Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 7:18:21 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Canada Heads for an Early Election

Posted Sep 2, 08 9:29 AM CDT in World 

(Newser) – The Canadian parliament is set to be dissolved after the prime minister and opposition leader failed in their a final compromise attempt, reports the Globe and Mail. Stéphane Dion, the leader of the Liberals, told reporters PM Stephen Harper asked his party not to oppose any legislation for a year, a proposal he called "a joke" and "a face-saving exercise." The most likely date for a snap election is Oct. 14.

Harper's decision to call an early election goes against a law he introduced that fixed an election date for next year. The PM has tried to justify the snap poll by claiming his government is hamstrung, but the three opposition parties all claim that Harper is going to the polls now before the economy weakens further. His Conservative Party is also facing several ethics inquiries that could hurt its current popularity.

Sources Globe and Mail, Reuters

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Canadian Opposition Moves to Sink Righty Gov't

    Dec 1, 08 9:20 AM CST
    Canadian Opposition Moves to Sink Righty Gov't Canada’s main opposition parties have reached an unprecedented deal to topple the Conservative government, only weeks after it won re-election, reports the Globe and Mail. PM Stephen Harper infuriated rivals by attempting to end public support for political parties under the veil of an economic stimulus bill. The Liberals, New Democrats, and Bloc Québécois would have 163 seats to the Conservatives’ 143. More »

  • Canada's Liberal Leader Resigns

    Oct 21, 08 5:56 AM CDT
    Canada's Liberal Leader Resigns Stéphane Dion, the leader of Canada's Liberal Party, announced his resignation yesterday after leading his party to one of its worst ever results in last week's election. The Quebecker said he would remain in office until his successor is chosen, the Globe and Mail reports. Dion is the first Liberal Party leader not to become prime minister since the 19th century.
    More »

  • Canada Returns Conservative Minority Government

    Oct 15, 08 2:15 AM CDT
    Canada Returns Conservative Minority Government Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been re-elected to form a minority government. Harper's Conservative party boosted the size of its minority in yesterday's Canadian election but fell a dozen seats short of a majority, Reuters reports. The opposition Liberals slumped to their lowest share of the popular vote in history, hit hard by competition from the New Democratic Party and Green Party. Canada now has its third minority government in four years More »

  • Canada Votes Amid Financial Upheaval

    Oct 14, 08 6:46 AM CDT
    Canada Votes Amid Financial Upheaval Canadians vote today in the country's third election in four years, and polls predict a second minority government for Stephen Harper, the Conservative prime minister. But while his Tories have led Stéphane Dion's Liberals throughout the campaign, the global financial crisis—during which Toronto's stock exchange has dropped 20% in two weeks—has upended the race and left tonight's result in doubt, reports the Financial Times.
    More »

  • Linchpin in 'NAFTA-Gate' to Step Down

    May 22, 08 2:47 PM CDT
    Linchpin in 'NAFTA-Gate' to Step Down Ian Brodie, chief of staff to Canada's prime minister and the key figure in the "NAFTA-gate" scandal, will step down by summer, the Globe and Mail reports. Brodie, the architect of the Conservative Party's victory in 2006 elections, is under investigation in leaks that clouded the Democratic primary in Ohio in March. More »

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, left, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, walk for a G8 outreach working session in Toyako, Japan Wednesday, July 9, 2008.   (AP Photo)
In a Thursday, May 29, 2008 file photo, Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper delivers a speech on climate change in London.   (AP Photo/Sang Tan, File)
Prime Minister Stephen Harper responds to a question in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Thursday, March 6, 2008.   (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Tom Hanson)
Federal Liberal Leader Stephane Dion addresses the Nova Scotia Liberal party leadership convention in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia,Canada, on Friday, April 27, 2007.   (AP Photo)
Canadian Liberal leader Stephane Dion speaks to the media following a meeting of the national liberal caucus in St. John's, N.L. Thursday, Aug. 30, 2007.   (AP Photo)
Liberal Leader Stephane Dion speaks in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario Wednesday Nov. 28, 2007.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

election • Canada • Stephen Harper • Canadian politics • Canadian Liberal Party • Stéphane Dion • Canadian Conservative Party


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »