Canadian Elections

Merika · 01-23-2006, 12:10 PM

. 23, 2006, 11:33AM
Facts and Figures in Canada's Election

By The Associated Press
ÃƒÂ‚Ã‚Â© 2006 The Associated Press

ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢Â‚Â¬Ã¢Â€Â WHAT'S AT STAKE: The elections are for 308 seats in the lower House of Commons. The winner needs at least 155 seats to form a majority government. Otherwise the party must try to form a minority government.

CURRENT PARLIAMENT: Prime Minister Paul Martin's Liberal Party holds 133 seats, compared with 98 for Stephen Harper's Conservative Party, 53 for the Bloc Quebecois and 18 for the New Democratic Party. Independents hold four seats and two remain vacant.

KEY ISSUES: High taxes, violent crime and beefing up the military, along with border security and relations with the United States. The Conservatives have focused on federal inquiries into corruption allegations against the Liberal Party. The Liberals have accused the Conservatives of having a hidden agenda to chip away at abortion and gay rights.

VOTING: Some 22.7 million Canadians are registered to vote. Polls opened in eastern Newfoundland at 6:30 a.m. EST and close in western British Columbia at 10 p.m. EST. Results expected within the hour after polls close.

WHY: Martin's government was toppled by a no-confidence vote in November. The New Democratic Party precipitated the government's collapse by withdrawing support from the Liberals for reneging on health care promises and becoming mired in corruption scandal.
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Weiser reminded me that this was Canadian Elections day. I thought it was later in the week. Anyway....anyone from Canada have any persoanl preferences or thoughts?

Vautrin · 01-23-2006, 12:26 PM

How many people will actually vote?

Is it something like the following memo:
Civil War cancelled, due to lack of interest.

Duke · 01-23-2006, 08:01 PM

I didn't vote so I have no right to say anything. I would vote if I actually believed in one of the parties but I refuse to vote for the "lesser evil".

Merika · 01-23-2006, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vautrin

How many people will actually vote?

Is it something like the following memo:
Civil War cancelled, due to lack of interest.

According to this article (which is VERY good)....they expect 50-60%. Lowest turn out since 1898.

We also went thru a real slump a decade or so ago with people not voting because they were just tired of it all. Now, even though they rant, rave and blog the internet to death....it's our young people under 25 who can't seem to make it to the polls. It's actually what killed the Democrats in the last election.

Paul · 01-23-2006, 10:00 PM

Well said Duke.

The results I'm seeing so far give the Conservatives 121 seats and the Liberals 103. That's actually very good because a party requires 155 seats for a majority governemnt, this then keeps them on a very short leash. With elections possible again in 2 years, maybe we can keep this moron from doing to much damage.

Duke · 01-23-2006, 11:24 PM

lol, don't hold your breath :?

If someone nominates me then I'll run. Of course I don't know which party to associate myself with, maybe I'll come up with a Lifesupporters Party.

Paul · 01-24-2006, 12:05 AM

I'm trying to hold it! :oops:

I can see it now... what did you vote?

Marxist-Leninist?
Libertarian?
Communist?
Marijuana?

Nope, LifeSupporters!

Here's a joke for ya Duke:

Martin, Harper and Layton are flying on the Executive Airbus to a gathering in British Columbia when Martin turns to Harper and says, chuckling, "You know, I could throw a $1000 bill out the window right now and make someone very happy."

Harper shrugs and replies, "Well, I could throw ten $100 bills out the window and make ten people happy."

Not to be outdone, Layton says, "Well I could throw a hundred $10 bills out the window and make a hundred people happy."

The pilot rolls his eyes and says to his co-pilot, "Such arrogant jerks back there. Hell, I could throw all three of them out the window and make 32 million people happy."

Duke · 01-24-2006, 01:09 AM

Merika · 01-24-2006, 08:30 AM

That was a great joke Paul. I'm going to save it and revise it for OUR next elections!

I would actually be interested in voting Libertarian in the US....but all it would do is split votes from the conservatives....and I can't take that chance.

Paul · 01-24-2006, 10:17 AM

Thanks and I'm interested in Libertarian too. I've got my copy of Atlas Shrugged on my night table stand cause I dug it out of my closet 2 days ago to give it another read. If you haven't read it yet, I hightly recommend it for an open-minded, alternate point of view. Something I perhaps could use more of.

Merika · 01-24-2006, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

Thanks and I'm interested in Libertarian too. I've got my copy of Atlas Shrugged ........

Only problem with her train of thinking is that....rewarding individual achievement and independence only works if everyone is involved. It's the endless amount of lazy sorry people you have to drag along...which makes the thought somewhat not useful in our society.

If a man makes $100,000 a year....but he has to give $38,000 back to the government so a person who choses not to work makes $28,000 sitting on their A$$...the worker is bound to get frustrated.
Here:
The Democrats say the lazy man deserves the handout.
The Republicans say let the working man keep more so he can provide jobs and force the lazy man to work.
The Libertarians would say survival of the fittest...keep the government out of it and let each person worry about their own self.

I would be more prone to be Libertarian.
Conser

Paul · 01-24-2006, 06:15 PM

Yep! In a perfect world...

Merika · 01-24-2006, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul

Yep! In a perfect world...

I wonder if the Libertarian Party in Canada mirrors the same party name in the USA. Here is their platform:

http://www.lp.org/issues/platform_all.shtml

Great reading.

Paul · 01-25-2006, 10:26 AM

http://www.libertarian.ca/

They are the same thing from what I'm reading. The Libertarian party here believed that the Liberal party had broken some rules which made it's bid for office and the election invalid as they wouldn't have been elegible if they had been held accountable, so the leader didn't enter the election as he was pursuing a court case against the Liberal party for thier actions and felt it would be hypocritical to enter the election.

I really like what I'm reading, I'm going to make an effort to meet the party leaders and ask them some serious questions. I'll probably vote Libertarian next time.