2008-09-08, 01:58 | Link #1 | ||
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Canadian Elections 2008
Well it's happened like we all expected, Stephen Harper finally advised Governor General Michaëlle Jean to dissolve the latest minority government. It lasted pretty long, but we all knew it was coming for a while. The election is scheduled for October 14th, 2008 and the candidates are all the same:
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Anyway, I created this thread as a sort of sister thread to the U.S Elections one for us Canadian's to talk about how things are going here. It's interesting that both countries are having elections so close together. Anyway, what do you guys think about the issues. Feel free to chime in people around the world. |
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2008-09-08, 18:10 | Link #3 |
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Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Boston
Age: 35
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Could someone explain how this election was allowed? I have read that a law was passed that was supposed to fix elections dates so incumbent parties couldn't call elections whenever it would suit them best. What are the technicalities that allowed this election to occur?
P.S. My info (<------) says I'm in Vancouver but I've only been here for a few weeks for university; I know nothing about the Canadian governmental system. |
2008-09-08, 22:27 | Link #4 |
Insane Fangirl
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Home of the 2010 Olympics
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Dion is not worthy of being the Prime Minister, in my opinion. He's just not 'right' for this job; he's all talk, and no walk. I don't think he can bring Canada out of the economical depression. Plus, middle class people hate the carbon tax (as if we don't have enough taxes on our shoulders already). You can't change the environment if your middle class is broke, can you? I really don't think that Dion is realistic at all, and he makes baseless accusations.
Though I'm not really a Conservative fan (their foreign policies with Asia are...rather...damaged), I'd say Harper has the best leadership and the best ideas and course of action out of all the parties. What Canada needs is to get out of this economic slump, and Harper (who has a degree in some sort of business/economics <- I don't remember which one) has the knowledge to lead us out of it. NDP is a laugh, hahaha. I don't think they are suitable because they want the high tax/more social services thing, which doesn't really work when the economy is doing so bad right now. Plus, they really seem to support unions (which I am against, because unions hold TOO much power these days), and willing to bend to the unions' will. Or maybe that's just for the BC NDP (Carole James is not a suitable leader xD). Knowing my riding, we'll probably get the Conservative if a lot of people vote, or end up with an NDP. On a last note, it's a pity that David Emerson won't be re-elected (damn those pro-Liberal extremists in his riding). He was a man that could actually do his job.
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2008-09-09, 09:09 | Link #5 |
Hina is my goddess
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Historically ive been Liberal, and i`ll probably vote liberal this election also. However, I dont see a liberal government really being able to achieve anything, with leadership in tatters. While i would like more spending put to hospitals, i see another conservative minority being the best option right now.
I also find the timing interesting. Seems like Harper is trying to slip this under the radar of the US presidential election, and it seems to work. |
2008-09-09, 16:13 | Link #6 | |
Insane Fangirl
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Home of the 2010 Olympics
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2008-09-10, 01:17 | Link #7 |
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Well if it looks like Harper might get a majority government then I'm going to swap my vote to the NDP. I think his policies are best if we keep him a neutral conservative prime minister, but I don't want to see him have the power to privatize health care services, repeal the Civil Marriage Act (2005) or pass that horrible copyright bill that's been circulating around commons for a while. The best government right now would be a fiscally conservative government, not a socially conservative one.
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2008-09-12, 19:50 | Link #8 |
Hina is my goddess
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Well, i just found a pleasant surprise about the election. Due to the early election, Bill C-61, also known as the Canadian DCMA, has been killed. And while the bill could be resurrected in another form, two failed attempts and the fact that it would take a while for them to raise it again makes me smile.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_C-...t,_2nd_Session) Ack should have read Kaioshin Sama's post more carefully :P |
2008-09-12, 20:13 | Link #9 |
And Beyond
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Age: 36
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@Hari Michiru: Harper has a Master's degree in Economics from the University of Calgary. He graduated his high school (yeah, I know, it's only high school, but still) with a 95% grade average or something along those lines. He's damn smart, or at least way smarter than me.
Harper gets criticised for being "cold," and while it is nice to have a lovable, cuddly PM, I think the PM we need right now is someone who simply gets the job done. Come election day, I know who I'm voting for. I've always been partial to the Conservatives, though, so... @Kaioshin Sama: Harper said, or at least I think he said, he'll leave the Same Sex issue aside. No one is going to touch that. Canadians voiced their opinion on the matter. If he even thinks about doing anything to what we have now, you can bet he won't survive the next election or even the remainder of his term. Anyway, I'll never consider the NDP for my vote. They're just too far out in left field for my taste. Their position on what we should be doing in Afghanistan, never mind "Taliban Jack," simply leaves a sour taste in my mouth. |
2008-09-12, 22:08 | Link #10 | |
Insane Fangirl
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Home of the 2010 Olympics
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I'd have to agree with you there. We just need someone who does the job well.
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2008-09-18, 19:28 | Link #11 |
Hina is my goddess
Graphic Designer
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Started seeing more Harper ads begin to run with their tagline "Not worth the risk" and i cant help but laugh at how similar that is to the angle Mccain is running with "Not ready to lead".
