2015 Canadian Federal Election Thread

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Which party will you vote for in the 2015 Canadian Federal Election on October 19, 2015?

Poll ended at Mon Oct 19, 2015 12:33 pm

Conservative (Stephen Harper)
4
36%
New Democratic (Thomas Mulcair)
3
27%
Liberal (Justin Trudeau)
4
36%
Bloc Québécois (Gilles Duceppe)
0
No votes
Green (Elizabeth May)
0
No votes
Strength in Democracy (Jean-François Fortin)
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 11
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Robbie
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After the last couple Canadian Federal Elections occurring rather frequently at 1-3 year intervals and becoming rather cliched, it has been a while now since the last Canadian Federal Election thread on May 2, 2011. With then next Canadian Federal Election occurring on October 19, 2015, it has been nearly 4.5 years. I suppose the main reason was that in 2011 the Conservative Party won a majority government after being in a minority government for a few years. Since then, the NDP and Liberal parties have new party leaders and I wonder if there's more interest this time and the voter turnout will be more than the 61.1% in 2011.

Which party will you vote for in the 2015 Canadian Federal Election on October 19, 2015?
祝加拿大加式足球聯賽不列颠哥伦比亚卑詩雄獅隊今年贏格雷杯冠軍。此外祝溫哥華加人隊贏總統獎座·卡雲斯·甘保杯·史丹利盃。還每年祝溫哥華白頭浪隊贏美國足球大联盟杯。不要忘記每年祝溫哥華巨人贏西部冰球聯盟冠軍。
改建後的卑詩體育館於二十十一年九月三十日重新對外開放,首場體育活動為同日舉行的加拿大足球聯賽賽事,由主場的卑詩雄獅隊以三十三比二十四擊敗愛民頓愛斯基摩人隊。
祝你龍年行大運。
恭喜西雅图海鹰直到第四十八屆超級盃最終四十三比八大勝曾拿下兩次超級盃冠軍的丹佛野馬拿下隊史第一個超級盃冠軍。
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Toppy Vann
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My family usually votes Liberal or NDP but for me this time the recent court case has taken my right to vote away as I've been out of Canada for 5 years. I know what they want to do but WTF I like Donald Sutherland, own a home, pay taxes (federal - lots, provincial and munipal - lots) in Canada and am only holding a Canadian passport.

The right wing parties have lost it on the economics due to their beliefs. It's time for a change in govt.

I like Mulcair for the most part but there are signs in him that he might be a whole lot like Stephen Harper.
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sj-roc
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Toppy Vann wrote:My family usually votes Liberal or NDP but for me this time the recent court case has taken my right to vote away as I've been out of Canada for 5 years. I know what they want to do but WTF I like Donald Sutherland, own a home, pay taxes (federal - lots, provincial and munipal - lots) in Canada and am only holding a Canadian passport.

The right wing parties have lost it on the economics due to their beliefs. It's time for a change in govt.

I like Mulcair for the most part but there are signs in him that he might be a whole lot like Stephen Harper.
FTR, perhaps you already know this but maybe others don't, that 5yr expat limit was instituted in 1993 and existed for over 20yrs without much of a ripple. It only made its way into the news when two expats in the US launched (and won) a court case over it last year, but which was recently overturned on appeal. So this election is proceeding by the same expat rules as 2011, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2000, 1997 and perhaps even 1993 — not sure if it came into effect before that year's election but since that vote came in late Oct it seems likely that it would have been.
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Coast Mountain Lion
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I'm undecided at the moment, but will vote for whichever candidate looks like the better chance to defeat the local Conservative, Wai Young. I have reservations about Mulcair - a lot of similarities to Harper and more right wing than Trudeau - but he appears competent and has competent people with him.
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KnowItAll
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I prefer a good independent to any party.
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Sir Purrcival
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I too usually try to look at the candidates for overall competency but this year, I am going to step outside of that and cast my ballot for the individual who I believe has the best chance of defeating the conservative candidate. I have concerns about all the parties and their respective leaders but that is usually the case anyway. But bottom line, I have never felt the kind of fear and loathing for a federal government that I have for this this group of Reformacons. They have conducted themselves in ways that I think are low even for politicians and I am hoping that we can be done with them for the next decade.
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George_in_Richmond
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I find myself in quite a quandry this election cycle. I am against Harper for Bill C-51 and against Trudeau for voting in support of Bill C-51. Good on Mulciar for voting against it, but his drinking of the Man-Made Global Warming Kool-Aid (same for Trudeau) puts him out of the picture (along with Trudeau).

