Thoughts on upcoming Canadian election?

For the minority of us Canucks on the board, a federal election is coming up on January 23. As a long-time Liberal, I'm in a tough spot. The election was called after a non-confidence vote placed by the NDP party - even though this was essentially "going to bed" with the Conservatives - due to the scandals plaguing the Liberals as of late. At first polls showed the Liberals with a slight lead (no matter what, it's pretty certain the winning party will still only have a minority government) but last week, Ipsos-Reid showed the Conservatives leading 34-33. In the last few days, Ekos has posted a wider margin of 36-30 for the Conservatives.

BC's provincial politics have usually been between the Liberals and NDP (left and left-er), but on the federal front, we're a swing province, and I've seen more lawn signs for the Conservatives than ever before. Curious to hear what the buzz is across the nation (and for the folks in the States) on this.

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Crikey, that DOES suck! How's your NDP candidate?

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Once I get off the bike generating electricity for this household and the commune next door, I'll get a snowdog to fetch an atlas.

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I haven't totally discounted the Liberals yet. If it's really a Grit-Tory race, it boils down to a question of, do we vote for the known criminal or the criminal whose offenses we aren't aware of (yet)? The way I see it, if Harper's government goes through trying to take back gay marriage and banning abortion, their constitutional offenses against their own citizens are more heinous than the Liberal's sponsorship scandal. What were the Green's anti-Semetic remarks?

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Thanks. Green isn't too big out here so I'm usually left in the dark over their diatribe.

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I'm voting Liberal this year (after voting NDP in the last election). The MP of my riding, Susan Kadis, voted in favour of gay marriage and is chair of the woman's equity commission or something or other. So I'm a fan.

But I must concede that the Conservatives have been running a very effective campaign. Except for the GST break, Harper's platform isn't exactly revolutionary -- he was just the first out of the racing cages. But he's announcing very plans for very middle-of-the-road iniatives regarding things all Canadians are concerned about, before the Liberals and NDP have had a chance to release their own platform. So I can see why he's gained so much ground -- he's learned his lesson from the last election.

My PoliSci friend said something interesting that I'm beginning to see the wisdom of: she said that it might actually do the country some good if the Conservatives form a minority government, because who would they form a coalition with? Surely not the Liberals, and the NDP would be unthinkable. Who's left -- the Bloc?? Can you see the Conservatives with the Separatists? In any case, a Conservative minority government won't be able to get anything done, and will be destined to fall, and fast. Then Canada would just revert back to a stronger Liberal majority.

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Updated On: 1/7/06 at 10:05 PM

Harper's plan doesn't need to be revolutionary, really. (Was it a GST break or an income tax break he proposed?) All he has to do is sit back and say "sponsorship scandal" once in a while and he gets more points. I agree, the Tory campaign has been very effective so far. A librarian friend said the same thing today, about the inability for the Tories to get anything done in office. (The lack of NDP backing and that good ol' Charter helps stall things.) I may go NDP. Raymond Chan (the Liberal MP for my riding) had been coasting because he knew he has the Chinese vote secure. That's the thing I've noticed this time around - 70% of my riding is Asian, and the vast majority are middle-aged immigrants. I assume they normally would vote Conservative (socially and probably fiscally) but for previous elections, it was suggested that Raymond Chan kept winning because they wanted a Chinese rep in Ottawa. Now, like I said earlier, many, many of those households are now voting Conservative.

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Makes sense, but no, in this neck of the woods, I'm quite sure that many, if not most, of the immigrant population would have voted Conservative in the past few provincial and federal elections if not for Raymond Chan being Asian. In fact, Raymond lost one election year to the Alliance candidate, Joe Peschisolido, who notoriously then crossed the floor to the Liberals, and regally pissed off the riding. But after that, Raymond beat Joe for the Liberal nomination, and won the latest election.

Let me look up www.canada.com. According to that librarian friend, there was an article in the local paper recently about the influence of the Chinese vote. I haven't seen it yet but I'll look.


(PS. No problem! Congratulations on your LSAT - are you packing your bags for U of O? Parents are doing their first Europe trip and cruise this fall, and I'm seething with Hatsumomo-like jealousy. )

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Updated On: 1/7/06 at 11:11 PM

Carolyn Bennett is my Lib nom/ incumbent. She freaking haunts my subway stop in the AM. Sigh ALL of the candidates are much of a muchness slobbering for power. I really resent the NDP for forcing this election when things were actually working due to the nature of a minority gov. I also don't believe Martin was involved in the slush fund scandale as we all know how much Cretien HATED Martin & pushed him out of the loop @ every opportunity. But the Conservative make my skin crawl tho I will agree the have run the best campagn in yrs. Oh and just as an aside immigrant communities tended to vote Liberal as the Libs were percieved as pro immigration as per Trudeau opening the criteria. I hate to do it but I think I gotta go w the Liberals tho it tee's me off royally.

Which is scary. I mean the Conservative are really Alliance in wolf's clothing but they have run the most effective campagn. Like I said "Much of a muchness" amongst them all. REALLY wish there was a viable alternative choice but voting indep only pulls votes from a viable candidate.

Jack and Olivia are the featured couple on my blog today.
The Rambling Corner

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Running there in a mo'! Did you place an advanced vote today?

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