Harper building consensus at the U.N.

I try very hard to ignore almost all discussion of Kyoto and Global Warming. The whole debate has become so fanatical that its difficult to have a rational discussion, not to mention that its biggest advocates have completely over-played their hands, and have handed the issue to moderates like Stephen Harper, who believe we need to strike an effective balance between environmental protection and economic growth.

So with that in mind, Peter Foster of the National Post has written another great article supporting Stephen Harper's position, with the best part being that Canada is on the verge of joining the APP, which I think will be far more effective long term in developing green technology, and acting to protect the environment in a responsible, rational manner.

H/T: Exactly Right.

Canadian Political realignment.

Since Stephen Harper won his minority parliament almost 19 months ago, there has been quiet talk of a serious political realignment taking place in this country. Its most ardent proponents are probably L. Ian MacDonald and Chantal Hebert, although I think more people are coming around to this viewpoint everyday.

It started in 2004, when the conservative movement was unified one banner - The Conservative Party of Canada - which began the shift of traditional Tory ridings, which had gone Liberal over the last 13 years due to the vote on the right being split, moving back to the Tories.

After the historic Policy convention on 2005, the Conservative's had defined themselves as a moderate, mainstream alternative to the Liberals through eliminating extremist planks like recall elections, national referenda, positions on abortion, etc. that made many voters uncomfortable.

On December 19, 2005, Stephen Harper delivered a historic speech in Quebec City where he spoke to the real, and honest concerns of Quebecers in a respectful and sensitive manner. This spiked his support in the province, which led to a Conservative beachhead of 10 seats in the province in the last federal election. Harper has continued to build on that victory since.

In the Quebec provincial election this past March, we saw the realignment take another step forward. Quebec voters who had always longed for a third choice within the polarized climate of the separatists vs. federalist paradigm, got their wish. The Action Democratique du Quebec, or the ADQ, led by Mario Dumont, emerged to offer Quebecers that choice on a provincial level, much like the Conservatives had emerged federally as the third choice. The ADQ won 41 seats in the Quebec Assembly, forming the official opposition in the minority parliament, where the Liberals formed the government with 48 seats.

After this it started becoming apparent that Quebec politics was evolving away from the long-time tribal atmosphere of federalists vs. sovereignists, and was moving toward the more common, modern day, self-interest and values based politics that exists in the rest of Canada. This is happening, in part, due to the efforts of Stephen Harper and Mario Dumont, but mostly due to the changing attitudes and concerns of Quebecers.

All these events are bad news for the traditional powerhouses in Quebec - the Parti/Bloc Quebecois, and the Liberal Party of Canada - These two long-time forces have always been co-dependant. Their respective existence is mutually tied. Without the threat of Quebec separation, the Liberals lose a wedge issue that has been theirs for most of the last forty years, and without the Liberals, the separatists lose the ability to rally people around stopping the over-centralizing, corrupt Liberals from further intruding on their affairs.

Assuming the Conservatives don't assume the mantle of the Liberals, and start ramming the federal prerogative down the throats of average Quebecers. It stands to reason that this seismic shift in Quebec politics will continue, to the betterment of all of Canada.