I am going to the voting booth. Just don't know who I am going to vote for or if I am going to put my own name on the ballot at the booth.
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jcalhoun
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Hey all,

I thought I'd add my two cents to this thread, but with penny rounding, I'm back to zero. Here's a nickel then.

I think we're going to see a couple of things in the upcoming election, but basically the end result is going to be a Conservative majority. A couple of things are going to contribute to this, namely:

1). Neither Mulcair nor Trudeau have faced the electorate as leaders before. Both have an upside: Trudeau has charm, Mulcair is serious. But both have a huge downside: Trudeau's complete lack of intellect and Mulcair's shady past with connections to corruption in Quebec. I understand why members of both parties like their respective leaders, but the vast swath of the Canadian voting public hasn't looked at either closely yet, and neither have the combination of characteristics necessary to dramatically move the needle: Mulcair is too much like Harper in his bearing. Trudeau is too little like his father.

2). I read something a few years back that stated Canada brings in immigrants (primarily from the developing world) at a rate that equals roughly the population of Toronto every decade. Without looking up the exact figures on how many and how quickly they become citizens (ie, are able to vote) it's fair to point out a couple of trends:
a). There are more first generation Canadians voting in this election than last;
b). They tend to live in urban areas;
c). They tend to be socially and fiscally conservative;
d). The Conservatives have the best inroads with these communities via Jason Kenny's tenure as Immigration Minister;
e). Conservative messaging on security issues rankles the political left and speaks to the political right. But it *really* appeals to first generation Canadians, particularly women, from the developing world.

3). With the dollar dropping due to the improving US economy & the lower global price of oil, we're going to see discretionary spending by Canadians within Canada increase, as well as foreign spending within Canada. This will be a good year for tourism and Canadian retail, I'd predict, and there should be fair weather on the horizon for Ontario manufacturing. Not brilliant, but fair. I'd say most Canadians would assess our economic climate as cautious. I can't see the vast majority of the electorate making a change to an unproven federal party, especially one with a widely held perception of being weakest on economic issues. If you ask a non-partisan what the NDP will do, most people will say "spend money" and that means higher taxes, inflation and a piss-poor economy. Unfortunately for the NDP, they have to make a big push for laying out a cautious set of economic policies that will show they are responsible. This will narrow the ideological distance between them and the Liberals, which is not good for them in the short term.

4). The political left is a crowded marketplace, particularly in Quebec; more than half the NDP seats are from Quebec, and the party benefited from a province-wide protest vote in 2011. They may hold on to those seats, gain seats, or implode. I have no idea what will happen in Quebec, but I suspect the Bloc will make a bit of a comeback, which hurts everyone electorally except the Tories. And the Bloc is going to just hammer the NDP on senate reform weakening Quebec's power in Ottawa.

Also, seat redistribution is in the West & the Ontario suburbs. The key to electoral success used to be who could court Ontario and Quebec. Now it's who can sway the immigrant and Anglo-suburban vote. So expect more home renovation/child care/kid's sport tax rebate programs. The Conservatives have been really reliable about following through on their election promises and managing expectations. They offer a tax credit the nation can afford, and then deliver on their promise with the line, 'Would we like to do more? Sure. But we can afford this.' This plays well in the suburbs, which is the reality of the suburbs. The Liberals and NDP offer pie in the sky that never materializes: a national childcare plan being the obvious example that has been trotted out each election since time immemorial. And the Conservative strategy of giving benefits directly to individuals is very popular, so much so that any other government is going to have to continue the practice or face the wrath of the electorate.

Before either the Liberals or the NDP can take on the Tories, one of them needs to become the dominant party of the left. I think that is what we're going to see play out over the next two elections. If Trudeau loses more than three or four seats it could relegate the Liberals to third party status for a long, long time (though I suspect he has a two election strategy to become PM).

