Canadian Federal Election

[Haljackey 17,398]

This thread is about the 2008 Canadian election.  The election was called on Sunday, September 7th (when Governer General Michaëlle Jean approved Prime Minister Stephen Harper's request to dissolve parliament), and voters head to the polls on Tuesday, October 14th (the day after the Canadian Thanksgiving).

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Here are the five major Party leaders and their partys.

Stephen Harper: leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.  Harper is currently the Canadian Prime Minister and the Conservative party has a minority government in the Lower House of Commons.  Conservative have more of a right-of-centre political platform.

Stéphane Dion: Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada.  He is currently the opposition leader in the Lower House of Commons.  Liberals have more of a centralist political platform.

Jack Layton: Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP for short).  New Democrats have more of a left-of-centre political platform.

Gilles Duceppe: Leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ for short).  The Bloc is a Québec nationalist party and only has candites in that province (all other major parties have candidates in every province/territory).  The Bloc Québécois have more of a left-of-centre political platform.

Elizabeth May: Leader of the Green Party of Canada. The Greens have never won a seat in the Lower House of Commons or have been allowed into any national political debates, but are growing in popularity.  The Greens have more of a centralist political platform with an emphasis on green politics and issues.

Edit:  Correction, the Greens do have a member in the Lower House of Commons.  It happened when an independent in parliament decided to become a member of the Green Party.

Edit 2:  As of Sept. 10th, the Green Party is now to be included in the national debates.

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There are 305 electorial ridings in Canada, which means that a political party needs to win at least 153 of them to form a majority govermnet in the Lower House of Commons.  If the winning political party does not win this many, then a minority govenment is formed.  Each of the 5 major parties has a candidate in every riding (except for the Bloc, which just operates in Québec).

 

Stéphane Dion has stated that this election is to be "the most important election ever" for Canadians.  Wether or not this is true is debatable, but this is a critical election due to a slowing global economy which Canada is starting to feel the effects of.  The Conservatives hope to win a majority government but Harper said that "it is most likley to be a minority".  The Greens are also another factor, as the party is getting a higher and higher percentage of the popular vote every election.  The Greens hope to get some of the 305 seats this election.

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What are your thoughts about the election?  What do you think about the concerns of the country/parties, timing of the election, or other factors about it?  This is a general discussion thread, so anything within the site rules go.  Just remember to keep it clean.

Best,

-Haljackey

[your_adress_here 11]

Whoever legalizes pot.

[rawr APPLES 15]

^ lmao nice one. Ill make an uneducated opinion and Say Gilles Duceppe, because he's from Quebeck, and maybe he could unite the country (Quebec/Rest of CA)? maybe? no? idk.

[Haljackey 17,398]

Originally posted by: your_adress_here Whoever legalizes pot.quote>

Then you should think about voting for the Marijuana Party of Canada .  Its a smaller party, so they may not have a candidate in your riding.  They have a "radical" political platform whereas all the major parties are centre/near centre.

In the 2006 election they recieved 0.06% of the popular vote, and ran in 23 of the 305 ridings.

Yep, its a actual party!

[.soapy 127]

Originally posted by: your_adress_here Whoever legalizes pot.quote>

I second that.

Closing the argument about Gay marriages would be the end to a major headache as well. bloody conservatives are alone in the universe it seems, they don't deserve my vote

[GreekMan 246]

"The Americans?" what?

i am shocked by that! The Americans have a thread

it feels wierd... anyway

if i was a canadian i would vote for Harper

[Wrightguy0 40]

Whoever plans to restore funding for Arts programs and gay community groups has my vote. Most likeley to be NDP or Liberals

Mr. Harper has had his head buried in the sand on issues such as the economy, his canada starts at BC's eastern borders And ends on the western borders of Saskatchewan.

He broke his own law by calling this election, do you really want a man who disregards his own laws to stay in office? I know I don't

[beebs 129]

Originally posted by: Wrightguy0He broke his own law by calling this election, do you really want a man who disregards his own laws to stay in office? I know I don'tquote>

He didn't break any laws. He simply used the option he left open in it. It does make him look like a hypocrite though.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Originally posted by: beebs

Originally posted by: Wrightguy0He broke his own law by calling this election, do you really want a man who disregards his own laws to stay in office? I know I don'tquote>

He didn't break any laws. He simply used the option he left open in it. It does make him look like a hypocrite though.quote>

Now, let's be clear on this.  Cynically, harper called the election now because he can win. 

