Parties in Canadian federal electorate

[Ralph B]

I feel compelled to voice an opinion of dirty politics!! Over the last while as Mr Micheal Ignattiff, prepares for an upcoming election, he has made a few comments that are just dirty. In that I mean his mention a few times now that in upcoming elections if Canadians wish to get Steven Harper out of office then they should vote for the only other party which is liberals. I am sorry to say that we do have other choices, the Block, NDP, Green Party, Reform Party, and some other independents. May I remind him and all other Canadians that perhaps the independents cannot make government, it is all the other seats that stop a singular party from conceding a strong majority that only operates on their own adjenda! If it were not for the other parties perhaps the present government would have had a majority and put through many things that were defeated due to the structure! If we were a two party system then the present government would have been in the position to put through their will. In my honest opinion, this tactic only shows the lack of real politics that he wishes to play!
ATTENTION POLITICIANS: the Canadian people are awake and listening!! We want to hear real issues and some good action plans to deal with them! Shame on Mr Stephan Harper, for his tactics of bashing his opponents rather than addressing the issues. Mr Stephan Dion presented a platform and went out and rallied it! He did not sit and tear apart Mr Harpers platform, hang on there was no real platform presented, only redorick that during his government things were ok. Mr Dion did point out a fault or two about it but his main adjenda was his green plan, Which Mr Harper ballooned to be another tax for Canadians. He did not let the people see that it would have reduced other taxes only that it was a new tax. Oh ya then look Mr Harper tried to get all into the HST, only Ontario and British Columbia went into, now with much regret. At least in BC where Premier stepped down in part because of.

COME ON CANADIANS PLEASE vote on issues not on bashing or bullying. We need a responsible government NOW not bunch of whining school kids in school yard calling eachother names. Make them earn their salaries and pensions!! They make double or better than most of the working class plus nice pension, which may not exist in 20-30 years! for most! (CPP) on its way out!

Vote for a government that will make CPP work for many years to come, a government that is resonsible to its voters!!

 

[Machjo]

I feel compelled to voice an opinion of dirty politics!! Over the last while as Mr Micheal Ignattiff, prepares for an upcoming election, he has made a few comments that are just dirty. In that I mean his mention a few times now that in upcoming elections if Canadians wish to get Steven Harper out of office then they should vote for the only other party which is liberals. I am sorry to say that we do have other choices, the Block, NDP, Green Party, Reform Party, and some other independents. May I remind him and all other Canadians that perhaps the independents cannot make government, it is all the other seats that stop a singular party from conceding a strong majority that only operates on their own adjenda! If it were not for the other parties perhaps the present government would have had a majority and put through many things that were defeated due to the structure! If we were a two party system then the present government would have been in the position to put through their will. In my honest opinion, this tactic only shows the lack of real politics that he wishes to play!
ATTENTION POLITICIANS: the Canadian people are awake and listening!! We want to hear real issues and some good action plans to deal with them! Shame on Mr Stephan Harper, for his tactics of bashing his opponents rather than addressing the issues. Mr Stephan Dion presented a platform and went out and rallied it! He did not sit and tear apart Mr Harpers platform, hang on there was no real platform presented, only redorick that during his government things were ok. Mr Dion did point out a fault or two about it but his main adjenda was his green plan, Which Mr Harper ballooned to be another tax for Canadians. He did not let the people see that it would have reduced other taxes only that it was a new tax. Oh ya then look Mr Harper tried to get all into the HST, only Ontario and British Columbia went into, now with much regret. At least in BC where Premier stepped down in part because of.

COME ON CANADIANS PLEASE vote on issues not on bashing or bullying. We need a responsible government NOW not bunch of whining school kids in school yard calling eachother names. Make them earn their salaries and pensions!! They make double or better than most of the working class plus nice pension, which may not exist in 20-30 years! for most! (CPP) on its way out!

Vote for a government that will make CPP work for many years to come, a government that is resonsible to its voters!!

Let me ask you, Ralph. Is Ignatieff going to run in your riding? if not, then his views are none of your business; let his riding deal with him, and you worry about your local candidate. Because if you worry about party leaders only, then you're merely reinforcing this old game of partisan politics. Vote for the best candidate in your riding, regardless of his party affiliation or lack thereof, and vote for the best candidate even if you know he's going to lose before you even vote for him. Vote on principle all the time so as to send the message that you're not going to submit to such scaremongering.

