[goo3]

I'm not an NDP supporter but I will tell you that when you look at the hard numbers, the NDP being irresponsible with $ idea is largely right wing rhetoric that's well... done it's job very well.

For example here in BC, while the BCNDP ran our province, they dealt with the collapse of the Asian markets but still increased our GDP by 3.3% and change. The Liberals? 2.8%. The NDP increased the deficit provincially by 19 billion. The Liberals, a government who made a law saying they would never run a deficit budget, rang the tab up by 28 billion. Under the NDP the unemployment rate was in the neighborhood of 6%, under the liberals it's still hovering around 8%.

Most of you would feel that it is "common knowledge" that the NDP (federal or provincial) is fiscally less responsible and a worse choice for our province, but I don't know... when I look at the #s that doesn't seem to be the case.


Did you do this research yourself or did you get it from somewhere? It's pretty shoddy work.

Asian market? WTF. What was the North American economy doing between 1995-2000? When did it crash? What was it doing from 2002 to 2008? When did it crash? Who was doing what and when? The numbers you posted are pretty meaningless when you don't consider their performance relative to the economic conditions that out of their control.

It's easy to look good when you can ride the tech bubble but don't have to deal with the aftermath. Insinuating the NDP did a good job pre-2000 is insulting to those who had to live through their waste. Actually, I've heard your argument made before. It seems you copy and pasted it from ppl who like to lie.

[dangonay]

I'm going to vote like everyone votes - for whoever puts more money in my pocket. People really only vote two ways - for who benefits them or for a specific party because they are staunch Libs or Cons and always vote that way regardless. People can cut the "I'm voting for a better Canada" crap. Better for whom? Oh yeah, better for them.
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[Meowjin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GYlSsLafR0&feature=player_embedded#at=23

Semi Unrelated but I'm too lazy to make a thread.

[TheNewGirl]

http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/04/21/SimplyNotTrue/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+thetyee+%28The+Tyee%29

For who ever was looking for fact checking on the debate. I totally acknowledge that this is a pretty one sided article, it focuses on claims the other leaders made that Harper denied.

[Bouncing Bettys]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmthTKSWFWw

[JD¹³]

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lWk1yZifG0k/S8KOcQ_mitI/AAAAAAAAAAM/06pzbdRuL2w/s1600/baby+crying.jpg

[Graeme S]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this yet: Layton moves to a statistical tie with the Liberals nationally.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/poll-surging-ndp-moves-into-tie-with-liberals/article1995725/?service=mobile
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[gars]

man.... the way things are going right now - the NDP might actually have more seats than the Liberals. If they end up doing a coalition - it would mean Jack Layton would be our next PM.

I think he's a great opposition leader, but PM...? I'm a little scared.

[CorneringArtist]

As it sits I'm unsure of who to vote for. I'm having a hell of a time deciding whose platform sucks the least.

For you people who don't support the Conservatives, here's "Scumbag Steve"
http://images.memegenerator.net/Scumbag-Steven-Harper/File/557791/Scumbag-Steven-Harper.jpg

[Graeme S]

Anyone else getting NDP ads on youtube? Kudos for them to pushing their message to the youth, but talk about randomnity.

[Meowjin]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inside-politics-blog/2011/04/all-candidate-no-shows-stop-me-if-youve-heard-this-one-before.html

conservatives sure like ducking debates.

[TheNewGirl]

man.... the way things are going right now - the NDP might actually have more seats than the Liberals. If they end up doing a coalition - it would mean Jack Layton would be our next PM.

I think he's a great opposition leader, but PM...? I'm a little scared.

Right now the early estimates are 134 Conservatives (which means they lose a few), 77 Liberals (they gain a few), 60 NDP (they gain a LOT) and the rest to the Bloc (which means they lose about a quarter of their seats).

If they get that then the Libs and NDP won't need the Bloc's help to out vote the Cons. They won't have to make an official coalition really. The Cons on the other hand may have to (ironically) make a coalition with the Bloc to maintain control of the house.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-notebook/ndp-on-track-to-win-60-seats-poll-projects/article1994856/

[JD¹³]

If they get that then the Libs and NDP won't need the Bloc's help to out vote the Cons. They won't have to make an official coalition really.
So then they would AGAIN try to overthrow the democratically elected government simply because they want the power? :rolleyes:

I don't think the vast majority of the populous understand what would happen to this country if the NDP got control of it. Think the current deficit is big? It will be economic suicide.

Please, keep failing me short-sighted voters.

[TheNewGirl]

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Side bars briefly from the debate because I keep running into people who say "I don't want to support anyone so I won't vote" and aren't aware that there's another option so I feel the need to reiterate for those people who don't know who to vote for, who haven't been persuaded by pages and pages and pages and pages of arguements thus far.

PLEASE COME AND VOTE ON MONDAY, EVEN IF ITS FOR NO ONE.

If you don't know who to vote for, you can always scratch your vote (which means draw a line through it or drop it in blank). I know this sounds meaningless but the parties form their platforms based on voting demographics (age, gender, location). Historically persons over 50 have been the highest consistent voting demographic, and persons under 30 the lowest. This is why most parties have nothing to say that you feel is geared towards you and you can do something about it without feeling you're forced to support someone you don't agree with.

Even if you don't feel you have anyone you like, or you feel you know nothing about politics. PLEASE. Because if we all get off our asses for 5 minutes and do this on Monday the next election will look a lot different, the next election will actually address what's important to us.

/rant.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

I'll go back to my old Harper sucks rant tomorrow, but hey, while we don't agree, I respect that you Tory supporters are at least going to cast a ballot, which is more than I can say, sadly, for a large portion of people.

[Graeme S]

The "democratically elected government" as people seem to be talking about it is a misnomer. I was reading the globe today and I saw a quote that struck me as really interesting. You'll forgive me for paraphrasing:

The leader who controls the most seats--regardless of whose party those seats belong to-- is the democratically elected leader of that nation.

The government we elect need not be a majority in order to be in power, nor even the largest. While this is unusual in recent history, it is far from unusual in multi-party parliamentary democracies.
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[taylor192]

I bet more Canadians will watch the Royal Wedding than vote. :(

[Great68]

So then they would AGAIN try to overthrow the democratically elected government simply because they want the power? :rolleyes:


Stop with the anti-coalition rhetoric. School yourself.

Read:


Canadian politics are currently so full of uncertainties -- some unavoidable, others intentional -- that predictions are mere speculations. So let's move on to what we actually know about the constitutional and political situation.

MPs are everything

Canadians never vote directly for a "government." Instead, we elect a member of Parliament in our local constituency. It is only after 308 individual MPs have been chosen that the process of forming a government begins.

The Constitution Act of 1867 doesn't even mention the prime minister or political parties. MPs are everything.

How MPs organize themselves is entirely up to them. This is why two MPs are able to currently sit as independents; there could just as easily be 308 of them. Most MPs have organized themselves into groupings known as parties. This simplifies the process of forming government but doesn't change the constitutional pre-eminence of individual MPs.

There is just one basic requirement: The government must at all times enjoy the confidence of the majority of MPs in the House of Commons.

By unwritten constitutional convention, the Governor General calls upon the leader of the party with the most MPs and asks him or her to try to form a government that enjoys the confidence of the House. When that party holds a majority of the seats, the result is a foregone conclusion. This gives rise to the illusion that parties win the "right to govern." But they just get to try to form a government first, and happen to have enough seats to deliver.

Things are different when no party emerges from the election with a majority. Again, the Governor General calls upon the leader of the party with the most MPs and asks them to try to form a government that enjoys the confidence of the House. To obtain that confidence, the newly designated "prime minister" must persuade MPs from other parties to provide their support. If he or she fails, it is open to another party (or parties) to indicate that they can get the job done -- whereupon the Governor General will let them try.

Since the 308 individual MPs whose preferences drive this process are directly elected by Canadians, all of this is entirely democratic.

[Manic!]

It seems the longer the election runs and the more the conservatives talk the less support they get. That's why they are always ducking questions, interviews and debates.

I sad when your own community (Nina Grewal ) or family (Wai Young) wouldn't support you.





http://thetyee.ca/News/2011/04/27/UjjalDosanjh/

Ujjal Dosanjh, Bravest MP in Canada

He stood against Sikh extremism. He was beaten, threatened with murder. Now a terrorist group founder openly backs his Conservative opponent.

By Crawford Kilian, Yesterday, TheTyee.ca

Ujjal Dosanjh

Liberal Dosanjh: Tight race with Tory Wai Young in Vancouver South.

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'I feel I was lied to' says a tech worker from India, echoing other newcomers yearning to bring parents and grandparents to Canada.

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Unexpectedly, the 1985 Air India disaster has intruded into the 2011 federal election campaign in Vancouver South. The association of Ripudaman Singh Malik with the Conservative candidate Wai Young has brought her judgment and honesty into question. And it has made terrorism an issue in the election.

It has also brought back a bad time in the life of Young's Liberal opponent, Ujjal Dosanjh. To gain some perspective on the current controversy, The Tyee talked with Dosanjh in his campaign office on Tuesday, April 26.

As a young lawyer, Dosanjh said, he had begun speaking out in late 1984 against the more extreme voices in the Sikh community. In February 1985, he was attacked and beaten with a metal rod, and very nearly killed. It took 80 stitches to close the wounds in his head.

"But the physical pain wasn't as bad as the emotional pain," Dosanjh said. "I'd been trying to help people, to say 'Cool down.'"

Still worse was the emotional scarring the attack had inflicted on his children. Dosanjh recalled an incident when one of his sons was being bullied at school, but didn't want to talk to the teacher. "Stand up in class and talk about it," Dosanjh had said.

"Look where that got you," his son had replied.

Do the right thing and fear not

Speaking out may have been a family trait. Dosanjh talked about his grandfathers and other relatives who had struggled for India's independence, sometimes at the cost of their lives or of long prison terms. He mentioned a grandfather who had narrowly escaped arrest, and who had eventually settled in Canada. Dosanjh recalled walking his grandfather home one day and asking him if he'd ever been afraid.

No, the old man had said, citing an old belief that those protected by God can't be killed. Dosanjh took that to mean that if you are doing the right thing, you need not fear the consequences.

The extremists have long memories. Dosanjh mentioned an incident last year when some people had said publicly that he would not be welcome or safe at the 2010 Vaisakhi parade. Dosanjh (who hadn't been planning to attend) condemned that attitude; he then saw the appearance of two Facebook pages dedicated to discussing and funding his assassination.

Last week, the news broke that Wai Young had attended a meeting at Khalsa School, Vancouver which had also been attended by Ripudaman Singh Malik, acquitted in the Air India case but an acknowledged founder of the terrorist Babbar Khalsa movement and a financial supporter of the family of Inderjit Singh Reyat, the only person to be convicted in the case. Malik was now also a supporter of Wai Young's election campaign.

The vanishing candidate

The Young campaign promptly went into defensive mode. Young herself disappeared. A statement from the federal Conservatives appeared on her campaign website, rejecting Malik.

When The Tyee spoke on April 25 with Paul Lee, Young's media representative, he said the Khalsa School had invited her, "and being accommodating, she went. Had we known who was going to be there, we would have said no. She went to meet students, so she wasn't really stumping."

Lee went on: "She had no idea who Malik is. No one introduced her. Some parents showed up. There were speeches in Punjabi; I have no idea if they included endorsements. We have no tolerance for anything he stands for."

Asked about the Khalsa School meeting, Ujjal Dosanjh described it differently, citing a person who attended: "It took place at 3:30 in the afternoon. No students were there. It was teachers, staff and parents, and everyone was speaking English. She was endorsed and money was collected."

Moreover, both Dosanjh and Vancouver Sun reporter Kim Bolan have learned that Young had met Malik on April 2, just after the opening of her campaign office, in the home of a supporter. And Dosanjh also went public with allegations that the vice-president of the Vancouver South Conservative Association is an associate of Malik.

When The Tyee checked back with him, Lee said he had not attended the event at Khalsa School. But because Young had attended meetings with students at other schools, "I assumed they were all student meetings."

Checking over Wai Young

As for the April 2 meeting, Lee said: "I remember it well. I was there. About five of us carpooled to the home of a supporter. It was a house packed with Sikhs. We shook hands and got a warm reception, but no one introduced anyone by name. They wanted to hear her. She talked about the Conservative platform.

