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Jan 10, 06
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Canadian Election on January 23rd
As many people know the Federal Parliament of Canada is currently in Election mode. Election Day is Jan 23rd 2006. I have copied and pasted this from an SA thread originally written by Donny Dont. this thread can hopefully provide you with up to date information on the parties running, the issues facing Canadians and all the information Canadians need to make an informed vote.
I will update this thread at the bottom every time a major announcement is made from the major parties, as well as the results on Jan 23rd 2006. Any thoughts and comments in this thread are welcome and encouraged, as well anything you wish me to add please post it.  How it works Canada has national elections every 5 years. However the opposition party (party with the 2nd most amounts of seats in the house) may request a vote of confidence, meaning the entire house votes on whether or not the house has lost confidence in the government. Because of many scandals with the Martin government, Conservative leader Harper brought this kind of motion, and with a majority vote lost confidence and Parliament was dissolved. Brining about this election. Canada is divided into 308 ridings stretched throughout the country. Each riding represents one seat in the Canadian Parliament, meaning a representative democracy of 30 million Canadians. Winning is simple: Get more votes then any other candidate in the riding you’re running in to win that seat. The party with the most seats forms the government, its leader becomes Prime Minister. Federal elections must take place on a Monday, unless the Monday in the chosen week is a statutory holiday, in which case the election falls on the Tuesday. As of 1997, elections must take place at least 36 days after Parliament is dissolved. These is no upper limit, but governments typically want as short an election campaign as possible to keep costs to the parties down. Here is a map outlying how Canada voted in the last election (June 2004):  The Parties The Liberal Party of Canada   Leader: Paul Martin The liberal Party is current governing party, with Paul Martin as our current Prime Minister. The liberals are the oldest political party, dating their origins back to the date of Canadian Confederation. With policies in the middle of the political spectrum, it may explain the party’s popularity. However this cannot be said for the western provinces. The liberal party has historically, been the key party for Ontario and Quebec. The liberals have been in power for 12 years, under Jean Chrétien and now Paul Martin. In the last election the liberals came out with 135 of the 308 seats in the country. post debate update: The Liberals update today includes Paul Martins promise to help Canadian Seniors. Martin says that under his government a person will be able to take two months off of work in order to care for a loved one. Your job will be there when you return. Conservative Party of Canada   Leader: Stephen Harper The Conservative party was created out of the historic merger of the Progressive Conservative party and the Canadian Alliance party. This merger was the famous “Unite the Right” merger that was done to unite all right wing voters, and to stop splitting the right wing vote in a chance to vote out the liberals. The conservatives came in 2nd place in the last election winning 99 seats out of 308. The party believes in that a person’s prime responsibility is for themselves on their family. Included in this is a strong trend towards Individual Rights, including the right to own property and run business with little interference from the government. Harper has also stated that he believes that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms needs to entrench a person’s right to property. Currently, the Canadian Constitution provides no property rights. post debate update: Stephen Harper says that the Conservatives will create 125,000 child care spaces over the next 5 years. This, is in addition to the $1,200 a year pledge to Canadian Familys to make thier own choices in decideding where thier children get taken care of. New Democratic Party of Canada (NDP)   Leader: Jack Layton The NDP was founded in 1961; this is Canada third highest Federal Party. Although third lowest in popularity, the NDP usually has the 4th highest number of members in the House of Commons. This is to the high powered Bloc in Quebec. The NDP is out national left wing party, this party has NEVER formed the government of Canada and but has had considerable influence on directions of Governments in minority positions. The NDP party advocates social democracy and is a member of the Socialist International organization of