Who should I vote for?

[mindspell]

Canadian federal elections today so here is a poll to cast your vote.

The options are :

• The Conservative party: basically trying to emulate W's Republicans, massive amountsw of money poured into military, will adhere to anything the US will say in terms of international and cross border politics and actually made comments about abolishing legal abortion. Plans on tons of tax cuts, decentralizing a bunch of services, and plans to end most of the mixed competence of provincial and federal government (ie, the federal should not have a health minister as it is provincial competence)Currently neck and neck with the Liberals in the polls, no seats planned in Quebec.http://www.conservative.ca/english/index.asp
• The Liberal party: As said previously currently neck and neck in the polls. Formed the 3 previous government that ended with tons of wasted money and corruption scandals. The former prime minister resigned just before most of that happened. The current leader, Paul Martin was the architect behind the return to budget balance and surplus in the nineties as the finance minister. Apparently was not involved in the said scandals but it still happened under his watch. Their program is a continuation of what they have started in the past three term, not much difference. Mostly a center party which is hard to find in any democracy. Should win most of the anglophone seats of Quebec. http://www.liberal.ca/
• New Democratic Party: An almost extreme left party that tries to pass as the protector of the family. They say all the right things but their program is really scary in reality. Not really an option as far as I am concerned. http://www.ndp.ca
• Bloc Quebecois: Regional party of Quebec supposed to represent the interests of Quebec at the federal level. Formed in the early nineties by defecting Conservatives and ended up as a separatist party at some point but no longer is a part of their program. Because it is so regional to Quebec it is impossible for them to form a government. Has been the best guard dog in opposition for the last two terms, discovering most of the scandals previously mentionned (without the help of media I might add). Currently way ahead of everybody in the polls in Quebec, should win 90% of the seats available. People who don't vote Bloc will vote liberal in Quebec because the right scares everybody. (the official site is only in french so here is the wikipedia reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloc_Qu%E9b%E9cois)
• Green Party: You know what it is about, their program is really out there and mostly unfeasable. http://www.greenparty.ca

 

[lizard]

I'd go for #2 because despite the scandals they are the most sensible.

 

[avi]

the way you phrase it, #2 seems the way to go.

it's a shame that the policies of the greens and (more extreme) lefties are almost always totally unfeasible and unrealistic.

 

[xfer]

i think you should vote for the choice that rates highest on both the left and pro-American axes. contrariness is pointless, and leftishness should be enough to ensure that Canada feels free to disagree with America when it swings right yet agree when it swings left.

 

[mindspell]

As an added bonus here are the biggest scandal or wasted money:

-Sponsoring scandal: Government gave out millions in sponsoring to different companies to raise the profile for athletes and of the government. A particular publicity company cashed in over 10 million without even delivering in the publicity they were supposed to do. A particular athlete got sponsored hundreds of thousand dollars by a railway company who was only a proxy for the government money to be given out, also taking a large sum. Many other such things happened.

-Gun registry: a project to register all guns in Canada was started. One billion later an estimated 50% of the guns were registered and the estimated annual cost of the registry is 67 millions.

 

[lizard]

#1 is pointless unless you wish to turn your nation into a repository of cannon fodder for the US's messianic (sp) foreign policies.

 

[mindspell]

Actually the Conservatives have a few good ideas, just a load of bad ones. Decentralism is great. Tax cuts are great but I have no idea where they will take the money with all the money they plan on spending. Abolishing mixed competence is also a great idea.

Alex: Then that would probably the Liberals...

 

[mousewings]

hahaha, Green Party.

Either number 2 or number 3 IMO.

Probably the Liberals to keep the Conservatives out of office.

 

[jerkstore]

I'm voting Liberal...the only realistic, non-scary option as far as I'm concerned.

 

[mindspell]

I am leaning that way too. Voting Bloc is voting Conservative and I'd rather not do that...

 

[Nut Butter]

So I just came back from the polls... It always smells funny in those places, and I only ever smell it when I go to vote. Smells like the people, I guess. Anyway, I did my part to keep that fascist-in-waiting little fuck Harper off the Throne. bah! *most disillusioned vote ever*

 

[lizard]

pssst...mindspell....wtf?

You gotta love Canadian elections.

Canadians have gone to the polls in a federal election with a firm warning from election officials: Please do not eat your ballots. "Eating a ballot, not returning it or otherwise destroying or defacing it constitutes a serious breach of the Canada Elections Act," Elections Canada warns on its Internet site.

The issue was of sufficient concern to warrant inclusion in the site's "Frequency asked Questions" section, above answers to such inquiries as "Why should I vote?" and "Am I registered?"

Three Alberta men were charged with eating their paper ballots during Canada's last federal election, in 2000. The members of the Edible Ballot Society were protesting against what they said was a lack of real choice among candidates.

 

[mindspell]

The results was that the Liberal won but will be in minority so will have to do an alliance with either the Bloc or the NDP, most probably the NDP. It will be interesting to see how it goes, it has been 30 years since the last minority government and then it did not go as good as expected.

Overall Election Results
Party Elected Leading Total Vote Share
LIB 135 0 135 36.71%
CON 99 0 99 29.61%
BQ 54 0 54 12.40%
NDP 19 0 19 15.69%
NA 1 0 1 .13%
OTH 0 0 0 5.47%

 

[jerkstore]

I think a minority is a good thing...during Layton's speech last night he was going on about holding the Liberals to their campaign promises, which the NDP may well have the power to do given the minority situation.

Turned out pretty well, if you ask me.

 

[mindspell]

It did turn out pretty well. However I don't know how long that will last until we are back voting again.

 

[xfer]

also, FYI: "For whom should I vote?"

 

[mindspell]

There you go. Because Mr English degree has nothing to say in a political conservation he has to boost his ego by showing the french guy how to write proper sentences. Bravo!

 

[xfer]

That's right--I never have anything to say in a political conversation.

 

[mindspell]

I meant in this particular conversation

bleh!

 

[xfer]

I already contributed to the political discussion, and I remembered you once asking for points on your English, so I thought I would comply!