How do you feel the Harper government is doing so far?
535043
Although I am a Liberal I have to admit Harper is a refreshing change.  The Liberals have gotten complacent and just a little to comfortable in their roles.\n\nDon't get me wrong, I don't trust Conservatives and know that they are very sneaky.  However I do feel that they will fight to look really good and in that time they will do some good things for the country.  We just can't leave them in power too long.
918678
It felt like spring after a very long winter. Like the renaissance after the dark ages. The 2006 mid-terms gave me back hope for my country. After 12 years of domination by right wing religious conservative zealots, we are back to sanity.\nNow we can get to work on our problems at home and regain our respect in the world.\nYippee!!!
34166
I think Harper will probably get in, but as the others on this page, I think it will be another minority government.  \n\nI don't think that the Conservatives will ever stand a chance of having a majority government until the Bloc Quebecois stops running.  They seem to take too many votes away from the rest of the federal parties.
760075
Harper is only stating the obvious, but I would have preferred not to open that can of worms again.  For better or for worse, the problem of Quebec separatism will be solved sooner rather than later.  The uncertainty caused by Quebec separatism is an economic drain, so resolution is a good idea.  \n\nBoth the federalists and separatists think that the motion, which is symbolic only, is a good idea.  Clearly there are some differences in interpretation, but I think the advantage is to the federalist side.  Harper has out-manoeuvred the BQ by neutralizing their platform of alienation and having the separatists vote to keep Quebec in Canada.  \n\nAt the core, Quebec separatist are in the business of extorting dis-proportionate transfer payments from the federal treasury.   Harper has called their bluff.  By giving Quebec recognition as a nation within Canada, he is also contemplating more provincial autonomy.  With more provincial powers the provinces will have more fiscal responsibilities and the federal level will have fewer fiscal responsibilities.  Voters in Quebec will miss sucking at the federal teat and will abandon the separatist cause to vote for more federal spending.  Before this happens, Harper will be able to pay down a substantial fraction of the national debt.  \n\nI can't wait for the next election to vote Harper a majority.
223297
well it is my personal opinion that the voters of Canada will realize that they made a big mistake when they elected Stephen Harper. His short term will simply be him taking social steps backwards and grooming Alberta. i think that he will screw up so bad that the liberals will get back in and the NDP will form the opposition. The new Conservative party will go the way of the PC's
340820
Some of the things (since 2000) can't be repaired.When you destroy and sell off the environment, that's it.Our economy,(I don't care what the g.o.p. say) was ahead in the ninties by at least 400 billion.Now the debt we have buried ourselves, and whored ourselves to China and Japan, the u.k. even Canada has a stake in us,is going to take I'm afraid our children to dig out of this mess.Not to mention womens rights,our basic freedoms and everything else they have slapped us in the face with.I wish a third party could win, but the odds of that are about as good as bush really being a christian!
64015
not a very good chance, from the looks of it.  the opinion polls from january 18/19 look like this:\n\nconservative - 36%\nliberal - 29%\nnew democrat - 19%\nbloc quebecois - 11%\ngreen - 6%\n\nso the conservatives are going to need to drum up another 14 points in 2 days in order to make up a majority government.  certainly, they are going to win the largest number of ridings, but if the liberals and NDP form a coalition the conservatives will be in the minority.
1028500
Right now our country is a little pissed with the Liberals.  There was a big scandal with some advertising firms, so when they were voted in, we gave them a minority government.  Then when more details were publicized during the hearings, the Conservatives and BQ voted against them and defeated the government. \n\nWe still don't trust the Conservatives as they seem very much like Republicans, so we put them in with a minority governement.  This means they have to compromise and work with the other parties in order to get things passed in the HofC.\n\nNo one really wants another election so most of the non Liberal parties are not trying to push the Conservatives out right now.\n\nWe're mostly working on things like reducing GST, funding medicare, better transfer payments with the provinces.  Otherwise things are quiet with the Federal government.