Democratic socialist and Social democratic parties. Bloc Québécois   Leader: Gilles Duceppe The Bloc is a left wing social party who has one goal in parliament: look out for Quebec’s interest, and Quebec’s alone. Their ultimate goal is the separation of Canada and to separate themselves as an independent Country. This is Canada’s separatist party and was formed in 1990 and there is not much to say other then they are in Parliament to ensure Quebec’s interest at the federal level. The Green Party of Canada   Leader: Jim Harris The Green party first ran in the 1984 election. They are the 5th largest party in Canada. Currently being the ONLY party to run candidates in all 308 and NOT having ever won a seat. In the 2004 election, the Green Party surprised everyone by winning almost 5% of the National vote. Giving indication, that the Green Party may actually win a seat in this election. The Greens provide a platform which includes environmental sustainability, social justice, and decentralizing federal government. post debate update: The Green party has made news by launching a formal complaint for thier exclusion in the leaders debate. This complaint goes to the CRTC. Other Political Parties Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada  The Newest registered party wants to put Animal Rights on the national platform. Currently running only 1 candidate in a Toronto riding. Canadian Action Party  Emphasizes Canada's sovereignty as a trading nation, opposing globalization and the free trade agreements signed by previous governments. Currently wishes to back out of NATO and all other International Organizations. Anything that promotes Canada on an international scale, this party opposes…for..some…reason…. More or less is a party convinced we will become the 51st American State. Christian Heritage of Party This party states that it is the only “pro-Life, pro-family federal political party”. The party states it wants to put Biblical perspective on Canadian Issues. Communist Party of Canada  A Party based on the principles of Marxism-Leninism and wishes to obtain our evil capitalist Canadian Society. Places Job creation as a top priority. Libertarian Party of Canada  "Each individual has the right to his or her own life, and this right is the source of all other rights." The party believes that property rights are essential. Believes the only purpose of government is to protect its people from invaders. Marijuana Party  Believes Marijuana should be legalized. That’s all, the end. Marxist-Leninist Party The 2nd Communist Party, no one knows why we have two. The Issues *Because of just plain simplicity I will list only the Major Parties Platforms* Aboriginals Liberals: – 10 Year plan to give $5.1 Billion to avoid poverty and improve life for aboriginal Canadians. $ 2 Billion for those who suffered under residential schools. Create Aboriginal Health Transition Fund $600 Million for improving Aboriginal Water Supplies Create Independence Centre for Aboriginal Self Government Give $125 Million over 5 years for Aboriginal Human Resources department. Encourage more aboriginal Members of Parliament. $259 Million for Aboriginal Housing. $120 Million for Aboriginal Children to go to school. Conservatives – Create First Nation Land Ownership Act to give reserve land titles from the Crown to First Nation bands. NDP – Create First Nation self government. - Settle all Land claims. - Train 10,000 Aboriginal People in Health, Education and Social Services. - Create aboriginal-only seats in Parliament. - Make clean water a top priority on Native reserves. Bloc – Settle Land claims. Green – Make Aboriginal History mandatory in Canadian High School. - Scrap the Indian Act. Crime Liberal: – Sweeping Hand Gun BAN - Hire 250 RCMP Officers -Hire 75 new border officers. - Create a National RCMP Tip line to report Online Child Porn. - Cap the gun registry cost to $25 Million a year. - Tougher sentences for gun crimes. - Legalize the Criminal Code which forbids soliciting for the purposes of Sex Trade, which would make prostitution fully legal in Canada. Conservatives: – Mandatory Minimum Sentences for all drug crimes. - Anyone convicted of three offences causing death or serious harm will be automatically labelled a dangerous offender. - Introduce a Sex offender registry. - Violent and serious repeat offenders as young as 14 WILL be tried as Adults. - Raise the age of sexual consent from 14 to 16 years of age. - Create National missing persons registry. NDP: – Create Victims “Bill of Rights” - Create a national “Ports” Police to prevent smuggling. - Create National Sex offender registry. - Launch major and national anti – gun and drugs ad campaign for young people. Bloc: – Supports rehabilitation over imprisonment for young offenders. Green – Regulate Marijuana