Canadian Elections!

[Zelig]

It doesn't make any difference whether it's on stage or in a crowd.

It's neither of those, it's a controlled photoshoot, as far as I can tell from the picture.

Again, almost certainly less dangerous than the ride to get to the photoshoot.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Did you even read the article? The photoshoot was at the Trudeau home, so no, they didn't have to drive anywhere.

 

[Zelig]

They drove from somewhere to get home.

Has Trudeau come out in support of automated car technologies?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

They drove from somewhere to get home.

Has Trudeau come out in support of automated car technologies?

I don't know, and please just stop. This has nothing to do with cars. It has to do with unsafe handling of a baby (not to mention other peoples' babies at various rallies).

 

[Zelig]

So it has to do with safety.

 

[shadowplay]

The more I look at the riding by riding projections, the more confident I am the Liberals are going to win comfortably. Take a look at these numbers: http://www.threehundredeight.com/p/canada.html

Get used to saying "Prime Minister Trudeau" again, Valka (you're the only Canadian here who's old enough to remember the first one.)

 

[Zelig]

Amazingly, on balance of copyright and the TPP, the Liberals look like the best party now.

The NDP’s Confusion on Copyright Term: Is Term Extension on their Agenda?

I hope we keep getting unstable minorities and nothing gets done until all the parties get some better leaders.

 

[Arwon]

Are you guys voting on a Monday? Jeez.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The more I look at the riding by riding projections, the more confident I am the Liberals are going to win comfortably. Take a look at these numbers: http://www.threehundredeight.com/p/canada.html

Get used to saying "Prime Minister Trudeau" again, Valka (you're the only Canadian here who's old enough to remember the first one.)

I don't mind that at all (though I voted NDP). And if the NDP keeps its position as Official Opposition that's good too, since they tend to be that moral conscience whispering into the Liberals' ears that if they don't keep the promises they made concerning social issues and rights, they can always be brought down on a budget bill.

One of the more bizarre things I learned today was that in a couple of ridings, the polling station supervisors actually prohibited people from wearing maple leaf/Canadian flag pins (threatened to fire at least one worker if he didn't take his off) and in one case, ordered the Canadian flag that was flying outside to be taken down!

The reason? The Canadian flag is red and white, and since red is the Liberal color, these moronic supervisors considered it to be campaigning for the Liberals.

Last time I checked, the flag was for all citizens of Canada, even the Conservatives.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...ag-being-removed-from-manitoba-poll-1.3273165

'Misunderstanding' led to Canadian flag being removed from Manitoba poll

A Canadian flag was removed from a Manitoba advance polling station over the weekend because a worker felt it violated election rules.

Elections Canada said a worker in Virden, near the Saskatchewan boundary, thought the red in the Canadian flag could be interpreted as support for the Liberal party.

Spokeswoman Marie-France Kenny said the Elections Canada returning officer was contacted by a local worker who wanted clarification of the rules.

"One employee did ask that we remove some flags because they were red, which has absolutely nothing to do with partisanship," she said Thursday. "It was all a misunderstanding."

One of the two flags were removed for a period of time, but it was ultimately raised again, Kenny said. She didn't know how long the flag was removed or how quickly the confusion was cleared up.

"As long as nothing is advocating for or against a candidate, there is no reason to remove them from the poll."

The worker had undergone Elections Canada training, which explains the rules that prohibit campaign literature or active campaigning near a polling station, Kenny said.

"The person misunderstood during the training that any colour associated with a party would have to be removed, which is not the case," she said. "The rules are clear — you're not supposed to go in a polling station wearing a T-shirt advocating for a candidate or a party. You're not supposed to advertise at a polling station.

"It was an unfortunate mistake."

Kenny said she didn't know if Elections Canada's rules have been interpreted that overzealously at any other polling station or whether the removal of the flag generated any complaints.

Almost twice as many Manitobans cast ballots in advance polls over the weekend compared with the 2011 election. Just over 108,000 people voted this time, including almost 6,500 in the Brandon-Souris riding which includes Virden.

Some of the comments were pretty funny (none are mine, as I didn't know about this article until after the comments were closed). Here are a few samples:

I need that Elections Canada worker's help immediately: somebody has covered my lawn with NDP-coloured leaves...

The grass is still green here. Perhaps it should be rolled up and put away till after the polls close.

Our polling station is beside the Atlantic Ocean. I DEMAND it be drained until after the election.

...did he also remove anything on the premises with the colors blue, orange, green, gray?

The employee takes down the Canadian flag, but would have to allow people to vote wearing clown, and animal costumes.

What's wrong with this picture?

And there was a comment on another site that suggested holding the election at night, so nobody would be unduly influenced by a blue sky.

HONESTLY, ELECTIONS CANADA DIDN'T USED TO BE THIS MIND-BOGGLINGLY STUPID!

