Canada votes 2011

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by MajinHurricane

Danforth (laytons) riding is the Greek area of toronto. No idea why greek's like NDP policies so much.

Have you been to Danforth in Toronto?

There's a reason why they like the NDP so much. The Greek population there is an aging population. The demographics of the riding reflect the values of what Layton is promising. Sure, there are new and young families moving in but the dynamics of the community have remained quite static over the past decade.

Don't think it has anything to do with being Greek.

[Meowjin]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Have you been to Danforth in Toronto?

There's a reason why they like the NDP so much. The Greek population there is an aging population. The demographics of the riding reflect the values of what Layton is promising. Sure, there are new and young families moving in but the dynamics of the community have remained quite static over the past decade.

Don't think it has anything to do with being Greek.

It was a semi rhetoric question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panhell...alist_Movement

[goo3]

New Canadian just can’t believe in a Harper majority: column

I am disgusted to be a new Canadian. Although I felt considerable satisfaction when I cast my ballot Monday for the first time ever in a Canadian election, all pleasure at participating in my country’s electoral process vanished in the face of the Tory majority.

I wish I could believe that vast numbers of Canadians support Prime Minister Stephen Harper because they’re stupid.

I wish I could persuade myself that almost half of voters are so fantastically dim that they believed the contempt-of-Parliament finding against Harper’s government was political maneuvering instead of an attempt to impose accountability on an evasive authoritarian regime.

I would feel so much better if I could think that legions of Canadian morons believe shutting down Parliament for political purposes is OK because they don’t understand what “proroguing” means but anything starting with “pro” must be good.

I want so badly to comfort myself with the thought that Canadians aren’t outraged by the Harper government’s unprecedented secrecy and muzzling of public servants because they’re too dull-witted to understand that government transparency is crucial to democracy.

I wish I could believe the Canadian populace is so rife with idiots that Harper’s proclamation that the Government of Canada is now the Stephen Harper Government was seen as creative branding rather than a minority party asserting absolute control over the nation.

I have just recently become a citizen, but I’ve lived in this country for almost 20 years, and I know Canadians are not stupid.

The actual explanation for the Conservative majority is more sinister than mere feeblemindedness.

Canadians, in droves, turned up their noses at democracy, choosing a party that has attacked it at every turn.

These voters made their electoral decision with one hand holding their wallets and the other flailing around from their eyes to their ears, willfully shutting out the endless evidence that it is the people, and not just Parliament, that Harper holds in contempt.

No, Canadians aren’t stupid. But many, many of us are not that bright.

Somehow these voters managed to convince themselves that a government that racked up the highest deficit in Canadian history - $55.6 billion in 2009/10 - is fiscally prudent.

Unaccountably, they persuaded themselves that putting far more people in prison is the most effective approach to crime, when we have to our south perhaps the world’s best example of why that most expensive of solutions is no solution at all.

Perplexingly, these voters who value financial responsibility over all else have gullibly swallowed the Harper government’s absurd low-ball estimate of a $16 billion cost for 65 F-35 stealth fighter jets of questionable utility, in spite of estimates from the Parliamentary Budget Officer and other reliable sources that the cost will be nearly double that amount.

A Tory majority. Oh, Canada, you disappoint me so.

Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/deci...#ixzz1LNyFpqXr

[dangonay]

^ I'd like to meet that person just so I could laugh in their face.

Originally Posted by MindBomber

I'm unclear of the exact point your trying to make, aside from gloating that the party you support won.

There were several people against the Conservatives who were actually debating in this thread and bringing up points for discussion.

Then there were a few who were on a mission to get people to vote anybody but Conservative. Posting links to stupid websites, bringing politics into other threads on RS when we already had a political thread, calling people who support the Conervatives "rednecks" and "unedcuated" and so on. My post was directed at them specifically, as I know they would be fuming over this outcome.

There would be no reason to gloat if everyone was having a legitimate political discussion.

[TheNewGirl]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

Just curious - how many of you actually DO write to your MPs?

I've written my MP and MLA several times. My MLA is much much more responsive and tends to be better appraised of issues that are important to me, though that's not surprising given provincial politics are closer to home.

