OT - The Canadian politics thread

[Maple Leafs]

(You damn Americans get all the nasty partisan threads. Time for a Canadian alternative.)

So for those who may not be aware, Canada goes to the polls on Monday. The new prime minister (Paul Martin, who took over the leadership of the perpetually governing Liberals in December) has seen his fortunes plummet over the past few weeks, and it now looks like the Conservatives could win.

However, Canada has three reasonably strong natioanl parties and a powerful regional party in Quebec. With four parties competing for seats in parliament, the odds of a minority government (i.e. the winning party doesn't have a majority of the seats) are looking good. If that happens, two parties would need to form a partnership in order to govern -- difficult, since nobody wants to cozy up to the Quebec party and the other three have some enormous political differences.

The latest twist is that it looks like the Conservatives could win the most seats despite having fewer votes than the Liberals. I'll pause a moment so you can all insert your own Bush/Gore joke here.... OK, moving on.

So... to the Canadians out there, who do you see winning this thing?

To the Americans, do you even care? (Hint: the Conservatives would be a lot more Bush-friendly than the Liberals)

To the Europeans... ah, screw it, you're all busy watching Euro 2004.

[Hoya1]

I'm thinking that the Liberals are going to pull this out. I feel the Conservatives went too far with the "Paul Martin likes child porn" thing. I just hope the Conservatives don't get in. I'm going to vote for the first time in 8 years because I'm scared that it may be too close

[MikeVic]

Is there anywhere I could read about the parties up to this point? I'm confused as to who offers what... Winnipeg just had their mayor election yesterday.. the owner of our baseball team won, and is who I voted for...

[Dutch]

I am rooting for who ever likes the USA more.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I am rooting for who ever likes the USA more.

I think you have to be Canadian to win.

[Glengoyne]

Originally Posted by Hoya1

I'm thinking that the Liberals are going to pull this out. I feel the Conservatives went too far with the "Paul Martin likes child porn" thing. I just hope the Conservatives don't get in. I'm going to vote for the first time in 8 years because I'm scared that it may be too close

Dola,

I personally would love if the Conservative party won. Canada has been going the way of Europe for too long now.

[bbor]

If you would have asked me a month ago who would have won,i would have said the Conservatives in a landslide with the Liberals only having barely enough seats to keep party status.......But the Liberals have made a huge comback,and not because of anything they have done,this comeback has been because of the Conservatives taking steps back wards.

Amazing how the Conservatives seem to be able to lose these elections from the front.....A week ago they were ahead in the polls by ALOT,Now they seem to be ahead by very little.

As to who i think should be in?....no one has proved to me that they are a better option than anyone else.So why not stay the course with the Liberals?

[chrisj]

I'm hoping the Liberals will pull it out.

I fear what a minority government will bring. :/

[MikeVic]

Originally Posted by bbor

If you would have asked me a month ago who would have won,i would have said the Conservatives in a landslide with the Liberals only having barely enough seats to keep party status.......But the Liberals have made a huge comback,and not because of anything they have done,this comeback has been because of the Conservatives taking steps back wards.

Amazing how the Conservatives seem to be able to lose these elections from the front.....A week ago they were ahead in the polls by ALOT,Now they seem to be ahead by very little.

As to who i think should be in?....no one has proved to me that they are a better option than anyone else.So why not stay the course with the Liberals?

From what I have gathered... and keep in mind I'm still a bit confused... I don't trust the Liberals, I don't like the Conservatives.... that leaves the NDP.. I agree with something a local NDP representative said that the Liberals and Conservatives disagree with, so this is swaying my vote towards the NDP.

[bbor]

Originally Posted by MikeVic

From what I have gathered... and keep in mind I'm still a bit confused... I don't trust the Liberals, I don't like the Conservatives.... that leaves the NDP.. I agree with something a local NDP representative said that the Liberals and Conservatives disagree with, so this is swaying my vote towards the NDP.

Jack Layton seems so much like a used car salesman to me that it makes it difficult for me to believe him,That together with the fact that i lived (barely)through a NDP Provincial government makes voting NDP tough for me.

[Johnny93g]

Originally Posted by bbor

Jack Layton seems so much like a used car salesman to me that it makes it difficult for me to believe him,That together with the fact that i lived (barely)through a NDP Provincial government makes voting NDP tough for me.

I was like 10...but i remember the ndp running Ontario.....I'll probably vote Liberal cuz that PC release saying Martin supports child porn is just too low......They fight dirty.....

[vtbub]

Here's hoping the Bloc Quebecois isn't Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition!