"Other people got up and spoke about the needs of the community, how Sikhs had supported the NDP when they were millworkers and then the Liberals when they became merchants, and now maybe it was time for a change again. They were checking her over. There was no mention of Mr. Malik whatsoever. They talked about contributions. If Mr. Malik was among the crowd, I didn't know it."

How, The Tyee asked, could Wai Young not know who Ripudaman Singh Malik is? She had grown up in Vancouver South, where Malik is extremely well known at least by reputation. And if she didn't know about him, surely someone on her riding association executive should have alerted her -- perhaps that associate of Malik's.

"I can't explain why she wasn't alerted," Lee said. He repeated that "We fully repudiate his endorsement." Asked if the campaign had returned any contributions made by Malik, he said a search for such contributions was under way.

Shock waves

Malik appears to be sending shock waves through the Lower Mainland political community: A Vancouver Sun report on April 26 said Mayor Gregor Robertson and several city councillors attended a Khalsa School event last year that Malik also attended, and that they took pains not to be photographed with him.

Also on the 26th, Kim Bolan reported that Malik said on a Punjabi radio program that he still supported Young and also backed two Liberal candidates: Sukh Dhaliwal in Newton-North Delta and Shinder Purewal in Surrey North.

Contacted by The Tyee, Purewal was surprised to hear of the endorsement. "I don't comment on other people's comments," he said. "I'm just focused on the campaign and seeking support from my constituents."

Dhaliwal's media person said: "The campaign has had no contact with Mr. Malik. His comments were unsolicited, and we found out about them only through the media. Sukh says the only endorsement we are seeking is the endorsement of Newton-North Delta voters on May 2."

Ujjal Dosanjh, at least, doesn't need to worry about such kiss-of-death support. His campaign signs, he told The Tyee, had suffered some routine damage. But since the Young/Malik story broke on April 22, the signs are being defaced. (A glance at his signs around East 49th and Fraser confirmed this.) "It's vicious," he said.

Not as vicious as an 80-stitch beating with a metal rod, but still a reminder that not everyone will be content with the results of a clean campaign and honest debate. To wage such a campaign, when you know some of your voters have contempt for parliamentary democracy, takes more courage than many politicians can find. [Tyee]

[JD¹³]

Stop with the anti-coalition rhetoric. School yourself.

Read:
:sleepingzz:

The Conservative government is likely to win it's third election in a row - that means the people of Canada have confidence in them. We are what matter not the 308 MP's juggling for position and power. NewGirl's post made light of the fact that if the NDP and Liberals pull more seats away from the Bloc they could outvote any legislation the Conservatives put forward, or try to topple it again with a non-confidence vote. That's not rhetoric that's fact, and now there is talk of them merging before the election has even occured. In either scenario (coalition or merger) two-parties are sharing votes and taking control of a country when they individually did not stack up and were not elected to do so.

That's democratic if you believe math is more important than votes. Canadians do not want to vote AGAIN 12-18 months from now, and if the Conservatives do win this current election guess who fronts the $300+ million that was used to pay for something that may result in just a couple MP seats begin shuffled between parties? It comes out of OUR POCKETS!! Will that really serve Canadians?

If the Liberals and NDP truly believe in the policies they're peddling there won't be a coalition or a merger, they'll stick to their guns and fight for the voters that supported them in this election. Time will show their true colours.

[Great68]

:sleepingzz:

The Conservative government is likely to win it's third election in a row - that means the people of Canada have confidence in them. We are what matter not the 308 MP's juggling for position and power.

No, the people of Canada NOT electing a parliamentary majority of Conservative affiliated MP's means that a majority of Canadian people DO NOT have confidence in the Conservatives forming an ruling government.

[Graeme S]

:sleepingzz:

The Conservative government is likely to win it's third election in a row - that means the people of Canada have confidence in them.

This depends on what you mean by win. If by win you mean "control a majority of parliament", that is incorrect. If by win you mean "control more seats than other parties" then you are correct.
We are what matter not the 308 MP's juggling for position and power. NewGirl's post made light of the fact that if the NDP and Liberals pull more seats away from the Bloc they could outvote any legislation the Conservatives put forward, or try to topple it again with a non-confidence vote. That's not rhetoric that's fact, and now there is talk of them merging before the election has even occured. In either scenario (coalition or merger) two-parties are sharing votes and taking control of a country when they individually did not stack up and were not elected to do so.

Strictly speaking, a majority of canadians did not vote for the conservatives either. If you want to draw your line in the sand at "the most seats in parliament" I could just as easily draw it at "more than half of seats in parliament" and we could end up arguing the point forever. If a non-confidence vote in the standing government can be passed then it means a majority (meaning more than half of the current parliamentary politicians does not believe in the government's so-called mandate.
That's democratic if you believe math is more important than votes.
Votes are math, math is voting. As with what happened to the provincial NDP here, it is possible to have a huge chunk of votes (~30ish%) yet land a significant minority government. If you don't like the way that votes are weighed or governments can be formed, you should look into getting active in electoral reform.
Canadians do not want to vote AGAIN 12-18 months from now, and if the Conservatives do win this current election guess who fronts the $300+ million that was used to pay for something that may result in just a couple MP seats begin shuffled between parties? It comes out of OUR POCKETS!! Will that really serve Canadians?

If the Liberals and NDP truly believe in the policies they're peddling there won't be a coalition or a merger, they'll stick to their guns and fight for the voters that supported them in this election. Time will show their true colours.

I find it interesting you claim the NDP and libs should stick to their guns in order to "move government forward", yet if they had stuck to their platforms for the last few years, the conservatives would have fallen long ago. The Tories have been gently wooing support from all sides a little bit at a time all over this last electoral cycle--several tory supporters on this board have claimed that one reason they haven't been more fiscally successful is that they've had to bend over backwards to add things in for the NDP and Libs in order to pass confidence issues.


I understamd you support the Tories, but "having more than others" is not what makes a legal mandate. And just remember, more seats doesn't always mean more votes. Sometimes far and away from half.
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[carisear]

1: that longass article you posted that most people will say tl;dr to is from the Tyee. If you believe anything from that, you most likely believe everything from the national enquirer as well.

2: ujjal is the absolute LAST person i want in parliament. he got lucky last election, so now he's pulling out all the stops to try to keep his seat.

[Bouncing Bettys]

That's not rhetoric that's fact, and now there is talk of them merging before the election has even occured. In either scenario (coalition or merger) two-parties are sharing votes and taking control of a country when they individually did not stack up and were not elected to do so.

Remember when there were two right wing parties splitting the vote while the Liberals had back to back to back majorities? The Reform/Canadian Alliance party was stuck out west getting nowhere and managed to fool the long standing more federally represented Progressive Conservative party into merging into the Conservative party which to date is unable to form a majority. The Reform/Canadian Alliance was so hungry and desperate to acquire power that they absorbed the PC party in a move that puts our political system down a path of becoming a dysfunctional 2 party system which exists in the US. The only way for the left to form a government now is to follow the right's lead and merge. There are a number of socially progressive/fiscally conservative voters that now have no other option than to vote for the Republican-style Conservatives

[JD¹³]

I understamd you support the Tories, but "having more than others" is not what makes a legal mandate. And just remember, more seats doesn't always mean more votes. Sometimes far and away from half.
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FWIW I'm not a diehard Conservative supporter. I actually think some of the things they've done are shady and damaging, but at the moment they are the lesser of the evils. Politics are all give and take, so wooing other sides with concessions are necessary or nothing would ever happen. My comment was geared towards the Liberals and NDP forming a two-party coalition or merging to topple the Cons 'because they can'.

[Manic!]

1: that longass article you posted that most people will say tl;dr to is from the Tyee. If you believe anything from that, you most likely believe everything from the national enquirer as well.

2: ujjal is the absolute LAST person i want in parliament. he got lucky last election, so now he's pulling out all the stops to try to keep his seat.

Unlike Young who is getting support from terrorists?

[Bouncing Bettys]

My comment was geared towards the Liberals and NDP forming a two-party coalition or merging to topple the Cons 'because they can'.
You mean doing exactly as the Reform/Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives did only they actually have the ability to form a majority with a merger and end the all these minority government deadlocks?

[dangonay]

You mean doing exactly as the Reform/Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives did only they actually have the ability to form a majority with a merger and end the all these minority government deadlocks?

You think they will end the deadlocks? So the NDP and Liberals are going to agree on everything, and when they vote they'll always vote as a group? I'm curious as to how they're going to merge their platforms and election promises, and which ones will go forward and which ones will be left out. You can't have it all, so they're going to have to come up with some kind of a compromise.

And if you voted NDP/Liberals because of specific parts of their platforms, how will you feel when what you voted for ends up being dropped from their "coalition platform".

[Manic!]

You think they will end the deadlocks? So the NDP and Liberals are going to agree on everything, and when they vote they'll always vote as a group? I'm curious as to how they're going to merge their platforms and election promises, and which ones will go forward and which ones will be left out. You can't have it all, so they're going to have to come up with some kind of a compromise.

And if you voted NDP/Liberals because of specific parts of their platforms, how will you feel when what you voted for ends up being dropped from their "coalition platform".

Still will be better than anything the conservatives have done.

[Bouncing Bettys]

You think they will end the Liberal majorities? So the Reform/Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives are going to agree on everything, and when they vote they'll always vote as a group? I'm curious as to how they're going to merge their platforms and election promises, and which ones will go forward and which ones will be left out. You can't have it all, so they're going to have to come up with some kind of a compromise.

And if you voted Reform-Canadian Alliance/Progressive Conservative because of specific parts of their platforms, how will you feel when what you voted for ends up being dropped from their "coalition platform".

fixed from 2003

[dangonay]

Still will be better than anything the conservatives have done.

So then I assume you already know which portions of their respective platforms will be kept and which will be dropped? I wish I could predict the future.

I have benefitted from the Conservatives. In the past I have also benefitted from the Liberals and voted for them as well. That's the bottom line - people vote for who benefits them the most.

[carisear]

Unlike Young who is getting support from terrorists?


did you even READ the article you posted?


She is getting unsolicited support from him. Canada is a free country still -- anyone can support anyone they choose.

If Malik decided to throw his support to Dosanj, would you suddenly be all up in arms, and say the same thing?

There is no story here.

[Manic!]

did you even READ the article you posted?


She is getting unsolicited support from him. Canada is a free country still -- anyone can support anyone they choose.

If Malik decided to throw his support to Dosanj, would you suddenly be all up in arms, and say the same thing?

There is no story here.

She went to the school he founded that harbored a terrorist hijacker from India at one point for meeting and she met him at a house on a separate occasion. How could someone who has lived in that riding all her live and is running for a seat in Parliament not know who he is.

Edit: Ujjal Dosanjh would never be allowed on Khalsa school property.

Edit: http://www.mackenzieinstitute.com/2003/terror060403.htm

Malik organized and ran the Khalsa Credit Union and the Khalsa School in British Columbia. He had earlier expressed open disdain for Canadian society and its values, and stated that the reason for creating the Khalsa School was a means of isolating Sikh children from

[goo3]

Globe endorsements through history

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/editorials/globe-endorsements-through-history/article1963598/?from=2001610

Their editorial endorsement for 2011 is up. Here it is, but first a couple of notes:

- Their history back to 1953 is in that link
- You can take a look at who they've endorsed and their reasoning behind it
- Notice they're not fanboys of one party
- People say G&M is biased to the left. Maybe/maybe not. So what? What you should be asking is: Is what they write legit? Is their research and facts solid? Is their reasoning sound? Are they deceiving you in some way?
- The editors' goal is "who's best to lead Canada." Maybe your goals/criteria are different. It's within your right to vote according to your situation.
- Also, 80% of this thread is horse shit. It smells from a mile away.


2011: Conservative Party
Facing up to our challenges

Globe editorial from April 28, 2011

We are nearing the end of an unremarkable and disappointing election campaign, marked by petty scandals, policy convergences and a dearth of serious debate. Canadians deserved better. We were not presented with an opportunity to vote for something bigger and bolder, nor has there been an honest recognition of the most critical issues that lie ahead: a volatile economy, ballooning public debts and the unwieldy future of our health-care system.

