Mr Layton accuses Mr Harper of wanting a two tier health system….guess who used the the two tier system when he needed it ?? Nice to be able to paddle when your boat is never going to leave the port !

My impression of The Honourable Stephen Harper was that he is a man of his convictions. I believe that under his stewardship Canada will fare much better.
My impression of Layton was that he believes that he can incite NDPer’s to jump onto the back of each employed individual and force them to pay the costs of useless worthless no good for anything slackards. Layton embraced dirty union tactics last night. As far as I am concerned he deserves to be corralled up with the bunch of pigs that he represents. He does not represent me or my friends nor the majority of honest hard working tax paying Canadians. Anyone voting for Layton has no decency or common sense for themselves.

I WATCHED THE COMPLETE US VP DEBATE AND THEN SWITCHED TO THE LAST 20 MINUTES OF THE CANADIAN DEBATE. THE CONTRAST WAS ENLIGHTENING. THE US DEBATE WAS ALMOST CORDIAL, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS, LOTS OF TALK ABOUT HOW THEY NEEDED TO WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE SOME OF AMERICA’S CONCERNS. THIS IS NOT TO SAY THERE WAS MUCH AGREEMENT, BUT AT LEAST THEY DIDNT SHOUT AT EACH OTHER AND INTERUPT CONSTANTLY. ALSO BECAUSE ONLY TWO CANDIDATES, EACH HAD TIME TO MAKE THEIR POINTS.
ON THE CANADIAN DEBATE, ELIZABETH MAY AND GILLES DUCEPPE SHOULDN’T HAVE BEEN INVITED TO THE PARTY AT ALL. THERE WAS TOO LIITLE TIME FOR EACH CANDIDATE TO STATE THEIR VIEWS. MOST OF THE “QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC” WERE IRRELEVANT. STEPHEN HARPER LOOKED LIKE HE WAS JUST WANTING THE DEBATE TO END. THERE WAS NO SENSE AT ALL OF “LETS WORK TOGETHER FOR A BETTER CANADA”.
IT WAS ALMOST HUMEROUS TO HEAR THE LEADERS GANGING UP ON STEPHEN ABOUT BREAKING CAMPAIGN PROMISES. THE CONSERVATIVES AT LEAST FOLLOWED THRU ON MUCH OF THEIR CAMPAIGN, AND WOULD HAVE DONE MORE IF THEY HAD A MAJORITY GOVERNEMENT, AND HADN’T BEEN CONSTANTLY THWARTED BY THE SENATE AND THE UNELECTED BUREAUCRACY.

REGARDS

The debates confirmed & strengthened my commitment to the Christian Heritage Party. I saw very little substance in any of their arguments, a lot of half truths & bickering over appearances. Nothing I saw leads me to trust any of them.

By the way, the free television advertising they received is an illegal campaign contribution. I could only be legal if all Parties competing in the election were offered the chance to join the free advertising time.

Don Codling

The debate may have some influence with the so-called soft vote. It also showed what a bunch of asses some of the other leaders are. Harper did well but the ganging up on him I found unpleasant. …Dave Yalden

You’ve GOT to check your word use. LOL
Too much US style attacking. I found Jack L. to be somewhat arrogant and bullying. Stephan D. was very controlled, an admirable quality. G.D. was too focal on his province, but then his party is a regional one anyway. May was a bit fanatic, but I wonder how the rebuilding of the manufacturing sector and being Green fit together. Stephen H.Held up very well, I would just like to see the planks in his platform. At times it didn’t seem like he was standing on any.

This form of debate is a waste of time for the leaders and all who might have watched it. Unsupported accusations by the opposition parties should be confined to parliament because most of the drivel they spout is not worth anyone’s time to listen. Kudos to Stephen Harper for keeping his cool.

I’m going to continue to vote Libertarian. The Liberals are finally paying the price for their arroganace and dishonesty. The Bloc is still a useless regional protest movement. The NDP still spout their socialist nonsense. And the Greens? With no representation in the House, May shouldn’t have been invited. As for the so-called Conservatives, when they start acting and talking like real conservatives instead of Liberal-lite vote seekers, maybe then I’ll consider placing some trust in them. Meantime, our Parliament is dysfunctional with no hope in sight. Who’s going to save Canada? The majority don’t seem to care.