I write my mayor too every now and then.

^ that is a typical vancouver statement -- since people didn't vote the way i wanted, they are less educated than me.

I don't believe low voter turnout has anything to do with the voting system. I think that it has everything to do with the track record of the people that DO get elected. No matter who gets in, they will screw you somehow. Talking to people who didn't vote this last election, a lot of them said that.

I disagree so strongly here. You know I don't like the outcome of the election but I accept it. Democracy happened.

BUT if you look at the numbers I posted above, Ontario, Alberta and BC (BC and Alberta being the worst) have disproportionately population to seat ratios compared to every where else and that isn't alright. I totally support OT getting more seats too so long as we do here in the west to better equalize the representation by population.

Low voter turn out is firmly rooted in lack of education about the electoral system and in general about our government and how it works. We don't involve young people in the conversations about our government's policies and history and parties, and yet we expect when they turn 19 they'll magically be all enthused about voting when really they have no idea what even the issues are. Countries where their school system has more political education at a younger age have a good voter turn out typically. As soon as you skip one election the chances of you voting again start to plummet and with every election that you don't vote in that re enforces this behavior.

[minoru_tanaka]

Originally Posted by MajinHurricane

I heard the ndp has 4 students voted in, one who is 19 and another who just spent a week in vegas during election week.

I think thats fantastic news. The youth are the future of canada, not some 50-60 year old lawyers.

I'm sorry but I think this is ridiculous. These kids got to run because nobody thought the NDP had a chance in these ridings. People just voted for them because they like Layton. Apparently they weren't even trying to win. One didn't campaign and didn't show up for her victory party. Another works at a golf course. No experience in life, let alone politics. Now these kids will get 6 figure salaries out of our pockets to pay their tuition.

I'm sorry but I would rather have a 50 year old lawyer than a kid who went from starbucks barista to member of parliment. This is a joke

[TheNewGirl]

Originally Posted by minoru_tanaka

I'm sorry but I think this is ridiculous. These kids got to run because nobody thought the NDP had a chance in these ridings. People just voted for them because they like Layton. Apparently they weren't even trying to win. One didn't campaign and didn't show up for her victory party. Another works at a golf course. No experience in life, let alone politics. Now these kids will get 6 figure salaries out of our pockets to pay their tuition.

I'm sorry but I would rather have a 50 year old lawyer than a kid who went from starbucks barista to member of parliment. This is a joke

Well at least the 19 year old is actually a political sciences student, which means he has a little more education in actual politics than many MPs that get to Ottawa. The others though... The NDP did NOT expect to end up with this many seats, especially in Quebec, so they ran people who were place holders really.

A weird side effect of all this though is that if these younger members actually do pull their shit together and do their jobs, will that change the demographics their party appeals to? Will they bring up issues like Student Debt and Education that typically aren't addressed because members of parliament are way beyond those hurtles.

The unintended consequence of the NDP surge is that we have the most diverse house of commons ever, ethnically, gender wise, religiously and for once from a huge variety of socio-economic back grounds. We have people in Ottawa who aren't rich white guys but actual people who have struggled to pay bills, who didn't think they would ever own a house, things like that.

While I'm a little scared of the lack of training and education some of these people have, I'm really, really interested to see what the impact of having more average Canadian voices in parliament is.

It will be an interesting experiment at very least in if genuine representation equals better government.

[johny]

it's been a long tradition to fill all the empty holes in the NPD ridings with students who have 0 chance of winning in that riding. the more ridings they fill the more $ the NPD gets. these people are hours away from the ridings they got voted into. some don't even speak French. one girl (non student) works at a pub...

non of these people campainged, talked to media etc. they were just a name on a ballot to fill a hole.

they are going to be the laughing stock of Parliament. but they are now making $155k / yr. and if they somehow get voted in a 2nd time will have the biggest pension for the next ~60 years from the tax payer since they are so young.

thank god they won't actually have any power to do anything.

http ://www.mcgilldaily.com/2011/05/four-mcgill-students-elected-to-parliament

[TheNewGirl]

It's not just an NDP tradition. ALL the parties do this. My riding is a Conservative strong hold, the Liberals ran a 2nd year Econ student here this year.