39544
Stephen Harper led the Conservative Party to victory and will become our next Prime Minister. The transition will take 2-3 weeks. The Conservatives got 36.3% of the vote and elected 122 Members of Parliament (MPs). The Liberals came second with 30.2% and 103 MPs, then the Bloc with 10.5% (all in Quebec where it took 42.1%) and 51 MPs, and then the NDP with 17.5% and 29 MPs.\n\nThis means Harper will remain Prime Minister only so long as the Liberals and Bloc don't gang up to defeat him. But this is unlikely anytime soon as voters would be angry at them for forcing another early election. Also, the Liberals need to find a new leader and figure out how to pay off a $34 million dollar debt before they can afford another election.
300385
I'm willing to give Harper a chance.  I was actually relieved that he beat Paul Martin, because at that point, I was sick of the Liberals and their stench of corruption and broken promises in the House of Commons.\n\nI was disappointed that neither Jean Chretien nor Paul Martin were the least bit interested in repairing Candian relations with the United States (which, as I see it, are still in the toilet somewhat), which is why I also lost faith in Bush in the wake of all this Iraq war hoopla.  I'm still counting on Harper to fix this, but it's a shame he won a minority victory, so he's got "eagles" watching him, and he can't do whatever he wants in the H of C.  I'm still hopeful, though, and he's discussing this issue with his people to let him try his solutions.
249757
I've been out of Canada for 14 months and didn't vote in the last election, but I hope not!  I will be watching this space to see what other (more informed) Canucks write!  Thanks for the question.
603922
The present Government!!!
390111
Stephen Harper\n\nYou can find out more about him on:\n\nhttp://pm.gc.ca/
885569
Yes.  \n\nWe have a commitment until at least 2009 to be out there, and we, the Canadian Forces, intend to see this through.  \n\nWe first went to assist in toppling the Taliban regime.  But on our second series of deployments, we went over to pacify the country so that the rule of law can be established.  \n\nSave for a very small portion of the country, there is only the law of the gun in place.  We are there to make sure that the rule of law, the authority of the government in Kabul, is established.  There are millions of Afghans who live in the Middle-Ages, always fearing for their lives, with uncertain water and doubtful food, being all but enslaved by warlords and opium barons.  \n\nWe went over there to rebuild Afghanistan, to bring them into the modern days.  \n\nYes, we first went in with te Americans, but in the south, around Kandahar, it's primarily us, the Brits and the Dutch who are fighting under NATO's authority, not the Americans'.  We are honouring our commitments to larger organizations.\n\nAs for the death toll, do not believe for one second that I do not mourn their losses.  I might have never met any of our dead, but they are one of ours.  They are fellow Canadian soldiers who have given their lives in the line of duty.
207138
I think it's a hot potato, too hot for this  new gov't to handle.  They'll leave it alone, and everyone will get very used to it.  I think it's a good law, and I'm proud of Canada for passing it.
112209
The above answer is true, but does not fully answer your question.\n\nIn Canada, the federal Conservative part lead by Stephen Harper just tool power from the Liberals who had been in power for twelve years.
1029648
Can't completely evaluate his presidency right now.  We will have to see what becomes of all the things he has set in motion.\nKeep in mind that some of our best presidents were wildly unpopular in their day - Jefferson, Lincoln, and T. Roosevelt.  I am not suggesting he will ever be in that league, just that there is a good chance that all the rhetoric about what is going on is short sighted and prevents us from properly evaluating the long term impact of his presidency.\nAs a man I guess he's a good guy.  He cares for his family; doesn't seem to lie, cheat, or steal (I can't listen to those panty-wearring sisies who think he lied everyone into war - if they're not even smart enough to read the actual words he used and pay attention to the UN Resolutions).  I think he's a little creepy sometimes, but I'm not inviting him to any cook-outs.\nAs a world leader?  Hmmm.  I don't care.  If the euro-weenies and insecure Canadians don't like him what do I care?  If the presidency had to answer to all those constituencies then we would be in real trouble.\nMy opinion about his presidency in generic terms:  C- on domestic issues (the brutal expansion of the federal government) and grades are still out on foreign issues (if I had to guess it's probably going to be around a B-.