Canadian Federal Election on May 2nd

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Well, it is that time of year I guess. Perhaps the Liberal Party thinks the Conservative attack ads have had success and seek to emulate them? But I can hardly see how Layton and Harper are two sides to the same coin. That is probably one of the most inaccurate things I have ever heard. Even the examples they give don't support that notion

The NDP had some of the best attack ads (best because they didn't really *seem* like traditional attack ads and combined positive messages in the later half):

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv341bqNAOo&feature=relmfu[/youtube]

That's true, and those statistics can actually be looked up, unlike the vague generalizations made in most of the Conservative or Liberal attack ads. Most of the attack ads from the other parties seem to not include leadership messages, instead focusing on what the other party 'won't' do (apparently)

It's really quite sad that the Liberals choose Iggy as leader. There are mountains of "Harper supported the Iraq War, he has poor judgment" material that the Liberals can no longer use.

I can't vote this time around (stupid Opposition, you could have waited a few months), but I'd probably vote Green. I like a lot of their policies. The exceptions being that I am not against nuclear power (can't say I'm strongly for it anymore, but I'm not against either) and I like GM foods as long as laws are passed to break the control big agri has on them. I really like Elizabeth May though and really hope she gets in. Apparently she has a slight lead in her riding (although that was from a poll conducted by the Greens themselves). Pity I have a big exam just after election day and can't stay up to watch the last of the votes come in

Most of us astronomy geeks think that way I'm also for nuclear power. In space, its probably the best thing we can use for high energy rockets like the VASIMIR. More or less. I'm of the opinion that reactors aught to be buried beneath the ground-water level to begin with, as during accidents the response seems to be 'bury the reactor'. Why not just start that way? lol
Its too bad you're only a few months away from voting. Oh well, at the current rate, there could be another election soon. So don't worry



That's true eh. I wonder who a better alternative could be? Justin Trudeau? He is rather charismatic, though hasn't really proven himself yet. But his name alone is enough to swing a lot of votes. Maybe 10 years from now.

Inspired attack by Jack topic

Iggy is beginning to look icky.

I agree--at present there is nothing better for space, and there probably won't be until fusion comes along. The only problem comes from trying to launch the things--you don't want it exploding on take-off. Guess we need to build a Uranium mine on the Moon. I don't know for certain, but I expect most Greens wouldn't be quite so anti-nuclear for space use, since it can't hurt the environment from there and astronauts will be exposed to plenty of radiation anyway (or maybe I'm expecting them to be too rational).

I don't see nuclear as a permanent solution on Earth, but I'd be fine with building one more generation of reactors, by which time we should have developed some good alternative sources (Space Based Solar Power, maybe?). Except that on their last big project AECL has gone WAY over-budget, so I agree with the Greens that nuclear might not always be the most economic of choices.

Is anyone else surprised about the NDP's surge in the polls? Does anyone think that it will translate into a significant shift in the makeup of parliament?

Will Rick Mercer's prediction of higher turnout for young voters come to pass?

I'm beginning to think that this election is shaping up to be quite different than previous elections. Many of my co-workers, who normally never vote (! !), are saying that they're voting this year - or already have at the advance polls. The atmosphere just feels different - and I don't think that it is just due to media hype.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Surging thoughts topic

Most exciting, this election. I thought there would be a surge after the English language debate. Popular vote might not ranslate into NDP seats but I would be thrilled for this to happen.

I've been a very interested follower of the politics here in Canada and there have been some very interesting twists and turns during my lifetime. Here are some of the key ones (that I remember):

1993: Progressive Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney steps down, replaced by Kim Campbell, who becomes first female Prime Minister. Campbell loses to Jean Chrétien's Liberals later that year in the federal election. The 1993 election was also notable for the Bloc Québécois becoming official opposition (which resulted in a second Quebec separation referendum) and the emergence of the Reform party, under leader Preston Manning, which pretty much replaced PC as the main Right Wing party in Canada.

1997: Liberals win second term. Reform party becomes official opposition.

2000: First election I voted in. Liberals win third term. Reform Party renamed Canadian Alliance, once again becomes Official Opposition, this time under leader Stockwell Day.

2003: This is a big turning point. After over a decade of splitting the right wing vote, the Canadian Alliance Party merges with the Progressive Conservative Party to become the Conservative Party of Canada. The current leader of the the Alliance Party, Stephen Harper, is named the leader of this new merger.

2004: Hurt by a sponsorship scandal, the Liberals, under new leader Paul Martin, only win a minority government. Begins a long sequence of minority governments.

2006: Liberals voted down with a no confidence motion, Stephen Harper's conservatives win a minority government in the following election.

2008: Harper calls an election, wins a second (yet stronger) Minority government. Liberals and NDP begins plans for a possible coalition to overthrow Harper. Harper prorogues parliament to successfully stop the coalition.

2011: Harper was voted down in a no confidence vote shortly after he was charged in contempt of Parliament.

It's definitely going to be a very interesting election. Personally, I believe that Stephen Harper has been one the most ultra right wing Prime Ministers Canada has ever had and I think he is actually worse than what George W. Bush was in the U.S. and I definitely don't want to see him win a majority.

I would be accepting of an NDP government, even though I am typically a Liberal supporter. It will definitely be interesting to see what happens tomorrow.

His ideology might be similar to Bush, or worse, but fortunately the fact that he's held a minority has kept his hands tied and he hasn't done anything too bad (only somewhat atrocious things, like using the Senate to block a climate change bill that was quite wishy-washy anyways). But if he had a majority... Scary thought. Buy-buy prospects of me getting married for one thing (I'm gay). And I would make it abundantly clear to any family members that voted conservative that I held them partially responsible. And no doubt we'd continue our disturbing trend of becoming more like the USA.

If Harper likes the USA so much, he can go live there. I have heard he wants to privatize our healthcare, I don't know if that is accurate- but if that is the case, I'll probably die

I've also supported Liberals in the past, but Layton appears to me as a better candidate than Ignatieff, seeing that he has lived a significant amount of his life in the States and how he apparently supports the Iraq war. I've also met the NDP candidate for my municipal riding (Peggy Nash) in person several years ago.

This promises to be an interesting election indeed.

I happen to be in the same riding. I voted Gerard Kennedy. I would have probably even voted for him if he wasn't a Liberal (I like him more).

A Candid date topic

Gerard is a great guy, a left leaning liberal. Very popular in his riding. So is the Conservative candidate in my riding, in Barrie. I do hope he is turfed.

Now that I have voted (just back from the polls), I will be watching the results coming in, later on tonight. I like this sort of thing. watching as the the counts come in from the polling stations across the provinces. Lots of stats and details.