The challenges facing our next federal government do not end there, of course. The next House of Commons must find new ways to protect Parliament, the heart of our democracy. It needs to reform its troubled equalization program without straining national unity. Relations with the U.S. are at a critical juncture. Any thickening of the border threatens to punish all Canadians, while negotiations over perimeter security have implications for national sovereignty and economic security. Wars in Libya and Afghanistan, climate change, Canada's role in the world, the rapid and exciting change of the country's ethnic and cultural makeup – the list is great, as is the need for strong leadership in Ottawa.

Whom should Canadians turn to?

The Liberal Party's Michael Ignatieff has been an honourable opposition leader; he has risen above the personal attacks launched by the Conservatives, he has stood up for Parliament, and he has fought hard in this election. But his campaign failed to show how the Conservative government has failed, and why he and the Liberals are a preferred alternative.

Jack Layton has energized the New Democrats and the electorate, and seems more able than the other leaders to connect with ordinary people. He has succeeded in putting a benign gloss on his party's free-spending policies, but those policies remain unrealistic and unaffordable, at a time when the country needs to better manage public spending, not inflate it. He has shown that a federalist party can make serious inroads in Quebec, but it has come at the cost of an unwelcome promise to impose provisions of Quebec's language law in federal workplaces.

Only Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party have shown the leadership, the bullheadedness (let's call it what it is) and the discipline this country needs. He has built the Conservatives into arguably the only truly national party, and during his five years in office has demonstrated strength of character, resolve and a desire to reform. Canadians take Mr. Harper's successful stewardship of the economy for granted, which is high praise. He has not been the scary character portrayed by the opposition; with some exceptions, his government has been moderate and pragmatic.

Mr. Harper could achieve a great deal more if he would relax his grip on Parliament, its independent officers and the flow of information, and instead bring his disciplined approach to bear on the great challenges at hand. That is the great strike against the Conservatives: a disrespect for Parliament, the abuse of prorogation, the repeated attempts (including during this campaign) to stanch debate and free expression. It is a disappointing failing in a leader who previously emerged from a populist movement that fought so valiantly for democratic reforms.

Those who disdain the Harper approach should consider his overall record, which is good. The Prime Minister and the Conservative Party have demonstrated principled judgment on the economic file. They are not doctrinaire; with the support of other parties they adopted stimulus spending after the financial crash of 2008, when it was right to do so. They have assiduously pursued a whole range of trade negotiations. They have facilitated the extension of the GST/HST to Ontario and British Columbia, and have persisted in their plan for a national securities regulator. The Conservatives have greater respect, too, for the free market, and for freedom of international investment, in spite of their apparent yielding to political pressure in the proposed takeover of Potash Corp.

Even more determination will be needed to confront the sustainability of publicly funded health care in an aging society. Health care is suffering from chronic spending disease. If left unchecked, it could swallow as much as 31 cents of each new dollar in wealth created in Canada in the next 20 years. In spite of some unwise commitments he has made on subsidy increases to the provinces, Mr. Harper has the toughness and reformist instincts to push the provinces toward greater experimentation (in private delivery, for instance) and change.

The campaign of 2011 – so vicious and often vapid – should not be remembered fondly. But that will soon be behind us. If the result is a confident new Parliament, it could help propel Canada into a fresh period of innovation, government reform and global ambition. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are best positioned to guide Canada there.

[tool001]

Tory candidate's access to Kenney questioned (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/04/26/cv-election-gill-kenney.html#) click for video by cbc

Tory candidate's access to Kenney questioned


There are allegations in the Ontario riding of Brampton-Springdale that Conservative Party candidate Parm Gill has inappropriate access to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney.

Brampton has a large South Asian population, so the ability to get visas for family members of voters is an issue in the riding.

Liberal candidate Ruby Dhalla accused Gill, a businessman and entrepreneur in the hospitality industry, of setting himself up as Kenney's official delegate on visas and suggests someone in his office must be tipping off her rival after she's submitted official visa requests.

"In those cases the families have been called before even I was notified, that had they had been accepted and approved by the minister's office and they were called by Parm Gill," said Dhalla.

As for proof, Dhalla said people are too afraid to come forward and speak publicly.

Kenney, who has visited the riding to speak during the election campaign, was asked about the accusations, and responded: "That's completely ridiculous, you know, she's a Liberal MP who's under a lot of pressure, and of course she's going to make unfounded and ridiculous accusations."

There's a reason why they are going to Mr. Gill for that advice, said Kenney on a conference call with South Asian journalists.

"It's because they can't get any service from their member of Parliament and that's one of the reasons why I think Parm Gill should be elected member of Parliament for Brampton-Springdale."

Kenney told CBC that if "their own MP isn't providing them with the services and the advice that they require on technical issues on immigration then that's a problem.

"So Mr. Gill has every right as a private citizen to provide volunteer unpaid advice. I understand he has taken no payment for that. He has never claimed to represent the government or me, but he's just providing a volunteer service and that's totally legitimate."

At a sporting event in February, Gill said: "I have approximately three people assisting me; they are full time just taking calls and helping me process….immigration files or anything else."

In January 2009, Kenney made an official government trip to India, where he was pictured with Gill, who was asked about the trip during a candidates' debate in the riding.

"I was not in India on any government-sponsored trips. I was in India on a private business," said Gill.

"Mr. Gill came as did other Canadians with different backgrounds and attended some public events," said Kenney of the trip.

Immigration lawyer Richard Kurland says Kenney shouldn't show favouritism.

"You can't politicize the immigration function when the immigration minister holds the key to Canada's immigration kingdom in any case," said Kurland.

Gill was not available for an interview.

[TheNewGirl]

- Also, 80% of this thread is horse shit. It smells from a mile away.

Though maybe we need a thread about the role of media in elections, I really object to the authorative news producers that claim to be neutral telling us who to vote for. Blogs, and places that are clearly personal opinions or places that are clearly sided with one team or another are the place for that. I feel though that the Globe and the CBC are both better served by presenting the facts rather then informing people of who they should vote for.

That to me stinks like horse shit.

I wish our news providers (on all sides) would abide by their equal and unbiased mandate rather then trying to sway people. The Globe is out of line for telling people they only have one choice (and I would say the same no matter who they supported). Their job is to tell them the facts and let them decide.

I'm tired of having them regurgitate party rhetoric, if I wanted that I would read the party news.

[Graeme S]

I think if nothing else the outcry over the article has proven that while Canadians might not act outraged with the gov't by protesting, that there is indeed a great deal of frustration and/or anger which comes out online in things like this.

Whether that will turn into votes is not something that can be as easily determined, however.
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[goo3]

TheNewGirl's not gonna like this one from The Vancouver Sun :troll:

These guys make their judgments based on certain criteria. If their criteria isn't relevant to your situation, it's better if you don't vote that way. But I'm posting this for non-political ppl because there's way more honesty and integrity in their reasoning than 90% of what gets attention out there.

If not them to flush out the BS then who? This laughable thread? The political junkies took over and filled it with petty lying meant to mislead others to vote how you want them to vote. That may be how you guys operate, but there's others who don't do that shit. Making decisions based on lies built upon half-truths is a poor way to go through life.


EDITORIAL: Conservative majority needed to see us through turbulent times

Even when he’s singing Beatles tunes, Conservative party leader Stephen Harper comes across as stern and austere. His style contrasts sharply with New Democrat leader Jack Layton’s warmth and humour and Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff’s passion and erudition.

But an election is not about personalities; it is a collective decision about leadership. It is up to us to elect the leader and party best able to govern at this time, in these circumstances.

Over the last five years, Harper has kept a steady hand on the economy, steering Canada calmly through a global financial crisis from which many countries have yet to recover. Canada’s resilience through the economic storm garnered international respect. Harper acceded to opposition demands for $60 billion in stimulus spending but has quickly pared the resulting deficit to $28 billion and has a credible plan for restoring balanced budgets to which his party is firmly committed.

His government has maintained a competitive tax regime, building on the foundation the Liberals put in place in the 1990s, pursued bilateral and multilateral trade deals to further advance Canada’s economic interests and encouraged provinces to streamline their inefficient sales tax regimes under the harmonized sales tax.

The Conservative government has given Canada a leading role on the international stage, especially its speedy and generous response to the earthquake in Haiti and participation in military interventions led by the United Nations and NATO. Under the Conservatives, Canada has taken a principled stance on foreign policy issues, a dramatic departure from the “soft power” dogma of the Liberals.

Harper has re-established a close relationship with the U.S., which had eroded under the Liberals, allowing for productive negotiations on perimeter and border security. The Conservatives can provide the U.S. with the assurance it needs that Canada is a reliable bulwark against terrorism, thus preventing further thickening of the border, which would hurt all Canadians.

Some voters may be swayed by the promises of the Liberal and NDP platforms. But this is not the time for an abrupt, fundamental change in direction. Layton’s personal appeal cannot mask his party’s lack of fiscal discipline and Ignatieff, despite his remarkable career as educator, author and journalist, has run a poor campaign and has failed to demonstrate the leadership Canada needs to navigate the turmoil that surrounds us.

Although Canada has been relatively unscathed by the recession that devastated other nations, it is not immune from continuing economic chaos beyond our borders. Many European nations are mired in massive sovereign debt and face ruthless restructuring. At the same time, upheaval in the Middle East is altering the geopolitical landscape in unpredictable ways.

In the midst of this uncertainty, Canada must be seen as a safe harbour of constancy. Our reputation for steadfastness will attract the foreign investment and skilled immigrants needed to relieve the pressures of an aging population and keep the economy growing so that we can pay for social programs, health care and education.

For these reasons, the Conservatives should be returned to Parliament with a majority. A minority government will be unstable at a time when we need stability. Without a majority, Canadians will have no idea who their leader will be. The fact is that the opposition could defeat the government on the budget within a matter of weeks of the next sitting of Parliament. Then, either Ignatieff (or possibly his successor, whoever that might be) or Layton could ask the Governor-General to invite one or the other or both of them to form a government.

The Liberal leadership is in doubt because if the Liberals win fewer seats than in the last election, Ignatieff may be asked by his caucus to step aside, triggering a leadership contest.

Canada can’t afford an election that delivers a result with so much uncertainty.

That being said, the Conservative record has some serious shortcomings and some remedial work is required. For a start, the government needs to revisit its position on the strategy to improve the health of mothers and young children in poor countries — Canada’s signature initiative at last June’s G8 summit. The Conservatives ruled out support for a contraceptive proposal, supplies and information for the program, arguing that family planning has no part of any plan to save lives. Wrong. Roughly 600,000 women die every year due to complications of pregnancy, labour, childbirth or unsafe abortions. The exclusion of family planning from this project puts women in danger and is illogical.

The Conservatives also need to rethink their policies on crime, particularly on mandatory sentencing and building more prisons. Policy should be based on evidence, and the evidence shows clearly that such costly measures are ineffective in preventing or reducing crime.

On issues of governance, Harper and the Conservatives must show more respect for open government and parliamentary conventions. They are the bedrock of our democracy. In that vein, we expect greater transparency and accountability in budgeting. Parliament is entitled to full disclosure on the cost of all programs, including the purchase of fighter jets. MPs need to vet these expenditures; that’s their job.

Despite the Tories’ flaws, however, a Conservative majority is the only path that at this time leads us to a Canada that will remain the prosperous, peaceful and predictable country in which we are fortunate enough to live.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/news/decision-canada/EDITORIAL+Conservative+majority+needed+through+tur bulent+times/4701393/story.html#ixzz1L00A1tHz

[Meowjin]

^why don't they list the author :rolleyes:

[Meowjin]

how about vote for the best mla in your area.

[m!chael]

LOL

The second there's a general consensus that a conservative majority is needed for Canada, Majin " Anything but conservatives because they're scumbags" hurricane becomes a bipartisan.

[Meowjin]

LOL

The second there's a general consensus that a conservative majority is needed for Canada, Majin " Anything but conservatives because they're scumbags" hurricane becomes a bipartisan.

Actually NDP are projected to have more than 100 seats, and took quebec by storm.

