Canadian Election

coradora

coradora

Cathlete
I was just wondering why there are no heated debates about the upcoming Canadian Election. There has to be at least a couple people interested LOL :D
 
LOL, this election has been so quiet so far. Seems to be very little discussion anywhere. I did watch most of the debate, as much as I could stand. Kim
 
Thanks for replying Kim! I am laughing right now because this thread only has 23 views!!

Personally, I find the Stephen Harper commercials insulting as they are so scripted and insincere with the canned elevator music. I get discouraged sometimes when I see the options for leadership. I generally vote for the Green Party:)
 
I'd happily chat with you guys about it, but I have no idea what's going on in your election. :eek: I'd love to hear about it though.
 
That's okay Lori - I don't really know what is going on with it either! I started this thread for a chuckle - it seems like we Canucks have a reputation as being overly polite for a reason :D
 
There is an election?

Just kidding but we certainly don't have all the same type of passion as the US do we? What does that say about us Canadians? I think a bit of our lack of enthusiasm has to do with our election system. We don't get to vote for who we want to be PM directly. We have to vote for his/her party and ever since I've been of voting age it always seems to be who is the best of the WORST.:mad::mad:
 
MommaPew said:
ever since I've been of voting age it always seems to be who is the best of the WORST.:mad::mad:
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Hey, that's just like American politics! ;)

Could someone explain to me more about Canadian politics? I love to hear about how other countries run, how they vote, what "parties" (why do they call it a party, anyways? I mean, who really has that much fun?) they have and what issues are important to them. What issues are important to you?

TIA! :)

Missy
 
MommaPew said:
There is an election?

Just kidding but we certainly don't have all the same type of passion as the US do we?
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You know, I think that may have something to do with the fact that we Americans feel like we have all these "rights" and deserve to be heard and given what we want. I am speaking strictly from personal experience and feelings here, though, so no flaming please. ;)

Missy
 
I think this election has had very little passionate debates because there isn't really a "hot" topic. Overall the Canadian economy is doing okay especially here on the prairies. There has hardly been a peep about health care or the day care issues that were so big in the last federal election.

Coradora, I think Elizabeth May really did well in the debate although I would never vote for the green party. Stephen Harper does always come across as a kind of cold, emotionless but he does seem very intelligent with a organized plan of action.

I have to admit that I can't get past the image of Dion that I saw on the Rick Mercer show last year. Rick just destroyed him.
 
In the last election i wasn't all that impressed with Stephen Harper but he's grown on me. I have to admit i have not been paying too much attention to the news lately so i'm a lttle out of the loop! It seems like pretty much the same people are running in my riding.
 
Figures my first post would be about politics. Hi everybody!

I'm not sure how I'm going to vote. It definitely won't be conservative. I think there are still a few lurking former reform party holdouts in that party. If they get in again as a minority I'm not too concerned but if they have a majority then I'm scared.

I tend to be fiscally conservative but socially liberal. And I realize that sometimes it's hard to reconcile the two. Too bad I don't care for Dion or my local Liberal candidate.

I'm just happy we have several choices.

Sue
 
The USa is a vastly different country to the rest of the English speaking world. The other English countries have tended to harmonise more easily. The USA does not understand the rest of the English speaking world as they have not been vastly exposed to it. In conclusion the USA does things differently in order to be different from the rest of the English speaking world. 20% of the population within the USA hold a passport. The Hispanic/coloured population is set to overtake the white population by 2040. News has a diiferent slant. The system is unique to the USA.
 
cab0899 said:
I think this election has had very little passionate debates because there isn't really a "hot" topic. Overall the Canadian economy is doing okay especially here on the prairies. There has hardly been a peep about health care or the day care issues that were so big in the last federal election.

Ditto - the only reason we're having an election right now is b/c the Conservatives have a minority and the Liberals are trying to push them out in a bid to get more seats for themselves and spending our tax $'s to do it.
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SueZQ said:
Figures my first post would be about politics. Hi everybody!