5). Finally, the long election period is a distinct advantage to the Conservatives for all the obvious reasons: they are the incumbents, have far more money to spend, unions & third party advertisers (which tend to be on the left) can't spend in a writ period, etc. But I think the biggest advantage is a slow and steady campaign. Neither Trudeau nor Mulcair have campaigned as leaders. Harper has, several times. Over the course of months the other parties are going to be worn down financially and philosophically. The media is also going to run out of the typical things they write about, and will eventually focus on more local issues, and on individuals running for parliament (as opposed to purely focusing on the leaders). This will hurt all parties, I think, but especially the NDP. Just as there used to be a lot of outspoken Reform MPs who put their feet in their mouths, so too are there a lot of wingnut Dippers. Mulcair is smart enough to know he has to employ discipline and stick to the message, but I'm not so sure about the novice Dippers; it wasn't so long ago they voted on a resolution at their convention that Canada's troops in Afghanistan were "acting like terrorists, destroying communities, killing and maiming innocent people." In a long writ period, you're going to see more of their fringe exposed. I've a bet with a journalist friend on the number of anti semitic statements coming from their camp, and we've already had one candidate running for the NDP resign. He won't be the last. And that'll cost them in Montreal.

When the NDP surged provincially and everyone was musing about what their government would look like, a lot of British Columbians suddenly started paying attention and they went into freefall. I see the same thing happening federally, save some colossal blunder during the campaign.


Cheers,

James
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Thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth...this is a tough decision. A vote for a candidate is in reality a vote for the Leader of the Party. I live in Winnipeg and voting in Mulcair scares the crap out of me. I look at what the NDP has done to Manitoba over the last 15 years, what they have done to Ontario in the past, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and BC. All of these governments have a dismal record and I don't doubt that Alberta will be in the same boat 3 years from now. Please vote but but look at what you could possibly be getting. NDP with tax increases ingrained in their DNA and budget deficits, Mulcair holds dual citizenship and wouldn't commit to renounce his French citizenship unless he is the Prime Minister. If the Oilsands were in Ontario or Quebec, we wouldn't be seeing his retoric against the oil sands and he would be all in on the pipeline issue. Justin Trudeau..an immature political Liberal with a name that is despised in the west, untried and not mature enough for the job or the devil you know. Personally I'm going to vote and decline my ballot as as there is no one worth voting for. I'm cynical I know but I've lived through Liberal budget cuts federally with Pierre, who wouldn't serve in the Canadian military and wore a German helmet while riding his motorcycle in WW 2 and had no use personally for western Canada..."Why should I sell your wheat" to numerous Provincial NDP governments who put their provinces into a huge deficit position. NDP in Manitoba has doubled the province's debt and interest payments have ballooned from $450,000,000 to $900,000,000 per year in approx last 6 years or so. Please vote but look at what all the Party Leaders say and think for yourselves and the next generation's future. Do you vote for some one new
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KnowItAll
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longtimefan wrote:Thought I'd put in my 2 cents worth...this is a tough decision. A vote for a candidate is in reality a vote for the Leader of the Party. I live in Winnipeg and voting in Mulcair scares the crap out of me. I look at what the NDP has done to Manitoba over the last 15 years, what they have done to Ontario in the past, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and BC. All of these governments have a dismal record and I don't doubt that Alberta will be in the same boat 3 years from now. Please vote but but look at what you could possibly be getting. NDP with tax increases ingrained in their DNA and budget deficits, Mulcair holds dual citizenship and wouldn't commit to renounce his French citizenship unless he is the Prime Minister. If the Oilsands were in Ontario or Quebec, we wouldn't be seeing his retoric against the oil sands and he would be all in on the pipeline issue. Justin Trudeau..an immature political Liberal with a name that is despised in the west, untried and not mature enough for the job or the devil you know. Personally I'm going to vote and decline my ballot as as there is no one worth voting for. I'm cynical I know but I've lived through Liberal budget cuts federally with Pierre, who wouldn't serve in the Canadian military and wore a German helmet while riding his motorcycle in WW 2 and had no use personally for western Canada..."Why should I sell your wheat" to numerous Provincial NDP governments who put their provinces into a huge deficit position. NDP in Manitoba has doubled the province's debt and interest payments have ballooned from $450,000,000 to $900,000,000 per year in approx last 6 years or so. Please vote but look at what all the Party Leaders say and think for yourselves and the next generation's future. Do you vote for some one new
re your trudeau quote