 

[Ralph B]

Even candidates must follow party guidlines! Candidates have to have some loyalty to party leader. And just because candidate may say they will work on something does not mean that when elected they do it! If their party executives tell them to ease up on an issue that their riding pushes they will dance around it! We need a party that adresses issues together, not just the ramblings of a say what the constituants want to hear but do as little as possible attitude! That is what we have and that is why voter turn out dropped as the people have lost faith in fair responsible government. But beware people are starting to once again take interest in what government is up to! The Canadian people want action not just excuses. No more excuses get to work!
Will vote best candidate to present and most likely to follow through!

 

[Machjo]

Even candidates must follow party guidlines! Candidates have to have some loyalty to party leader. And just because candidate may say they will work on something does not mean that when elected they do it! If their party executives tell them to ease up on an issue that their riding pushes they will dance around it! We need a party that adresses issues together, not just the ramblings of a say what the constituants want to hear but do as little as possible attitude! That is what we have and that is why voter turn out dropped as the people have lost faith in fair responsible government. But beware people are starting to once again take interest in what government is up to! The Canadian people want action not just excuses. No more excuses get to work!

Then vote for an independent, or at least a candiates who'd not as much of a party hack as the others.

 

[Ralph B]

I defantly will try to make the best informed choice when the time comes. However we need to let government know that Canadians are becoming more interested in what they do. Canadiains are calling out for more effective, responsible government! Unless we let our voices be heard they will continue to do their own thing! Many candidates go about telling constituants they will work on this that and the other, when all said and done they get in office. Then comes the run around, first it is we have to wok on .... issue first then its well not all areas have same problem so party has to deal with larger issues, then comes there was not enough support for the issues. ce la vie
But if party platform says re-address CPP then that is an issue that will be addressed, if say work on employment issues then it will be addressed, health care many issues need attention but if not made part of platform, how do we know if they want to make CPP work or mabe some idea for canadians to recieve breaks to do their own pension plan. Sorry I have paid into CPP for about 20 yrs so in about 20 when 65 I would like to have the benifit and at a rate where I may have a chance to live with what recieve. If my mp Bruce Stanton says he will support keeping the CPP and leader Harper says cant afford and votes it out, if Bruce asks 10 constituants 5 for 5 against split he will support Harper. If his platform says he supports keeping CPP and gets elected even if Leader says against he must support his platform he got voted in on!

 

[DeepThoughts]

Machjo, do you think voting for an independent addresses the issue that I think Ralph B is really getting at, electoral reform?

As each election passes I wonder if Canada is past the point where regional representation at the federal level is required. I do not believe that we should do away with it entirely but there needs to be a shift away from the first-past-the-post riding system to an electoral framework that can elect MPs who represent the actual political will of Canadians. The constitutional division of powers ensures that provinces remain politically strong and can address the immediate regional needs of constituents, which means that federal elections could be more focused on voting political parties than individual representatives. The problems with our current electoral system undermine your suggestion to vote independent. Like it or not, despite the regional representation of the House of Commons, business is conducted along party lines. Electoral reform needs to address the realities of our political system.

 

[Ralph B]

Let me ask you, Ralph. Is Ignatieff going to run in your riding? if not, then his views are none of your business; let his riding deal with him, and you worry about your local candidate. Because if you worry about party leaders only, then you're merely reinforcing this old game of partisan politics. Vote for the best candidate in your riding, regardless of his party affiliation or lack thereof, and vote for the best candidate even if you know he's going to lose before you even vote for him. Vote on principle all the time so as to send the message that you're not going to submit to such scaremongering.

Harper not in my riding but his actions sure do affect here. As Deep thoughts said don't think you understood full intent. Look at Stephan Harper closed parliment 2 times now and party has fair bit to do with it! Look at malroony sold countries assets like Petro can harpe wanted to sell cn tower interest.Liberals started petro invested in cn tower try to create income and cons sell spend spend! libs balance better than cons.

