[RodeoRanch]

So the Tory government has lost the confidence of Parliament and we Canucks are likely heading to the polls.

I dislike Harper and there's rumblings he might pull off a majority. Ugh.


I'll probably vote NDP but it makes no difference in my riding. A dead horse could run under the Tory banner in my riding and get elected to Parliament.

[Darkwatch]

Just got home from work to discover that our current Tory government has lost the confidence of the House.
The Opposition leaders all backed a vote of no confidence in the Tory budget. Many were speculating it was going to happen, though there was no way to know.

That means that this May poll booths will be once again open, and I sincerely hope that there is some voter turn out this time around.
Though that hope may be meaningless since this is the fourth election in the last seven years (not including Provincial elections throughout) and quite unfortunately most of the Canadian electorate is sick and tired of going to the polls.

As happy as I am that Harper may finally get kicked out I am intensely scared that he may win a majority government. The last election he managed to gain a few more seats and is only missing about 5 to ensure a majority. The last election proved that Harper could mobilize more voters and since he has the entire right to himself he has an undivided base which none of the other parties can boast. This means he can concentrate on trying to win seats from the others.

I really, sincerely hope that every Canadian on this forum will go out and vote. The idea of not voting to send a message simply has not worked for the past 7 years we need to change strategies because if we don't Harper wins. The idea of him being unopposed and uncontrolled in the legislature terrifies me to the core.

I just hope that Ignatieff and Layton manage to pull something off even some coalition if necessary (and hopefully without the damn Bloc).

[Darkwatch]

Cross topic.

First time I've ever seen that.

Edit: Thanks RR.

This post has been edited by Darkwatch: 25 March 2011 - 08:51 PM

[RodeoRanch]

I merged 'em. We love our politics apparently!

[Darkwatch]

Yes we do.

I'm going for the strategic vote this time. The two main parties in my riding are Bloc and conservatives. I won't vote for the Bloc and the NDP have no chance here, which means Liberals. Leaves me with a very bitter feeling.

[RodeoRanch]

There is literally zero chance anybody but a Conservative would get voted in in the Wild Rose riding.

I stick out like a sore thumb in my area with regards to politics. I'm a NDP voting atheist!

[Darkwatch]

I'd vote NDP as well, I just know they can't win here (the Bloc siphons off all their votes.) I just wish the Bloc didn't exist, then the NDP would have a good chance.
Though last election one riding in downtown Edmonton went to an NDP MP. I was impressed, the only NDP MP in Alberta and she wins in Edmonton.

I'm damn near thinking of going out and trying to get people to vote by force.

[Sinisdar Toste]

The voter apathy in Canada is really sickening to me. i just can't understand it. i'm young, and only had a chance to vote a few times but i've gone to the polls every time. 'voters are tired of going to the polls'? oh you mean tired of taking part in the system of government that is responsible for the amazing rights and freedoms you enjoy? honestly, the laziness of these people is pathetic, but not surprising. i'm with you DW, lets start a p-diddy style "vote or die" campaign.

as for the possibility of a harper majority, jesus christ that would be a disaster. that needs to be prevented at all costs.

grrr... just got back from reading the linked article from rodeo's OP. way to tell us FOR THE HUNDREDTH FUCKING TIME that the global economy is still fragile. i get it. you're trying to scare us by saying that if we don't keep you in power the economy will fall apart. thanks. oh, and just saying that canadians don't want an election doesn't make it true. if you ask me, these last few years of harper government have felt like eons and its about time to get rid of him.

This post has been edited by Sinisdar Toste: 25 March 2011 - 09:38 PM

[Anomander]

Harper is a bloody menace. It sickens me that he keeps winning because the rest of the country is too fucking lazy to go out and vote. Honestly people, it's 5 minutes out of your day to mark a simple piece of paper! If even half the people who dislike the current Conservative party went and voted I sincerely doubt we would need to worry about a majority, hell a minority would even be unlikely. What's been made abundantly clear from all these elections is how absolutely useless the Bloc is as a federal party. Why is a separatist group who only cares about 1 province even allowed to run in a federal election? They should be forced to field a candidate in every riding and upon refusal be booted from the ballot. If the Quebec ridings were up for grabs this minority government nonsense would not keep plaguing us and I feel safe in assuming it wouldn't benefit the Conservatives one iota.

