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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Original Post - Sep 8, 2008 - 12:05am PT
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There will be a Canadian federal election on October 14th. Prime Minister Harper and his Conservatives have been in a minority for 2.5 years, and would like a majority. It will be our third federal election in four years.
I would mention this in case anyone wants to learn about politics in the Great White North, or offer opinions on this. Turn and turn about. But probably the thread will fail to generate any responses, even from LEB, and will fall into oblivion in hours.
We have a four party system, with 308 MPs. There's also a more or less useless Senate. If the government has a majority, there is probably less legislative limit on his (once her) power than in the U.S. The cast:
Liberals - Generally centrist (liberal democrat), government more often than not, led by Stephane Dion, who is from Quebec. Currently 95 seats.
Conservative - Somewhat right of centre, stronger in west and rural areas, want to get majority, suspected of wanting to implement wannabe neo-con agenda, led by Stephen Harper, who is from Alberta. Currently 127 seats.
New Democratic Party - Somewhat left of centre, though not really social democrats, never get more than 15 - 20% of the vote, currently 30 seats, would probably support Liberals if they were a minority.
Bloc Quebecois - Only concerned with Quebec, leader Gilles Duceppe, both 'nationalist' and social democrat, currently 47 seats, will probably retain most, somewhat irrelevant but annoying bunch.
About 60% of Canadians live in Ontario and Quebec, which often determines elections before they even count the votes in B.C.
It's fairly likely that the Conservatives will be re-elected, but most would be satisfied if they had another minority - it provides some checks and balances. A Liberal government with NDP support would also be fine.
For a synopsis, see: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/08/world/americas/08canada.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Canada has politics? I thought they all just got along and agreed with each other. They all just come to the US for health care and depend on us for defense so I don't see what there is to politic about.
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Flashlight
climber
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How does that system work up there? Some segment of the government doesn't like how things are going so they schedule an impromptu election? What exactly do you mean by "called"?
At least here they schedule the Republican victory every four years.
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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Parliamentary democracies like Australia, Canada and the UK have rules about GENERALLY the times that elections need to be called. The prime minister calls them when it is advantageous for them and within the allotted time window (which is often pretty big). Elections can also be called if the government falls apart. Since they don't have our crappy 2 party system they often wind up with parliament having no party with 51% of the seats. The largest seat holder then has to form a coalition gov't with other parties. They make concessions and agreements with each other until 51% is reached, and they collectively control the parliament. If those agreements fail then the gov't fails and depending on the system new elections can be called or the majority has to find other parties to form a new majority.
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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Yeah, what's up with the Surprise Election?
How far in advance to you Canadians schedule your elections?
I can tell you the exact date of the next 25 American Presidential Elections, and the next 25 after that, 200 years into the future.
(and the off-year Congressional ones too)
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2008 - 12:57am PT
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One of the election issues is whether or not we need to be having an election. Parliament passed a law that SAYS there should be an election every four years, and the next is supposed to be in spring 2009. However, it is overriden by our constitution, which essentially allows the Prime Minister to call an election whenever he/she feels like it, although there must be one every five years. The Governor General may refuse to allow it, but has very limited power to do so - it would probably cause a constitutional crisis.
Usually a minority government is defeated because a formal or informal agreement with another party collapses. The Governor General has to allow an election, unless another party clearly can command a majority.
The current government wasn't defeated in any real sense. The other parties don't have the strongest leadership, and have been careful not to defeat it on a vote of confidence. Harper is claiming that they wouldn't play nice with him any more, which appears to be a feeble fabrication. So it may be an issue - no one likes unnecessary elections.
When we have a majority government, elections are usually 3 - 4 years apart. Governments that go beyond that are usually behind in the polls, and want to hang on as long as possible in case something changes.
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Chaz
Trad climber
So. Cal.
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See if I understand.
If there's supposed to be an election four years from now, but the Prime Minister decides to skip it, and have the election a year later, that's OK?