Any opinions on how effective you think this might be? |
2008-09-18, 19:40 | Link #12 | |
from head to heel
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Age: 42
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2008-09-18, 22:52 | Link #13 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Canada
Age: 42
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Dion is clearly not the leader the liberal party needs against a careful and conniving person like Harper, and while I even actually firmly agree with Harper's stances on military matters and the no doubt important issue of the future of the Arctic regions, I am still more ideologically with the Liberal party on most all other matters of Canadian society and still plan to vote for them for this reason.
I simply cannot bring myself to vote right wing. Harper's minority government worked as smoothly as it did because it was a minority, and he is smart and commanding enough to keep his party firmly in lock step to make sure to carefully govern from the center on most things so he can make the illusion that this is what his party is actually like when it would simply not be the case if he and his gang were givin the free hand of a majority. |
2008-09-19, 15:11 | Link #14 | |
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If it's to reappear it will have to be in a significantly watered down form with a much narrower scope. |
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2008-09-20, 11:15 | Link #15 | |
Insane Fangirl
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Home of the 2010 Olympics
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2008-09-23, 06:30 | Link #17 | ||
Genma Killer
Join Date: May 2007
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anyway , I haven't been following the polls , so who's leading behind the conservatives ? NDP or Liberals ?..or..the BloC xD I might be tempted to vote NDP too..blargh politics <_< |
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2008-09-23, 21:59 | Link #18 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: PMB Headquarters
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I don't know much about Canadian politics, but:
Conservative: 1) High value of the Canadian currency 2) Helping the United States as a means of boosting the economy 3) Soldiers will be going wherever the U.S. goes Liberals: 1) Weak value of the Canadian currency 2) Allying with China with the idea of containing the U.S. 3) Soldiers will not be going where the U.S. goes |
2008-09-24, 01:42 | Link #19 | |||
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
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I haven't really been following Canadian politics either, but you seem to be quite right on that score. Let's break down your points:
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Besides, Canada is an export country, so it benefits more from a weaker dollar than from a stronger one. Heck, I believe the Conservative government has been trying to keep the dollar lower for the last little while. Quote:
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Last edited by 4Tran; 2008-09-24 at 02:26. |
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2008-09-24, 05:53 | Link #20 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
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People are obviously confused and misinformed about the carbon tax.
For one, it will not put another tax on gas, gas prices are already taxed by the government so M. Dion said that gas prices will not be affected. Two, though the carbon tax would be a new tax, it is not necessarily a tax increase as the Liberals will be balancing the carbon tax with income tax cuts. This is a tax shift: the Liberal plan shifts taxes from things like income, profit and investments to pollution and carbon emissions. With that, big industries who emit tonnes of carbon will have the incentive to reduce their carbon emissions and become more efficient so they can pay less taxes and keep more of their profits. This helps encourage companies to not only become more efficient but also pushes the economy to develop new technologies that are less dependent on carbon, which is not only better for our environment but will help diversify our economy that has traditionally been dependent on resource exploitation. If Canadian businesses start developing new technologies then we can sell these ideas to other countries, and switching to a more diversified, knowledge-based economy would certainly help the economic situation in Canada, especially with the struggling manufacturing industry in Ontario. So as things we want less of like emissions and pollution are taxed, there will be tax-cuts for thing that help encourage economic growth like income Quote:
The Liberals didn't pull this policy out of their hats, a carbon tax has been promoted by both economists and environmentalists and has been implemented in other countries like Finland, Switzerland and Germany. Stephen Harper and Jack Layton have been accusing Stephane Dion of putting out a policy that doesn't work, but many economists and policy analysts have come out and said that it can work. I know any policy proposal with the word "tax" in it is going to send people into the hills running, but take the time to read and understand the policy before writing it off. I honestly believe that what M. Dion and the Liberals are proposing is a bold, competent plan that will benefit Canadians in the long run. Moreover, Harper may have a Masters in Economics but his economic policies have been anything but sound. Despite being "Conservative" his government increased government spending levels beyond that of the Liberals and his GST cuts were panned by economists everywhere. It was simply bad economic policy, as the GST cuts mostly benefit those who purchase expensive "big ticket" items like cars and houses and do nothing to encourage economic growth like income tax cuts would. With that, these GST cuts that did nothing to help the economy caused a huge reduction in government revenue, which has resulted in some careful budgeting in Ottawa where the Liberals provided the federal government with years of surpluses after balancing the budget. The Conservative government's economic policies have brought Canada precariously close to deficit during these unpredictable economic times. and I think it's an excellent thing that David Emerson won't be running again. One shouldn't be daming "pro-Liberal extremists" in his riding either, it was those "extremists" who got him elected in the first place when he ran under the Liberal banner. He did a great disservice to those who elected him, switching parties only a few weeks after the election to join Harper's cabinet. The people of his riding elected a Liberal, if not a Liberal they would have voted NDP. They elected him under the Liberal Party name and he turned his back on them for a place in Cabinet. If he had decided to run again, regardless of his competence as a cabinet minister, I think his constituents would be right to vote him out. Last edited by ShuiMei; 2008-09-24 at 06:07. |
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canada, elections |
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