[TheNewGirl]

LOL

The second there's a general consensus that a conservative majority is needed for Canada, Majin " Anything but conservatives because they're scumbags" hurricane becomes a bipartisan.

Actually that's really far from the consensus. Unless you mean the consensus amongst tory supporters is that a conservative majority is needed in Canada.

But we'll find out on Monday what that translates to.

[apple_cutie]

http://nationalpostnews.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/platforms.jpg?w=940&h=1824

[m!chael]

.

[Manic!]

So who is going to try to get early election results from the east?

[Meowjin]

Haha yeah I might have overstated the consensus part but I was just making fun of the fact that he was so anti-conservative and suddenly once someone posted two articles supporting the conservatives he became a bipartisan and wants people to vote for the best MLA in their area.

But I guess were just gonna have to wait and see on Monday. In all honesty, even if the conservatives don't win majority (which I want them to), I'll still be happy with the outcome because that's that the people want.

I have left leaning bias. But that's the result of growing up in a super religious upbringing. Plus I grew up in east side van.
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[spideyv2]

LOL I wonder how many people are gonna vote for Charles Boylan (marxist-leninist) in the Vancouver South riding

[Graeme S]

Today is the day, people. I've voted...have you?
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[TheNewGirl]

I have!

I went on my way to work this morning.

I'm curious about election coverage. Given I have east coast channels on my cable, will I be able to get coverage early of the election results or will that be blocked?

I know early coverage is illegal but I can't figure out how they would prevent it.

[Manic!]

I have!

I went on my way to work this morning.

I'm curious about election coverage. Given I have east coast channels on my cable, will I be able to get coverage early of the election results or will that be blocked?

I know early coverage is illegal but I can't figure out how they would prevent it.

Nope all east coast channels will be blacked out. So will websites and online radio. There has to be a RS member out east that can give us updates.

I just got back from voting too.

[Razor Ramon HG]

http://twitter.com/#!/News1130radio/status/65156500112416768

@News1130radio News1130
CAREFUL: Reports voters are getting last minute phone calls telling them their polling station is moving to another location #1130poli

[TheNewGirl]

Nope all east coast channels will be blacked out. So will websites and online radio. There has to be a RS member out east that can give us updates.

I just got back from voting too.

Elections Canada says they WILL file charges against people using the internet to communicate early results. So I would suggest East Coast RSers don't violate that rule :P

[xyz123]

awww yeahh, just voted, no lines, 2 min max! give your card, show id, check the circle, put ballot in and bam you're out of there!

[Manic!]

Found this site:

http://tweettheresults.ca/

Current election results: Cons=0. Libs=0. NDP=0. Bloc=0. Greens=0


I hope I don't get arrested.

[TheNewGirl]

awww yeahh, just voted, no lines, 2 min max! give your card, show id, check the circle, put ballot in and bam you're out of there!

I had a line this morning and I was still in and out in less then 5 minutes. And thrilled to see a bunch of fairly young, first time voters out at the crack of 730.

[Manic!]

Watching CBC 10 seconds before the polls close and my screen goes black.

[Gh0stRider]

not yet..maybe later on

[Manic!]

Harper breaking election law.

n an interview this morning with Bill Good on CKNW in Vancouver, Stephen Harper openly campaigned for the Conservative Party of Canada, asking listeners to "vote Conservative" in defiance of Elections Canada rules and regulations that state no campaigning may be done during the media blackout on election day.

During the interview Stephen Harper contravined the Elections Canada Act by stating that "It is certain that I will vote, and I encourage all other people to vote, and I encourage people to do the same as me and vote Conservative."

The host of the CKNW call in radio show, Bill Good, was quick to reply to listeners that "We encourage you to vote too, but we encourage you to vote whichever way you feel is appropriate."

Sections 480 to 499 of the Elections Canada Act detail prohibited activites by candidates during the imposed media blackout on election day in Canada.

Sections 480 to 499 of the Canada Elections Act list the offence provisions, categorized according to whether intent is required, and the burden of proof required to prosecute them. Offences include:

* illegally attempting to influence the vote of an elector or the results of an election
* illegally hampering or delaying the electoral process
* contravening the limits and obligations set out for contributions and expenses, including circumventing, attempting to circumvent or colluding in circumventing the rules for ineligible contributors, for concealing a contributor's identity and for exceeding contribution limits
* contravening the limits and obligations set out for third party election advertising
* publishing the results of an election opinion poll during the blackout period or without the accompanying information required by the Act
* election advertising during the blackout period
* prematurely publishing election results
* partisan action by an election officer
* using personal information from a voters list or from the National Register of Electors for unauthorized purposes
* acting as an officer of a registered political party while knowing that the party does not include participating in public affairs among its essential objectives
* as a party leader, certifying a declaration or report while knowing that the document contains false or misleading information
* accepting or soliciting contributions for a political entity while representing to the contributor that part or all of the contribution could be transferred to some person or entity other than the registered party, candidate, leadership contestant or electoral district association
* failure to register (referendum committee)

Advertisement

This breach of the Elections Canada Act also comes on the heels of alleged voter fraud in swing ridings at risk of losing Conservative control, as voters are being telephoned in these sensitive ridings and falsely being informed that their polling stations have been changed. In some cases voters have been sent as far as one hour away from where they are supposed to be voting by these fraudulant calls.

The Canadian Headlines Examiner on Examiner.com said that "Reports are coming in from key swing ridings in Ontario and other other provinces that voters are being called at home with false information that their voting locations have changed, and in some instances sending voters an hour in the wrong direction" in regards to the voter tampering reports.

If found guilty of breaching the Elections Canada Act, Stephen Harper could face one or all of the following penalties as stipulated by Elections Canada.

If a judge finds a person guilty of an offence, the person may receive a fine or a period of imprisonment, or both. Under section 501 of the Act, the Court may also impose additional penalties, such as:

* performing community service
* performing the obligation that gave rise to the offence
* compensating for damages, or any other reasonable measure the Court considers appropriate
* a fine of up to five times the election advertising expenses limit exceeded by a third party
* with respect to certain offences, the deregistration of a party and liquidation of its assets, and the liquidation of the assets of the party's registered associations

Complaints and reports regarding this breach of the Elections Canada Act may be reported to the Commissioner of Canada Elections by email at commissionersoffice@elections.ca.

[LiquidTurbo]

^. Cool, guess you could add that to the list at www.shitharperdid.com...

[xyz123]

LOL, just pictured Steven Harper doing community service.

[Bouncing Bettys]

Is the RDI channel broadcasting election results? The channel is visually blacked out but there is still audio. My french isn't good enough to really tell what they are saying but the subject of the current program on my shaw guide says Elections Canada 2011


Edit at 4:42 - the audio has now stopped so I guess they were discussing results in french

[Manic!]

http://www.tallyroom.com.au/
http://twitter.com/#!/BernardKeane

All of Atlantic Canada: LIB 10 Con 5 NDP 3 #tweettheresults #elxn41
8 minutes ago
»
Bernard Keane
BernardKeane Bernard Keane
Bear in mind I can't verify these, I may be being fed crap - I'm not a Canadian, I have no idea #tweettheresults #elxn41

[spideyv2]

voted for the very first time today

[Bouncing Bettys]

on TSN they just talked with a lady covering the elections and all she could say is that there are a lot of firsts tonight

[carisear]

i really like how they did the election this year. LOTS of days of advance polls. it made my voting experience this morning the best ever -- 0 lineup. so simple. show card. get directed to proper polling booth. show id. get voting slip. vote. put ballot in box. DONE. entire process, 2 mins tops.

sometimes the simplest methods, are the best methods.

[murd0c]

I just voted and convinced my g/f to vote as well when she wasn't going to. If you really want to know DL the Tor browser and you will be able to see the east coast results ;)

[TheNewGirl]

i really like how they did the election this year. LOTS of days of advance polls. it made my voting experience this morning the best ever -- 0 lineup. so simple. show card. get directed to proper polling booth. show id. get voting slip. vote. put ballot in box. DONE. entire process, 2 mins tops.

sometimes the simplest methods, are the best methods.

I like the fact that they had tons of advanced polls too. I have several friends and co workers who travel a lot but all of them were able to vote in an advanced poll if they weren't able to today. I know some people railed against the fact that the APs were on easter weekend but I actually think that worked out in the favor of the voters since most of us had at least one of the three AP days off.

[carisear]

^ exactly. having it on a holiday is the best thing you can do -- don't see what the big fuss was about. i've used an advanced poll ONCE before, and it was much worse -- there were something like 4 days, 2 wed and 2 sat's, and only at one location. ugh. that was awful.

btw i hate the gag law. i understand it, but in this day and age, i don't agree with it. either keep the polls open 'till 11pm in NFLD, or let us see the results. this is 2011. information is power.

[TheNewGirl]

Election coverage starts in 1 minute.

And yeah I tell you I was annoyed when I got home and all my east coast feeds even the ones not covering election stuff were shut off. God damn it I wanted to watch House early! :P

I have to agree I would rather the polls be opened the same hours for everyone. Early for us, late for the east coast and we all get to have coverage at the same time.

The good news is they're saying they had a really high number of ballots in the east. Which is best. Regardless of the outcome, the more of us that turn out the better.

[quasi]

LOL, I guess I live right on the edge of the cachement lines. I thought I was going to vote for one canidate (all the signs in my neighbourhood) and it turns out I'm 1 block to west so I would have had to vote for another. Myself and my wife changed our votes well waiting in line, can't vote for that person even if I'd like to vote for that party.

[Greenstoner]

Voted
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[!Nhan]

I also voted for the first time. Was expecting a lot of people but I was able to register, get in and out in 5 mins tops. I thought that you'd be voting for the leader of the party, and not the person in your local rep.
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[keifun]

just got home from casting my ballot.

now lets see what will happen.

[stylez2k4]

Elections Canada says they WILL file charges against people using the internet to communicate early results. So I would suggest East Coast RSers don't violate that rule :P

http://www.bestproxyreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Good_Luck_Im_Behind_7_Proxies.jpg

[JD¹³]

Wow, the Liberals are getting SLAYED. Cons are on track for a majority.

[taylor192]

If you didn't vote, you suck! :p

[Tapioca]

I'm not a Conservative supporter (at least not under Harper), but the good thing to come out of this election is the absolute slaughter of the Bloc.

I hope they are finished on the federal scene for a long time.

[Graeme S]

If you didn't vote, you suck! :p
I find it extremely annoying when I find out that several people are choosing not to vote yet are quite vocal about the stupidity of the government.


You don't vote, you don't get a say.

[LiquidTurbo]

I find it extremely annoying when I find out that several people are choosing not to vote yet are quite vocal about the stupidity of the government.


You don't vote, you don't get a say.

No, if I don't vote, that gives me the right to complain, since I had nothing to do with their coming into power.

The people who VOTED, don't get a say, because they're the ones responsible for getting them into government!

:fullofwin:

[JesseBlue]

it actually is the opposite of what you just said... you don't vote you got no right to complain...imagine winning with one vote...just like the canucks...a win is a win...

[Alatar]

BQ with a whopping... 6 or 7 ridings so far... wow.

[LiquidTurbo]

Relax dude, and lighten up.

On a related note, seems like the NDP is doing better than expected!

For anyone wanting to follow the live coverage with a live map:


http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/map/fullscreen.html#/

[Blinky]

Early returns are kind of amazing, and kind of scary. Canadian politics looks like it's becoming more polarized.

I am glad that the BQ is sucking ballz though.

[SkinnyPupp]

Holy crap the NDP is doing well. Do people hate the liberals that much?

[LiquidTurbo]

^ Too many years in power. I've been impressed by Jack Layton. I think he's good for Canada.

[SkinnyPupp]

Well I hope they don't do TOO well, or we'll be stuck with another minority, and the Conservatives will be handcuffed all over again.

[stylez2k4]

^ Too many years in power. I've been impressed by Jack Layton. I think he's good for Canada.

Dude creeps me out. Looks like a pedo

[LiquidTurbo]

Dude creeps me out. Looks like a pedo

More than this?
http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s48/oldfarthenry/stephen-harper-kitten.jpg

:troll:

[MindBomber]

^ Too many years in power. I've been impressed by Jack Layton. I think he's good for Canada.

