YOUR TWO CENTS:

1. Jordan Lester says:

   Mar 4, 2011 at 3:37 pm

   I wholly agree with the points made by Hans in this article. The reason that myself (and some of my friends in the early years of my time at MUN) considered ourselves Newfoundland and Labrador nationalists because we felt: 1) there were grievances and issues within Canada that needed to be addressed and 2) wide discontent among young people about mainstream political parties.

   I had always hoped that if enough people got involved in so-called “separatist parties” or nationalistic parties that the mainstream parties would have to address some grievances expressed by such groups, in order to make Canada a better place.

   An Actual desire for separation was the furthest thing from my mind. Canada is an interesting country and the one I was born, raised, and live in my entire life (except when travelling), and so I still have loyalty to it.
2. John L. Matchim says:

   Feb 24, 2011 at 1:39 pm

   Sovereignists b’ys sovereignists. “Separatists,” I believe, is a pejorative.

   Best Duceppe quote ever, “In Canada there exists two official languages: English and simultaneous translation.”
3. Jack owen Dreaddy says:

   Feb 21, 2011 at 10:44 pm

   The fact that we dont have a political system driven much by ideology is definately a factor
4. Jack owen Dreaddy says:

   Feb 21, 2011 at 10:41 pm

   In terms of the federal conservative party Newfoundland has had general ambivelance towards Canada which has led to them not being overly bothered by ideology in general and more concerned with getting itself a “deal”. Theyre willing to schew ideology to suit its own needs. I dont think Williams really cared as long as he got what he wanted. He didnt, and well, we saw what happened. It is kind of funny. You can have Newfoundland conservative party members who have more in common with the NDP, but more often the Liberals.
5. Hans Rollmann says:

   Feb 21, 2011 at 6:29 pm

   One of the interesting things is how far the Conservatives have shifted from the traditional `conservatism` you describe since they merged with Reform. The rift between Harper and Danny Williams wasn`t, I don`t think, just a product of anger over the Atlantic Accord, but also of the dramatic differences between Harper`s Reform-Conservatives and traditional Progressive Conservatives like Williams (who I once heard describe himself, quite proudly, as a `Red Tory`). Thoughts?
6. Jack owen Dreaddy says:

   Feb 21, 2011 at 2:52 pm

   Not that I’m a conservative supporter, I just feel as far as the greater whol of the cnfederation goes they dont make a good case study for the point, and that the Liberals make a much better one . (OCD inspired disclaimer)
7. Jack owen Dreaddy says:

   Feb 21, 2011 at 2:37 pm

   I dont think its just a conservative issue. The conservatives have been quite receptive to decentralization and have taken a generally ambivelant view on separatists unless it otherwise suited some other plan of theirs. And dont forget it was the progressive conservatives–one of the predessors of the current conservative party that allied with quebec nationalists to form the two consequative conservative majorities in the 80′s. This all while the opposition Liberals alienated regions, got by in others due to the unpopulairty of their opponents (the oft quoted “free ride”) and who took a generally inflexable view on the confederation. I think they would have been a better case sample for the argument you were trying to make here.