I haven't followed this campaign very closely, but the Liberals have been in power a long time and Paul Martin seems to be the Liberal version of Kim Campbell, aka caretaker PM. Chretien was viewed as a joke down here in Vermont.

Since the Liberals won in Quebec, both of our Governors, Howard Dean, and James Douglas have paid visits to Quebec City to spur trade.

It was real scary during the last Soverignty vote, the thought of a independent Quebec scared the crap out of a lot of people hee who deal with the extensive monies that come from Quebec tourists.

Whoever can make Canada a stronger union should win.

*apologies to frogman if he's a PQ supporter.

[DiG]

I always hated the idea of a regional party on the federal scene, but with my first real voting opportunity coming up, I'm feeling more and more angry at the Bloc Québécois, and for the most part, at the people voting for them. I'm finding it really difficult to understand the relevance of a partie with a separatst agenda supposedly representing a province whose population voted twice against independance.

I can't see how the BQ is the best way to provide québécois a way to protect their interests while being condemned to a secondary role in the opposition. Wouldn't the 50 deputies that will probably be elected monday from the BQ be more able to protect our interests if they were in the group in power or in the opposition ? And I hate the common tought over here that being represented by part of the liberal party or part of the NPD (which is what would probably be the case if it weren't for the BQ, given the leftist tendancies of Quebec) would be like not being represented at all : if you don't think that you're deputy can do a good enough job to preotcet your interests, why would you vote for him ?

It sucks that my first election are already making me sick of anything political. I just can't deal with all my friends being separatists and half of them not being able to explain why. I can't deal with half the fucking separatists (and I'm being reasonnable here) wanting out of Canada because of what the "tabarnak d'anglais" did 200 years ago. I'm tired of everyone complaining that we are mistreated and alienated while we, as a province, are doing everything in our power to alienate ourselves from the rest of Canada.

To come back to the subject at hand, and not go to far in my thoughts on independance, I find it weird that people here are saying that the BQ is giving us a way to balance the voting for the better party for the province, but that this time, by voting for the BQ instead of the liberal, they are doing the PC a favor. Do they not realize that the PC is the farthest thing from an ideal party, in terms of general issues (especially regarding social issues), in the sense that what the PC want to do, excluding giving more power to the provinces, is at the opposite of what we québécois want to see happen.

I'm totally disgusted, finally (I think), by the idea surfacing that electing Harper and the PC would be so bad for the country that it would give more incentives to québécois for independance.

Anyway, I'm going to vote Liberal, probably, and hope that by a struck of luck, we stick with them (I mean, it's not like we had it bad during the Chretien era,even with the overblown scandals and all), or at least that we get a minority governement, and go back to vote (maybe with another liberal leader ?) in 18 months, with the current conservative drop continuing, and maybe we won't be stuck with permanent increased Greenhouse effect relating effects in four years, when we finally come to our senses ( ? ).

(sorry for the rambling, I don't even remember myself where I am at)

[bbor]

Originally Posted by DiG

(sorry for the rambling, I don't even remember myself where I am at)

This statement leads me to believe you should be running for office...not voting

[Kevin]

My 2 cents:

The Liberals are the only party serious about a balanced budget and reducing the national debt.
Despite this the Liberals under Chretien funnelled large amounts of money out of the system to their friends in Quebec.

The Conservatives are only conservative about social issues and seem to be willing to put us back in deficits.

The NDP think the national debt isn't a priority. That shows they just don't understand economics or leadership. Besides, Jack Layton reminds me too much of Brian Mulroney in orange clothing.

I'm probably stuck with voting Liberal although I hate to reward a party that has stolen public funds in the sponsorship scandal. I can only hope that they are truly two parties; Chretien supporters and Martin supporters. If the Chretien flunkies are purged, maybe they will conduct themselves more appropriately.

To our American friends: even if the Liberals stay in power, I think you'll find Martin more amenable than Chretien was. Just remember, you might have gotten more support from us on Iraq if your government hadn't slapped large tariffs on us at the same time we were helping you in Afghanistan.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by Kevin

My 2 cents:

To our American friends: even if the Liberals stay in power, I think you'll find Martin more amenable than Chretien was. Just remember, you might have gotten more support from us on Iraq if your government hadn't slapped large tariffs on us at the same time we were helping you in Afghanistan.

More like 1 1/2 cents.



And we don't need your stinkin' bacon!

