Valka D'Ur

Hosting Iron Pen in A&E
Retired Moderator
Joined
Mar 3, 2005
Messages
29,997
Location
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada
And what I want to know is WHY??? :gripe:

We just had one two years ago. And while I think it would be amusing as hell if Jody Wilson-Raybould were defeated one month shy of the six years she'd need to get her extremely generous MP's pension, that's not enough to make up for the aggravation this is already causing, holding a federal election during a pandemic.

Dear Justin: You are not going to be loved for this. People are going to be very irate with you, including me, whose family voted Liberal for decades (I switched 20 years ago to a different party).


So, some advice and suggestions to the Canadians of CFCOT (and elsewhere on the board):

1. Make sure your information is updated with Elections Canada. It's easy to do it online; I got it taken care of last night.

2. If you don't have government-issued photo ID, you'll need two from Harper's Holy List of 39 Alternatives. I'm not sure if the VICs are included this time as valid ID. Depending on how fast they get them out, mine might go to my previous address, and the jerk who lives there might tell them I've moved (true, but if EC interprets that to mean that my new address is also invalid... let's just say I will be checking back several times to make sure I don't mysteriously "move" without my knowledge).

3. A lot of people are asking about mail-in ballots this year. If you opt for this, you'll need to send copies of your ID. Choose the ones that are least likely to help an identity thief if your paperwork gets lost or astray with Canada Post. Do NOT use banking, credit card, or SIN cards. Elections Canada has no need to EVER see that information. Those are between you and CRA.

4. If you're annoyed by this election, don't spoil your ballot. There's no point in doing that because the only people who will ever see it are the Deputy Returning Officer, maybe the Poll Clerk, and possibly a scrutineer if they feel like challenging the DRO's decision to declare it a spoiled ballot. The candidates never see these, and nobody cares. All you're doing is making extra work for the DRO/Poll Clerk team.

5. You can show up to a polling station and formally decline your ballot. That's another way of saying "none of the above".

6. Voting at the polling station? Don't tell the DRO (s)he doesn't have to say the same spiel you just heard them say to everyone else in front of you. They have to say it to everyone, every time. It's one of the rules in the EC manual, and one of the reasons why DROs in busy polling stations often have laryngitis the next day.

7. Elections workers are not volunteers. They are paid (different amounts, depending on what job they do). Unless they're rude or not following procedure for some reason (those trained in 2015 had abysmal training, going by the horror stories I heard), be patient. They have a 12 to 15-hour day and it's honestly exhausting. They're allowed bathroom breaks, but meal breaks have to be during quiet times. They don't get to leave until the votes are counted and every last scrap of paper is accounted for.

8. You are not allowed to take pictures of your ballot. You are not allowed to remove your ballot from the polling station. These rules are to help ensure the integrity of the vote.

9. Do not wear anything that could be considered "campaign literature" into the polling station - party/candidate t-shirts, hats, pins, masks. No, the workers in Alberta will not be amused by 'MAGA' hats. It's okay to wear a maple leaf pin or Canadian flag pin.

10. Don't bring your kids unless there's nobody to look after them. Explain that polling stations are not places to play and they should be quiet and not go behind the screen at the voting station. Strictly speaking, the only people who should be in a polling station are EC workers and voters.

11. I have no idea what the rules are about masks in general. That may come down to whatever the local Returning Officer and municipality decide.


Anyway, that's off the top of my head. I'm really not happy about this election being called during a pandemic, just halfway through the mandate. We've already got municipal elections going on in Alberta, and given how many municipal issues are directly driven by the idiots in the provincial government, it's like two elections at once already (3 if you count the idiocy of holding a senate vote and the PM doesn't even have to appoint the winner).
 
Let me say that in Canada we vote for candidates in our local riding and NOT for the prime minister directly. HOWEVER, since the party that ends up in power in Ottawa has the biggest impact on our lives we usually end up deciding who to vote for locally based on which party (and prime minister) we want to be ruling the frozen canadian empire from the capital. FURTHERMORE, strategic voting implications can also have an influence, since if your preferred party's candidate has no chance in your own riding, it might make sense to vote for an alternate party that would "take a vote away" from a party you dislike.

It's not a great time for an election, but let's be honest.. all the parties except maybe the dysfunctional Greens would have probably done something like this if they thought it would pay off.. A part of me has to accept that, even if I don't like it. I hate Trudeau for doing this now, and I think it's going to backfire, but don't hate the player, hate the game?

With that out of the way, here is how I view all the options this year:

Liberal Party of Canada - The only good thing about this party really is that they lean to the left on many issues and aren't crazy. Great intentions, but also a bit corrupt, there's broken promises and arrogance and at times a naive approach to governance. Well funded and overall they probably have a decent vision for the future of Canada. If you have nothing else to fall back on then the Liberal Party will probably get about half of the job done.