I think for years NDP supporters have been voting for the liberal party to block the Conservatives, the surge brought those voters out of the wood work.
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[Blinky]

Looks like the left vote has been split a bit.

[Roach]

Duceppe and Ignatieff are losing their ridings lol.

Kev

[quasi]

I don't think shooting down that budget went the way the Liberals and BQ had hoped and went way better then the NDP could have ever dreamed.

[stylez2k4]

Wonder if Ignatieff will go back to Harvard

[MindBomber]

Looks like the left vote has been split a bit.

That's the classic problem with Canadian politics. Proportional represntation is the answer to a more accurate distribution of power, but right wing voters benefit from our current system and won't support it.
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[highfive]

I heard that if we do end up with another Conservative minority, Layton and NDP can form another coalition with the other parties and have a vote of non-confidence. This time, there won't be a re-election. The governor general would have to choose one of the opposition party to become prime minister. Did anyone hear about this?

[Blinky]

I don't think shooting down that budget went the way the Liberals and BQ had hoped and went way better then the NDP could have ever dreamed.

The government wasn't defeated on the budget. But that's water under the bridge.

That's the classic problem with Canadian politics. Proportional represntation is the answer to a more accurate distribution of power, but right wing voters benefit from our current system and won't support it.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

Don't turn this issue quite partisan... a few years ago the right vote was split between the Cons and the Reform party.

[Bonjour43MA]

Conservatives have won majority government.

Discuss.

[Graeme S]

Conservatives have won majority government.

Discuss.
Are projected to win a majority. We shall see.

[Roach]

Edit, a little late.

Kev

[quasi]

The government wasn't defeated on the budget. But that's water under the bridge.



Why do you think the election was triggered? It was because the budget was defeated. Essentially they all slit their own throats except the NDP who obviously gained a lot including the official opposition.

[Ronin]

I don't think the Conservatives have done a particularly good job but they haven't been terrible. I hope with a majority, we don't have fucking elections wasting our money every couple years.

[Graeme S]

Why do you think the election was triggered? It was because the budget was defeated. Essentially they all slit their own throats except the NDP who obviously gained a lot including the official opposition.
Actually, it was because the Harper government was held in contempt. It came up at the same time, but it's a very different thing.

[MindBomber]

Don't turn this issue quite partisan... a few years ago the right vote was split between the Cons and the Reform party.

There's nothing partisan about what I said, right wing voters don't support proportional representation currently because their slight percentage majority is enough to give them seats. They resolved their vote split years ago by merging parties and now they have nothing to benefit from proportional representation.
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[2damaxmr2]

Woot no more LGR.

[clean 93]

I talked to a young man from England this weekend. He was apalled by the lack of political involvement canadians have in general, especially youth. He has attended weekly political meetings in Lonsdale during his stay here and has been more involved in our politics than I have ever been. Get out and vote Canada!


Cheers.

[falcon]

Conservatives have won majority government.

Discuss.

Sorry you're wrong. "The Harper Government" won a majority. Get it right.... :fullofwin:

[Bonjour43MA]

Woot no more LGR.

Watch non-restricted sales go through the roof once the LGR is gone. :fullofwin:

[EmperorIS]

HAH douchebag liberals this is what u get for bitching every 2 years

[SkinnyPupp]

Wow even Green will have a seat

[MG1]

Ha ha, Ignatieff............ that makes my day.


and BQ with only 3 seats so far............. hee hee.......

[murd0c]

it's good to see the green party finally got a seat. This has been one of the better elections in recent years

[Stealthy]

Popped my voting cherry today.
:fullofwin:

[asahai69]

I talked to a young man from England this weekend. He was apalled by the lack of political involvement canadians have in general, especially youth. He has attended weekly political meetings in Lonsdale during his stay here and has been more involved in our politics than I have ever been. Get out and vote Canada!


Cheers.

in 2005 61.3% voter turnout in england.
in 2006 64.7% voter turnout for canada.

2008 was a bad year for turnout here in canada with 58.8% but england had the same thing in 2001 with 59.2%

so yeah............

[Ronin]

I talked to a young man from England this weekend. He was apalled by the lack of political involvement canadians have in general, especially youth. He has attended weekly political meetings in Lonsdale during his stay here and has been more involved in our politics than I have ever been. Get out and vote Canada!

Cheers.

I think it's because regardless of who is running the country, very little changes in Canada, especially for younger generations. If it doesn't affect their daily lives, why would they care?

Yes, I'm aware that the government makes a big difference in everyone's life but for the kids who are right around entering voting age or in their early 20s, I'm sure they don't notice a whole lot.

Maybe it's also the laid back Canadian mentality compared to the drunken bar fights over security cameras and such in the UK.

[MG1]

Popped my voting cherry today.
:fullofwin:

on your way to being a slut, LOL

[MindBomber]

Watch non-restricted sales go through the roof once the LGR is gone. :fullofwin:

Why? I doubt having to fill out a peice of paperwork and pay a small fee is enough to deter a responsible gun owner.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

[MG1]

Bloc down to leading in two seats, LOLOLOLOLOLOL.

Let's hope for 0 seats.

[spideyv2]

LOL Ignatieff dun goof'd it

[murd0c]

back u up to 3 lol

[spideyv2]

glad NDP is killin it this year, Layton seems like a good guy

[jpark]

voted for the first time too

[MG1]

I voted properly this time around. I usually spoil my ballot, because there really isn't much of a choice. This time around, I'm living in a swing riding and I felt my vote would count, so I did my homework and researched all the candidates. I definitely did not want to vote for this certain candidate that refused to show up for the all-candidates debates. Refused to take a stand on some pretty important issues. Looks like I wasn't the only one thinking this way as the other guy is leading by a good margin.

BTW, nice speech by Iggy. Makes him look almost human.

[MG1]

glad NDP is killin it this year, Layton seems like a good guy

Yes, he looks like someone that has a bit of integrity........... as far as any politician can have.



Chuck Cadman.......... we need more guys like him.


Wifey is definitely nowhere near what the old man was like. I'm not in Surrey, so I have not followed her. From what I gather, she's on the list of Conservative candidates that are in hiding.

[MG1]

Haha, just saw Doucheppe's count. He's behind in his riding.

[Ronin]

The Liberals never had a chance with Ignatief. I keep hearing he's actually quite a cool guy but his public persona is just terrible. He's almost as bad as that Dion clown they had before.

Until the Liberals get someone with some charisma in that seat, I don't know how they're going to get votes.

[MG1]

For those who have been watching the coverage, where is the NDP support coming from? Is it across the nation or in Western Canada, PQ, etc?

[falcon]

If it doesn't affect their daily lives, why would they care?

.

Why? Because IF they voted it WOULD affect them.

I don't know how many people over the last few weeks I've run into that pulled the "I'm only one vote, won't make a diff"... well if you and the rest of the country didn't think this way, your vote WOULD make a difference.

[Ronin]

Haha, just saw Doucheppe's count. He's behind in his riding.

Fuck those Frenchies. Their entire agenda is to screw Canada.

Why? Because IF they voted it WOULD affect them.

I don't know how many people over the last few weeks I've run into that pulled the "I'm only one vote, won't make a diff"... well if you and the rest of the country didn't think this way, your vote WOULD make a difference.

That really wasn't my point. My point was that regardless of who's running the country, they can't tell the difference anyways.

How many 18 year olds do you know actually pay attention to politics and do enough reading and research to raise their own awareness of national issues and make an informed decision on who is the best party to run the country? Most kids these days can barely spell election.

...shit, am I just old?

[apple_cutie]

Why? I doubt having to fill out a peice of paperwork and pay a small fee is enough to deter a responsible gun owner.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

Thats not the point, the point is people are gonna stock up on non-restricted firearms because the government can fuck themselves.

[Bonjour43MA]

Why? I doubt having to fill out a peice of paperwork and pay a small fee is enough to deter a responsible gun owner.
Posted via RS Mobile (http://www.revscene.net/forums/announcement.php?a=228)

A lot of legal gun owners would want to have rifles/shotguns that are not listed in the registry, in case, somewhere down the road, a change of power is in place and some form of confiscation is carried out by the government. It also prevents unauthorized personnel from knowing what each legal gun owner has in their possession, in case of malicious intent by criminals looking to acquire legally-owned firearms by means of theft or home invasion.

The only problem I have with the LGR (other than privacy issues to the owners) is how the government sold it to the voters - that it is a crime-fighting system that will reduce crime/violence, and can PREVENT criminal activities involving LEGAL firearms from ocurring, which we have now seen, in both accounts, are completely false. Criminals do not obey any laws and any gun control policies are simply targeted at legal owners, rather than the "bad guys".

A lot of people are confused by licensing and registration - ALL gun owners need to be licensed, but what pro-gun groups are saying is that, just like other tools, there's no need to keep a record of every single rifle/gun that any LICENSED gun owner has in possession, just as you wouldn't keep a record of knives, scissors, hammers, baseball bats, etc, simply by fear that the owners of such tools would commit bodily harm against others.

[EmperorIS]

lol BC gave green party a seat

[Tapioca]

For those who have been watching the coverage, where is the NDP support coming from? Is it across the nation or in Western Canada, PQ, etc?

Primarily Quebec.

Conrad Black had an interesting observation about the NDP's fortunes: a large part of their caucus will be francophone which may alter the focus of their party.

[MG1]

Don't forget that every vote means dollars for the candidates.

[Ronin]

For those who have been watching the coverage, where is the NDP support coming from? Is it across the nation or in Western Canada, PQ, etc?

Traditionally, I thought NDP support came mostly from Western Canada and the Prairies...but I guess I was wrong about that.

NDP won most of Ontario, Quebec, parts of Manitoba and BC while basically the rest of Canada voted Conservative except for a chunk of the Maritimes that voted Liberal.

[EmperorIS]

lolol doucheppe looking like a little bitch ... i love it

[MG1]

The other thing this election and every other election up to this point is the message the financial world gets from the results. The world has changed so much, but still it makes a difference. A majority government is good news for us.

[TheKingdom2000]

can someone link a place that showed previous seats?
how many seats did the bloc have before today?

[TheNewGirl]

For those who have been watching the coverage, where is the NDP support coming from? Is it across the nation or in Western Canada, PQ, etc?

They went from 0 to 54 seats in Quebec that's a lot of it.

Over all I'm really kinda stunned, I think this may be the end of the Bloc. Duceppe lost his seat to a completely unknown NDP candidate.

[Blinky]

Traditionally, I thought NDP support came mostly from Western Canada and the Prairies...but I guess I was wrong about that.

NDP won most of Ontario, Quebec, parts of Manitoba and BC while basically the rest of Canada voted Conservative except for a chunk of the Maritimes that voted Liberal.

Traditionally, the Prairies are NDP territory, but the Cons have taken that since the rise of Reform. Actually, the Cons took "most of Ontario" - look at the Southern Ontario - that's a critical part of their majority.

I'm no Con fan but I think easily the best part of this election is the (hopeful) demise of the BQ. Welcome back to Federal Politics, Quebecers.

[MG1]

Hahahahaha....... the BQ supporters are chanting his name atm, and it sounds like douchebag, douchebag, douchebag..............

[bloodmack]

http://openmedia.ca/fr/node/8670

Wasn't harper the one who said no to this? Now its going to happen..

[EmperorIS]

HAHAHAHAHA DOUCHEPPE QUITSSSSSSSSSSSSSS


don't let the door hit ur ass on the way out

[sonick]

Duceppe steps down!

[Fafine]

Hahahahaha....... the BQ supporters are chanting his name atm, and it sounds like douchebag, douchebag, douchebag..............

LOL thought i was the only one that heard it

[TheKingdom2000]

why is Duceppe talking about Quebec being a new country?
That's never going to happen.
And if it does, it would be the shittiest country in the world

[mb_]

Voted for the first time too. :D

[AWDTurboLuvr]

They went from 0 to 54 seats in Quebec that's a lot of it.

Over all I'm really kinda stunned, I think this may be the end of the Bloc. Duceppe lost his seat to a completely unknown NDP candidate.

If the Tories vote to get rid of voter subsidy, it would be the end of the separatist movement by the BQ. Actually, that might also mean the end of the Liberal party.

Ontario south is almost all blue now. GG Liberals.

