

Currently released so far... 12648 / 251,287
Browse latest releases
2010/12/01
2010/12/02
2010/12/03
2010/12/04
2010/12/05
2010/12/06
2010/12/07
2010/12/08
2010/12/09
2010/12/10
2010/12/11
2010/12/12
2010/12/13
2010/12/14
2010/12/15
2010/12/16
2010/12/17
2010/12/18
2010/12/19
2010/12/20
2010/12/21
2010/12/22
2010/12/23
2010/12/24
2010/12/25
2010/12/26
2010/12/27
2010/12/28
2010/12/29
2010/12/30
2011/01/01
2011/01/02
2011/01/04
2011/01/05
2011/01/07
2011/01/09
2011/01/10
2011/01/11
2011/01/12
2011/01/13
2011/01/14
2011/01/15
2011/01/16
2011/01/17
2011/01/18
2011/01/19
2011/01/20
2011/01/21
2011/01/22
2011/01/23
2011/01/24
2011/01/25
2011/01/26
2011/01/27
2011/01/28
2011/01/29
2011/01/30
2011/01/31
2011/02/01
2011/02/02
2011/02/03
2011/02/04
2011/02/05
2011/02/06
2011/02/07
2011/02/08
2011/02/09
2011/02/10
2011/02/11
2011/02/12
2011/02/13
2011/02/14
2011/02/15
2011/02/16
2011/02/17
2011/02/18
2011/02/19
2011/02/20
2011/02/21
2011/02/22
2011/02/23
2011/02/24
2011/02/25
2011/02/26
2011/02/27
2011/02/28
2011/03/01
2011/03/02
2011/03/03
2011/03/04
2011/03/05
2011/03/06
2011/03/07
2011/03/08
2011/03/09
2011/03/10
2011/03/11
2011/03/13
2011/03/14
2011/03/15
2011/03/16
2011/03/17
2011/03/18
2011/03/19
2011/03/20
2011/03/21
2011/03/22
2011/03/23
2011/03/24
2011/03/25
2011/03/26
2011/03/27
2011/03/28
2011/03/29
2011/03/30
2011/03/31
2011/04/01
2011/04/02
2011/04/03
2011/04/04
2011/04/05
2011/04/06
2011/04/07
2011/04/08
2011/04/09
2011/04/10
2011/04/11
2011/04/12
2011/04/13
2011/04/14
2011/04/15
2011/04/16
2011/04/17
2011/04/18
2011/04/19
2011/04/20
2011/04/21
2011/04/22
2011/04/23
2011/04/24
2011/04/25
2011/04/26
2011/04/27
2011/04/28
2011/04/29
2011/04/30
2011/05/01
2011/05/02
2011/05/03
2011/05/04
2011/05/05
2011/05/06
2011/05/07
2011/05/08
2011/05/09
2011/05/10
2011/05/11
2011/05/12
2011/05/13
2011/05/14
2011/05/15
2011/05/16
2011/05/17
Browse by creation date
Browse by origin
Embassy Athens
Embassy Asuncion
Embassy Astana
Embassy Asmara
Embassy Ashgabat
Embassy Apia
Embassy Ankara
Embassy Amman
Embassy Algiers
Embassy Addis Ababa
Embassy Accra
Embassy Abuja
Embassy Abu Dhabi
Embassy Abidjan
Consulate Auckland
Consulate Amsterdam
Consulate Adana
American Institute Taiwan, Taipei
Embassy Bujumbura
Embassy Buenos Aires
Embassy Budapest
Embassy Bucharest
Embassy Brussels
Embassy Bridgetown
Embassy Bratislava
Embassy Brasilia
Embassy Bogota
Embassy Bishkek
Embassy Bern
Embassy Berlin
Embassy Belmopan
Embassy Belgrade
Embassy Beirut
Embassy Beijing
Embassy Banjul
Embassy Bangkok
Embassy Bandar Seri Begawan
Embassy Bamako
Embassy Baku
Embassy Baghdad
Consulate Barcelona
Embassy Copenhagen