sale in order to sell it similar to alcohol. - Establish a federal program to end "roadside zoos," reduce the number of animals held in captivity, and create enforceable standards for zoos across the country Defence Liberal: - $4.6 Billion to purchase new aircraft. - $13 Billion to provide 5000 new Canadian Troops. - Create Special Operations Task Force - Forgive debts owed by foreign governments. Conservatives: – More front line personnel - Inject funds into department’s budgets. - Support NORAD and improve relations with the United States. - Create veterans Bill of Rights. NDP – Make peacemaking a top priority. - Increase pay for armed forces. - Work to create replacements for NATO and NORAD. - Scrap Anti-Terrorism Act. - Opposes joining the Anti Missile Defence plan with the US. - Make it law for a parliament vote before Canadian Troops are sent overseas. - Cancel agreements for American Soldiers to enter Canada in a time of emergency. Bloc – Ban Canadian forces from entering a war declared illegal by the UN. Green – Declare Canada a “Nuclear free”; will not participate in space weapons. Democratic Reform Liberal: – Review how Supreme Court Judge Appointments. - Will appoint 5 Aboriginal people to the senate in the next 5 vacancies. Conservative: – Supreme Court appointments must be approved by vote in Parliament. - Hold elections to replace a senate vacancy, no longer appoint them. - Consider a switch to proportional representation. - Allow Parliament, not the courts, to make final decisions on matters. NDP: – Abolish the Senate. - Lower voting age from 18 to 16. Bloc: – Make Quebec its own Country. Green: – Supports Proportional Representation. - Introduce fixed election dates. - Lower voting age to 17 - Introduce “Women” only seats in parliament. Education Liberals: – Will pay half of the tuition for all college and University Students (1st and last year only) - Raise weekly Canadian Student loan form $150 to $165 - $137 million for French language studies Conservatives: – Make scholarships tax free - Allow University text books to be tax deductible NDP: – Reduce tuition fees by 10% - Inject $4 Billion into post secondary. Bloc: – Increase current funding Green: – Remove GST on school supplies. Environment Liberal: - $4.7 Billion to cut green house gases. - Clean up contaminated sites. Conservative: – Extend the 200 mile fishing lines around Canada’s coast. - Introduce Tax credits for transit users. - Introduce Clean Air Act. - Promote Alternate fuel research. - Increase fines for illegal dumping. NDP: – Reduce green house emissions by 20% by year 2020 - Sell Ottawa’s share of Petro-Canada. - Build Wind Turbines - Auction off emissions credits to corporations. - Create University degree program in Green Technology. - GST rebates on “green cars” Bloc – Support Kyoto - Protection of the St. Lawrence River. Green: - Amend Charter of Rights and Freedoms to enshrine the right of future Canadians to an ecological heritage that includes breathable air and drinkable water - Prohibit the use of pesticides for cosmetic purposes -Create a Clean Canada Fund to clean up toxic sites -Promote alternatives to wood as sources of paper fibre - Protect animal welfare by phasing out factory farming, reducing distances live animals can be transported, improving conditions of animals in slaughterhouses, auctions, entertainment, and prohibiting trade in exotic animals Gun Control Liberal: – Cap the cost of the Gun Registry to $25 Million. - Ban all Handguns Conservative: – Scrap Gun registry - Mandatory Minimum Sentences for gun crimes. NDP: – Supports Gun Control but has “concerns” about the cost of current law. Bloc: – Favours current gun laws but wishes to cap costs. Green: – Eliminate Fees for current regulations. Health Care: Liberal: -$805 million over five years in new direct federal health funding - $9-billion plan that would see the implementation of a National Waiting Times Reduction Strategy, and creation of a National Home Care Program and a National Pharmaceuticals Strategy - $1 billion over five years to help families caring for seniors and the disabled, with delivery of aid co-ordinated with provinces - $810 million for science research councils, research hospitals, Precarn, which specializes in advanced robotics, Genome Canada and other initiatives Conservative: - Stephen Harper promised to cut back hospital waiting lists, while saying he would not close private health clinics - Support an initial three-year prohibition on embryonic research - Will not support legislation to regulate abortion NDP - Jack Layton said his party will focus on stopping the flow of public money into private health care - $1 billion annual transfer to the provinces to expand home-care services, which would allow seniors to stay in their own homes while