The Cons do the same thing in ridings they don't expect to win. And heck this is how the Greens get pretty much all their money.

When you get paid per vote, every vote counts that you can get.


What I am finding interesting, now that you mention pensions is the pension pay outs on this go around given how many long time party leaders were defeated. A lot of former Reformers who once said they would never take their pensions, are about to get huge payouts.

While I understand that career politicians need retirement plans like everyone else, a 100K a year pension really feasible? Can't we do some sort of RRSP matching for these people while they're in office (I'm sure they already do get something) and pay them a reasonable pension for their service? 60K a year? That seems to be a more then generous salary for doing absolutely nothing.

[TheKingdom2000]

I don't know if this was posted or not.
But, remember this chick, Ruth Ellen...


Here is a little video about her. Apparently, she's gone AWOL (edited thanks to Alatar).

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/.../?from=2009244

-she lives 3 hours from her riding
-she didn't even have an office set up there
-she's been mia for three days
-she went to vegas during her campaign

[Alatar]

A-wall, the next RS lupoll and wander!

It's AWOL, incidentally.

It really is rather surprising to see the NDP get seats like this elected with what were essentially space fillers.

[JD¹³]

Originally Posted by mx703

But, remember this chick, Ruth Ellen... Apparently, she's gone A-wall.

-she lives 3 hours from her riding
-she didn't even have an office set up there
-she's been mia for three days
-she went to vegas during her campaign

And that's what happens when you inject youth into politics: irresponsibility. Well done NDP

[MindBomber]

I think uninformed die hard supporters from both parties spouted idiotic and unsupportable statements, I just choose to ignore them, like every other area of life idiots are unavoidable.

Originally Posted by dangonay

^ I'd like to meet that person just so I could laugh in their face.




There were several people against the Conservatives who were actually debating in this thread and bringing up points for discussion.

Then there were a few who were on a mission to get people to vote anybody but Conservative. Posting links to stupid websites, bringing politics into other threads on RS when we already had a political thread, calling people who support the Conervatives "rednecks" and "unedcuated" and so on. My post was directed at them specifically, as I know they would be fuming over this outcome.

There would be no reason to gloat if everyone was having a legitimate political discussion.

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[gars]

LOL

http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/05...new-democrats/

New Democrats were scrambling to make sense of their stunning victory in Quebec that added 57 seats to the party roster. Among the new NDP MPs are nine students and recent graduates, a former Community Party candidate and woman who spent part of the campaign vacationing in Las Vegas.

The party said none of its candidates was available for interviews Tuesday beyond an afternoon news conference with the NDP’s only experienced Quebec MP, Thomas Mulcair. The National Post’s Tamsin McMahon takes a look at some of the unexpected wins.

Ruth Ellen Brosseau

Ms. Brosseau’s non-existent campaign in Berthier-Maskinoge came under intense public scrutiny when the party confirmed its candidate, who didn’t live in the riding and couldn’t speak French, had left for a vacation in Vegas.

An assistant manager at Oliver’s Pub on the Carleton University campus in Ottawa, Ms. Brosseau did grant an interview to a local radio station during the campaign, but the station refused to air it, saying she couldn’t be understood in French. That didn’t stop Ms. Brosseau from capturing the riding by nearly 6,000 votes over Bloc Québécois incumbent Guy Andre, who had held the riding since 2004.

According to biography on the NDP’s website, she has a marketing diploma from St. Lawrence College in Kingston, Ont., and has a passion for rehabilitating injured animals.

She was not answering calls on her cellphone yesterday and her voicemail box was full.

At a news conference in Montreal Mr. Mulcair found himself defending the neophyte MP, saying that he would take responsibility for the riding while Ms. Brosseau brushed up on her French and that of all the NDP candidates elected in Quebec, she was the only one not fluent in the language.

Ms. Brosseau wasn’t originally chosen by the party to run in the riding. Elections Canada records show Julie Demers won the party nomination on March 23, but was moved to the riding of Bourassa, where she lost to Liberal Denis Coderre.