To answer the question, “Yes”, I think many “Undecideds” (whom I assume to be, primarily, political newbies and perennial, left-centre swing voters who occasionally vote Conservative when they’re worried about the economy) would have been left without hope by Harper’s silence on how to fix the coming recession. This is not to say that anyone has, or would have, or could have such a fix without Trudeau-like deficits, other than to ride it out. But for that very reason, such desperate folks would head for any port in a storm, namely, toward the Sirens in Port Layton or Port Dion.

Also, I think the pols are already showing growing Harper weakness in Quebec & the Maritimes. (forget Newfoundland and big-city centres as lost causes) and I didn’t hear any bridge-building happening from Mr. H. on those fronts.

So, if the PM really wants a majority, then he better start being heard in those regions during the last 10 days of the campaign. And what he says better be delivered if he wins it because, unlike Liberal lies on the hustings, Tory lies (real or imagined) are never forgotten and it will be a one-term mandate and a decade in the wilderness for the party.

Steven Harper demonstrated again that he is an exceptionlly knowledgeable level headed leader that is on the right track to keep our country moving forward in a positive productive way. Canadians are aware of his exceptional ability and greater numbers of us are understanding his qualities. I believe his support will continue to build while support for the others will decline. We are fortunite to have Steven Harper as leader of the Canadian Government.

The TV Debate was not a debate … it was merely a TV production devoid of substance and meaning to the TV viewing audience. Very clearly, this format is wrong in a short election campaign such as we are under. Perhaps our real problem is that 36 days to call a National Election is not enough time to do the job properly and to inform the public adequately. The USA procedure unfortunately spends its last four years in office campaigning for re-election … and that is a wasteful long time. It is time in Canada to get back to the old fashioned Town Hall Meetings across the country, where the local candidates, and not just the Leaders, can meet and debate with the general public … this might require at least six months.

HARPER IS A VERY COOL MAN. WHAT CANADA NEED`S
AS THE PM IN SERIOUS TIMES.
LAYTON AND DIONE ARE FANATICS WHO GIVEN THE CHANCE
WOULD DOUBLE CANADA`S DEBT LOAD.

Stephen Harper made two comments during the debate which should disturb NCC supporters.

First, he boasted about his “campaign finance” law which severely limits the ability of citizens to donate their own money to political parties of their choice. This law is nothing but a gag law.

Second, he once again reaffirmed his support for Canada’s socialist health care system.

In other words, before a national TV audience the Prime Minister renounced two key NCC principles: Canadians should have the right to free election speech, and they should have the right to choice in when it comes to health care.

I hope NCC supporters will contact their Conservative candidates and urge them to re-think these policies.

Does anyone know if there is a Libertarian candidate in Abbotsford? Is the a viable Libertarian party iin Canada still? I would like to vote for them.

Mr. Harper called an election that was unnecessary, untimely, and wasteful of the taxpayers’ dollars. The real election should have occured next year, as was his ordained plan to switch to mandatory elections every four years. Given his decision and hunger for a majority government, his party does not deserve to get the majority he seeks. Come October 14th, let’s see what the “undecideds”, and those “eligible to vote but who rarely do”, will actually do. Let’s encourage them to get out and vote.

Jack Leyton is like a pit bull growling at any points the Prime Minister tried to convey to the public as wel as to the members of the meeting. He tried to appear as the only person who cares for those who lost jobs because of economic uncertainties. Don’t forget that these couples Jack Leyton and Olivia Chow lived in a subsidized housing, at one time, intended for people with low incomes, a house that could have been occupied by the real targeted people, instead of an MP with good salary. What a hypocrite.

There was not only no clear winner, there was no debate. Four people hammering the prime minister is not a debate. Harper’s solid reaction to many uncalled for criticisms was admirable. In the current economic crisis we require a man of his depth and integrety. A majority government is a must if we are to weather the storm.