New Democratic Party of Canada - This is a social democratic party that supposedly represents the interests of middle and working classes. They are a bit further left of the Liberals and have never before won a federal election, although in 2011 they "broke through" becoming the official opposition for the first time. This is sort of the "3rd party" that "can split the left". They have had more electoral success on a provincial level, although some provincial NDP leaders have left bad memories with some Canadians and many now associate them with higher taxes, pointing at the growing Canadian debt.. The promise from the NDP are higher taxes on the rich to pay down some of the debt (including the money spent on covid19), and I THINK I will probably end up voting for them. I am not 100% convinced that they aren't incompetent, since lately they have been throwing a bunch of greenhorn candidates into ridings for elections just to get them in there (it seems). Their leader also has some ties to some potentially questionable groups in southern Asia.

So that doesn't sound great. But THE THING IS, the Liberals promised us electoral reform and said they would back net neutrality. They said we'll get cheaper cell phone and internet plans. They have backed down from all these promises and are instead busy bending over for the big Canadian telco companies. And I understand the strategic intent of an election at this time, but seriously, it's probably time to give the NDP a chance. The Liberals are getting too cocky, we have to remind them who's interests they are supposed to represent.

Conservative Party of Canada - This party is out of touch with the needs of Canadians and the future of this country. They use attack ads reminiscent of what you see south of the border, which just doesn't seem very Canadian. I don't mind conservative values and I think it's fair for conservative voters to have conservative representation in parliament, but this party does not have a leader or vision that is compatible with the needs of this country at this time.

Green Party of Canada - This is the party I was voting for in every election for a while, since I don't really like any of the other parties (and I do like the environment). But then slowly over time, as this party got more popular, they started embracing more and more pseudoscientific nonsense and I just can't support a non-scientific party that's trying to put us on a greener path. For that you need to embrace science instead of rejecting it. They've admittedly turned around a bit on this point and I commend them on that.. but there's been some sort of a scandal lately that has nothing to do with the environment, it seems to be splitting the party in two.. They get about 5-10% support form the electorate last I checked, but that only ever translates to 1 or 2 seats countrywide.. Not very fair, and that's exactly what the Liberal party promise of electoral reform was supposed to fix.. but.. yeah.. Anyway, the Green party is always an option for me in the back of the head, but I haven't voted for them in a while due to the aforementioned reasons. Maybe their new leader can see them flourish and gain relevancy again, but so far it doesn't seem so.

I am going to be looking over the platforms of these 4 parties before deciding who to vote for. If there isn't a platform, you are automatically rejected as a candidate for my vote. Strategic voting might also come into play, but we'll see. So I guess what I'm trying to say is.. I think I am going to vote for the NDP, but that isn't set in stone yet. My city usually elects NDP candidates anyway (with 1-2 out of 4 ridings usually going to the Libs or Cons)
 
You can’t heave Steve but you can take Justin to the dustbin.
:lol:

The problem is that the NDP has no chance of winning, and the Liberals are the best of a bad lot.
 
Green Party of Canada - This is the party I was voting for in every election for a while, since I don't really like any of the other parties (and I do like the environment). But then slowly over time, as this party got more popular, they started embracing more and more pseudoscientific nonsense and I just can't support a non-scientific party that's trying to put us on a greener path. For that you need to embrace science instead of rejecting it. They've admittedly turned around a bit on this point and I commend them on that.. but there's been some sort of a scandal lately that has nothing to do with the environment, it seems to be splitting the party in two.. They get about 5-10% support form the electorate last I checked, but that only ever translates to 1 or 2 seats countrywide.. Not very fair, and that's exactly what the Liberal party promise of electoral reform was supposed to fix.. but.. yeah.. Anyway, the Green party is always an option for me in the back of the head, but I haven't voted for them in a while due to the aforementioned reasons. Maybe their new leader can see them flourish and gain relevancy again, but so far it doesn't seem so.
What the Green imploded over has nothing whatsoever to do with the environment and everything to do with the party members not being able to agree on what their official stance is on Israel vs. Palestine.

The current leader does not inspire any confidence in me. Whatever Elizabeth May's position is on the Middle East, I don't care because it's such a mess that nobody can sort it out, certainly not a 4th-place federal party in Canada. What I liked about Elizabeth May is that she was the only party leader I could write to about an issue and get a real answer, by her, on-topic. None of the other parties ever did that.

If you want a reason to vote Jagmeet Singh... well, he's not a bad bhangra dancer. I've seen worse. If that's what you're looking for in a Prime Minister.
 
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I mainly look at the party's plans for the future. If the leader is at least competent then he/she should be able to execute those plans with some amount of success. If that person is also a good orator and has charisma and can represent Canada well abroad then that's bonus for me.

I also am not sure if it's important for a minor environmentally centered party to put so much emphasis on a conflict halfway around the world. Maybe if they had a chance to form a government, then it'd be relevant. Right now their focus should be 100% on the environment and pushing the other parties in an environmentally sustainable direction as much as possible, IMO
 
What are the chances you guys keep Prime Minister Sweater-Model?
 