The McGill University NDP Club

Four McGill students were among nine university students and recent grads who were swept into office, including the NDP club’s co-presidents Charmaine Borg and Matthew Dubé. The surprise spring election came at a particularly bad time for them as final exams finished on April 28 in the final week of the campaign.

“I don’t know if two and a half months ago most of them thought they would win, they were obviously surprised but I’m sure they’re very excited,” said Maggie Knight, the incoming president of McGill’s student government.

All of the students are active in politics and worked on Mr. Mulcair’s campaign, Ms. Knight said. “I think it’s fair to say that people didn’t necessarily expect them to win, but they weren’t chosen at random.”

Mr. Dubé, who is studying political science and history, won by more than 10,000 votes in Chambly-Borduas. In a March interview with the McGill Daily, a university paper, he complained that too many NDP supporters voted strategically for other parties because they felt the NDP could never win. “It’s like the chicken and egg question,” he said.

Ms. Liu, a cultural and Islamic studies student, won by nearly 11,000 votes in Rivière des Mille Îles. Ms. Freeman, a recent graduate who previously ran for city council, won a landslide victory in Agenteuil-Papineau-Mirabel.

Ms. Borg, a 20-year-old political science student and McGill labour relations officer, won by more than 10,000 votes in Terrebonne-Blainville. She told Le Trait d’Union newspaper that she was “a bit surprised” at her win and had been absent from the local campaign because she had promised to work on Mr. Mulcair’s re-election campaign. She said she was considering putting her studies on hold or staying in school part-time while working in Ottawa and was planning on opening a constituency office.

Ms. Liu is a political affairs coordinator for the McGill student government, who had worked to organize student marches against Quebec’s provincial government, said Ms. Knight. On Sunday, she told the McGill Daily that party officials had instructed her not to speak to the media.

She’ll have to lose her spot in student government next school year now that she’s an MP. “We’ve been very impressed by the work that she has done and we feel she’ll be a good member of Parliament,” Ms. Knight said.

Mathieu Ravignat

A karate teacher and executive with the Ottawa Medieval Sword Guild, Mr. Ravignat felled a political giant when he defeated Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon by more than 8,000 votes in Pontiac.

A civil servant with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Mr. Ravignat’s work voicemail told callers he was planning to return to the office on May 3. His home phone message directs callers to the NDP’s main number in Quebec.

In 1997, as a 24-year-old political philosophy student he made an unsuccessful run at office as the Communist Party’s lone Quebec candidate against Gilles Duceppe. He told the Montreal Mirror at the time that he was once homeless and at age 19 had planned to be a monk.

He is a black belt in karate and a sensei with the Wakefield Traditional Karate Association. According to the association’s website, he also runs a not-for-profit club in the Gatineau Hills and has appeared in two movies and a TV show as a karate expert.

Pierre-Luc Dusseault

Mr. Dusseault made history on election night by becoming the youngest member elected to Parliament in Canadian history. The 19-year-old applied politics student at the University of Sherbrooke ran an active Twitter campaign and beat out Tory candidate Serge Cardin by capturing 43% of the vote in the riding of Sherbrooke. He has also just finished his first year of university and will turn 20 at the end of the month.

Prior to Mr. Dusseault’s win, the youngest MP was Claude-Andre Lachance, who was 20 when elected with the Trudeau Liberals in 1974. Mr. Dusseault will have to give up his summer job at a Sherbrooke golf course to take office. Before breaking records with his federal win, Mr. Dessault’s previous claim to fame was going to the regional finals for his high school swim team.

Other students

Université du Québec à Montréal social work student Marie-Claude Morin nearly doubled the vote of incumbent Ève-Mary Thaï Thi Lac in a riding that has been held by the Bloc Québécois since 1993.

In Portneuf-Jacques-Cartier, Elaine Michaud, a communications officer at Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec and Master’s student at École nationale d’administration publique, ousted independent Andre Arthur.

University of Laval linguistics student Alexandrine Latendresse, 26, narrowly defeated Conservative Cabinet minister Josee Verner. Ms. Latendresse, who professed a fondness for “iced vodka, wrestling and procrastination” on her Facebook page, is also an employee of the student association with the Cegep in Rimouski.

