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Afghanistan
Canadian government asks Parliament to extend Afghan mission to 2011
2008-02-09
Canada's minority Conservative government asked Parliament on Friday to extend the country's combat mission in Afghanistan to 2011, introducing a confidence motion that would trigger early elections if it is rejected.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government is under pressure to withdraw Canada's 2,500 troops after the deaths of 78 Canadian soldiers and a diplomat. Canadian opposition parties have threatened to bring down Harper's government if he does not end the combat mission in 2009 when it is set to expire unless extended by Canadian lawmakers.
According to this poll, the Tories have a 37% share of the voters right now, which has gradually been coming up over the past year. The Liberals are at 28%, the NDP at 17%, the Queeeebeeeecois at 7%, and the Greens at 11%. I've read before that with 40% you can win enough ridings to have a majority in the House of Commons.
The confidence motion introduced Friday makes the two-year extension conditional on NATO providing more troops and equipment to back up Canadian forces in southern Kandahar province, a volatile former Taliban stronghold.
Posted by:Fred

#4  I appreciate the feedback from our Canadian readers. If you don't mind responding again, your assessment of Harper so far?
Posted by: Steve White   2008-02-09 14:47  

#3  I agree with my fellow Canadians.

37% Conservative support bodes well if the other percentages hold. Greens will steal enough Liberal and NDP votes in swing ridings to put the Tories back in with a majority. (Nice to see the Canadian left divided for a change.) Be interesting to see how Harper governs should that happen.

But given those numbers, I'd be surprised if a no-confidence motion passes anytime soon.

And how pathetic it is that Canada has to resort to shaming the Europeans (UK, Holland excepted) into placing their troops in harm's way in Afghanistan. No beef with their soldiers. Their gutless, myopic politicians are, as usual, the problem.
Posted by: kcspence   2008-02-09 13:38  

#2  Concur, Excalibur. Raw numbers are not representative because of distribution anomalies. A full fledged election campaign will bring out the screams of leftist outrage from the usual suspects. The conservatives are rolling in money from individual donations and the libs, dippers and greens are starving. More money = more effective election ads and communications. It should be an interesting year.
Posted by: Canuckistan sniper   2008-02-09 12:35  

#1  You can take a majority with 37% depending on how that support is distributed. The Bloq Quebecois can hold more than half the seats in Quebec with that 7% and the Greens fail to take a single seat across the country with that 11% support. Conservative polling must look good and the Liberals must know it.
Posted by: Excalibur   2008-02-09 07:44  

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