[portnoise]

One of the most pressing issues for me in this election is electoral reform. First-past-the-post (similar to the electoral college system used to elect US presidents) makes it impractical to vote for anyone other than a party that has a reasonable chance of winning the riding outright, and this is leading a lot of poeple to hold thier noses and vote Liberal (to beat the Conservatives) when other parties--NDP and even Green--more reflect their values.

There's a very good chance first-past-the-post will allow the Conservatives to win, as Maple Leafs says, with fewer overall votes than the Liberals because of their concentrated regional support (ie. in the west) if the Liberals can't win back big swaths of Ontario by Monday.

Me, I'm voting NDP, with my heart and my head, because from what I read in the papers and see in terms of signage, the NDP seem to have a really good chance of winning in my riding and the conservatives, on the other hand, seem totally outnumbered. In other ridings, I might have to vote Liberal, just to keep Harper out of the drivers' seat.

[Fidatelo]

I'm so torn it's not even funny. During the debate, my thoughts on each leader were "one guy is too far to the right, one is too far to the left, the middle one is a liar, and the other one a f**king seperatist".

I'm just totally frustrated by the whole thing. I don't want to vote Liberal (which I usually do, I liked Chretien) because they have been in power too long and have become corrupt. But the NDP are ridiculous and the Conservatives scare the bejeezus out of me.

One thing that strikes me as being funny is this: Martin says everything I want to hear, but I doubt he'll follow through with most of it. Harper says a whole lot of stuff I DON'T want to hear, and I get the sense he'll follow through with all of it. Odd dicotomy there.

Anyways, I'm still undecided, but I'm leaning Liberal because my local candidate was formerly the head of Winnipeg Harvest (a very good charitable organization) and seemed to do a lot of good work for people.

[portnoise]

Dola-- on a couple of issues raised...

Originally Posted by DiG

I always hated the idea of a regional party on the federal scene, but with my first real voting opportunity coming up, I'm feeling more and more angry at the Bloc Québécois, and for the most part, at the people voting for them. I'm finding it really difficult to understand the relevance of a partie with a separatst agenda supposedly representing a province whose population voted twice against independance.

The thing about the Bloc is that, aside from that little deal about separatism, they're actually very progressive in terms of social policy, and I think that reflects Quebec's "euro-ish" culture. The NDP don't have much political history in Quebec, and I think the Bloc picks up a lot of votes to the left of the Liberals on the spectrum, separatism aside.

I remember watching the gay marriage debate in the house of commons on TV, and there was a young Bloc MP who said basically "yes, I'm for separation, but for now I represent Quebec's values within canada as it stands", and then went on to speak eloquently and passionately in favor of changing the definition of marriage (a whole other debate, I know)... and he and really helped me understand how the Bloc could be more popular than separatism itself.

Originally Posted by Dutch

I am rooting for who ever likes the USA more.

As Duceppe (leader of the bloc), of all people, said at the debate, it's possible to be friendly and cooperative with the US without bowing on bended knee to them on every issue. Canada needs someone who will protect its individual point of view in the world...surely the US can understand a country wanting to do that...

[bbor]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

And we don't need your stinkin' bacon!

You don't NEED it....But you do WANT it

[Karim]

- the Liberals promised to remove the GST and implement a national child care program in 1993; 11 years and 2.5 terms later - nothing

- the day Chretien got elected in 1993, he cancelled the helicopter contract; 11 years later the Sea Kings are a national disgrace; CFB Calgary was moved to Edmonton in a cost cutting measure yet the land forces base was already operating in Wainwright; could it have anything to do with the fact that Edmonton elected two liberals but Calgary didn't? The Liberals are no friend to the military and in a time of uncertainty and potential terror threats, I feel more confident in the protection of the US than my own government.

- Minister Jane Stewart oversaw the HRDC boondoggle; 30,000 job creation grants in the neighbourhood of $1 billion were improperly accounted for

- the Liberals assured Canadians that the Gun Registry would not exceed $2 million, the initial budget presented to taxpayers; $2 billion dollars later the program is still not supported by Police Chiefs across Canada

- the CSL/sponsorship scandal saw another $161 million handed over to Liberal-friendly advertising firms; Paul Martin was Finance Minister and from Quebec but he was completely unaware of the issue?; last night Mansbridge pressed him and finally he said he knew "1 or 2" of the people involved; Auditor-General Shiela Fraser released the initial report approximately 18 months ago but we're heading to the polls not knowing the full extent of Martin and the Liberal party's involvement

The Liberal Party's legacy is full of lies, broken promises, corruption and mismanagement of taxpayer's dollars in the billions. When are eastern Canadians going to say enough is enough?

