Canada's going to the polls!

www.ctv.ca...


We'll be casting our ballots for a new(or the same) Federal Government on Oct. 14th.

Prime Minister Harper will be visiting the Governor General on Sunday morning to have the 39th Parliament of Canada dissolved.

After almost a year of speculation, guessing games and pseudo campaigning: we are into an Election.

I'll be using this thread to post important aspects of the Campaigns from all major parties (and some minor) in Canada.

Here's the links to the Major parties in Canada websites.

Conservative Party of Canada

Liberal Party of Canada

New Democratic Party

Green Party

We also have one other major party here in Canada, The Bloc Quebecois. They will only be running candidates in Quebec and maybe a handful across the rest of the country but they still hold political clout here.

Bloc Quebecois

Please feel free to add any comments or relevant information to the thread. I'd like to hear all Canadians POV on the upcoming Election. Is it needed? Who do you support? Good and bad points of the parties. Anything at all.

Here's a couple of polls on how Canadians feel about the issues which should dominate this run-off.

Health Care is Key Issue for Canadian Voters
September 02, 2008 Sept. 3rd

Conservatives ahead in the polls sept. 1st.

Here's a valuable link that gives you links to a myriad of media sites in Canada.

www.sfu.ca...

Yay Politics. I know our election will be over shadowed by the US Presidential race but it is vitally important to my country so I'll keep anyone inyterested up to date.

awesome, glad to see this thread started, i was hoping someone informed would start one. I am going to peruse through the websites and glean what i can through the usual BS that can be expected from someone trying to sell you something.
One thing i noted was Dion's hypocrisy of the Carbon Tax; he was against it this time last year, and now he is pushing for it... this was from the Conservative site, im going to check out what Dion himself has to say about it.

Thanks for a well thought OP with appropriate links.

Is it needed?

I'd like to think so. Canada is booming right now and the only way to keep moving up is with the Conservative party's policies. The other parties seem to only want to talk about environmental issues (bs imho) and how they will add on more taxes. I mean do we really want Al Gore for Prime Minister?

I will tell you one of the reasons why I like what is happening in Canada since conservatives took over. My parents have worked incredibly hard all their life and over the last couple of years have really started to earn alot of cash. But this year was the first year that they actually got a tax refund, which was a pretty sizable one at that. My parents now own two homes, two relatively new vehicles and have alot of disposable income. This is something my parents would never have dreamed of 10 years ago.

Seems like a simple concept. Let people keep more of their own money so they can spend and invest. Since the conservatives took over taxes have been lower for individuals and businesses.

I think it's a great idea for Harper to set the election soon because he knows how the country is doing great right now as a result of his policies. He knows that if they have an election now, the conservatives will win a majority government. I for one believe that once the NDP and the Liberals are out of the way, the conservatives will make this country explode with prosperity and we will enjoy yet lower taxes.

Health Care is Key Issue for Canadian Voters
September 02, 2008

I don't really get how health care is the number 1 issue. I mean to me it seems the people that complain about our health care are the people that go to the hospital for every bruise or headache and complain about how it takes to long. Seriously people, suck it up and take care of yourself.

Now I could go on and talk about what I think will happen to our health care system in the future and would love to speculate but it seems to me privatized health care is gaining alot of popularity in the western provinces.

Just my 2 cents worth

Well, it's official. Prime Minister Harper has officially called the election for October 14th.

www.cbc.ca...

Harper made the announcement outside Rideau Hall where he met briefly with Michaëlle Jean, and asked that the minority government be dissolved.

So ends the longest running Minority Government in Canadian History.

Originally posted by Cool Hand Luke

I'd like to think so. Canada is booming right now and the only way to keep moving up is with the Conservative party's policies. The other parties seem to only want to talk about environmental issues (bs imho) and how they will add on more taxes. I mean do we really want Al Gore for Prime Minister?

Well Canada isn't exactly booming, although the West is. As a matter of fact, our Economy is slowing down considerably. Our first quarter was negative growth but we avoided a recession with a a small growth in the second quarter of this year. I do agree though that Dion would be a terrible choice to lead our country. His track record of indecision and his lack of ability to stand up to Harper doesn't bode well for him, in my opinion.

Some Election issues.

Harper is doing exactly what he critisized the Liberals for before the last election in '06. Since June, the Federal Government has spent 8.8 Billion dollars in pre election spending.

www.taxpayer.com...

That kind of spending isn't very conservative in my eyes. Although, I'm not sure you could find a government that knew it was going to the polls not spending like mad trying to buy votes.

Originally posted by GAOTU789

Well Canada isn't exactly booming, although the West is.

I guess I am talking about my own and friends and families' experience right now. I'm in Winnipeg, and have family and friends all over western Canada where they cannot find enough workers. That's where that comment came from.

As a matter of fact, our Economy is slowing down considerably. Our first quarter was negative growth but we avoided a recession with a a small growth in the second quarter of this year.

Meh. You know the economy will always have ups and downs no matter who is leading the country. The best a leader can do is help keep prices down and let people keep more of their money so that people can avoid tough economic times. I do believe, in that way, Harper has done a great job.

I do agree though that Dion would be a terrible choice to lead our country. His track record of indecision and his lack of ability to stand up to Harper doesn't bode well for him, in my opinion.

To be honest I still don't know what he is proposing other than carbon tax this, carbon tax that. It's funny that he has to put up ads to try and convince people that he is not awkward.

Harper is doing exactly what he critisized the Liberals for before the last election in '06. Since June, the Federal Government has spent 8.8 Billion dollars in pre election spending.

www.taxpayer.com...

Thanks for the link. If you look at the majority of the spending, the top 4 are infrastructure, defence, R & D and job training. These are all things that one can think of as an investment. Without proper roadwork commerce ceases. Spending on defence creates jobs for the equipment and construction needed and also it is imperative when we are at war, that our soldiers have the best equipment to be as effective and safe as possible. Investing in R&D is investing in future technologies that give rise to new jobs. Job training, well that is self explanatory for current and future residents of Canada.

(A little note here, I don't think government should have to pay for people to be trained for jobs. My personal opinion is that if people want a job they will train themselves or businesses will train them. I am a pull yourself up by your own bootstraps type )

That kind of spending isn't very conservative in my eyes. Although, I'm not sure you could find a government that knew it was going to the polls not spending like mad trying to buy votes.

I agree with you a to a certain extent. But the fact of the matter is most of the spending is going to things that I think are necessary. Sure there are a number of things I would like them to cut so we could lower taxes yet more, but as you said they are trying to appeal to as many people as possible. And in this election, it will pay off big time. That's just good politics imo.

BTW this will be the first election I will be voting in because I want to help anyway I can to keep Canada chugging and not be bogged by a person who wants to punish Canadians for not buying non-existant technologies.

[edit on 9-9-2008 by Cool Hand Luke]

I guess with his(Harpers) popularity at an all time high,what's this the 3rd election in 4 years or something? this is getting just silly ,There is alot of talk of tax cuts,where's the weed party? Yippie.

I just emailed my local liberal candidate this week and told him I WILL NOT be voting for him because he flooded our town with election signs. I woke up one morning last week and the whole town was REDwith signs everywhere. It's an eyesore. Not just one every on every corner but every frikin 25 meters along the road leading up to every frikin intersections there are his campaign signs.

ARGH



[edit on 9-9-2008 by Tuebor]