Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Merger rumours "ridiculous" - Toronto Star

Michael Ignatieff says rumours of a merger between his party and the New Democrats are “ridiculous,” adds it’s the Conservatives who are on the ropes these days not the Liberals.

“We had some discussion of this ridiculous discussion of fusion of the two parties. Nobody has any authorization to even discuss this matter. It’s ridiculous … I am proud to be a Liberal … we’re going to form a Liberal government,” he told reporters coming out of the party’s weekly caucus meeting Wednesday.
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NDP Leader Jack Layton also said there was nothing to the rumours and that no one has been authorized from the NDP to even have such discussions
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8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The issue comes up because Ignatieff won't kill the coalition idea. He's wishy washy on the subject.

There's a very simple way to kill the whole idea. State clearly that if the Conservatives win more seats than the Liberals, the Liberals will not try to form a coalition. They'll either work with the government or defeat it and return to the polls if the Conservatives are just unreasonable. That's it. That's all that's required.

(And if the Liberals win more seats than the Conservatives, they'll form the government on the same basis.)

And yet he doesn't say that.

Anonymous said...

Well, he better tell Chretien, Kinsella and Rae that these ideas are ridiculous. Apparently they didn't get the memo.

wilson said...

Well that settles it!
The merger talks were unauthorized,
happening without the leaders.

Stephen Downes said...

There's a difference Issachar, between a merger and a coalition.

That said, wilson probably nails it. The leaders "weren't involved," officially that is.

Anonymous said...

Downes,

Well yes. They are different, but they are *somewhat* related at the same time. At the very least if you encourage the idea of one and you encourage speculation about the other.

I think both are contrary to the partisan interests of the Liberal party as well as the interests of Canada as a whole in any case.

Anonymous said...

They aren't somewhat related, they're mutually exclusive.

Anonymous said...

In the words of babe Ruth...Warren, STFU

KC said...

"Michael Ignatieff says rumours of a merger between his party and the New Democrats are “ridiculous,” adds it’s the Conservatives who are on the ropes these days not the Liberals."

I can't find where he says this. I'd love to read it. Need a good laugh at the end of a long day.