Embassy Conakry
Embassy Colombo
Embassy Chisinau
Embassy Caracas
Embassy Canberra
Embassy Cairo
Consulate Curacao
Consulate Ciudad Juarez
Consulate Chennai
Consulate Casablanca
Consulate Cape Town
Consulate Calgary
Embassy Dushanbe
Embassy Dublin
Embassy Doha
Embassy Djibouti
Embassy Dili
Embassy Dhaka
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Embassy Damascus
Embassy Dakar
Consulate Dubai
Embassy Helsinki
Embassy Harare
Embassy Hanoi
Consulate Ho Chi Minh City
Consulate Hermosillo
Consulate Hamilton
Consulate Hamburg
Consulate Halifax
Embassy Kyiv
Embassy Kuwait
Embassy Kuala Lumpur
Embassy Kinshasa
Embassy Kingston
Embassy Kigali
Embassy Khartoum
Embassy Kathmandu
Embassy Kampala
Embassy Kabul
Consulate Kolkata
Embassy Luxembourg
Embassy Luanda
Embassy London
Embassy Ljubljana
Embassy Lisbon
Embassy Lima
Embassy Lilongwe
Embassy La Paz
Consulate Lahore
Consulate Lagos
Mission USOSCE
Mission USNATO
Mission UNESCO
Embassy Muscat
Embassy Moscow
Embassy Montevideo
Embassy Monrovia
Embassy Minsk
Embassy Mexico
Embassy Mbabane
Embassy Maputo
Embassy Manila
Embassy Manama
Embassy Managua
Embassy Malabo
Embassy Madrid
Consulate Munich
Consulate Mumbai
Consulate Montreal
Consulate Monterrey
Consulate Milan
Consulate Melbourne
Embassy Nicosia
Embassy Niamey
Embassy New Delhi
Embassy Ndjamena
Embassy Nassau
Embassy Nairobi
Consulate Naples
Consulate Naha
Embassy Pristina
Embassy Pretoria
Embassy Prague
Embassy Port Of Spain
Embassy Port Louis
Embassy Port Au Prince
Embassy Phnom Penh
Embassy Paris
Embassy Paramaribo
Embassy Panama
Consulate Peshawar
REO Basrah
Embassy Rome
Embassy Riyadh
Embassy Riga
Embassy Reykjavik
Embassy Rangoon
Embassy Rabat
Consulate Rio De Janeiro
Consulate Recife
Secretary of State
Embassy Suva
Embassy Stockholm
Embassy Sofia
Embassy Skopje
Embassy Singapore
Embassy Seoul
Embassy Sarajevo
Embassy Santo Domingo
Embassy Santiago
Embassy Sanaa
Embassy San Salvador
Embassy San Jose
Consulate Strasbourg
Consulate St Petersburg
Consulate Shenyang
Consulate Shanghai
Consulate Sapporo
Consulate Sao Paulo
Embassy Tunis
Embassy Tripoli
Embassy Tokyo
Embassy The Hague
Embassy Tel Aviv
Embassy Tehran
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Embassy Tbilisi
Embassy Tashkent
Embassy Tallinn
Consulate Toronto
Consulate Tijuana
USUN New York
USEU Brussels
US Office Almaty
US Mission Geneva
US Interests Section Havana
US Delegation, Secretary
UNVIE
Embassy Ulaanbaatar
Embassy Vilnius
Embassy Vienna
Embassy Vatican
Embassy Valletta
Consulate Vladivostok
Consulate Vancouver
Browse by tag
AORC
AF
AU
ASEC
AMGT
AS
APER
AR
AG
ARF
AJ
AA
AINF
APECO
AODE
ABLD
AMG
ATPDEA
AE