It seems right now most are predicting a near majority or majority for the Liberals. So probably like 90% assuming we are talking about the same guy (which we must be, but I haven't noticed the sweaters)

No idea how reputable this source is, but here is a neat visualization of the current state of affairs at least as far as poll analysis goes

 
So probably like 90% assuming we are talking about the same guy (which we must be, but I haven't noticed the sweaters)
Its just a joke some late-night host made, about how Trudeau looks like he should be on the cover of a clothing magazine modeling their new his&her winter sweater line.
 
I would like to vote for the NDP, but it depends on how close the numbers are in the polling for my local riding. I might not be motivated enough to get out and vote during a pandemic if it's not particularly close.
 
What are the chances you guys keep Prime Minister Sweater-Model?
You mean Harper? He's the one who wore sweaters in his campaign ads, sitting in front of a fireplace and holding a kitten who definitely did not wear a facial expression that said, "I'm so happy to be here, don't rescue me from this disgusting human." He's not running, but he is very likely helping to pull backroom strings.
 
I am interested in how this election plays out. I have heard of scandals affected Justin Trudeau. Are they enough to affect him?

I always thought of Trudeau as similar to Jacinda Ardern, although @Zardnaar might disagree. :)
 
I am interested in how this election plays out. I have heard of scandals affected Justin Trudeau. Are they enough to affect him?

I always thought of Trudeau as similar to Jacinda Ardern, although @Zardnaar might disagree. :)

One could make that arguement. Slightly left of center probably mean well fail at most things seems about right.
 
:lol:

The problem is that the NDP has no chance of winning, and the Liberals are the best of a bad lot.
I got no horse in this race. The extent of what I know is: Trudeau is PM, he’s a Liberal. There’s also the New Democratic Party, left of the Liberals, and the (Progressive?) Conservatives. I don’t know if the Bloc Quebecois is even around anymore.

I’m just here to rhyme.
 
Let me say that in Canada we vote for candidates in our local riding and NOT for the prime minister directly. HOWEVER, since the party that ends up in power in Ottawa has the biggest impact on our lives we usually end up deciding who to vote for locally based on which party (and prime minister) we want to be ruling the frozen canadian empire from the capital. FURTHERMORE, strategic voting implications can also have an influence, since if your preferred party's candidate has no chance in your own riding, it might make sense to vote for an alternate party that would "take a vote away" from a party you dislike.

Its very true, we will often say to each other we voted for "so and so for PM" when all we really did was for for the local from that candidate's party. Pretty familiar to anyone living in a Westminster Parliamentary Democracy: there's the actual rules which make it seem like the newly decided MP's decide who will be PM only after they all get to Ottawa, and then of course the reality that MP's run in parties with their own constitutions to elect a leader in advance who will become PM if their party can form government.

Nonetheless I do consider the local candidate before I cast my vote. My riding has an incumbant NDP who is not running for re-election. And so while I voted for him in the past I'm not committed to voting NDP just yet. I could consider voting Green but only with a strong candidate who won't alienate local sentiments by mouthing off about seal hunts. I've never voted LPC before but could consider doing so, mostly out of frustration with you our system works, and in the hope that in a liberal majority a strong liberal candidate in my neck of the woods would actually maybe get some attention to the needs of my neck of the woods. Egad, I'm slipping into patronage politics! But one thing I've learned form leaving Upper Canada is that if you don't live in Upper or Lower Canada this federal democracy don't really do much for you. I use the colonial terms for Ontario and Quebec not to be provocative but to clarify I don't mean everyone in Ontario or Quebec I just mean the old establishment.

One could make that arguement. Slightly left of center probably mean well fail at most things seems about right.

From this side Jacinda looks WAY better than Justin, who comes off as inauthentic to me. But what I like about your PM (including Greens in cabinet when she didn't have to ) and your system (no more first-past-the-post?) don't seem to be helping with the NZ housing market crisis. I would think a Labour Party with such a strong mandate would be able to do something about that, so I take your point to heart.

I got no horse in this race. The extent of what I know is: Trudeau is PM, he’s a Liberal. There’s also the New Democratic Party, left of the Liberals, and the (Progressive?) Conservatives. I don’t know if the Bloc Quebecois is even around anymore.

I’m just here to rhyme.

Conservatives, at least federally, purged the "Progressives" years ago when they split then later reunited. BQ is certainly around but not showing many vital signs and there is also an anti-mask party whose name I deliberately forgot.
 
It seems right now most are predicting a near majority or majority for the Liberals.
I looked at this and thought "what? But the red side looks to be winning" without reading the labels.

An unfortunate legacy of the 2000 elections where the major TV networks all had red for Republicans and blue for Democrats. Speculating as to why, I think it's probably r = red = Republican and blue is, well, the other color representing America in symbolism. I guess they could change their name to the Blemocrats and then we'd be all synced up.
 
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