receiving supervised care. It's estimated the program would affect 100,000 households. Bloc - Create an independent health-care system, run by Quebec, preserving the concept of universal health care Green: - Oppose any steps that open the way to two-tier health care system - Increase taxes on tobacco products, alcohol and junk food Marijuana Liberal: – Decriminalize Small amounts of the drug. Conservative: - Harper has been a harsh critic of the legislation that would decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana NDP Introduce a non-punitive rule-based approach to deal with adult marijuana use Bloc: - Favours decriminalizing small amounts of marijuana Green: - Regulate marijuana under federal legislation as a product similar to alcohol and tobacco Tax Liberal: - Cut corporate income taxes by $30 billion this year and over the next five years in the fiscal update released in November -$6 billion to child care when the first allotment runs out in 2009 -- increasing the Liberals' commitment to $11 billion through 2015 Conservatives: -Stephen Harper announced that if Canadians elect a Conservative government, his party would reduce the GST by one per cent immediately. Then, another one per cent would be shaved off in the following four years -- ultimately bringing the GST down to five per cent. -Cut the small business tax rate from 12 to 11 per cent over five years - Allow parents who register their kids (under 16 years of age) in organizations that promote physical fitness to claim a federal tax credit on registration fees to a maximum of $500 per year per child -Offer a child-care allowance of $1,200 a year for each child under six to parents across the country NDP: - Ensure all Canadians who make less than $15,000 do not pay federal income tax -Remove the GST from family essentials, including children's clothing and medicine, school supplies, books, magazines, female hygiene products and medical equipment Bloc: - Recover billions of dollars paid to Ottawa to address the fiscal imbalance between the provincial and federal governments Green: - Lower taxes for Canadians earning less than $45,000 per year - Remove GST on education supplies and specific family products With these issues on the table and many more facing Canadians how will you vote? Canadians, non Canadians, I want to know how everyone thinks. Also I believe this will be a powerful way to inform curious non Canadians as to how our elections work. Updates will be posted so you can be up to date on all the crazy election coverage! Again, i did not write this, i merely brought it here from a thread in SA, i thought fnk could use a little bit of knowledge about each political party and its leaders to make an informed and educated vote on the 23rd. Last edited by ja_raul; Jan 10, 06 at 01:17 PM. 
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Jan 10, 06
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http://www.fnk.ca/board/showthread.php?t=88071
Way to go Ja Raul, hopefully it will encourage more people to vote, considering there were so many that said they weren't going to in my poll! :(
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Jan 10, 06
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i was hoping this will be some sort of an educated discussion thread rather than have "oh lets bash a political leader/party" type responses. besides, the politicians themselves are better at that anyways
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Jan 10, 06
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The section on "Tax," does not mention that although the Conservatives will lower the GST to 5%, they plan on scrapping current income-tax cuts. This will raise the lower tax bracket from 15% to 16%. These cuts will also lower, by $400, the level of tax free income a person can make.
Also there is no mention of the Liberal promise, put forth in the debate last night, to remove the notwithstanding clause from the constitution. The notwithstanding clause allows the government to rule over or make a law that even if it violates the constitution. Something Harper could use to solidy the definition of marriage. Also, there is no mention of the policies the NDP have suggested for Gun control. This includes: A "2-prong" approach dealing with the roots of the problem coupled with deterrance methods, preventing sale of fire arms on the internet, strengthening border control, and elevating the witness protection program.
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Jan 11, 06
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I trully beleive there will come a time when Canadian by and large will realize there is not a single party that will imrove the current situation in Canada, and neutralize damage inflicted abroad in any substantial sense.