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by bbor

You don't NEED it....But you do WANT it

What I really want sometime is that poutine....

[bbor]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

What I really want sometime is that poutine....

I heart poutine....unfortunatly my heart does'nt heart poutine

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by vtbub

Here's hoping the Bloc Quebecois isn't Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition!

*apologies to frogman if he's a PQ supporter.

Ron, I have the same hope as you... No need to apologize, I didn't support the PQ in the last provincial elections, I went ADQ which would have been a damn fine option for us, but no, people chickened out and went with Charest...

I'm not very passionate about politics, be it provincial or federal. I'm of the opinion that the Bloc Québécois has outlived its usefulness. They were supposed to be there for one term, maybe two, they're now coming for their third.

I am presently disgusted with federal politics more than anything else. On one side, the Liberals, with the lies, the scandals, and that crap. On the other side, the Conservatives that are kind of radicals, coming from the merge of two parties... On the last side, there's a party that will never be in charge of the country, the Bloc Québécois...

:sigh:

cuervo, yeah, you really want that poutine Stop by, I know some great poutine places

FM

[bbor]

ML Started this thread....and failed to give us his thoughts....I know his thoughts are usually on how he can kill Kerry Fraser but.......

[Karim]

Originally Posted by Maple Leafs

To the Americans, do you even care? (Hint: the Conservatives would be a lot more Bush-friendly than the Liberals)

The Conservatives would be a lot more America friendly than any Liberal.

As to your question as to who will win this thing - no doubt the Liberals. I don't have faith that Ontario has yet seen the light.

[Buddy Grant]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I am rooting for who ever likes the USA more.

That would be Stephen Harper (Canadian Alliance). He wanted to join the US in the Iraq mess a year or so back, but for some reason he's pretty quiet about that issue now. He actually has a legit chance of winning, but more thanks to incompetence on the Liberal party side than on his own popularity.

[GMO]

The L

[GMO]

The Liberals have consistently lied to get elected.
Why would anyone believe their promises?

[klayman]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I'm so torn it's not even funny. During the debate, my thoughts on each leader were "one guy is too far to the right, one is too far to the left, the middle one is a liar, and the other one a f**king seperatist".

I'm just totally frustrated by the whole thing. I don't want to vote Liberal (which I usually do, I liked Chretien) because they have been in power too long and have become corrupt. But the NDP are ridiculous and the Conservatives scare the bejeezus out of me.

My thoughts exactly.

[Simms]

Originally Posted by Karim

I don't have faith that Ontario has yet seen the light.

I wouldn't be so sure. Not sure how much press this gets out west, but we elected a Liberal Premier last October based largely on numerous promises not to increase taxes. Since taking office, McGuinty has pushed for exactly that on several fronts and Ontarians, on the whole, are pissed.

As recently as a week or two ago, the word around here was that much (if not most) of the credit for the Conservative push nationally in the polls was due to Liberal dissatisfaction in Ontario. Granted, they seem to have given some of that back lately, but there is very much a "guilt by association" thing going on here.

[chrisj]

Originally Posted by GMO

The Liberals have consistently lied to get elected.
Why would anyone believe their promises?

So has every other party when they tried to get elected...

And if your response is "that was in the past", then remember that there is a new leader of the Liberal party as well. In fact, much of the old guard has now gone away to make way for new faces such as Scott Brison.

What it should come down to is: are you happy with how Canada, as a country, is right now? I'm not talking about scandels or anything like that, just the general day to day life in Canada. If you're not happy with it, you'll probably want to consider another party. If you are, then why would you even think of electing a different party?

[Dutch]

Originally Posted by Kevin

To our American friends: even if the Liberals stay in power, I think you'll find Martin more amenable than Chretien was. Just remember, you might have gotten more support from us on Iraq if your government hadn't slapped large tariffs on us at the same time we were helping you in Afghanistan.

First of all, tell your government to take your troops out of Afghanistan. Sending your boys to fight in a foreign land for American Aid is pathetic.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by chrisj

What it should come down to is: are you happy with how Canada, as a country, is right now? I'm not talking about scandels or anything like that, just the general day to day life in Canada. If you're not happy with it, you'll probably want to consider another party. If you are, then why would you even think of electing a different party?

How can you ignore the squandering of billions of dollars? Day-to-day general life is not the criteria by which I judge a government. Their actions have to be evaluated and critiqued. Policies in which you're interested have to be judged against the other platforms. If your happy with the Liberal Party's policies despite the corruption, good for you.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by bbor

ML Started this thread....and failed to give us his thoughts....I know his thoughts are usually on how he can kill Kerry Fraser but.......

