Upcoming Canadian Election

OK, it's been sitting here on my keyboard for the past week - that big blue-red-green-orange elephant - the upcoming Canadian Election.  I just filled in one of the Angus Reid polls tonight, and suddenly realized:

a) That I am really not happy that we, as Canadian taxpayers, are going to be on the hook for another election, probably to end up with another minority government, maybe with the same feckless ninny pulling the same asinine game in another year or so.  Wasn't it Harper who bitched and whined that we needed a “fixed election date, just like the USA”?  Oh - it's not convenient now - because the economy (which he claims to know how to handle) is going South (mostly to Mexico) - and with it looking more like the Democrats going to win the US election, he wants to make a pre-emptive strike now before everyone knows for sure the outcome of that election.  Just one more thing to show that he truly cannot be trusted to keep his word on anything!

b) That, were the Liberals only to manage a minority “win”, it would be the same story as above, only worse, because Dion really hasn't figured out exactly what his “Green Sweep” is all about - so how does he think he'll be able to properly implement it?  Should he put it in a budget, he is sure to be defeated on the budget, and that would mean – wait for it – Yup!  we'd be back at the voting booth in another 35 freaking days after that!

c) That in actuality the only party that comes close to representing what Mr. Pierre Eliott Trudeau represented, and ran on, and got elected on, and was, for all intents and purposes THE person to beat for so many years, is currently – wait for it – The New Democratic Party!!!  Mr. Trudeau may have run on the Liberal ticket, but by heart, he was a neo-socialist, and that was what the people of Canada wanted - else he wouldn't ever have been Prime Minister for as long as he was PM.

So I'm really wondering why it is now so hard for Canadians to find a way to actually vote for the New Democratic Party?  They, above all the other parties, truly represent what Canadians want, on just about any topic that most polls will ask.  I'm sure Mr. Layton could do at least as good a job as either Mr. Harper or Mr. Dion.  Are we, Canadians on the whole, so fearful and spineless that we'd rather vote in “the Devil(s) we know” rather than to take a chance and put some fresh meat on the plate? (Probably a bad comparison, given the recent Listeriosis infections - and I'd say that at least some of the blame for that should fall on the governments' (provincial and federal) continual cut back on inspectors, instead trusting our food prep industries to be more self-regulated - and we all know how the water contamination thing in Ontario turned out).

Just getting started…..  I'm already fed up with the gushy “praise” adds the Tories have been putting out to prime the election pump even before it is called.  I'm equally fed up with Dion's blustering around - and not really able to contribute much positively about how he'd work to strengthen our economy.  And wasn't it sweet that, after so many people were laid off in Windsor, Ontario - having to sell homes at major losses or going bankrupt, that conveniently now, as in September 2nd, all of a sudden Harper gets his face in the news for propping up Ford Canada, of course doing it with OUR taxpayer dollars.

Yeah, it's supposed to get paid back over time - just like the money our Provincial crack-pots gave to GM - just before they pulled several thousand jobs out of Oshawa.  And the Ford jobs aren't really guaranteed to those who had been laid off - they're jobs for new workers (apparently) at much lower wages than the former Ford workers were earning.  So, pure and simple - this was a major photo-op and a “lost-leader” by Harper just before he calls an election, hoping that he has managed to pull the wool over everyones eyes, in a vain attempt to show he has his finger on the economic pulse of this nation.  Hogwash!!!

I surely hope that a lot of people in Canada stop sleep-walking and wake-up and see the folly of electing either a Tory or Liberal minority or even majority government in Canada this time around.

Rant over for now……  more later!

Gem

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

Adding to the pre-election advertising blitz by the Tories, in what I would call a blatant insult to Canadian veterans, Mr. Harper is now running one where he goes on and on about the wonderful veterans of this country (and in that he is quite correct - my Dad was one of them!), but then he finishes the advert with something that attempts to put him in the same good light as veterans - exact words of the promo fail me at this time - but I'm sure you'll see it, as it runs at least once per hour on prime time TV.

My Dad, bless his soul, would probably roll over in his grave if he were aware that this person was using the veterans of our country in such a blatantly self-centred manner.  Especially since today they are returning three more of our young men in coffins from Afghanistan!

This advertisement is in particular bad taste, not because of its contents, except for the last five second “splash”, but because no sitting Prime Minister should need to be propped up by men and woman of the armed forces, especially since many of them have passed on and cannot protest.  But their kids (me amongst them), should rise up in indignation that their parents' (mainly fathers who served during WWII) contributions to our armed forces, would be used in this manner.

Simply disgusting!!!!!!!!

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

I hear you. It's a total outrage, gem…

So, what to do? how to wake up the complacent sleeping millions and
encourage them to vote NDP?

The NDP has almost totally given up on Quebec… what to do?

What a mess,

Nicole

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

Hi guys:

As I see it, it would be a really good thing for Canada if the Liberals, NDP and Green party form a coalition after the election…and one that is very respectful of the Block.

I agree that this election is a huge waste of taxpayer dollars and will probably result in another conservative minority government.  I refuse to call Harper and his cronies 'Tories' because, although I never voted for them, I recognize that the old Conservative Party was comprised of many people with integrity who truly loved this nation.  Harper and his gang are thinly veiled regionalists with an agenda aimed at destroying the social programs and human rights initiatives that are fundamentally Canadian.  They are conservative in the american sense of the term.  The worst thing that could happen to our country would be for the Harperites, aka Steve's wannabe republicans, to ever obtain majority status.