The time of election law was designed to keep parties from clinging to power.  A vote of non-confidence by the opposition parties, if passed,, ignores this too, as a nlection is then required.  So it is really all fog and mirrors, and designed to hoax the yokels.  It seems to have done a good job and has set up a non-issue.

We now have four main parties in the election:

1. Harper & Co. have demonstrated that they can govern.
2. Dion & Co.'s last kick at the cat was dismal indeed with good ol' boy Paul Martin in the chair.  He got what he wished for and we got a bumbling waffler.  Dion's party is still divided with the wolves waiting in the wings.
3. Layton & Co. are essentially the Labour Party.  However, labour is in a lot of trouble in Canada, so Jack may get a lot of seats unless the Labour guys choose to go green
4. May & Co. actually have one member in the house (crossed the floor or ratted).  Elizabeth is hitting the green button very hard.  They are the None-of-the-Above Party, and this might just result in giving them more seats than the NDP, which I would find hilarious.

I will be watching how things are going.  I would normally vote Conservative in a Federal Election, but if things don't go as I want, I will vote for the Green Party of Canada.

[IDS2 3,429]

Interesting, them Canadians have their election too, eh? Good timing. I never paid attention until now, this being trumped by the US election but still very important. I'll do some research (even though I'm not Canadian) just to see which one I would vote for...

[patriots_1228 51]

lol greekman, you have never heard someone say "The Americans"?

anyway,i vote for whoever makes canada our 51st state.

jk...

[also no offense to Puerto Rico]

[Haljackey 17,398]

Well, it now looks like Elizabeth May, leader of the Green Party of Canada, will be participating in the national televised debates.

This is the first time that a party with less than 10% of the popular vote has been allowed to participate since the early days of the Reform Party.

Here's a short article about it is below from cbc.ca.

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Greens' inclusion in debates a 'tectonic' shift in politics: May

CBC News

The public demands for the inclusion of Green Leader Elizabeth May in the leaders debates represent a "tectonic" shift in Canadian politics akin to the emergence of the Reform and Bloc Québécois parties in 1993, May said Thursday.

"This really is of course not just a game-changer for the Green party, but it's really a new shift in Canadian politics," May told CBC News.

"We're still experiencing a fallout from these shifts and I think a lot of voters are looking at the old parties and saying, 'Where do I belong?'"

May acknowledged the public's participation was vital to her eventual inclusion in the debates leading up to the Oct. 14 election.

In one day, more than 10,000 voters signed an online petition demanding her involvement, said May.

"My most profound hope is that the role of the Greens is to make democracy healthier whether it benefits us immediately or not."

Harper, Layton dropped objections

A consortium of networks running the October debates permitted May to enter the debates Wednesday, reversing an earlier decision.

On Monday the consortium — CBC/Radio-Canada, CTV, Global Television and TVA — said some of Canada's parties indicated they would boycott the debate if she was invited.

Conservative Leader Stephen Harper and NDP Leader Jack Layton withdrew their objections to her inclusion following widespread public backlash. They initially said May would effectively be a second Liberal in the debates, citing what they said was her preference for Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion over Harper as prime minister.

While Bloc leader Gilles Duceppe opposed May's participation, he did not threaten a boycott. Dion reaffirmed his support on Wednesday for May's inclusion in the debates.

Greens in uncharted territory

May's inclusion is a first for the Green party, whose previous leader, Jim Harris, was left out of the debates in the run-up to the 2006 federal election.

At the time, the television consortium determined the party did not have enough public support to justify an invitation to participate.

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What do you think about May's inclusion in the debates or any other issues about the election? 

A poll will be up soon!

Edit:  Poll now up!

Best,

-Haljackey

[your_adress_here 11]

I really don't care personally, but I do think it's a good thing to have her included. It's the un-Canadian not to let her participate.

[Zelgadis 638]

It is getting more and more difficult to argue that the Green Party is a fringe party.  And therefore more and more difficult to argue that they cannot participate in the debates.  I'm glad May is included. 