http://stevespoliticalthoughts.blogspot ... wheat.html
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TheLionKing
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Nigel Wright's testimony at the Duffy trial is not doing any favours for Stephen Harper.
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WestCoastJoe
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Great stuff, James.

At one time or another, I have voted for the three parties federally, usually for the losing candidate. LOL One could probably bet against my pick and make decent money.

Harper is the head of a party that I tend to associate with some of the worst elements of conservatism. One can even make the case that Alberta is Texas North. Oil. Cows. Cowboys. Red neck ideas. Money. Conservative politics. Nevertheless Harper is kind of Teflon Man. Stays low key. Pretty smooth. Smiles nicely. Looks harmless. LOL

I would be inclined to vote for the good hair guy. Maybe he is too early. He has much better hair than his Daddy.

NDP? Not my first choice.

One kind of wishes for a second conservative party to even out the battle, two against two, but then we might end up like Italy, with minority governments forever.

Dunno this time. Might just vote based on the local candidate.

"People get the government they deserve," goes the old saying. Ouch. We do better in Canada than most others.
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Sir Purrcival
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God, I hope you are wrong JC. Problem is that you might just be right and the thought is frightening. If the PC's can continue in power despite all the various scandals, outright lies, muzzling of honest discourse, interference with regulatory bodies and in general, the fear mongering, deck stacking that they seem to routinely engage in, then the electorate of this country is not only going to get the government they deserve but they are going to irrevocably put this country and what it used to stand for (moderation, neutrality, a trusted 3rd party) in the proverbial toilet. We are no longer well respected in many international circles. We are now seen as a country that is more like America than ever and whose ability to intellectually and morally make our own decisions is compromised. The really sad thing is that I am not even a staunchly political person. I have voted for all the Federal parties (except the Bloc) at one point or another. That I have this kind of visceral reaction to Harper and Co tells me that at some point in the last decade, things have either gotten blatantly bad or I have really come to value some of which seems to have been stifled. Probably a bit of both.

I hope people.

a. get off their asses and vote! I don't really care who they vote for, just do it and stop being sheeple
b. stop listening to all the political rhetoric. "inexperienced, bad fiscal managers, liars" are just propaganda. People should use their heads and intellects and stop repeating common mantra and decide for themselves who is and who isn't whatever.

People need to start reading, listening, discussing and them form their own opinions and not just about whether it is worth it to get an Iphone 6. We have lived so long in this great country, we haven't ever learned what it is to live without all the good things we have. We have become complacent and lazy as a society and if we don't figure it out, we may just let slip away a lot of things that really don't want to.

PS. Here is a link to an opinion piece in the NY Times. That they printed it says something.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/opini ... share&_r=3
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Toppy Vann
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The Mike Duffy scandal is not the reason Canadians need to think twice before voting in this election as what he did in the Senate appointments when he knew they didn't live in these provinces is just symptomatic of arrogance and contempt for Parliament.

Voters need to focus on the economy and the lack of direction for Canada.

This gov't is doing the wrong things on the economy and it's not working. We cannot afford this. Eroding Canadian values in the zest to prove we're tough and can fight terrorists is also bad policy. I think the good citizens of Canada should fight crime and its causes in our own cities and communities.

Mr. Mulcair comes across as a good, strong leader but to date his platform lacks coherence and is not ready for prime time. We can hope to see more in the long campaign.

Mr. Trudeau has a better plan to date and not viewed as an experienced leader.

But this guy will really rally the Conservatives - more fight than your British Columbia Lions showed versus Hamilton..... Sign him up for the D Line.




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TheLionKing
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People forget that Stephen Harper (he of the good hair :wink: ) was also an inexperienced leader when he became PM
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