Typically I agree with Rodeo and vote NDP but in the face of a Harper majority I will be campaigning HARD for the Liberals. There's a good chance they might sweep the East Coast due to Harper-hate while the NDP have been losing ground due to things like the NS provincial government. Combine that with some support in BC and Quebec.... And let's not forget Harper has the pleasure of heading the first Canadian government to be found in contempt ever ! If Iggy doesn't capitalize on that bit of trivia while hammering home the proof that every Conservative platform of the last 7 years has been broken then he doesn't deserve to lead.

Although we're a democracy that boasts the freedom of choice I sometimes wish voting was mandatory.

Also, here's a lovely rant by Rick Mercer regarding the sheer gall of Harper, hopefully we'll be seeing a lot more of this type of commentary in the next few weeks:

[RodeoRanch]

It's going be a long long campaign of hearing the Conservatives yell "coalition" like it's some sort of evil dirty word. The Parliamentary system is predicated on parties cooperating with one another. Hell, Harper buddied up to the Bloc and NDP back in 2004. It just drives me batty.

[Adjutant Stormy~]

Ah, it's so nice hearing about OTHER countries' electoral problems for once.

But to be completely honest, the Harper government looks like a Republican policymaker's wet dream. Which, oddly enough, doesn't surprise me in the least. Now, there are people who think that's a terrible thing. But I am far too cynical to even give two shits about who's making policy. It all blows.

That's not to say that I don't vote, I vote every election, it just doesn't matter in the UTTER DELUGE of contrary votes.

[Abyss]

It would be nice if voter turnout led to an actual representative government instead of the non0involved bull we've had for the last three elections.

Of course, three elections in seven years = massive disillusionment with the entire process. Go figure.

I swear i may just vote for whoever promises to actually enforce the voting reform legislation so we only have to put up with this every four years.

Iggy is less than the Libs need, but he may be enough to reclaim what they lost by fronting Dion in the last election. Layton has to be salivating at what the Libs may be willing to do to take Harper's Tories down.

As for the Cons, another Harper Minority will be the end of Harper, and another three years of the current status quo.

[QuickTidal]

It's odd, but I have voted green for the last two elections. I could NEVER vote conservative, harper is the devil....and I stopped voting Liberal cause they kept effing stuff up...and I just can't vote for a man so close to insanity as Jack Layton...LOL

I'll go out to vote of course, but I am beginning to tire of elections in Canada.

[Goaswerfraiejen]

Darkwatch, on 25 March 2011 - 08:47 PM, said:

Just got home from work to discover that our current Tory government has lost the confidence of the House.
The Opposition leaders all backed a vote of no confidence in the Tory budget. Many were speculating it was going to happen, though there was no way to know.

Correction (or, rather, a clarification): You are correct to say the Opposition was against the budget, but it is very important to note that there was never actually a vote on the budget: the motion of no-confidence resulted from the historically unique finding that the government was in contempt of Parliament. The government lost the vote of no confidence before the vote on the budget could ever take place. It's an important point to remember as the election heats up and the Conservative propagandists try to tell us that the opposition wouldn't cooperate on the budget.

Darkwatch, on 25 March 2011 - 09:07 PM, said:

Though last election one riding in downtown Edmonton went to an NDP MP. I was impressed, the only NDP MP in Alberta and she wins in Edmonton.

Linda Duncan is actually the only non-Tory MP in that entire province. A good part of her success, however, is due to the fact that Rahim Jaffer screwed up big time (he barely bothered to campaign, since he figured it was a sure thing). Duncan is bolstered by the university community there, but she'll be facing a tough battle with Tories on all sides. You can probably expect Tory energies to be devoted to reclaiming the seat, while you can also expect the NDP to try to make a bigger crack in the Redmonton (lulz, amusing moniker) region. The Liberals may even try to muscle in; it'll be interesting to watch the Edmonton-area ridings.


My Bloc membership has expired, and I've joined the NDP. Once I'm done with my coursework for the year(mid April), I'll be devoting some time to helping the NDP campaign here in Montréal.