[alex.w *//]

if justin trudeau was running for prime minister for liberal party

liberal party would of gotten ALOT more support

[TheNewGirl]

The Liberals will be alright. Per supporter the Liberals actually get larger donations than any other party and have a greater proportion of party members who max out their voting cap.

The end of the voter subsidy really hampers the Greens, The Bloc and the NDP most.

[MG1]

why is Duceppe talking about Quebec being a new country?
That's never going to happen.
And if it does, it would be the shittiest country in the world

These guys are so out of touch with reality. No wonder they only have 2 or three seats now. Just listening to any debate, how can a party that only has interest in one province and candidates in that one province even make sense in things that affect the whole country? I know they are in it to lead the country, but........... mind you, Christian Heritage is a little weird too..... although they are about values and whatnot.

oh shit........... the BQ leading in 4 now.


Isn't this exciting? Better than Canucks vs Preds, LOLOLOLOLOL

[TheNewGirl]

if justin trudeau was running for prime minister for liberal party

liberal party would of gotten ALOT more support

He's been asked and said he isn't ready. It's only his second term as an MP. In all honesty (and I've said it before), I think a lot of Liberals feel that anyone who is not Trudeau is just a place holder. I expect when he DOES feel he is ready things will change pretty radically. The fact that we have 4 years before the next election is NOT a bad thing for the liberal party in this aspect. It gives them a lot of time to get their shit together.

[MG1]

May is declared a winner



COOL to the max!

[Renthal]

iggy lost his riding lol

[MindBomber]

Maybe you can answer a question for me no one in the other thread has answered, you seem quite knowledgeable about firearms. The gun registry tracks gun ownership, without it the government has no record of a guns whereabouts or who is in possession of it. So, a person could buy a gun and the government would have no idea that the transaction has taken place?

Many people who support scrapping the LGR also want to see the registry for restricted weapons dropped, so I could buy hand guns for devious purposes with no record, like in the states?


A lot of legal gun owners would want to have rifles/shotguns that are not listed in the registry, in case, somewhere down the road, a change of power is in place and some form of confiscation is carried out by the government. It also prevents unauthorized personnel from knowing what each legal gun owner has in their possession, in case of malicious intent by criminals looking to acquire legally-owned firearms by means of theft or home invasion.

The only problem I have with the LGR (other than privacy issues to the owners) is how the government sold it to the voters - that it is a crime-fighting system that will reduce crime/violence, and can PREVENT criminal activities involving LEGAL firearms from ocurring, which we have now seen, in both accounts, are completely false. Criminals do not obey any laws and any gun control policies are simply targeted at legal owners, rather than the "bad guys".

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[91LS-VTak]

Finally, we won't have to go to the polls next year!

[MG1]

He's been asked and said he isn't ready. It's only his second term as an MP. In all honesty (and I've said it before), I think a lot of Liberals feel that anyone who is not Trudeau is just a place holder. I expect when he DOES feel he is ready things will change pretty radically. The fact that we have 4 years before the next election is NOT a bad thing for the liberal party in this aspect. It gives them a lot of time to get their shit together.

Any Trudeau is better than nothing........... Damn, that would be nice. I think he's even better than the old man. The only Canadian politician, I can think off who could and would tell the Americans to fuck off.

Fuddle Duddle

[sonick]

How do you say "nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye" in Quebecois French?

[AWDTurboLuvr]

The Liberals will be alright. Per supporter the Liberals actually get larger donations than any other party and have a greater proportion of party members who max out their voting cap.

The end of the voter subsidy really hampers the Greens, The Bloc and the NDP most.

The question is, who is supporting them (the Liberals) here on out?

[jackmeister]

The Liberals never had a chance with Ignatief. I keep hearing he's actually quite a cool guy but his public persona is just terrible. He's almost as bad as that Dion clown they had before.

Until the Liberals get someone with some charisma in that seat, I don't know how they're going to get votes.

they need justin trudeau.....

you know the party is hurting when they have to fly a former PM's son across the country to ride the skytrain.

its all about the public persona, does it look like stephen harper, the person, could run the country? no his advisors do it for him. but someone charismatic like jack layton can win his party 70 plus seats. go figure

[sonick]

Goddamn idiots on facebook:

"Matthew Vatta Um, Ryan, you do know that the Conservatives called the election, right? Because the ruling party is the only one with the power to do so."

[EmperorIS]

lol keep us updated on that status ... i want to see how badly how he/she gets flamed

[MG1]

Oh, does this mean May can be included in debates now?

I love it when an underdog gets in. She does deserve it, me thinks.

[luibei]

nonh nonh nonh allo allo allo, aurevoir , not really but meh BC votes a green in WOOOT awesome im goin green in four years if i know my vote will make no difference in my riding

[sonick]

lol keep us updated on that status ... i want to see how badly how he/she gets flamed

rofl, the person whose wall that comment was on is anti-conservative. She deleted my post deriding the guy for his idiocy. CENSORSHIP!

[AWDTurboLuvr]

Oh, does this mean May can be included in debates now?

I love it when an underdog gets in. She does deserve it, me thinks.

Can she though? They need a minimum number of seats to have party status...I don't think she has the ability to ask questions in the house.

I am glad for her and the Green party though!

[TheKingdom2000]

"We're on the TV guys..." May is hilarious. I'm glad she won.


So Marijuana is going to be legal now right? :fullofwin:

[JD¹³]

My prediction is a Conservative majority with the Liberals losing seats to the NDP.
:fullofwin:

I'm not surprised to see the Bloc destroyed. Good riddance. May getting in is a surprise over Lunn who's been a staple in Saanich-Gulf Islands, it will be interesting to see how she is received in the House of Commons.

Overall this election is a big win for Canada :woot2:

[TheNewGirl]

Oh, does this mean May can be included in debates now?

I love it when an underdog gets in. She does deserve it, me thinks.

I am SO glad that Mae won her seat, she is by and far one of the most reasonable and educated people in politics and while she is only one seat, this is a fantastic start and a great step for the Greens. I'm so glad for her.

I'm also really glad to see the Bloc get stomped, seeing as I personally feel a separatist party has no business in federal politics.

And I'm shocked and awed by Layton's driving the NDP to a huge and united opposition.

I'm not a Harper fan but all of the above are Good Things and I'll take that.


As for who will support the Liberals now? Well they have 4 years to earn their way back into the good graces of their supporters and a lot of it will also be determined by Harper. If he is a tyrant... well lots of people will support the Liberals, but if he stays closer to center then they'll recoop less support.

[Vansterdam]

"We're on the TV guys..." May is hilarious. I'm glad she won.


So Marijuana is going to be legal now right? :fullofwin:



more like you will go to jail for smoking a joint... seriously

[Brianrietta]

Fantastic result in Quebec.

[MG1]

Layton lost so much weight, but he looks like a fighter. BTW, it should be noted that the federal NDP is not the same as the Provincial NDP.

Notice how the NDP supporters are chanting NDP and not Layton.

I don't really like the idea of the NDP running the country, but as opposition party, they are going to make a positive difference. Today's election sure sent some strong messages to certain individuals. Amazing how shit happens. Anyone know what the voter turn out numbers are like? I guess we'll know better tomorrow.

Thanks to those who went out and voted for the first time.

[Bonjour43MA]

The registry for restricted guns (that includes all pistols, short-barreled shotguns, and AR-15 variants), will still stay ,along with the licensing program which is required for anyone that wishes to acquire firearms, but yes, you are correct, that once the LGR is gone, a LICENSED gun owner can walk in to a shop, buy a non-restricted rifle/shotgun, take it home, and the government will not have a record of this sale to this particular owner. I suppose the only way to find out would be through the shop's record book (some shops use these, some don't).

If one day the registry for restricted firearms is gone as well, then (again), a LICENSED gun owner will be able to own pistols without the government knowing what he/she has in his/her possession.

I'm just going to take a guess that you are implying, that, once the LGR (or one day, the restricted registry, which has been in place since the 30s') is gone, there will be increased crime committed by legal gun owners? I'd like to know what the logic is behind your assumption - that legal gun owners are dangerous people, even MORE SO than actual criminals, to commit crimes, even after going through a strict licensing program to acquire their license which takes anywhere from 2~6 months? You, or anyone else that doesn't have a license, will NOT be able to go to a shop and walk out with a gun, let along getting it "for devious purposes".

My personal opinion is that the registry is NOT the main concern for firearm owners - instead, I acutally think that the ATT (authorization to transport) is one of the dumbest policies ever created, as well as CRIMINAL offense being attached to paper offenses like expired licenses or registration certificates (imagine being criminally charged for having your driver's license expired). I also have a problem with our self-defense laws, where people have pretty much no right to defend themselves in life-threatening situations, and are supposed to lay there to die, or wait for the policy to come. I hope to see that portion of our laws change (for the better), and put more emphasis and rights back in the hands of the victims, not the criminals that walk away with a slap on the wrist for breaking into someone's homes or worse yet, hurting someone in the process of doing so.

Also, why do people automatically think that a legal gun owner only acquire firearms for the purpose of (potentially) hurting others? Have you heard of Trap shooting (an Olympic event), precision target shooting (Olympic event), cow boy action shooting, IPSC, IDPA, the list goes on and on, of legitimate shooting sports? Yes, there are crazies out there that MAY commit crimes with their legal firearms (Dawson college shooting comes to mind), but, to brush everyone with the same stroke would be as ignorant as saying that anyone that has a knife has the potential to kill someone, therefore people should not own knives, period...

Look, I think there should be tighter control on WHO can own guns, and the licensing program can be more strict with more detailed background/mental health/behavioral checks, but a crazy person, with or without guns, will carry out their devious plans if they fully intend on doing so. Having a registry system that tracks registered, legally acquired firearms, owned by licensed citizens, will not prevent any crime, nor will it do anything to reduce crime rates. When was the last time you heard about criminals registering their guns?


Maybe you can answer a question for me no one in the other thread has answered, you seem quite knowledgeable about firearms. The gun registry tracks gun ownership, without it the government has no record of a guns whereabouts or who is in possession of it. So, a person could buy a gun and the government would have no idea that the transaction has taken place?

Many people who support scrapping the LGR also want to see the registry for restricted weapons dropped, so I could buy hand guns for devious purposes with no record, like in the states?



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[bcrdukes]

May's victory for the Green Party is most definitely a page turner in Canadian politics. While it was only one seat in the House of Commons, this sole victory may perhaps set a precedent to future generations of voters to come.

[Harvey Specter]

Big LULZ @ Ujjal. Thank god this useless bum is out.

[carisear]

i rushed home to a big WTF ... NDP with so much support?! wow. i hate the ndp, but between them and the BQ, i'll support them all day long.

Gonna be scary with ndp as official opposition though -- at least they won't have any real power.

i *HOPE* this teaches the liberals a lesson -- you can't bring in a big 'name' from out of the country, who decides to shift the whole liberal ideology too far left.

[TheKingdom2000]

more like you will go to jail for smoking a joint... seriously

really?
are you saying that the green party is totally against marijuana or that the conservatives are more harsh on the issue?

[Eff-1]

Voting for me is always such a disappointment. Always results in Hedy Fry for another four years.

[carisear]

Big LULZ @ Ujjal. Thank god this useless bum is out.


If i could thank you, i'd thank you a BILLION TIMES

[TheNewGirl]

really?
are you saying that the green party is totally against marijuana or that the conservatives are more harsh on the issue?

I think he's saying the Con majority = a tougher stance on drug use.

The tories have a policy leaning towards manditory sentencing and longer convictions. I'm not sure where they stand on pot specifically but... well you don't support building massive prisons unless you plan to fill them.

[bcrdukes]

really?
are you saying that the green party is totally against marijuana or that the conservatives are more harsh on the issue?

I think he was being facetious but you can swing the statement both ways. Seeing as the Conservatives have a specific agenda on the legal system, it wouldn't be surprising if an MP at some point within the next four years came up with such a proposal.

[carisear]

I personally believe we should legalize it, regulate it, and tax the hell out of it. I know 10 yrs ago the US was pressuring governments in canada NOT to legalize it, but i sure hope we revisit the issue.