Our current electorial system only further clouds the issue, and attempts to promote a belief in the general population that we have a considerable influence on how are country is run. Unless you are of the small ruling class elite families, have a considerable position in corporate canada or in the government itself, there is no chance for any significant directional change in how our country is run-not that any of the people in these categories actaully have similiar wants and needs similair to that of most citizens and especially the poor, working classes, indegenous peoples, immigrants and refugees. The current all candidate meetings are a demoralizing sham of any sense of citizen participation and or influence. The structure is not indicative of any real concern of the government candidates having any concern for regular people, further than using rhetoric, lies, party pashing and divisionary tactics to gain votes. if we examine the core ideaology of all the parties involved we will see the same oppressive, and institutional negetive ideology. My opinion of the current left leaning parties including the green, both communist parties and the NDP further instills a sense of frustration, anger, and hopelessness. The two communist parties platforms are contridictory, supportive of nationalism, and alienates people who are not familiar with leftist idealism and precedent to the 10th degree. The green parties platform is so shakey, the look like complete imbeciles, even in light of being the only party to real denounce the Canadian invasion of Haiti. Regrettably my vote will be going to the NDP again. Why? because although the labour bearacracy had a part to play in the most recent of blatant attacks on the working peoples of BC, and canada as a whole, the parties support is still largely based on such peoples and labour unions/federation. And this still leaves opportunity to evoke change, and replace the NDP with a viable united leftist front. This of course has been the problem that has plagued the left for years. The inability to take the demand of the people past band aid solutions and rhetoric, ad well as a unity between leftist groups. I feel that we have the best oppurtunity to expose the shared central core agendas of ALL government parties of Canada through the eventaul dissection of the NDP, and thus will give them my vote. I wanted to thank Ja rule, for putting up all this information. But if we arent talking to the youth about the underlying politics of what is going on in Canada, we will perpetuate a reactionary belief that there is a possibility for ALL canadians to improve their lives through the current system of government - which will be found out either sonner or later, easily or extremely painfully, is a complete illusion. We must desiminate through the thousand of little details that each party will bicker with eachother about, and go to the core politics, that are currently present, as well as the style of politics we will need to understand and learn, if we hope to create any sort of sustainable future that puts in high priority the most oppressed(the largest group) of peoples in Canada.
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Jan 11, 06
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Honestly I am sort of at a loss at to who I am going to vote for. The conservatives are scaring me, the liberals are losers, screwed up and don't deserve yet another chance and I think money can be spent other places than the environment when it comes to the NDP. Being a post secondary student, of course I am going to look at what each party is going to offer to me for school, but I am disappointed in the liberals, as they did not clarify that those who are already in school, will they get their tuition paid for? As for Harper, I am disappointed that they didn't have more to offer when it came to this.
I like that Harper is going to make scholarships tax free, because I think it's ridiculous that they are considered income. If you won them and they are going to something like your education, then who has the right to tax them. Just my opinion. As for the books being tax deductables, yes please. I spend $1000 - 1500 a year on books, that's alot of money in which most of if I don't even get back and even if I can sell them, you don't get what they are worth. As for health care, I think that we should maintain a public health care system, as it is something covated by many nations around the world. It's expensive yes, but well worth it. I will most likely end up voting conservative, as I don't want to give the liberals my vote and I am feeling shady towards the NDP. My prediction is that the Conservatives will win, but without a majority and that precious vote of confidence, they have no hope of staying in power and Canada will again be faced with another election... something that I think will be an ongoing process for the next few years. Canada needs stability, but unfortunetly with the options presented.. that is something we won't be getting with one party being very radical in their views, one who can't be trusted and one that is too concerned about saving the trees.
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Jan 11, 06
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DONT FORGET TO ASK YOUR "REPRESENTATIVES" ABOUT WHY THE CANADIAN MILITARY BUDGET WAS DOUBLED TO 25.8 BILLION DOLLARS!?