Eve Peclet, a recent law school graduate, swept the riding of La Pointe-de-l’Île, which had been held by longtime Bloc MP Francine Lalonde, who retired to focus on her cancer treatment. Ms. Peclet’s official NDP biography offered little information, but she was a member of the University of Montreal’s debate team earlier this year. Her Facebook profile has no information, but features a picture of the Royal wedding kiss between Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton.

Other surprise wins:

Sana Hassainia

The 36-year-old self-described “global citizen,” Ms. Hassainia’s Twitter page advertises her website selling hand-made jewellery. She won the riding of Vercheres-Les Patriotes by more than 4,000 votes over Bloc incumbent Luc Malo.

Rejean Genest

Once a meteorologist for Environment Canada, Mr. Genest became a gardener in 1975, according to his website. He is now a horticulturist who edits the online magazine Les Beaux Jardins. He crushed Bloc incumbent Robert Vincent by nearly 16,000 votes in the riding of Shefford.

Jose Nunez-Melo

Mr. Melo defeated Bloc MP Nicole Demers in Laval by more than 10,000 votes. He ran a hotel in the tourist community of Puerto Plata in his native Dominican Republic before moving to Canada in 1990, where he works in customer service with the Quebec revenue ministry and edits a Montreal Spanish language publication.

[bcrdukes]

This isn't reflective of all people in Quebuec but speaking to several of my colleagues in Quebec (mainly Montreal) people simply voted for the NDP because they were tired of the BQ. They never liked Harper and the Liberal's weren't in their favour so NDP it was.

Talk about cynicism.

[TheNewGirl]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

This isn't reflective of all people in Quebuec but speaking to several of my colleagues in Quebec (mainly Montreal) people simply voted for the NDP because they were tired of the BQ. They never liked Harper and the Liberal's weren't in their favour so NDP it was.

Talk about cynicism.

I would say this is probably pretty true of about 90% of the seats the NDP won country wide.

[Meowjin]

Originally Posted by minoru_tanaka

I'm sorry but I think this is ridiculous. These kids got to run because nobody thought the NDP had a chance in these ridings. People just voted for them because they like Layton. Apparently they weren't even trying to win. One didn't campaign and didn't show up for her victory party. Another works at a golf course. No experience in life, let alone politics. Now these kids will get 6 figure salaries out of our pockets to pay their tuition.

I'm sorry but I would rather have a 50 year old lawyer than a kid who went from starbucks barista to member of parliment. This is a joke

what you mean common people representing common people?

haters gonna hate.

leave it to revscene to not understand what an MLA's job is. And you guys act like this is this the first time in canadian history where not politions get in office.

[TheNewGirl]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ontent=2010030

An interesting article given we were just talking about Preston Manning yesterday: (This is not about what the title suggests directly)

Can Preston Manning save the Liberals?
Robert Silver
Globe and Mail Update
Posted on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 3:54PM EDT

2 comments

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The response to my post from yesterday was very heartening. Two things came across loud and clear:

1. Liberals still give a damn about the Liberal Party.

2. There is tremendous pent-up frustration about how the “old white guys” have managed the party and how difficult it has been for people to get involved and help out in a meaningful way while this old guard remains in control of the party.

An interesting idea was suggested in multiple emails that echoes something I have long been thinking and have mentioned in this space previously: In order to get its act together, the Liberal Party needs outside organizations pushing and prodding it. The shorthand for this idea right now in the Canadian context is, as was suggested to me by four completely unrelated individuals, “the Liberal Party needs its own Manning Centre.” (What, you thought from the headline that I was going to argue that Preston Manning should run for Liberal leader?) Tom Axworthy suggests something similar – though I would argue very different – in his op-ed in today’s Star when he suggests the Liberal Party needs a think-tank.

The Mannning Centre is, as I understand it, completely arms length from the Conservative Party of Canada. That obviously doesn’t mean that people aren’t both active in the party and the centre but Manning is not controlled by the party itself. It is instead part of the “conservative movement.” I love the Manning Centre’s mission statement: “To identify, develop, and support political entrepreneurs who can advance our common vision of a free and democratic Canada.” Identify, develop and support political entrepreneurs – that’s awesome. I have no idea how good – or not – Manning is at achieving these objectives, that’s really besides the point.