(note, i don't smoke up, but looking at all the data, it makes sense to legalize it to me)

[MG1]

I just caught a quick glimpse of this hot NDP candidate from Quebec. I can see why she got the votes. Didn't catch the name. Could be wrong....... I didn't have my glasses on and it was for a split second as I was channel surfing.

[sonick]

~61% voter turnout. I had a feeling it'd be higher with a bunch of my friends and fb/twitter friends saying they were going to vote.

[bcrdukes]

~61% voter turnout. I had a feeling it'd be higher with a bunch of my friends and fb/twitter friends saying they were going to vote.

Same. I was expecting a much higher turnout, somewhere even in the low 70s.

[Bonjour43MA]

Just a sidenote - Global's Dawna Friesen is beautiful :drool

[Death2Theft]

Nothing like a giant alien forehead in the morning to get u going eh?

[Tapioca]

Predictions under a Conservative government? (besides what we already know?)

- Tougher drug laws, particularly for marijuana use?
- Gradual withdrawal of funding for the CBC?
- Further cuts to public services?

[MG1]

I personally believe we should legalize it, regulate it, and tax the hell out of it. I know 10 yrs ago the US was pressuring governments in canada NOT to legalize it, but i sure hope we revisit the issue.

(note, i don't smoke up, but looking at all the data, it makes sense to legalize it to me)

Taxing it would be a great idea, but I don't know......... I smoked a lot of the shit in my younger days. There are findings out there that suggests brain damage. Not saying it is true or not. There's more to it than meets the eye. Legalizing it can open up more than a few can of worms. Even if there is no proof of damage to health and mind, the criminal aspects and how it will affect those who are involved now and what will be replaced, etc. Impact will be huge.

[Tegra_Devil]

:fuckyea:BLUE MACHINE! :fuckyea:

[Bonjour43MA]

Nothing like a giant alien forehead in the morning to get u going eh?

Global seems to have all the hotties right now: Robin Stickley, Kristi Gordon, Carolyn Jarvis , etc etc. :fullofwin: Full of win. Makes it that much easier to watch the news these days. :bigthumb:

[MindBomber]

-Increased military spending.
-Less government transparency.
-Major increase in oil exploration.

I also expect to see massive public opposition to the policies he pushes through.

Predictions under a Conservative government? (besides what we already know?)

- Tougher drug laws, particularly for marijuana use?
- Gradual withdrawal of funding for the CBC?
- Further cuts to public services?
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[carisear]

wtf is wrong with my HD stream -- what colour is harper's hair for you guys?? it looks... kinda green??

[jeffh]

Predictions under a Conservative government? (besides what we already know?)

- Tougher drug laws, particularly for marijuana use?
- Gradual withdrawal of funding for the CBC?
- Further cuts to public services?


dont forget to add

- the eating of newborns
- nazi police state instatement
- super wacko religious stuff
- and steven harper turning in to an alien and enslaving the human race...

[insomniac]

man, i see so many complaints and shit everywhere like on twitter and facebook..
if you didnt vote, you dont have a right to complain.

[LiquidTurbo]

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228212_865309161551_21010874_45557163_2409977_n.jp g

[AWDTurboLuvr]

The Liberals will be alright. Per supporter the Liberals actually get larger donations than any other party and have a greater proportion of party members who max out their voting cap.



Actually this is inaccurate. Yes, per supporter, Liberals get lots of donations but not directly from the supporters themselves. This is something the Liberals didn't do greatly in. As well, because of the lower vote base now, they will have a tougher time funding. Remember they are no longer get the substantial money that an official opposition party gets.

[Eff-1]

What's harder to get rid of?

Bed bugs?

Hedy Fry?

I think the bed bugs.

[orange7]

voted, but i guess my vote didn't make a difference in the end. QQ

[bcrdukes]

What's harder to get rid of?

Bed bugs?

Hedy Fry?

I think the bed bugs.

LOL she's been in office for 17 years! :lol

[Culverin]

Blargh. Only the NDP had a decent internet platform consisting of banning usage based billing and enshrining net neutrality in law.

Large corporations and the telecom giants are going to get their way. :(

[MindBomber]

The NDP seemed to do pretty well without official opposition status :troll:

Actually this is
inaccurate. Yes, per supporter, Liberals get lots of donations but not directly from the supporters themselves. This is something the Liberals didn't do greatly in. As well, because of the lower vote base now, they will have a tougher time funding. Remember they are no longer get the substantial money that an official opposition party gets.
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[svelt]

I just caught a quick glimpse of this hot NDP candidate from Quebec. I can see why she got the votes. Didn't catch the name. Could be wrong....... I didn't have my glasses on and it was for a split second as I was channel surfing.

http://ruthellenbrosseau.ndp.ca/sites/default/files/ruthellenbrosseau.ndp.ca/candidate-image.jpg

This one? She looked a lot hotter on the TV screen when her icon was a lot smaller. Also apparently spent some time partying in Vegas instead of campaigning and still won against the Bloc.

edit

The picture changed on my. Holy christ, she looks a lot better after some photoshop and makeup...

[unit]

kinda mixed about my vote since im not strictly for one party... but i voted for ndp

[MG1]

http://ruthellenbrosseau.ndp.ca/sites/default/files/ruthellenbrosseau.ndp.ca/candidate-image.jpg

This one? She looked a lot hotter on the TV screen when her icon was a lot smaller. Also apparently spent some time partying in Vegas instead of campaigning and still won against the Bloc.

Yes, that's the one. Fricken hell. Kids, don't watch too much porn or fap too much to it, 'cause it will damage your eyesight like it did mine.......... plus the hair on your palms, LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

She definitely looked better on TV. I think Catherine Pope was on at the same time........ so you know, it was like a comparison thing. That chick looked like a godess next to Pope.

[MG1]

What's harder to get rid of?

Bed bugs?

Hedy Fry?

I think the bed bugs.

For some ungodly reason, Hedy Fry always reminds me of Little Richard.

[murd0c]

Hopefully shes going to go back to Vegas to celebrate cause I'm heading there Wed :D

[Ronin]

As there ever been another election where none of the party leaders are even slightly likeable? It's fucked that Canada has to vote for someone we wouldn't even want to have a beer with to run the country.

[Meowjin]

wow ujal dosanj lost.

[Nightwalker]

Blargh. Only the NDP had a decent internet platform consisting of banning usage based billing and enshrining net neutrality in law.

Large corporations and the telecom giants are going to get their way. :(

http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/5733/125/

I'm pretty sour on this Con majority situation.

[goo3]

Blargh. Only the NDP had a decent internet platform consisting of banning usage based billing and enshrining net neutrality in law.

Large corporations and the telecom giants are going to get their way. :(

I read somewhere they were gonna open up limited foreign-owned competition in telecom.

[bcrdukes]

wow ujal dosanj lost.

I expected a tight battle between Wai Young and Ujjal Dosanjh however did not have the expectation of him to lose. I think his deflection of his former affiliation with the NDP really caught up to him. And let's face it - his time in the political arena has been far over extended, especially with no constituent appeal within his riding. During the CBC interview, he was at a loss of words several times. My guess is he was either expecting a victory in his riding or he didn't give the campaign his best effort, despite his claim that it was his best thus far. Despite his political track record, I personally believe his time was up and better off enjoying his personal life.

Meena Wong, the NDP candidate in the same riding was crushed with 8499 votes. WTF happened there? :lol

[ae101]

i voted for green, reason was im not sure who i wanted to vote for (leaning to NDP but not sure) so i ended up voting for green as i know there was no way in hell they were gonna get in for sure (i don't even care that much about green party it self)

[dangonay]

There were several people on RS who were taking the "anything but Harper" approach, and were quite aggressive in trying to bring up anything they could **cough Manic! cough** to bash the Conservatives. Yet there is a strange silence once the numbers came in and we have a Conservative majority. Must be a few severely butthurt people this morning.

I guess Taylor was right: "Canadians don't care." I sure didn't, but I did care about getting stuck with another minority and not having a party that could actually run the country for their full term to let Canadians see what they will do.

Oh, and also happy the F35's are staying.
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[Tapioca]

There were several people on RS who were taking the "anything but Harper" approach, and were quite aggressive in trying to bring up anything they could **cough Manic! cough** to bash the Conservatives. Yet there is a strange silence once the numbers came in and we have a Conservative majority. Must be a few severely butthurt people this morning.

I personally voted strategically and the candidate I voted for won his riding.

Let's be honest: the majority was won in Ontario where vote-splitting cost the Liberals many seats. With the exception of Vancouver South, I don't think the Conservatives gained any other seats in BC.

[taylor192]

I only have one thing to say to all those who hated on the Conservatives in this thread:

Go blue! :eekthumb:

[Bouncing Bettys]

I only have one thing to say to all those who hated on the Conservatives in this thread:

Go blue! :eekthumb:

that looks like Bloq blue ;)

[TheNewGirl]

I personally voted strategically and the candidate I voted for won his riding.

Let's be honest: the majority was won in Ontario where vote-splitting cost the Liberals many seats. With the exception of Vancouver South, I don't think the Conservatives gained any other seats in BC.

They lost a couple seats in BC but largely the west coast stayed pretty static.

You know. It still strikes me though as so wrong that there's half a billion seats in southern Ontario but what... 7 in the Lower Mainland?

[Meowjin]

There were several people on RS who were taking the "anything but Harper" approach, and were quite aggressive in trying to bring up anything they could **cough Manic! cough** to bash the Conservatives. Yet there is a strange silence once the numbers came in and we have a Conservative majority. Must be a few severely butthurt people this morning.

I guess Taylor was right: "Canadians don't care." I sure didn't, but I did care about getting stuck with another minority and not having a party that could actually run the country for their full term to let Canadians see what they will do.

Oh, and also happy the F35's are staying.
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I already stated it didn't matter in my area (delta-east richmond)

[MindBomber]

I believe they're adding another 50 seats to Ontario in the next election.

They lost a couple seats in BC but largely the west coast stayed pretty static.

You know. It still strikes me though as so wrong that there's half a billion seats in southern Ontario but what... 7 in the Lower Mainland?
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[gars]

They lost a couple seats in BC but largely the west coast stayed pretty static.

You know. It still strikes me though as so wrong that there's half a billion seats in southern Ontario but what... 7 in the Lower Mainland?

It's insane how many people live in Ontario.

off wikipedia

Population BC: 4.5 Million
Population ON: 13.2 Million
Population QB: 7.9 Million

Number of Seats BC: 36
Number of Seats ON: 106
Number of Seats QB: 75

[MindBomber]

I'm obviously a part of the anti-harper group, even though I'll personally benefit from the conservative leadership.

I'm unclear of the exact point your trying to make, aside from gloating that the party you support won.Harper winning a majority was always a possibility and it's one we are upset about, but overall the election results were excellent. The NDP broke through Quebec setting them up for long term success in that province, the green party finally have a representative in parliament, and the liberal party really didn't do that badly by percentage, they were just badly hurt by the vote split in Ontario. Sorry, I'm not butt hurt, your assumption couldn't be more wrong.
There were several people on RS who were taking the "anything but Harper" approach, and were quite aggressive in trying to bring up anything they could **cough Manic! cough** to bash the Conservatives. Yet there is a strange silence once the numbers came in and we have a Conservative majority. Must be a few severely butthurt people this morning.

I guess Taylor was right: "Canadians don't care." I sure didn't, but I did care about getting stuck with another minority and not having a party that could actually run the country for their full term to let Canadians see what they will do.

Oh, and also happy the F35's are staying.
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[Meowjin]

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.

[TheNewGirl]

It's insane how many people live in Ontario.

off wikipedia

Population BC: 4.5 Million
Population ON: 13.2 Million
Population QB: 7.9 Million

Number of Seats BC: 36
Number of Seats ON: 106
Number of Seats QB: 75


Yeah but in BC we have 125K people per seat while in OT it's 124.

Alberta's actually the worst off of all the provinces with 132K per seat while Quebec is about 105K

[Hondaracer]

didnt get around to voting yesterday as my position is strictly conservative, but i couldnt support Nina Grewal who's done literally nothing of note for my riding and with this newly elected term gets a fat ass pension for the rest of her life

Was considering voting against it strictly for the sake of my riding, but that website which displayed the parties status in said riding was innacurate because the liberal candidate who was supposedly the 2nd runner up was not even running in this election, hence the NDP candidate Nao Fernando was the runner up this election

[m!chael]

.

