite Toronto business people on Friday to turn their backs on the Conservatives on Oct. 14.

Speaking to about 200 people at the Economic Club of Toronto, Duceppe said Canada can't afford to elect a majority Conservative government, particularly in the wake of plunging markets and the economic crisis in the United States.

"We strongly disagree with the Conservative way of managing the economy from an ideological point of view," he said.

"It is very dangerous when a prime minister makes his decisions through an ideological prism instead of a pragmatic one."

Duceppe called Prime Minister Stephen Harper's "laissez-faire" attitude toward the economy a misguided approach inspired by the likes of U.S. President George W. Bush that "lets down forestry and manufacturing industries."

While he insisted he wasn't in Toronto to tell Canadians who to vote for, he nonetheless accused the Conservatives of remaining indifferent in the face of manufacturing job losses in both Ontario and Quebec.

Claiming everything is fine with the economy is an insult to many people in Quebec, and likely Ontario, he added.

Duceppe again slammed the Conservatives for cutting arts funding and was congratulated by author Margaret Atwood who was sitting at the head table.

Atwood said she would definitely vote for the Bloc if she lived in Quebec.

"Yes, absolutely," she said "What is the alternative?" Despite his largely federalist audience, Duceppe also took a moment to plug Quebec separatism.

"I'm more convinced than ever that sovereignty is the best possible outcome for Quebec and also for Canada," he said. "This way we'll go forward as two nations, two countries respectful of each other."

Coincidentally, Quebec's intergovernmental affairs minister, Benoit Pelletier, was giving a simultaneous speech to the Canadian Club in the same hotel.

Pelletier insisted the speech on federalism had been arranged months ago and was in no way aimed at overshadowing or making a mockery of the Bloc leader's visit.
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/CanadaVotes/News/2008/10/03/6969141-cp.html