AEMR
AMED
AGAO
AFIN
AL
ASUP
ASECKFRDCVISKIRFPHUMSMIGEG
AID
ASCH
AM
AORL
ASEAN
APEC
ADM
AFSI
AFSN
ADCO
ABUD
AN
AY
AIT
AGR
ACOA
ANET
ASIG
AMCHAMS
AGMT
AADP
ADPM
ATRN
ALOW
ACS
APCS
AFFAIRS
ADANA
AECL
ACAO
AORG
AROC
AO
ACABQ
AX
AMEX
AFGHANISTAN
AZ
AND
ARM
AQ
ATFN
AMBASSADOR
ACBAQ
AC
AUC
ASEX
AER
AVERY
AGRICULTURE
AFU
BR
BTIO
BY
BO
BA
BU
BL
BN
BM
BF
BEXP
BK
BG
BB
BTIU
BBSR
BRUSSELS
BD
BIDEN
BE
BH
BILAT
BC
BX
BT
BP
BMGT
BWC
CS
CA
CH
CD
CO
CE
CU
CVIS
CASC
CJAN
CI
CPAS
CMGT
CDG
CIC
CAC
CBW
CWC
COUNTER
CW
CT
CY
CNARC
CACM
CG
CB
CM
CV
CIDA
CLINTON
CHR
COE
CR
CIS
CDC
CONS
CF
CODEL
COPUOS
CIA
CFED
CARSON
CL
CROS
CAPC
CTR
CACS
CN
CBSA
CEUDA
COM
CONDOLEEZZA
CICTE
COUNTRY
CBE
CKGR
CVR
COUNTERTERRORISM
CITEL
CLEARANCE
CARICOM
CSW
CITT
CDB
CJUS
CTM
CAN
CLMT
CBC
EAID
ECON
EFIS
ETRD
EC
ENRG
EINV
EFIN
EAGR
ETTC
ECPS
EINT
ES
EIND
EAIR
EU
EUN
EG
EPET
ELAB
EWWT
EMIN
ECIN
ESA
ER
ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS
EAIG
ET
ETRO
ELTN
EI
EN
EUR
EK
EUMEM
EPA
ENGR
EXTERNAL
EUREM
ELN
EUC
ENERG
ENIV
EZ
ERD
EFTA
ETRC
ETRN
EINVECONSENVCSJA
EEPET
EUNCH
ESENV
ENNP
ENVI
ETRDECONWTOCS
ECINECONCS
EFINECONCS
ELECTIONS
ENVR
EXIM
ERNG
ECA
EINVEFIN
ETC
EAP
ECONOMY
EINN
ECONOMIC
EXBS
ECUN
ENGY
ECONOMICS
EIAR
EINDETRD
ECONEFIN
EURN
EDU
ETRDEINVTINTCS
ECIP
EFIM
EAIDS
EREL
EINVETC
ECONCS
ETRA
IC
IV
IAEA
IR
IO
IT
IN
IS
IZ
IMO
IPR
IWC
ICAO
ILO
ID
ICTY
ICJ
INMARSAT
INDO
IL
IMF
IRS
IQ
IA
ICRC
IDA
IAHRC
IBRD
ISLAMISTS
IGAD
ILC
ITU
ITF
INRA
INRO
IDP
ICTR
IEFIN
IRC
ITRA
ITALY
INRB
INTELSAT
IBET
IRAQI
ISRAELI
IIP
ITPGOV
ITALIAN
INTERNAL
INTERPOL
IEA
INR
IZPREL
IRAJ
IF
ITPHUM
ISRAEL
IACI
KBTR
KPAO
KOMC
KCRM
KDEM
KHIV
KBIO
KTIA
KMDR
KNNP
KSCA
KTIP
KWMN
KIPR
KCOR
KRVC
KFRD
KPAL
KWBG
KE
KTDB
KUNR
KSPR
KJUS
KGHG
KAWC
KCFE
KGCC
KOLY
KSUM
KACT
KISL
KTFN
KFLU
KSTH
KMPI
KHDP
KS
KHLS
KMRS
KID
KN
KU
KAWK
KSAC
KCOM
KAID
KIRC
KWMNCS
KMCA
KNEI
KCRS
KPKO
KICC
KPOA
KV
KDRG
KIRF
KSEO
KVPR
KSEP
KTER
KBCT
KFIN
KGIC
KCIP
KZ
KG
KWAC
KRAD
KPRP
KTEX
KNAR
KPLS
KPAK
KSTC
KFLO
KSCI
KIDE
KOMS
KHSA
KSAF
KPWR
KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KFSC
KRIM
KVRP
KENV
KNSD
KCGC
KDDG
KPRV
KTBT
KWMM
KMFO
KMOC
KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG
KPAI
KO
KVIR
KREC
KX
KR
KCRCM
KBTS
KOCI
KGIT
KNUP
KPAONZ
KNUC
KNNPMNUC
KERG
KTLA
KCSY
KTRD
KNPP
KJUST
KCMR
KRCM
KCFC
KCHG
KREL
KFTFN
KLIG
KDEMAF
KICA
KHUM
KSEC
KPIN
KESS
KDEV
KWWMN
KOM
KWNM
KRFD
KMIG
KRGY
KIFR
MARR
MOPS
MASS
MX
MNUC
MCAP
MO
MR
MEPP
MTCRE
MAPP
MEPN
MZ
MT
ML
MA
MY
MIL
MD
MASSMNUC
MU
MK
MTCR
MUCN
MAS
MEDIA
MAR
MC
MI
MQADHAFI
MPOS
MTRE
MASC
MG
MARAD
MRCRE
MW
MP
MOPPS
MTS
MLS
MILI
MEPI
MEETINGS
MERCOSUR
MCC
MIK
MAPS
MV
MILITARY
MDC
NATO
NZ
NL
NO
NK
NU
NPT
NI
NG