[vitaminG]

Yeah but in BC we have 125K people per seat while in OT it's 124.

Alberta's actually the worst off of all the provinces with 132K per seat while Quebec is about 105K

Nova scotia has 11 MPs for 945k people or 86k per seat

New brunswick has 10 seats for 750k people or 75k per seat

Quebec and the Maritimes get way more than they should

[TouringTeg]

Ruth is hot. Week long vacation in Vegas during the campaign, poor understanding of French, and doesn't even live in the riding she won. :D

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canadavotes2011/story/2011/05/03/cv-election-bartender-musician-cagefighter.html

[MindBomber]

If you recognize the distinctive culture of the maritime provinces and quebec, and recognize that they have unique regional issues and concerns, I think that a slightly higher number of seats per capita is justified.

Nova scotia has 11 MPs for 945k people or 86k per seat

New brunswick has 10 seats for 750k people or 75k per seat

Quebec and the Maritimes get way more than they should
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[SFUguy]

In BC, we have heavy Asian population and we need to satiate our political lust

[InvisibleSoul]

The NDP sweep in Quebec also saw three current McGill University students and a recent graduate elected as Members of Parliament in the federal election.

Two of them are co-presidents of the NDP McGill: Charmaine Borg, who won the southern Quebec riding of Terrebonne-Blainville with 49 per cent of the vote and reportedly does not own a cell phone, and Matthew Dubé, who won Chambly-Borduas.

But the McGill students weren't the youngest in the bunch of newly elected.

That title goes to NDP candidate Pierre-Luc Dusseault, 19-year-old Universite de Sherbrooke student, who will forego a summer job at a golf course to represent the Quebec riding of Sherbrooke in Ottawa. He breaks a nearly four-decade old record held by a Liberal MP, Claude-Andre Lachance, who was elected at the age of 20.
Wow.

[TheNewGirl]

In BC, we have heavy Asian population and we need to satiate our political lust

I would argue, having lived in many different provinces that yes, here in BC we have both distinctive culture and distinctive issues. If OT gets more seats, BC and Alberta should too.


Province Seats Population Pop Per Seat

Alberta 28 3,720,946.00 132,891
BC 36 4,530,960.00 125,860
Manitoba 14 1,235,412.00 88,244
New Brunswick 10 751,755.00 75,176
Newfoundland 7 509,739.00 72,820
Northwest 1 43,759.00 43,759
Nova Scotia 11 942,506.00 85,682
Nunavut 1 33,220.00 33,220
Ontario 106 13,210,667.00 124,629
PEI 4 142,266.00 35,567
Quebec 75 7,907,375.00 105,432
Saskatchewan 14 1,045,622.00 74,687
Yukon 1 34,525.00 34,525

Total 308 34,108,752.00


Excell is hard to paste to a forum but here's the break down

[Tim Budong]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Canadas-Election-Map.png

[carisear]

^ lol! that map is actualy pretty damn accurate ...

[carisear]

I would argue, having lived in many different provinces that yes, here in BC we have both distinctive culture and distinctive issues. If OT gets more seats, BC and Alberta should too.




There was a good line on CTV's election coverage last night -- one i didn't think of/remember at all. They were talking about Preston Manning, and how he sensed there was a growing western seperatist movement -- and he nipped that in the bud by saying 'no, we don't want out, we want IN'

I am a BIG preston manning supporter. Reform was the party i supported. the current conservatives are a mere shadow of them.

I also wondered aloud why BC shouldn't seperate. If Manning w as more like lucien bouchard, and had a platform of seperation, i would most likely still be saying we should seperate. Now that the west has a real voice, it seems kinda silly i ever thought that way.

[drunkrussian]

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Canadas-Election-Map.png

hahahah awesome! lol @ moose
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[TheNewGirl]

There was a good line on CTV's election coverage last night -- one i didn't think of/remember at all. They were talking about Preston Manning, and how he sensed there was a growing western seperatist movement -- and he nipped that in the bud by saying 'no, we don't want out, we want IN'

I am a BIG preston manning supporter. Reform was the party i supported. the current conservatives are a mere shadow of them.

I also wondered aloud why BC shouldn't seperate. If Manning w as more like lucien bouchard, and had a platform of seperation, i would most likely still be saying we should seperate. Now that the west has a real voice, it seems kinda silly i ever thought that way.

I think this is kind of amusing because I HATE Preston Manning but on this point I have to agree. I've lived east of here and always felt that when I was in in the East the government actually gave a shit about me. Out here in the West I really don't, and I feel very resentful. We provide a lot of the resources with which the rest of of the country thrives.

And I don't think Harper is any voice for the west. He runs in Alberta but he was born in Toronto and his family is tied firmly to Ottawa. While he went to Uni in Alberta, I have never felt he gave a shit about us out here beyond that we're the edge of his voting block.

Fun Stephen Harper facts - he actually started his career as a Liberal (member but not candidate) but left the party because of Trudeau's policies but after joining the PCs he found he didn't like Mulroney's policies either. That's how he met Manning in the Reform party. Also, Harper's the only Reform MP who supported the Firearms registry (which is ironic given his efforts to dismantle it now).

If Harper was running on the Reform platform, I'd probably give him a lot more support. The whole notion of decentralizing the government appeals to me heavily. Though I really disagree with his more socially conservative beliefs (since they come from a religious foundation and I think they're way discriminating) the core idea of reforming the government to actually represent the country better... those are good ones. It's a shame they've been lost.

[carisear]

If Harper was running on the Reform platform, I'd probably give him a lot more support. The whole notion of decentralizing the government appeals to me heavily. Though I really disagree with his more socially conservative beliefs (since they come from a religious foundation and I think they're way discriminating) the core idea of reforming the government to actually represent the country better... those are good ones. It's a shame they've been lost.

o.m.g. hell hath frozen over. i am in complete agreement with you on something. are there pigs flying too??

i agree with everything you just said there.

[Bouncing Bettys]

I was a Reformer, attended a Reform rally in town and met Preston Manning. I felt the west was neglected and wanted to give it a voice. Then they started getting more and more outspoken about social conservatism and I was willing to turn a blind eye for a time. They completely lost me when the replaced Manning with Stockwell Day. Merging with the Progressive Conservatives was just an attempt to gain power at any cost. The notions of reforming government and attaining proportional representation have disappeared.

[TheNewGirl]

I was a Reformer, attended a Reform rally in town and met Preston Manning. I felt the west was neglected and wanted to give it a voice. Then they started getting more and more outspoken about social conservatism and I was willing to turn a blind eye for a time. They completely lost me when the replaced Manning with Stockwell Day. Merging with the Progressive Conservatives was just an attempt to gain power at any cost. The notions of reforming government and attaining proportional representation have disappeared.

^ I agree. This is the root of my distrust of the Conservative party. More over the fact that they've not only abandoned the notion of reform, they've really become over the years almost everything that the Reform party initially stood against and seem to time and time reaffirm that power is more important to them than principle.

Over the next 4 years we'll see how it goes. Maybe at least we can get the Senate reforms that Harper promised before he elected a dozen and a half of them.

[GabAlmighty]

Planes!!

[MindBomber]

If only proportional representation were still a focus for the major political parties, the face of government would completely change. The disillustionment among young voters who have indoctrinated themselves with the belief that their vote does not matter would end, because every single vote in this country would have a measurable effect on the make up of parliament and I firmly believe that would make a dramatic increase in voter turn out. Locked ridings would be a thing of the past, the greens would gain official party status, minority governments would be indefinite forcing co-operation among parties rather allowing agendas to be pushed through.

I still can't belive it didn't pass during the provincial referendum, my only assumption is that a large percentage of voters didn't understand exactly what it is and sadly voted no, instead of educating themselves.


I was a Reformer, attended a Reform rally in town and met Preston Manning. I felt the west was neglected and wanted to give it a voice. Then they started getting more and more outspoken about social conservatism and I was willing to turn a blind eye for a time. They completely lost me when the replaced Manning with Stockwell Day. Merging with the Progressive Conservatives was just an attempt to gain power at any cost. The notions of reforming government and attaining proportional representation have disappeared.
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[carisear]

^ 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.

[bcrdukes]

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

[cliffhanger33]

Media is the one that angers me the most. Faults of Harper were virtual, created by media that were advancing an agenda and ignoring the brilliant campaign being executed by the CPC. The left media wore countless and endless narratives about the the issues that were ignored by Canadians - the kangaroo court contempt of parliament issue- , G20, etc. while pimping Ignatieff or making him look good to create the illusion of a close race.

Harper no doubt ran a monotone campaign void of excitement, given his attitude is very boring and dull, and the media tried to punish him for it by trying to make us fall in love with Ignatieff's intellect. When that didn't work they tried to sell us Jack's smile and moxy. As CTV said, Ignatieff is a great man, but he did not CONNECT to voters, and without connection, you are done. Finished. I've personally met and talked to Ignatieff when he came to my school to open question and answer discussions , and I realized how much of a smart man he is and a nice person, but I just never felt the complete trust in him, hence no real connection.

Meanwhile grassroots campaigns were being won on the ground at the local riding level and the strategy was brilliant.
Ask yourself this. How many leaders have governed through a punishing recession and come through it higher in popularity and with more representation in parliament.

I think Harper needs to start getting credit for what he has done although he DOES HAVE HIS FAULTS, it was more than vote splitting and blind luck that created this result. It's been a decade of building up and work his way up to this moment. If he was so terrible, we Canadians had 5 chances to kick him out.

And of course, congratulations to Jack Layton for breaking history in being the official opposition. Lots to expect though.

[Meowjin]

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

I annoyed the shit out of cummins.

[cliffhanger33]

Raymond Chan came into my house and drank my juice when he was doing his door to door campaign.

[MindBomber]

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

I live in a conservative riding, so I write to MPs from other ridings who share similar values.
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[gars]

Harper no doubt ran a monotone campaign void of excitement, given his attitude is very boring and dull, and the media tried to punish him for it by trying to make us fall in love with Ignatieff's intellect. When that didn't work they tried to sell us Jack's smile and moxy. As CTV said, Ignatieff is a great man, but he did not CONNECT to voters, and without connection, you are done. Finished. I've personally met and talked to Ignatieff when he came to my school to open question and answer discussions , and I realized how much of a smart man he is and a nice person, but I just never felt the complete trust in him, hence no real connection.


My friend met him and said that he basically organized a big event and invited a lot of people - to have a great kodak moment, be seen in the public with a lot of diverse people. But when my buddy actually went up to him and asked him questions, he would seem very disconnected and give very vague answers - almost like he just wanted to get out of there.

I'm sure he's a very smart man, but like you said, he didn't connect. He also came off as an opportunist - which of course, all politicians are - but Jack Layton was the one who actually seemed sincere.

[cliffhanger33]

My friend met him and said that he basically organized a big event and invited a lot of people - to have a great kodak moment, be seen in the public with a lot of diverse people. But when my buddy actually went up to him and asked him questions, he would seem very disconnected and give very vague answers - almost like he just wanted to get out of there.

I'm sure he's a very smart man, but like you said, he didn't connect. He also came off as an opportunist - which of course, all politicians are - but Jack Layton was the one who actually seemed sincere.

Exactly what I felt man. When we asked him questions, he wud answer in extreme length but very vaguely which totally did not answer our original question at all. I have a video recording and people could see how he changes the topic or avoids question.

[Meowjin]

My friend met him and said that he basically organized a big event and invited a lot of people - to have a great kodak moment, be seen in the public with a lot of diverse people. But when my buddy actually went up to him and asked him questions, he would seem very disconnected and give very vague answers - almost like he just wanted to get out of there.

I'm sure he's a very smart man, but like you said, he didn't connect. He also came off as an opportunist - which of course, all politicians are - but Jack Layton was the one who actually seemed sincere.

Harper did a stint at my buddies business in richmond. Brother went for dimsum while harper went there to promote his campeign to the chinese community in richmond.

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

had a pretty painful conversation with my brother today who happens to be super religious.

He mentioned that NDP supports abortions, and they are godless people, then he went about supporting welfare. I just facepalmed and left.