Could you imagine George Bush saying we won't be having an election this year?
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2008 - 01:21am PT
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Public opinion, and as a last resort the Governor General, provide something of a governing mechanism. Prime Ministers who call elections that are perceived by the public as untimely usually get punished for it.
The last time the GG refused to allow a request by the PM for an election to be called was in 1926. One party formed a government which fell apart, and the GG allowed the other party, which actually had more seats, to try. It's more complicated - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King-Byng_Affair
The GG's name was Lord Byng, and that was the high school I went to.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2008 - 01:36am PT
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Then there's the Natural Law party - they want everyone to do yogic flying.
In some quarters, the leader of the Bloc Quebecois is known as the Bloc Head.
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jbar
Mountain climber
The Dirty South
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Wow, Seems like Canadians really know how to party.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Canada? Don't you guys share a border with Mexico or somethin? I hear you guys are commies who eat the rich for poor quality free health care. I'm surprised you even have elections. Don't countries with socialist heath care have dictators?
I don't understand, I'm too American for this....
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Captain...or Skully
Big Wall climber
up Yonder (the edge of Treason)
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Bah Hahbah is close to Canada, I think....
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2008 - 01:48am PT
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Several famous climbers who many here probably think are American were born in Canada. One of whom posts here.
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there mighty hiker.. say, thanks for this very new and interesting post... say, i am not good to understand politics (and stay out of it, just thinking on it, on my own, etc)---but---i must say, at least i seem to really understand what you are saying...
say, canada is very special somehow, or at least it has been since i was a kid... not sure why, as i had never been there, but i liked it when i saw it on the map... :)
it has very much beauty there, too, but i would reckon, as to the cold, it must be very hard to handle winters there...
*i liked seeing yosemite, and, i liked seeing the swiss alps on the map, too, when i was a kid... but, oddly also, i loved seeing tahiti, and, the polynesia islands, too, on the map too... hmmmm...
*may god bless your country, through this election, mighty hiker, if it should come to pass...
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
Arid-zona
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"If there's supposed to be an election four years from now, but the Prime Minister decides to skip it, and have the election a year later, that's OK? "
We are used to having everything be scheduled way ahead of time. We know when the election in 2308 is gonna be. First Tuesday in November. That's just not how most other democracies do it. Their constitutions say something like "parliament must not sit for a term longer than 5 years" meaning that the ruling party can declare an election at any time within that period. On one hand its slanted towards the incumbents however since being in power requires that you hold a majority of seats it is also more responsive to the desires of the people. Imagine if Bush being in power required that the Repubs hold a majority in the House of Reps. He'd have to have stepped down in 2006 instead of us being tortured (literally and figuratively) for 2 more years. Clinton would have been ousted after just 2 years in office.
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WoodySt
Trad climber
Riverside
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Canada? Sorry, but I've got to get a map.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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So Anders, what is the prognosis for the election?
Will the conservatives remain in power?
What changes might come if there turns out to be
a different minority rule?
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jbar
Mountain climber
The Dirty South
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Hey Anders and Tami with one m. Does the Canadian Parliment have a vote of no confidence and have they ever used it? I'm not that politically savy but I believe it is possible to force a vote of no confidence here as well. I have often wondered why this hasn't happened with Bush if people really hate him that much or why it didn't happen with Clinton instead of impeechment.
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Mighty Hiker
Social climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Sep 8, 2008 - 10:39am PT
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Current guessing is that the Conservatives will be re-elected, but the election has only just started. Hard to know what will happen. The question at this point seems primarily whether they'll be in another minority (my preference) or a majority.
The last time Parliament defeated the government on a confidence motion was late in 1979. It takes a minority government, defeated on a budget or other important legislation.
We have many checks and balances in our system, though they work in different ways than in the U.S. The main one being that all governments, and political parties, are inherently unstable coalitions - internally and externally. And for all the appearances, no one person usually has sole authority for important decisions.
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