NEW
NSF
NA
NPG
NSG
NE
NSSP
NS
NDP
NSC
NAFTA
NH
NV
NP
NPA
NSFO
NT
NW
NASA
NORAD
NATIONAL
NGO
NR
NIPP
NZUS
NC
NRR
NAR
NATOPREL
OEXC
OTRA
OPRC
OVIP
OAS
OIIP
OSCE
OREP
OPIC
OFDP
OMIG
ODIP
OVP
OSCI
OIC
OECD
OIE
OPDC
ON
OCII
OPAD
OBSP
OFFICIALS
OPCW
OHUM
OES
OCS
OTR
OSAC
OFDA
PGOV
PREL
PM
PHUM
PTER
PINR
PINS
PREF
PARM
PL
PK
PU
PBTS
PBIO
PHSA
PE
PO
PROP
PA
PNAT
POL
PLN
POLITICAL
PARTIES
PCUL
PAK
PGGV
PAO
PSA
PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA
PAS
PGIV
PHUMPREL
PCI
PG
POGOV
PHUMPGOV
PEL
POLITICS
POLICY
PINL
PP
PREO
PAHO
PBT
PMIL
POV
PRL
PDOV
PTBS
PRAM
PREFA
PSI
PAIGH
POSTS
PALESTINIAN
PARMS
PROG
PTERE
PRGOV
PORG
PS
PGOF
PKFK
PSOE
PEPR
PPA
PINT
PMAR
PRELP
PINF
PNG
PFOR
PUNE
PGOVLO
PHUMBA
PSEPC
PNR
POLINT
PGOVE
PHALANAGE
PARTY
PDEM
PECON
PROV
PGOC
PY
PHUH
PF
PHUS
RU
RS
RO
RW
RP
RFE
REGION
REACTION
REPORT
ROOD
RCMP
RM
RSO
ROBERT
RICE
RSP
RF
RIGHTS
RIGHTSPOLMIL
RUPREL
RELATIONS
SENV
SU
SCUL
SOCI
SNAR
SL
SW
SMIG
SP
SY
SA
SHUM
SZ
SYRIA
SF
SR
SO
SARS
SN
SC
SIPRS
SI
SYR
SEVN
SG
SPCE
SK
STEINBERG
SH
SNARCS
SAARC
SCRS
SENVKGHG
SAN
ST
SIPDIS
SNARIZ
SNARN
SSA
SPCVIS
SOFA
SEN
SANC
SWE
SHI
TW
TU
TBIO
TSPL
TPHY
TRGY
TC
TT
TSPA
TINT
TERRORISM
TX
TR
TS
TN
TD
TH
TIP
TNGD
TI
TZ
THPY
TP
TBID
TF
TL
TV
TK
TO
TRSY
TURKEY
TFIN
TAGS
UN
UK
UNSC
UNGA
US
UNESCO
UP
UNHRC
UNAUS
USTR
UNDP
UNEP
UY
UNCHR
UG
UZ
UNPUOS
USEU
UNMIK
UNDC
UNICEF
UV
UNHCR
UNCHC
UNCSD
USOAS
UNFCYP
USUN
USNC
UNIDROIT
UNO
UNCND
USPS
USAID
UE
UNVIE
UAE
UNODC
UNCHS
UNFICYP
UNDESCO
UNC
Browse by classification
Community resources
courage is contagious
Viewing cable 08TORONTO90, No Push for Elections as Canadians Focus on Local Issues
If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs
Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
- The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
- The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
- The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #08TORONTO90.
Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin |
---|---|---|---|---|
08TORONTO90 | 2008-03-28 12:00 | 2011-04-28 00:00 | UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY | Consulate Toronto |
VZCZCXRO7378
RR RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHON #0090/01 0881200
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281200Z MAR 08
FM AMCONSUL TORONTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2415
INFO RUCNCAN/ALCAN COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 TORONTO 000090
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECON CA
SUBJECT: No Push for Elections as Canadians Focus on Local Issues
Sensitive But Unclassified - Please protect accordingly.