[Mezla PigDog]

Abyss, on 26 March 2011 - 05:51 AM, said:

but he may be enough to reclaim what they lost by fronting Dion in the last election.

You guys let Celine Dion get involved with politics???

[Darkwatch]

If it had been her the Liberals would have won a landslide victory.
No, it was Stéphane Dion. A very smart man, just not leader material.

The problem is the liberals don't have a leader that the population actually likes. Ignatieff's eyebrows have more friends than the man himself on facebook.
Though he is more credible than Dion as a leader, but there's been no test yet and he lacks Layton's magnetism or Duceppe's tenure (the guy is like a malignant tumour that's trying to kill you, he just won't go into remission). Also slightly problematic is that the Liberals themselves aren't completely unified behind him, or even faking enthusiasm. I'll give the tories that, Stephen Harper may be a failed robot project but once he was chosen they made every effort to form a unified front and it's payed off. The liberals really need to do the same, you don't feel like the party is backing Ignatieff so why would you?.

[Tsundoku]

Sinisdar Toste, on 25 March 2011 - 09:27 PM, said:

The voter apathy in Canada is really sickening to me. i just can't understand it.

OK, first you need to understand the basic modern democratic principle that very few governments are ever voted IN. People get tired of the current bunch of lazy, corrupt, arrogant incumbents and vote them OUT, rather than any real belief in change for the better from the other bunch. Well, very few people older than 20 anyway, because that's about the point most people figure out that it doesn't matter who you vote for, you're going to get a bunch of incompetent power-hungry narcissists attempting to compensate for inadequacies in other areas of their lives.

And that my friend is the God's Own Truth.

Anomander, on 25 March 2011 - 10:01 PM, said:

I sometimes wish voting was mandatory.

Check out us here in Oz - just because it's compulsory does NOT make the system any "better". I refer you and Sinisdar Toste to yesterday's New South wales state election. 16 years of horrific Labor (yes, that's the spelling) government was finally put to the sword in a bloodbath of epic proportions. Not that anyone genuinely expects any better from the Liberal/National coalition of course, they're just finally sick of Labor's sheer incompetence and giving the other bunch a chance to fuck up in their own newer, bigger and more interesting ways.

Darkwatch, on 26 March 2011 - 10:39 PM, said:

No, it was Stéphane Dion. A very smart man, just not leader material.

You guys name your men Stephanie? You wacky frogs ...

[Anomander]

Abyss, on 26 March 2011 - 05:51 AM, said:

As for the Cons, another Harper Minority will be the end of Harper, and another three years of the current status quo.

With the contempt motion, broken election promises, and a number of powerful Tories retiring I would be surprised to see Harper get a majority this time around.

As for the NDP I think they will lose seats because of Layton's illness. The man may have the resolve to run a national campaign but the cancer treatments will take their toll. It's a shame but if a weak leader like Dion can't score votes then I can't see Canadians voting for a man plagued by declining health (let's not forget the recent hip surgery).

[Goaswerfraiejen]

Anomander, on 27 March 2011 - 03:52 AM, said:

As for the NDP I think they will lose seats because of Layton's illness. The man may have the resolve to run a national campaign but the cancer treatments will take their toll. It's a shame but if a weak leader like Dion can't score votes then I can't see Canadians voting for a man plagued by declining health (let's not forget the recent hip surgery).

Dion's problems stemmed from effective Conservative attack ads (and a strong helping of anti-Francophonism on the part of most Canadians) and, even more importantly, absolutely no party unity. Dion could easily have succeeded/done MUCH better if his caucus hadn't been so busy trying to steal power away from him. Remember that he'd just won the leadership not long before as a compromise candidate; Bob Rae, Ignatieff, and the others were more interested in trying to re-fight the leadership race they lost than presenting a united front and winning an election campaign. Layton may be facing physical weakness, but that's an entirely different beast: his caucus is united in supporting his leadership.

[Sinisdar Toste]

Sombra, on 27 March 2011 - 12:16 AM, said:

And that my friend is the God's Own Truth.

Doesn't mean i have to like it