I'm not sure how I'm going to vote. It definitely won't be conservative. I think there are still a few lurking former reform party holdouts in that party. If they get in again as a minority I'm not too concerned but if they have a majority then I'm scared.

I tend to be fiscally conservative but socially liberal. And I realize that sometimes it's hard to reconcile the two. Too bad I don't care for Dion or my local Liberal candidate.

I'm just happy we have several choices.

Sue
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I agree. Although Harper doesn't annoy me as much as he used to i would not want to see the conservatives with a majority win either. That would be scary. I won't be voting conservative for that reason alone.
 
Elle_p said:
I agree. Although Harper doesn't annoy me as much as he used to i would not want to see the conservatives with a majority win either. That would be scary. I won't be voting conservative for that reason alone.
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Why would voting conservative be scary? :)

Missy
 
Hmm, Missy I'll see if I can answer some of your questions from your previous post. There are 5 parties that are running their leaders to be Prime Minister of Canada.

Stephen Harper (current PM) for the Conservative Party
Stephane Dion for the Liberal Party (official oppostion)
Elizabeth May for the Green Party
Duceppe for the Bloc Quebeois Party
Jack Layton for the New Democratic Party

Canada is divided into 308 ridings by population, so for example where I live is Winnipeg North, in this area we have candidates running for NDP, COnservative, Liberals and the Green Party. (The Quebecois only runs in Quebec) So we can't vote for the PM postion only for our local candidate. So if we vote in the NDP (which our area always does) then the NDP party has 1/308 seats. Whoever has the most seats, their leader gets to be PM. There are also independent candidites running. So in our Parliament right now before the election call (we don't have fixed date elections) there was 125 Conservative seats, 102 Liberals, 51 BQ, 29 NDP and 1 independent to add up to 308. The Conservatives had the most seats so Stephen Harper was PM, but the conservatives didn't have the majority of the seats so if the other parties all ganged up the could vote down proposals. Often minority governments get toppled before their term is over because if an important vote gets voted down an election can get called due to non confidence. Majority governments have a lot more power.

The hard part I find is I can like a leader but dislike our local candidate so makes it a hard decision to make sometimes.
 
Great rundown Kim! I was going to post part of a letter to Stephen Harper from the Yarn Harlot's blog (http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2008/09/28/dear_mr_harper.html) that explained our political system, but your post said it all.

I was also kind of curious as to why you would never vote Green? I have never been very into politics as it seemed that no matter what a party says, they just do what they want once they are in power. I would love to hear your opinion as you seem much more informed than I am :) (I would put the embarrassed smiley here, but I don't know how LOL!)
 
cab0899 said:
Hmm, Missy I'll see if I can answer some of your questions from your previous post. There are 5 parties that are running their leaders to be Prime Minister of Canada.

Stephen Harper (current PM) for the Conservative Party
Stephane Dion for the Liberal Party (official oppostion)
Elizabeth May for the Green Party
Duceppe for the Bloc Quebeois Party
Jack Layton for the New Democratic Party

Canada is divided into 308 ridings by population, so for example where I live is Winnipeg North, in this area we have candidates running for NDP, COnservative, Liberals and the Green Party. (The Quebecois only runs in Quebec) So we can't vote for the PM postion only for our local candidate. So if we vote in the NDP (which our area always does) then the NDP party has 1/308 seats. Whoever has the most seats, their leader gets to be PM. There are also independent candidites running. So in our Parliament right now before the election call (we don't have fixed date elections) there was 125 Conservative seats, 102 Liberals, 51 BQ, 29 NDP and 1 independent to add up to 308. The Conservatives had the most seats so Stephen Harper was PM, but the conservatives didn't have the majority of the seats so if the other parties all ganged up the could vote down proposals. Often minority governments get toppled before their term is over because if an important vote gets voted down an election can get called due to non confidence. Majority governments have a lot more power.

The hard part I find is I can like a leader but dislike our local candidate so makes it a hard decision to make sometimes.
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This was a great explanation for anyone not familiar with Canadian politics.
 
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