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Mission Canada reporting officers concur that,
from the brink of defeat in the fall of 2007, Conservative Prime
Minister Stephen Harper's government has established itself as a
stable minority government, pushing through a relatively impressive
policy agenda such as a renewed commitment to Canadian engagement in
Afghanistan, Haiti and Darfur; domestic security measures such as
the Omnibus crime bill and a refined security-certificate process;
and significant tax cuts. On March 25 Mission Canada reporting
officers concluded that Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper's
government draws its stability from different sources across the
country. Provincial governments and the populations they represent
(except Ontario; Newfoundland and Labrador; and Nova Scotia) are
either focused more on local issues or have established a relatively
peaceful relationship with the Harper-led federal government.
Across the country the federal Liberals-particularly Leader Stephane
Dion-- are perceived to be weak, ineffectual, and incapable of
forming an effective opposition, let alone a viable alternative to
Harper's Conservatives. Economic and environmental concerns tend to
dominate voters' minds in eastern Canada, with crime a higher
priority in the west. This first country-wide DVC dialogue among
reporting officers from eight Mission Canada posts reflected the
wide variety of issues and diversity of provincial government
configurations, illustrated the difficulty of generalizing political
developments, and underscored the delicate balancing act the federal
government faces, especially in a minority status. END SUMMARY.
----------------------
Mission Canada Confers
----------------------
¶2. (U) Mission Canada reporting officers on March 25 initiated a new
monthly DVC forum to focus on political and economic issues by
exchanging views and offering different local and provincial
perspectives on national issues. The kick-off topic was the
perception of the performance of the Harper government so far, and
prospects for a new federal election. Reporting officers from all
Canada posts took part, as well as representatives from WHA/CAN.
----------------------
The Provinces Make Do
----------------------
¶3. (SBU) Across Canada, most provinces are relatively satisfied with
Prime Minister Stephen Harper's leadership, or are so absorbed in
their own provincial issues that a change in federal leadership is
seen as unwanted and/or unnecessary. Big picture national issues
such as Afghanistan do not appear to have traction in the day-to-day
provincial evaluations of the federal government's performance.
¶4. (SBU) Given PM Harper's roots in Western Canada, support for the
Conservatives in Alberta and neighboring Saskatchewan remains high.
Some ConGen Calgary contacts have complained that Harper's
government is insufficiently accommodating on issues important to
Western Canadians, such as emissions regulations and climate change.
However, given the Liberal alternative, a significant reduction in
support for the Conservatives is extremely unlikely, a trend
reflected in the overwhelming victory of Alberta Premier Ed
Stelmach's Progressive Conservative party on March 3, and the
election win by center-right Saskatchewan Party Premier Brad Wall in
November 2007.
¶5. (SBU) Further west in British Columbia, the flourishing economy
and uniquely independent character of the BC Liberals in the
provincial government have enabled them to establish a cooperative
and generally positive relationship with the federal government.
With the 2010 Olympics rapidly approaching, the provincial
government is busy creating the fundamentals to solidify lasting
economic growth, including the Pacific Gateway, and is implementing
new programs that largely complement federal economic initiatives.
Currently, there does not appear to be a groundswell of support in
BC for change at the federal level.
¶6. (SBU) Dalton McGuinty's Ontario government, in contrast, has
staked out policy priorities intentionally designed to contrast with
the government in Ottawa. The ongoing partisan spat between the
Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan and federal Finance Minister
Jim Flaherty over Ontario's business tax policy is just one of an
ongoing series of conflicts. Targeted assistance to Ontario's
ailing manufacturers is another major area of disagreement.
Neither the Ontario government nor federal ministers have concealed
their respective desires for different partners (Note: Prime
Minister Stephen Harper and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty appeared
to have at least temporarily buried the hatchet on March 27 when
they jointly announced C$709 million in federal support for
provincial assistance programs. End Note).
¶7. (SBU) In Atlantic Canada, the long-standing sense of neglect
compared to the rest of the country continues to varying degrees.
Newfoundland and Labrador's Premier Danny Williams, although a
Conservative himself, has vowed to campaign actively against the
TORONTO 00000090 002 OF 003
Harper government in the next federal election. "Anyone but
Conservative," is his battle cry. Similarly, but with less vitriol,
Nova Scotia's Rodney MacDonald (also a Conservative) has had
problems with how PM Harper has treated his province, although there
are recent signs of an incipient rapprochement between the two
leaders. In contrast, New Brunswick's Liberal Premier Shawn Graham
has established a solid working relationship with the federal
government. Despite their misgivings about the federal government,
absent a more competitive federal Liberal alternative, there is not
a widespread appetite among Atlantic Canadians for a federal
election at this time.