I could probably support this measure.

(ok, maybe just maiming)

[FrogMan]

Originally Posted by Karim

How can you ignore the squandering of billions of dollars? Day-to-day general life is not the criteria by which I judge a government. Their actions have to be evaluated and critiqued. Policies in which you're interested have to be judged against the other platforms. If your happy with the Liberal Party's policies despite the corruption, good for you.

Couldn't agree more with this statement. Sure, there are no civil wars in Canada right now, but it's not because the Liberals are in charge in Ottawa right now...

FM

[GMO]

Originally Posted by chrisj

So has every other party when they tried to get elected...

And if your response is "that was in the past", then remember that there is a new leader of the Liberal party as well. In fact, much of the old guard has now gone away to make way for new faces such as Scott Brison.

What it should come down to is: are you happy with how Canada, as a country, is right now? I'm not talking about scandels or anything like that, just the general day to day life in Canada. If you're not happy with it, you'll probably want to consider another party. If you are, then why would you even think of electing a different party?

To say that all parties lie is simply Liberal party propaganda. The Liberals want to be able to lie, cheat, steal and squander taxpayers' money and then say it doesn't matter because any party would have done the same thing.
That's like forgiving a thief by saying anyone would have stolen the money.
Why don't we try another party and find out how they would do?
Why are the Liberals running so many negative ads?
What are they afraid of? Perhaps they know if another party gets into power, the country will know how much money the Liberals wasted.

[chrisj]

Originally Posted by Karim

How can you ignore the squandering of billions of dollars? Day-to-day general life is not the criteria by which I judge a government. Their actions have to be evaluated and critiqued. Policies in which you're interested have to be judged against the other platforms. If your happy with the Liberal Party's policies despite the corruption, good for you.

Billions? It was 100 million, I believe. A lot, yes, but a very small portion of the overall budget.

To say that all parties lie is simply Liberal party propaganda.

Okay, go look at the history of politics. Now find me a party that did follow through with every promise they made. Yeah, parties lie. I'm sure they want to follow through with everything they say, but they know - realistically - it isn't going to happen.

Hell, look at the Conservative government here in Nova Scotia... they have a minority government right now, but it's been *awful*. I've never seen a worse budget presented than their last one.

Why don't we try another party and find out how they would do?

We have in the past. The Convervatives have been even worse federally. Need I remind you about the last time they formed a government? The NDP have never been elected federally, but have had major problems when elected on a provincial level.

Why are the Liberals running so many negative ads?

I've actually seen more negative ads run by the NDP... of course, followed by a positive one for Jack Layton.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by chrisj

Billions? It was 100 million, I believe. A lot, yes, but a very small portion of the overall budget.

Gun Registry
- original budget presented to taxpayers $2 million
- current budget approaching $2 billion

HRDC/Job Grants Scandal: $1 billion

CSL/Sponsorship Scandal: $161 million

The other three quotes were not mine. The lack of an associated username makes it appear that they were my statements.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by chrisj

The Convervatives have been even worse federally. Need I remind you about the last time they formed a government?

I would argue that the current Conservative Party is substantially different than the Progressive Conservatives under Brian Mulroney and therefore it is an unfair comparison.

Part of the reason for the formation of the Reform Party and the Bloq Quebecois was the tenuous coaliton formed by the PCs under Mulroney and the dissatisfaction that resulted. The PCs were reduced to 2 seats and would never be reelected in Western Canada and it wasn't until Joe Clark's pride was removed from the equation that the party realized this. Both the Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives agreed to merge into this new party.

I personally do not understand the fear I've been hearing.

[portnoise]

Just found out I'm going to be a poll scrutineer... exciting and had to share... :-)

[chrisj]

Originally Posted by Karim

Gun Registry
- original budget presented to taxpayers $2 million
- current budget approaching $2 billion

HRDC/Job Grants Scandal: $1 billion

CSL/Sponsorship Scandal: $161 million

Ahh... okay, at least your not just referring to the most recent one. But even so, scandals are nothing new to politics.

As I said before, the NDP have never run a federal government, but provincially there have been a number (for example, in BC) - such as the provincial gov't wasting $500 million for their high speed catamaran ferries.

Or the last Conservative government? Bre-X? Airbus?

No matter who is elected - there is always going to be some amount of waste and corruption in government.

The other three quotes were not mine. The lack of an associated username makes it appear that they were my statements.