It is regionalism and americanism that threaten the future of our country.  It is measure that we have been able to remain a democracy that a separatist party has seats in our parliament.  It is evidence that we are not a melting pot that we retain two official languages and respect our dual anglophone/franchophone heritage.  It is a measure of our respect for human rights that gay marriage has largely become a non-issue. 

This is a great country, but one that is threatened by the Harperites.  Harper is campaigning throughout southern Ontario because he knows that it is our votes that could win a majority for his party.  This follows years of cuts in transfer payments to Ontario from the federal govt, a move aimed at starving our health and educational services in a bid to change the voter basis from a liberal to a conservative one.  They are playing strategic hardball while the other parties focus too much on their diffterences.  I hope that the other parties wake up and start to work together before it is too late.

Liz

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

I think that would be a great coalition Liz. Do you think there is any chance of it?

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

So Nicole, Fellow Pod members …..

How do you feel about Mr. Harper's cuts to Arts & Culture?

To me, it certainly means he is out of touch with Canadians - and certainly in supporting unique Canadian entertainment and keeping our culture from being overrun completely by American culture.  Canadian culture is definitely more distinct than American culture, because we tend to celebrate multi-culturism, whereas the Americans tend to want to mute it out of existence.  And we have some of the best artists, actors and musicians on the planet!!!

This is just one more piece of evidence, IMHO, that Mr. Harper's agenda is to push us into becoming the fifty-first US state.  I'm really hoping that the people of Canada take off their blinkers soon and see him for what he is - which is definitely not very “Canadian”.

Cheers!
Gem :)

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

I agree, it is absolutely unconscionable that there be further cuts to Art and Culture, they are an essential part of our lifeblood not just as Canadians but for the world, which is surfeited by American culture.

Cheers,

Nicole

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

Great blog by Tig!

Canada: Marg, Warrior Princess, Tells PM Harper to Get Lost

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

ROFL………  thank you for this - WARMS my heart, for sure!!!!!

I watched about three quarters of the French debate last night (with English translators).  Harper couldn't even look into the camera most of the time!  That should tell anyone who even remotely cues to body language that he cannot be trusted.  I think Dion did OK, but wasn't spectacular.  Layton was the one who seemed the coolest under fire, though.

Going to watch tonight to see if anyone changes their stories.  I was hoping that they would select my question that I sent in, especially since the financial crisis in the USA has everyone on alert - hopefully someone will have asked the same question and it's put out there for answering.

~~^v^~~ Gem

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

I hear ya! Gem :):)

Cheers,

Nicole

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

Sooooo……

Tomorrow (Tuesday, October 7th, 2008) with exactly one week left to voting day, with advance polls closing soon, and with our guys over-seas already having voted on the weekend (saw that on the news :) ) -
FINALLY, Mr. Harper will be unveiling his platform for the election.

Now let's see - everyone else has had their platform out for at least a week and a half, longer for the NDP and the Green parties.  Does this give this weasel any leverage?  I think he's hoping that it will. But as nasty as the TSX stock market fall was today, it was a stroke of luck for any of the other parties, because I think he's going to really have to scramble and back-peddle to unbury himself from his overly positive prognostifications on the Canadian economy in the two debates last week.

His finance minister, Flaherty (who was once also the infamous Ontario premier Harris' finance minister, so we know what his pedigree is ;)) is taking some major heat in his Oshawa riding, with tonnes of work-boots being dumped at the door of his campaign office, from the workers unemployed, and looking to be unemployed from the big GM plants there.  Unless Harper pulls a magic rabbit out of his hat tomorrow, I can't see things getting better for him in the GTA and large manufacturing areas of southern Ontario.

So here's hoping he at least doesn't get that majority that he's been hoping for, and I'm hoping that the Conservatives end up so far back that they take third base in the parliamentary ball-game.  Although I have a great deal of respect for the NDP policies and people, I'm not too sure we're quite ready for the NDP to hold even a minority governing spot, but if they were to come in second base, to either of the other two major parties, I think in order to preserve any hope of staying in power, the other parties would need to cater to their wishes quite a bit.  Crossing fingers on this!

But I still can't get over the fact that Harper would wait so long to bring out his platform!  Just sitting here shaking my head over this.  He'd probably be better if he didn't put one out, at this late stage.

My intuitions are hinting that he will scarf bits and pieces from every other party's platform and cobble something together that he think will hood-wink people into voting for him, thinking they'll still get what they want.  Gosh darn, I hope Canadian's are smarter than to fall for that!!!

Gem :)

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

Hilarious eh Gem? Did you get the letter from Avaaz begging us not to vote Conservative?

Cheers,

Nicole

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

I unsubscribed from Avaaz long ago….. every day there was a request to send money to someone somewhere in trouble.  Depressing - and I just got really tired of it.

So what was their deal that they didn't want us to vote Conservative?  (not that I would anyways ;) )?

:)
Gem

Re: Upcoming Canadian Election

Well, here is the email so you can know :)

Dear friends,