When the Democratic Party in the United States was in the political wilderness, “political entrepreneurs” created think tanks like Centre for American Progress that pumped out new ideas that the Democratic Party and individual candidates could pick and choose from. Political entrepreneurs created practical, organizational 527s that helped mobilize and train volunteers and identify and get out voters but acted at arms length from the Democratic Party (and really, I’m not looking to get into a debate about any one 527, who paid for them or the like, I’m just using them illustratively). A robust netroots online web of activists emerged that facilitated small-dollar donations as well as organizational strength.

The common thread of all of these groups is while they were committed to the ideas and ideals of the Democratic Party, they weren’t the party itself. They were independent and when candidates or the party itself went offside, they raised their voices, withheld their dollars or fought for change. This led to a stronger Democratic Party. While Barack Obama was a once-in-a-generation candidate for president, a credible argument can be made that his assent and victory would have been impossible but for those arms-length organizations being in place.

Again, I’m not for a second suggesting that if suddenly similar think tanks, training organizations and the like emerged that the Liberal Party would be saved. To repeat – there is no single individual leadership candidate or idea that in and of itself will save the Liberal Party. I do think it is worth discussing whether much of the rebuilding of the party, however, can only really be done outside of the party structure itself.

[MindBomber]

I'm am idealistic university student with zero legal experience, maybe I'll run for the NDP next election. My riding is a conservative lock guaranteed, but I can just run in one with greater NDP support. LMFAO, this is just proof that most people vote for parties not candidates.

On a serious note, I think our parliament is in a unique situation internationally, no where else in the world has as many young government representatives. Since this isn't a minority government and party voting lines hold no power they can't do any damage, but they might raise issues that have otherwise been ignored by the crusty old lawyers. Tuition rates are a perfect example, lots of professors will say that their shocked by the rate hike compared to when they were getting their education. An old lawyer who payed the past low rates and are now wealthy just doesn't have the same invested interest as a student.
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[bcrdukes]

In 4 years, I expect to see "MindBomber" signs on peoples lawns.

[freakshow]

Originally Posted by mx703

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/.../?from=2009244

-she lives 3 hours from her riding
-she didn't even have an office set up there
-she's been mia for three days
-she went to vegas during her campaign

Wow, starting salary of 157K. I should get into politics..

[MindBomber]

Originally Posted by bcrdukes

In 4 years, I expect to see "MindBomber" signs on peoples lawns.

Vote for me and I'll re-direct CBC's financing to RS
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[gars]

Originally Posted by MindBomber

Vote for me and I'll re-direct CBC's financing to RS
Posted via RS Mobile

You'll fit right in, with the empty promises...

[carisear]

^^ lol!

anyways if we are speaking about tradition, the ndp has 'traditionally' been the protest vote. when neither of the 2 big parties were to your liking, you would vote NDP. In english speaking canada, that has gone away in the past decade or so, but it appears quebec finally translated the memo to french. :P

The ndp have ALWAYS campaigned on lowering tuition btw. it's not a new idea.

i really wonder if this is going to be a one-hit-wonder thing for them, and next election be decimated by the liberals, or if it's going to be the opposite. I truly believe the liberals will come out of this stronger IF, and only IF they get a charismatic leader with a real vision, and unique platform. Get another quebecois / outsider and they are doomed.

[MindBomber]

^I think the Liberal leadership elections will be straight forward, there are a number of old lawyers that were mentioned as possible candidates, most of whom have unsuccessfully campaigned for leadership in the last few years, and Justin Trudeau. The combination of his relative youth, setting him up for the potential to lead the party long term, the trudeau name and his charisma in connecting with voters are just what the party needs. It's hard to believe, there have actually been more liberal party leaders than federal elections since the millenium.

Btw, I know the NDP has always campaigned on lowering tuition, it's fundamentally important to the party's platform. The message has more weight when coming from a young person though, like it comes from the heart and not just the party platform. I think that might make the difference in actually calling significant attention to the issue.
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