TORONTO (CP) - The so-called ethnic vote is more fluid and fickle than in past federal elections and can't readily be bought with high-profile campaign promises, experts and activists say.
Paul Martin is promising to waive the hated immigration landing fee, while Stephen Harper says he'll reduce that fee and apologize to Chinese immigrants for a century-old head tax.
The Conservative leader's stand on same-sex marriage and Martin's get-tough stance on gun crimes are also viewed as grabs for the ethnic vote.
Still, those messages don't hold the political currency they once might have amid a fragmented ethnic population.
The ethnic vote "does exist - it's just very hard to exploit," says Stephen Clarkson, professor of politics at the University of Toronto.
"It's hard on both sides - hard for the immigrant group leaders to manage and control those votes, and it's hard for the parties to appeal (to them)."
While past generations of immigrants may have voted in blocs and passed those habits on to their children, a new generation of Canadians, through interracial marriage or simply distancing themselves from their heritage, aren't as predictable, Clarkson said.
That hasn't stopped politicians and immigrant activists from attempting to sway the ethnic vote. But in a country as ethnically diverse as Canada, where does one begin?
"It comes down to certain ridings, certain groups," Clarkson said.
A group of Muslim clerics for the first time have withdrawn their traditional support of the Liberal party and are advising their congregations to vote on the issues.
"Traditionally, Canadian Muslims voted Liberal because they thought the party was in the middle of the political spectrum," said Mohamed Elmasry, president of the Canadian Islamic Congress.
"For this election, CIC's political action committee is recommending to the community that they should really do it candidate by candidate. We did shy away from a blanket endorsement of the Liberals, the Conservatives, the NDP, and we're doing riding by riding."
Key issues Muslims should be concerned with are civil liberties and foreign policy, Elmasry said.
To that end, the congress has published a non-partisan report card ranking candidates in 107 ridings that include significant Muslim populations.
While 36 Liberal, 23 New Democrat, and nine Conservative candidates made the A-list, 30 Liberals, four New Democrats and 10 Conservatives received Fs.
One of the failing Liberal grades went to former immigration minister Denis Coderre, whose bid for re-election in Montreal's Bourassa riding is facing immigrant-led opposition.
"Coderre's riding is about 27 per cent immigrants," said Mary Foster, a member of the Vote Out Coderre coalition.
"There are various groups organizing in his riding who encourage people to look at his track record on immigration specifically, and policies that affect immigrants and refugees either coming into this country or who have been living here for some time."
Tough talk on gun crime and increased spending on social programs to target at-risk black youth have been front and centre for Martin during stops in Toronto's notorious Jane-Finch area.
Still, Delores Lawrence of Operation Black Vote Canada believes the Liberals have their work cut out for them.
"I don't think the Liberals have any minority votes wrapped up," Lawrence said.
"If you look at the ethnicity across Canada, it is not balanced. The urban areas obviously have a heavier concentration of ethnicity than anywhere else. Certainly, it's going to have to be riding by riding. It's going to be those candidates in the individual ridings wooing (the ethnic) vote."
A large part of Operation Black Vote Canada's work focuses on getting blacks on the ballot. That's because Lawrence is convinced the best way to win the ethnic vote is to run an ethnic candidate.
"There's a cohesive unity among certain racial minorities," Lawrence said. "It doesn't matter what Harper says, Martin says."
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/NationalNewsArticle.htm?src=n010713A.xml
Didn't the Muslim Congress come out in support of the NDP?
Doesn't really matter I guess because the people will vote whichever way they want.
Kind of interesting that 30 Liberals and 10 Conservatives got Fs, while only four NDP did.
Paul Martin is promising to waive the hated immigration landing fee, while Stephen Harper says he'll reduce that fee and apologize to Chinese immigrants for a century-old head tax.
The Conservative leader's stand on same-sex marriage and Martin's get-tough stance on gun crimes are also viewed as grabs for the ethnic vote.
Still, those messages don't hold the political currency they once might have amid a fragmented ethnic population.
The ethnic vote "does exist - it's just very hard to exploit," says Stephen Clarkson, professor of politics at the University of Toronto.
"It's hard on both sides - hard for the immigrant group leaders to manage and control those votes, and it's hard for the parties to appeal (to them)."
While past generations of immigrants may have voted in blocs and passed those habits on to their children, a new generation of Canadians, through interracial marriage or simply distancing themselves from their heritage, aren't as predictable, Clarkson said.
That hasn't stopped politicians and immigrant activists from attempting to sway the ethnic vote. But in a country as ethnically diverse as Canada, where does one begin?
"It comes down to certain ridings, certain groups," Clarkson said.
A group of Muslim clerics for the first time have withdrawn their traditional support of the Liberal party and are advising their congregations to vote on the issues.
"Traditionally, Canadian Muslims voted Liberal because they thought the party was in the middle of the political spectrum," said Mohamed Elmasry, president of the Canadian Islamic Congress.
"For this election, CIC's political action committee is recommending to the community that they should really do it candidate by candidate. We did shy away from a blanket endorsement of the Liberals, the Conservatives, the NDP, and we're doing riding by riding."
Key issues Muslims should be concerned with are civil liberties and foreign policy, Elmasry said.
To that end, the congress has published a non-partisan report card ranking candidates in 107 ridings that include significant Muslim populations.
While 36 Liberal, 23 New Democrat, and nine Conservative candidates made the A-list, 30 Liberals, four New Democrats and 10 Conservatives received Fs.
One of the failing Liberal grades went to former immigration minister Denis Coderre, whose bid for re-election in Montreal's Bourassa riding is facing immigrant-led opposition.
"Coderre's riding is about 27 per cent immigrants," said Mary Foster, a member of the Vote Out Coderre coalition.
"There are various groups organizing in his riding who encourage people to look at his track record on immigration specifically, and policies that affect immigrants and refugees either coming into this country or who have been living here for some time."
Tough talk on gun crime and increased spending on social programs to target at-risk black youth have been front and centre for Martin during stops in Toronto's notorious Jane-Finch area.
Still, Delores Lawrence of Operation Black Vote Canada believes the Liberals have their work cut out for them.
"I don't think the Liberals have any minority votes wrapped up," Lawrence said.
"If you look at the ethnicity across Canada, it is not balanced. The urban areas obviously have a heavier concentration of ethnicity than anywhere else. Certainly, it's going to have to be riding by riding. It's going to be those candidates in the individual ridings wooing (the ethnic) vote."
A large part of Operation Black Vote Canada's work focuses on getting blacks on the ballot. That's because Lawrence is convinced the best way to win the ethnic vote is to run an ethnic candidate.
"There's a cohesive unity among certain racial minorities," Lawrence said. "It doesn't matter what Harper says, Martin says."
http://start.shaw.ca/start/enCA/News/NationalNewsArticle.htm?src=n010713A.xml
Didn't the Muslim Congress come out in support of the NDP?
Doesn't really matter I guess because the people will vote whichever way they want.
Kind of interesting that 30 Liberals and 10 Conservatives got Fs, while only four NDP did.