You are correct. Sorry about that, I forgot to include his username in the first part of it.

I personally do not understand the fear I've been hearing.

Eh... I guess I just hear plenty of promises, without any realistic plan to implement them.

We're going to cut taxes? Great! We're going to fix health care? Great! We're going to invest in the military? Okay, sure. But how the hell are we going to pay for it all when we're just barely running a surplus now?

"We'll reduce gov't waste" they say.

But that brings me back to what I said earlier. No matter who is elected - there is always going to be some amount of waste and corruption in government. It's a fact, there will always be someone in power who is irresponsible.

What's funny, to me, is that I am technically a member of the Conservative party.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by chrisj

What's funny, to me, is that I am technically a member of the Conservative party.

I'll be voting Green. The Conservative candidate in my riding is an idiot but he'll win by a landslide. Plus, since the Green Party took the effort to run a candidate in all 308 ridings, I think they should have had a spot in the debates. I think if they get 2% of the vote, their expenses will be covered and maybe with that comes a little more recognition that Canadians are looking for something different.

[WussGawd]

Originally Posted by Dutch

I am rooting for who ever likes the USA more.

That narrows the field considerably, considering the village idiot currently living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

See, I'll threadjack this into a US politics thread yet. :P

[Joe Canadian]

Vote Conservative, elect a leader that will ALWAYS be willing to bend over for Bush!!!!

[Joe Canadian]

Originally Posted by Karim

I would argue that the current Conservative Party is substantially different than the Progressive Conservatives under Brian Mulroney and therefore it is an unfair comparison.

Indeed the current Conservative is overrun with people who are anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, pro-whatever Bush tells us to do, pro-war, etc. Those opinions, IMO, are not a true representation of what Canadians think... sad thing is they have the best chance of winning my district, and possibly the election as a whole.

[Wolfpack]

Originally Posted by Joe Canadian

Indeed the current Conservative is overrun with people who are anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, pro-whatever Bush tells us to do, pro-war, etc. Those opinions, IMO, are not a true representation of what Canadians think... sad thing is they have the best chance of winning my district, and possibly the election as a whole.

Um...isn't this slightly contradictory? If it weren't a true representation of what Canadians think, then the Conservatives have no shot, right?

(Yeah, yeah, Bush lost the popular vote, but he won by the rules laid out in the Constitution, and I assume the ridings in Canada aren't gerrymandered to hell and gone like the US Congressional districts are, which can lead to somewhat misleading election results....)

[bbor]

Originally Posted by Karim

I'll be voting Green. The Conservative candidate in my riding is an idiot but he'll win by a landslide. Plus, since the Green Party took the effort to run a candidate in all 308 ridings, I think they should have had a spot in the debates. I think if they get 2% of the vote, their expenses will be covered and maybe with that comes a little more recognition that Canadians are looking for something different.

Ditto...if they were to win(not a chance EVER) but if they did...they would still spend money like crazy,just like everyone else...but at least they would spend it on the enviroment instead of lining their buddies pockets.

[Karim]

Originally Posted by Joe Canadian

Indeed the current Conservative is overrun with people who are anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage, pro-whatever Bush tells us to do, pro-war, etc. Those opinions, IMO, are not a true representation of what Canadians think... sad thing is they have the best chance of winning my district, and possibly the election as a whole.

Have you confirmed in person that your candidate is against abortion, is homophobic and will turn look to Capitol Hill for policy advice? If not, name a person in the party you know fit the criteria of an extreme right-wing, homophobe? The party is hardly "overrun" with these types of people. Before the election Martin was anti-gay marriage. Is he an extremist?

Having worked for the party, I can confirm that there are indeed social conservatives in the party. This is not surprising as all parties are formed by various interests but they are a small part of the party. Being a social conservative is not synonymous with being an extremist but people obviously can't make the distinction, instead accepting the spoonfeeding done by the media.

How come the left-wing radicals of the Liberal Party are never questioned by the CBC?

[GMO]

Michael Moore, the American author and filmmaker, made a statement to Canadians about the Canadian election "You've got four days after it (his movie) opens, to get people out to the polls to make sure that Mr. Harper doesn't become your next prime minister,".

Ralph Nader, an American, also stated that Canadians should not vote for Harper.

Why is there no outrage from the Liberal party and the media about this American interference in Canadian politics?

If U.S. President Bush or a member of the Republican party said that Canadians should not vote for the Liberal party we would be hearing for years about American interference in Canadian politics.

Double standard?