(Believe Me, This Thread Won't Get "Heated": Cdn Election!

[peichef]

We can't let the American cheffers have all the fun. So, while our candidates may generate as much excitement as the US candidates, I though this might be a good place to have some INTELLIGENT, RESPECTFUL discussion about our own upcoming election.Personally, I have been interested in politics since toddlerhood, when I did my own polling on the NB/PEI ferry at the age of 2. (My dad was a politician, so I come by my love of politics naturally,) As for this campaign, I really don't know what to do. I have traditionally voted Conservative. I think Harper is brilliant (academically). I don't like all his positions, though. I think their environmental policy is sorely lacking in substantive change. I miss the days when we had the PC, Lib, NDP & the Cdn Alliance. (Remember when the PC & Cdn Alliance merged & the name they were going to use had CRAP for an acronym . Tee hee!) The Cdn Alliance was so right wing, & now I feel that the Conservatives are a little right wing for my taste & values. (I've mellowed as an adult!)Which leaves (for me) the Liberals. Hmmm.... I think Dion seems like a lovely man. Which great ideals & principles. He seems to lack leadership & direction, though. Elizabeth May seems lovely. Sweet. Al little "out there" & idealistic. A little too "Rainbow Bright" to lead a nation, but a great voice & presence to balance out the other side of the spectrum.What are your thoughts? Do you like any of our choices? Will you vote "nationally" (ie: for a party) or locally (ie: for the individual candidate, regardless of party affiliation)?

 

[peichef]

oh come on you guys! the Americans (& lots of Canucks) are so excited for their election. No one has any thoughts?!?!

 

[jrstephens]

You do realize that around here these days ANY Thread can get heated, right?!!HAHAHA!!

 

[JAE]

Maybe your warning that it won't get heated is why people aren't reading it. Just teasing!

 

[peichef]

seriously!!!
I guess I should have captioned it... "More political controversy!" lol. On a more serious note... things are heating up in the campaign. Elizabeth has been denied in her request to participate in the Leaders' Debate. Don't get it! The Green Party has candidates in EVERY constituency.
The Bloc Quebecois, on the other hand, offers candidates in ONE PROVINCE! How they even get recognized as a Federal Party escapes me, given that they don't run in any other province/ territory. Whatever.Surely some of you have SOME thoughts about the election / leaders / debates, etc.

 

[ChefEsther]

Ok, Charity, I have lots of thoughts, just not time to type them all out!!! lolI am finding it difficult to choose who to vote for this election. I have a dumb question (yes this one really is dumb for a voting Canadian) - who did the Reform party join with to make the Alliance??? I find that the parties all bleed into each other, except when they are trying to get a vote... I don't feel that any of the smaller parties have a thorough enough plan to keep the country on track.Then there is always the questions, do you vote for your respective MP or the party you want even if you don't think too much of yoru local MP in question?EstherEsther

 

[ChefBeckyD]

As someone from the US, I am a little confused by your multi-party system. I guess here in the States, technically we have one, but for all intents and purposes, For National elections, it's a 2 party system. So - how do you keep them all straight, and how does it work within the Gov't. when voting on things that will effect the country? What is considered a majority?

 

[ChefEsther]

A minority government is when no clear party has the majority of the elected MPs (members of parliament) in the House.
Well, right now we have a minority government - this one might have lasted the longest of any minority government, I am sure someone will correct if I am wrong.
A minority actually makes the parties find some common ground so the their own bills/ideas get brought to fruition. Otherwise the other parties (not in power) can "get together" and put a vote of non confidence in the government on the table and start the whole process over..Am I making any sense - my law & politics teacher would be embarrassed at my poor explaination. I must admit that the system in the states is hard to follow for me - so much to follow with the primaries and then another whole year or so before the actual election...

 

[stefani2]

Last Poll I saw, the Conservatives were ahead.

 

[peichef]

Ok, Charity, I have lots of thoughts, just not time to type them all out!!! lol

I am finding it difficult to choose who to vote for this election. I have a dumb question (yes this one really is dumb for a voting Canadian) - who did the Reform party join with to make the Alliance??? I find that the parties all bleed into each other, except when they are trying to get a vote... I don't feel that any of the smaller parties have a thorough enough plan to keep the country on track.

Then there is always the questions, do you vote for your respective MP or the party you want even if you don't think too much of yoru local MP in question?

Esther



Esther

the Reform became the Canadian Alliance and then they and the Progressive Conservatives (PC) merged to form the new "Conservative Party of Canada"

 

[ChefBeckyD]

So - does "conservative" in Canada mean the same thing as in the States?

 

[peichef]

I am just excited that Elizabeth May gets to be heard on the debates. I would NEVER wish for the "Greens" to form a gov't but I do think it would be great for them to have a presence in the House of Commons.I don't know who to vote for yet.

 

[peichef]

So - does "conservative" in Canada mean the same thing as in the States?

hmmm.. well we hold the same definition in our dictionaries -lol.

I think most would argue that even our "Conservative" party is slightly more left-leaning than the Dems.

Our "capital C" Conservatives certainly are FAR left of what is considered conservative in the US. No Anne Coulters, Rush Limbaugh, etc here. The closest thing we had to that was the now defunct Reform Party, and even they weren't THAT right wing.