 

[Machjo]

Harper not in my riding but his actions sure do affect here. As Deep thoughts said don't think you understood full intent. Look at Stephan Harper closed parliment 2 times now and party has fair bit to do with it! Look at malroony sold countries assets like Petro can harpe wanted to sell cn tower interest.Liberals started petro invested in cn tower try to create income and cons sell spend spend! libs balance better than cons.

Stephen Harper is one Mp with one vote in Parliament. Without the support of the majority of the House, there is no way he could have done that. Looking at it that way, his power stems in part from his constituents having voted him in, and to a large extent the other MP supporting him, and indirectly the electorate that voted those MPs in. Do not underestimate the importance of your local MP.

Machjo, do you think voting for an independent addresses the issue that I think Ralph B is really getting at, electoral reform?

As each election passes I wonder if Canada is past the point where regional representation at the federal level is required. I do not believe that we should do away with it entirely but there needs to be a shift away from the first-past-the-post riding system to an electoral framework that can elect MPs who represent the actual political will of Canadians. The constitutional division of powers ensures that provinces remain politically strong and can address the immediate regional needs of constituents, which means that federal elections could be more focused on voting political parties than individual representatives. The problems with our current electoral system undermine your suggestion to vote independent. Like it or not, despite the regional representation of the House of Commons, business is conducted along party lines. Electoral reform needs to address the realities of our political system.

We could go to a party ballot of some kind like a list system or something of the wort. Teh problem with that system is that it's likely going to disenfranchise many non-partisans. Quite honestly, I'd be clueless standing in front of a ballot with just party names on it. It would mean nothing to me, and so I'd have no idea how to vote in such a system.

 

[Ralph B]

We could go to a party ballot of some kind like a list system or something of the wort. Teh problem with that system is that it's likely going to disenfranchise many non-partisans. Quite honestly, I'd be clueless standing in front of a ballot with just party names on it. It would mean nothing to me, and so I'd have no idea how to vote in such a system.

Sorry think the issue is going way off! Now seems that it has become an issue of parties and elections. My main point was that with all the ads and things that are done at election time, have no information. I mean things like the partial why Liberals were destroyed last election. Cons did well to scaremonger the masses to believe that Mr Steven Dion's green shift was only another new tax to burden the people. Rather than tell us what they were exactly going to do in office Mr Stephan Harper said that a vote for Dion is a vote for more taxes. Many Canadians get much of the information for their vote by commercials while they take a break in front of the TV in the eve before retiring. Many travel 1hr each way to and from work, where they spend 8 - 12 hrs then home make dinner and clean-up for about 2 hrs relax for bit in eve to retire to do all over again and on days off they do chores like laundry, housework grocery shopping and maybe catch up on some much needed rest. They may be able to leaf through some election flyers, but to go out to debate speak with candidates, highly unlikely. Main influence is TV commercials some conversation at work. Main thing I gen see on commercials is don't vote ____ they will raise taxes or ___ may cut taxes and raise debt! And then odd one says while in office we created jobs or ___ . Just BS not a decisive plan on what they would like to accomplish. Mr. Stephan Dion did try to do a platform of the "green shift" but, Harpers cronies did their job in blowing hole through it pointing out and pit fall, taking away from any good that his plan contained. All that was heard is "green tax" not the outcome of cutting our green house gas emissions, or jobs created to do so, or revenue gained from big polluters to differ to places where was needed. Not that I had read the whole thing but have spoke to some who looked into some aspects.
Iggy knows allot of people are upset with the way Harper has ran from issues, so he is hoping that will be his advantage. So go out and tell the people that to remove Harper you must vote liberal garbage. He does not present us with how he will make things better only to get rid of Harper must go liberal. We know that Mr Stephan Harper has done few things to make his government look good so come elections he will say we have done this that and other thing bringing Canada through such tough times, where we did not need such excessive bail outs and the world looked to our system. As if much of the system was not in place when he came to office, but many will believe and for this he will come ahead with a majority. He will also say that the liberals will raise taxes to deal with the debt, where he will manage without raising taxes. But with that majority he will do it some anyway. Just to cut debt some for next election to say he did so well. He will say he will look into our health care system and pension plans to find a better way. Key will look into not rectify. No one has actually looked at and come up with a way to better things. As for individual MP's work in communities well they will deal with the things they deal with regularly hear complaints send letters have information sessions and such.