 

[Evie]

And of course they did nothing about the sky.

Conservative bias, I tell you!

EDIT: sorry Valka, missed that part of your post, derp!

(In Québec sky-blue would be Bloc color, but there's no Bloc outside Québec, so in Manitoba the sky is clearly conservative)

 

[Birchbark22]

I don't mind that at all (though I voted NDP). And if the NDP keeps its position as Official Opposition that's good too, since they tend to be that moral conscience whispering into the Liberals' ears that if they don't keep the promises they made concerning social issues and rights, they can always be brought down on a budget bill.

One of the more bizarre things I learned today was that in a couple of ridings, the polling station supervisors actually prohibited people from wearing maple leaf/Canadian flag pins (threatened to fire at least one worker if he didn't take his off) and in one case, ordered the Canadian flag that was flying outside to be taken down!

The reason? The Canadian flag is red and white, and since red is the Liberal color, these moronic supervisors considered it to be campaigning for the Liberals.

Last time I checked, the flag was for all citizens of Canada, even the Conservatives.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manit...ag-being-removed-from-manitoba-poll-1.3273165


Some of the comments were pretty funny (none are mine, as I didn't know about this article until after the comments were closed). Here are a few samples:


And there was a comment on another site that suggested holding the election at night, so nobody would be unduly influenced by a blue sky.

HONESTLY, ELECTIONS CANADA DIDN'T USED TO BE THIS MIND-BOGGLINGLY STUPID!

That has to be one of the most bizzare things that I have heard of for the election regarding red and white colours and ousting the maple leaf, except for the Conservative MP who had hidden himself at night while he had dressed in camo, waiting for the person who had been defacing his tory election signs. A woman had showed up to do in some more signs, so he had handcuffed her to make a citizen's arrest and wait for the RCMP.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north...fs-puts-vandal-under-citizen-arrest-1.3213676

I have been under the weather with a sore throat, will have to crawl out of bed to vote on Monday...then, crawl back under the covers and await the results while sipping chicken soup of some kind...

Having trouble doing multi-quotes, click on the icon but nothing happens. The joys of newbiedom.

 

[shadowplay]

That has to be one of the most bizzare things that I have heard of for the election regarding red and white colours and ousting the maple leaf, except for the Conservative MP who had hidden himself at night while he had dressed in camo, waiting for the person who had been defacing his tory election signs. A woman had showed up to do in some more signs, so he had handcuffed her to make a citizen's arrest and wait for the RCMP.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north...fs-puts-vandal-under-citizen-arrest-1.3213676

Someone in my neighbourhood used to go around slashing conservative signs.. It was disturbing, although not as distressing as a camoflague-clad candidate stalking the bushes.

Having trouble doing multi-quotes, click on the icon but nothing happens. The joys of newbiedom.

After you've clicked on all the "multi" buttons for the posts you intend to reply to, you have to scroll down to the bottom of the thread and click on the "post reply" button in order for them to appear (they won't show up on the "quick reply" form at the bottom of the page).

 

[warpus]

I don't get why the signs aren't illegal to begin with, it's a huge waste of resources and basically nothing more than a huge distraction from the issues.

 

[Zelig]

Rather than having them illegal, I'd like to see parties voluntarily not offering signs.

 

[shadowplay]

I don't get why the signs aren't illegal to begin with, it's a huge waste of resources and basically nothing more than a huge distraction from the issues.

Sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blockin' out the scenery, breakin' your mind?

 

[Synobun]

I don't get why the signs aren't illegal to begin with, it's a huge waste of resources and basically nothing more than a huge distraction from the issues.

This wasn't so much an issue in rural Ontario, but I've noticed that signage is brought to an extreme here in urban Vancouver. I've seen yards with nigh-billboard sized signs for their candidate, along with 3 more standard sized signs strewn throughout the perimeter. Besides being an eye sore, it's kinda... cult-ish.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Aw, you think my avatar is an eyesore?

I'm going back to cats tomorrow, promise!

 

[Synobun]

Aw, you think my avatar is an eyesore?

I'm going back to cats tomorrow, promise!

At its current size, nah. Now, blow that bad boy up to being at least 5 feet wide and then we'll have to revisit that conviction.

 

[Formaldehyde]

John Oliver nails the Canadian elections, while making himself subject to a nonsensical $5K penalty for even daring to speak about the Canadian elections as a non-Canadian:


Link to video.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

He's right in saying that Justin Trudeau knows how to connect with voters on an emotional level that Pierre Trudeau never could. OTOH, some people preferred Pierre Trudeau precisely because he was very blunt and didn't care if he hurt peoples' feelings.

John Cleese has endorsed Justin Trudeau, too, and is also getting the "how dare he interfere in our election" treatment.