I won't be able to vote in this election, but I will probably be able to do the next one.  The Green Party is looking like a more and more attractive choice the longer I live here. 

ISF

[photastic 0]

Originally posted by: rawr APPLES ^ lmao nice one. Ill make an uneducated opinion and Say Gilles Duceppe, because he's from Quebeck, and maybe he could unite the country (Quebec/Rest of CA)? maybe? no? idk.quote>

that would be a nice thought...but Gilles Duceppe and his party the Bloc, were formed for quebec separatists.

pluss stephan dion and jack layton were also both born in quebec

[Haljackey 17,398]

Here is the latest Party Support Poll, released on September 11th.  It compares with the poll on August 27th, showing the change in support for the 5 major parties.

It looks like its neck-and-neck between the Liberals and the Conservatives, as well as between the Bloc and the Greens.  But, at this point, it is too early to really tell. 

Best,

-Haljackey

[Haljackey 17,398]

An interesting update about the upcoming election:

Canada has been deemed the worst country in the world when it comes to acting on climate change since the Harper government took power in 2006.

Elizabeth May (the green party leader) is urging Canadians to vote for ANY party that has the potential to take down the Conservative candidate in their riding.

Source: http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/505642

Further reading:  https://secure.avaaz.org/en/stop_harper/?cl=132841087&v=2223

What do you think about this? 

The environment is still the #1 issue in this election, toping both healthcare and the economy,

Best,

-Haljackey

[Micah 16]

Worse than the US? Wow.

[beebs 129]

Originally posted by: Micah Worse than the US? Wow. quote>

Harper is impressive like that.

I have to laugh at May basically campaigning for the Liberals and the NDP too.

[Haljackey 17,398]

Originally posted by: Micah Worse than the US? Wow. quote>

...And we signed Kyoto!  Pretty sad, eh?

In fact, Stéphane Dion, the Liberal and opposition leader, named his dog Kyoto!  But I think its just a ploy to get environmentally concerned Canadians to vote for him and his party.

Interesting eh?  We were among the best in the world when the Kyoto Accord was signed, now we are the worst in the world.  I hope this election changes things.

Best,

-Haljackey

[Haljackey 17,398]

Just a reminder for all eligible Canadians to vote! This is going to be a close one!

I wonder what role strategic voting will play in this election. It may be critical in preventing a Conservative majority.

Get out there and VOTE!

Best,

-Haljackey

[Zelgadis 638]

Jeepers...  Looks like we're headed for PRECISELY the exact same government we had before the election!  Hooray democracy... 

ISF

[IDS2 3,429]

Oof...I'm hoping for Stephane Dion, but it looks like old man Harper is back.

[beebs 129]

Well this is an expected disappointment. At least it won't be a majority.

[your_adress_here 11]

Tonight, I am an ashamed Canadian.

[Haljackey 17,398]

Very little change. 

Lowest voter turnout ever.

$300 million down the tubes.  Something we need in the current economic turmoil.

...And I bet we'll be doing it again in 6 months.

[beebs 129]

Originally posted by: haljackey

Lowest voter turnout ever.

quote>

As an Albertan, that hardly surprises me. This is our 4th election (one municipal, one provincial and two federal) in only two years.. and really, there was no reason to even call an election. Parliament "wasn't functioning" because Harper didn't want to share the ball with everyone else.

[blue sinjid 7]

As a torontoian i am surprised we even needed a election when we all knew the harper team would win....we could have used that 300mill to inject into major cities to improve infurustructures! Toronto has one of the most used public transit systems in the North America and it is in dire need of liquidy to keep it at the existing run down system...We also have the most expensive public system in the world!!!!!!

[Patricius Maximus 236]

Very little change.  quote>

A (good or bad) example of a constitutional loophole exploited. I consider Harper's exploitation dishonorable -- if he has to manipulate the election date to get the people to vote for him, he doesn't deserve to hold his office.

- Patricius Maximus

[un1 41]

Well, NDP won over Thunder Bay and most of Northern Ontario, and a very little bit of Alberta. Of course, I am not very happy that Harper won. I almost feel like moving to America.

-un1