WOULD THEY SUPPORT A PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE HAPPENINGS IN AFGHANISTAN/HAITI/ AND IRAQ, WITH FULL DISCLOSURE!?! STOP THE CANADIAN IMERIALIST WAR DRIVE STOP THE CANADIAN WAR AT HOME ON INDEGENOUS PEOPLES/IMMIGRANTS/POOR AND WORKING CLASS PEOPLES CANADA OUT OF HAITI AND AFGHANISTAN STOP CANADIAN SUPPORT OF THE US/UK WAR DRIVE IN IRAQ SELF DETERMINATION FOR ALL INDEGENOUS PEOPLES FULL PUBLIC INQUIRY Mobilization Against War and Occupation http://www.mawovancouver.org Fire This Time Social Justice News http://www.firethistime.net Haiti Solidarity Canada http://www.canadahaitiaction.ca http://www.outofhaiti.ca Support US war resitors in their struggles for refugee status http://www.resisters.ca/ Middle Eastern News: Aljazeera http://english.alajazeera.net/HomePage Reuters News http://www.reuters.com
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Jan 11, 06
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voting for the ndp is the same as voting for the conservatives, the NDP will never be more then fourth place, and therefore have no chance to form a government.
so if you plan on voting ndp, think twice becuase it only solidifys the conservative party's lead.
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Jan 11, 06
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I love how this is truly the first time I've only seen NDP ad's attacking the liberals and NOT the conservatives, it must be tough to be on the same side in a weird alliance with a party that basically stands against everything your party represents.
they sold out!
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Jan 11, 06
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in the last federal election the NDP lost a bunch of votes because people who would normally vote NDP voted for the Liberals because they didn't want to see the Conservatives in the government. i'm sure they don't want that to happen again. if they paint the Conservatives as the scary big bad party that they can't work with then people are going to swing their votes from NDP to Liberal just to keep the Conservatives out of office. they didn't sell out on anything. selling out would be changing their party policies on health care and education and senior care to more right wing policies....which they haven't done. they aren't in any weird alliance with the Conservative party at all. their platform is just as NDP as it always was.
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Jan 11, 06
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i really fucking hope the conservatives dont win
even though the liberals cant be trusted, their policies are 10x better than the conservatives. for me its a toss up between ndp and liberals, but im afraid voting ndp will be a throw-away vote
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Jan 11, 06
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basically both parties with the only chances of winning suck, but one sucks less than the other
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Jan 11, 06
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wow, thanks a lot for posting this information. I really really really want to vote in this upcoming election (my first able since I just turned 19) but I was completely clueless to all the parties and what they stand for. This information was very appreciated and quite informative. Personally, I think the NDP has the most that I agree with, but like others have said I am aware that the conservatives are currently in the lead and that the second closest is the liberals. I do NOT want the converservatives in power, so that leaves liberals... but then again the whole reason this vote is happening is because they had a non-confidence against them, so obviously they aren't doing something right. Honestly, I think I will go with NDP. Thanks again though for this! :D
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Jan 11, 06
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just because they aren't repeatedly criticizing and attacking the conservatives doesn't mean they've made an alliance with them. an alliance would be if they agreed and supporting tory party policies, which they clearly aren't doing if you compare the two platforms.
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Jan 11, 06
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Jan 11, 06
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Also if anything the ndp gained votes from former liberal voters last time around, since they went from 13 seats to 19 and their percentage of the popular vote went from 8.51% to 15.7% in a parlimentary system like ours if a party wins a majority they can do whatever they want and the opposition is simply window dressing. Last edited by SEAN!; Jan 11, 06 at 04:32 PM.
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Jan 11, 06
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Well Jack Layton, during monday's federal debate, did attempt to juxtapose the Conservatives and the Liberals together as having similiar policies in certain areas.
The NDP are just trying to capitalize on the Liberal's track record in an attempt to get noticed since this election has focused solely on the Liberals and Conservatives. The two parties don't even make any mention of the NDP. Sadly it looks like the Conservatives are going to form government based solely on a campaign of scandal and rhetoric. Something that is easily understood by the common vote, rather then actually looking at the platforms.
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Jan 11, 06
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however, as we've seen over the last few weeks the polls can change very quickly and i hope that if the conservatives win the election that it is just a minority government.
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Jan 12, 06
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Please elaborate mate. Sounds a trifle reactionary to me, but, perhaps im missing something here.
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