¶8. (SBU) In Quebec, home of significant Conservative breakthroughs
in the 2006 federal election, PM Harper has been surprisingly
successful. His 2007 motion to recognize Quebec as a "nation within
Canada" was a strategic victory that continues to work to his
benefit. Harper gets credit for delivering the programs he promised
during the election campaign. He has a politically pragmatic
relationship with Premier Charest. While the federal Liberals may
still be strong in Montreal, in the rest of Quebec, a visceral
distaste for Stephane Dion leaves the Conservatives as the only
viable alternative to the Bloc Quebecois.
-------------------------------
Stephane Dion: Who is This Guy?
-------------------------------
¶9. (SBU) Provincial contacts across the country have commented that
Stephane Dion's leadership has been a disaster and that the Liberals
are currently not in a position successfully to contest an election.
Dion's perceived ineptness has proven to be a source of stability
for the minority Harper government. Conservative insiders in
Vancouver and Toronto have noted that Dion is a "better" alternative
from the Conservative perspective than any of the other potential
Liberal leaders, who might provide stronger leadership in
opposition. The recent by-election victory of Liberal foreign
affairs critic Bob Rae is a reminder that the federal Liberals have
several high-profile, politically talented personalities who could
credibly assume the party's leadership mantle upon Dion's departure.
¶10. (SBU) While merely unpopular in most of the country, Dion is
still reviled as "traitor" in large parts of Quebec due to his past
strident opposition of Quebec sovereignty, and, especially his role
in the federal Clarity Act which sets the guidelines for any new
Quebec referendum on secession. By-election defeats and criticism
of his Quebec "team" have contributed to the decline of the party in
areas outside Montreal.
¶11. (SBU) Apart from Dion's leadership problems, the Federal
Liberals might be financially unable effectively to contest an
election if they were to bring the government down, contacts have
noted. Though Ottawa-based Liberal leaders have denied that the
party is in financial trouble, several failed candidates from the
2006 leadership race are still paying off debts resulting from the
campaign (Note: This week deputy Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff
and Stephane Dion were both in Montreal independently fundraising
for their separate campaign debts - the former asking C$1,000, and
the latter C$100 per attendee. End Note).
-----------------------------
Key Election Issues, Whenever
-----------------------------
¶12. (SBU) Whenever the next federal election is held, different
issues will come to the fore in each region of Canada. The economy
will likely be the highest priority issue for Canadians in Atlantic
Canada (economic and resource development); Quebec and Ontario
(manufacturing slow-down); and Alberta and British Columbia
(maintaining economic growth). Crime is a key election issue for
Manitobans and British Columbians. Environmental issues are
important to Quebecers, Ontarians, Manitobans, and British
Columbians. Social issues are important in Alberta (health,
education, and affordable housing), Quebec (health, education, and
immigration), and the Atlantic provinces (out-migration).
¶13. (SBU) Canadians seem to be universally fascinated with the U.S.
Presidential election, with some Canadian political activists musing
to us about how they would like to "volunteer" to work on a
particular U.S. presidential campaign. Many of our interlocutors
across the country quickly change the subject from the prospects for
a Canadian federal election to what is happening in the U.S.
Presidential election. We believe Canadians would by and large
prefer to watch the U.S. election through to its conclusion before
thinking about heading to their own polls to vote for the next
Canadian federal government.
¶14. (SBU) COMMENT: Across Canada, there is little appetite for an
early federal election or significant desire for the fall of the
Harper government. Among the various key priority issues at the
provincial level, it was striking that none of the posts cited
border issues or WHTI as a major local concern. This first
TORONTO 00000090 003 OF 003
country-wide DVC dialogue among reporting officers from eight
Mission Canada posts reflected the wide variety of issues and
diversity of provincial government configurations, illustrated the
difficulty of generalizing political developments, and underscored
the delicate balancing act the federal government faces, especially
in a minority status. Canada is an immense country where the gaze
of the population is as often focused southward on political and
economic developments in the United States -- particularly at this
time given the U.S. presidential campaign -- as on issues with
east-west resonance across Canada. END COMMENT.
NAY