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ArmandoWyo
climber
Wyoming
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Apr 14, 2011 - 12:15pm PT
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anders, you blew that one. write something fun, interesting, intentionally provocative, and no reaction. Try to "educate", and you score longest-inane-thread-of-the-day - that plus a good read from Tami. don't do it again.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 14, 2011 - 01:33pm PT
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Yes, pearls before swine is the appropriate metaphor, isn't it?
Anyway, our current premier (Campbell) lives in my riding. He's been premier since 2001, but is now stepping down, as he's long worn out his welcome. The new premier (Clark) is not an MLA, and it is part of parliamentary tradition that the new leader of a party, especially the leader of the government (premier) seek a seat as soon as possible. So Campbell is resigning his seat, and Clark running in the by-election.
There is no formal residency requirement, but Clark has no real connection with the riding. Which could prove a problem for her. Also, the NDP, in a stroke of something, has selected the head of the civil liberties association as its candidate. That should go over well. As by-elections are a way for the voters to send a message to government, it could be interesting.
And yes, those of Scottish descent are somewhat over-represented.
Speaking of which, what if the civil liberties people renamed themselves as advancing civil freedoms?
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Apr 14, 2011 - 04:35pm PT
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Bruce. No I hadn't heard that. Hmmmmmmm..... Details please. I hope it is something that I can agree with. Now if you re-named it as well, that could spell trouble!
H.
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hamie
Social climber
Thekoots
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Apr 14, 2011 - 04:51pm PT
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Bruce, again.
"If it's all a load of nonsense, then why bother voting at all?"
It's all the posturing, positioning, attacks, analysis, interviews, debates etc which are nonsense. Very few people ever change their minds. The Tories are still the Tories, and the NDP is still the NDP. A one week campaign would be plenty long enough.
Now let's go climb something. No, wait! WTF it's April 14, and it's snowing like mad...... I give up.
H.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 16, 2011 - 02:12am PT
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Good catch, Bruce! The "Sh#t Harper Did" website has had more than two million viewers since it went up on Wednesday, causing the usual server crashes and other mayhem. It was created by a Vancouver-based group of "artists and activists who want to convince young people to take part in the political process". The site mixes facts, humour and profanity.
The sort of thing that might prevent Harper from getting a majority, if nothing else.
(Harper is the prime minister, and the total number who actually vote in the election may not be much more than ten or twelve million.)
http://www.shitharperdid.ca
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 17, 2011 - 02:15am PT
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Are the other Canuckleheads here repeatedly seeing a Jack Layton/NDP banner ad?
His mustache is getting annoying.
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NigelSSI
Trad climber
B.C.
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Apr 17, 2011 - 02:27am PT
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I see Jack Layton's mustache here, and Elizabeth May in my riding.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2011 - 01:35am PT
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Jim, did you catch the hailstorm? I was on Broadway (above the Apron) at about 4:00 PM, when the clouds finally cut loose. It was great fun.
And yes, it will be interesting to see how Harper behaves as his coveted majority slips away again. Desperate people...
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 18, 2011 - 02:08am PT
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Someone with "chicken drumstick juggling clubs" might know more about flashbacks than me. (Actually, pretty much anyone would.) What are you talking about?
Jim: Maybe you should vote conservative - think of all the unneeded prisons you could help build. A change from your usual projects.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 19, 2011 - 10:41pm PT
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A website showing the results of all published polls, going back some months. (Obviously not including the parties' private polls.) Still pretty close, but it looks like a majority is outside Harper's grasp.
http://www.electionalmanac.com/canada/polls.php
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 19, 2011 - 11:07pm PT
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I heard parts of Iggy's interview where he goes on about being proud to have
gone overseas and 'lived a Canadian life'. <chortle,chortle>
Nice try bra! And did I mention I've heard more scintillating interviews
of mushrooms? He sounds like he would do well as a technocrat in Brussels
but I'll be shocked if he gets elected.
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MoonGoon
climber
canadistan
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Apr 20, 2011 - 12:07am PT
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http://www.projectdemocracy.ca/
Here is a website dedicated to making sure harper doesn't get a majority by showing you the potential for vote splitting in your riding. I was going for the strategic vote before I saw this but it's an interesting tool.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 21, 2011 - 05:01pm PT
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A digression. Elections in Canada (federal, provincial, municipal) are administered by government employees, who are once appointed are by law at least semi-independent of government. It works well for us. Riding boundaries are usually determined by multi-partisan committees, chaired by a senior retired judge. In both cases, it reduces the chance of political interference, especially as it all happens in the public eye. The election statutes are also clear on things like who is qualified to vote and how registrations take place, enumeration being conducted by the elections officials, and so on.
So we tend not to have contested elections, although in very close races, there is sometimes a judicial recount. Most Canadians were embarrassed for your country, by the partisan shenanigans in Florida in 2000.
Since public radio was invented in the 1930s, there has been a ban on publishing or broadcasting election results (radio, television, now internet) in an area until the last polls close in that location. B.C. is five or more hours behind Newfoundland. So when e.g. when the polls close in Manitoba, television and radio there immediately start broadcasting results there, as well as results from farther east. We in B.C. aren't supposed to know what has happened until after 8:00 PM Pacific time. The idea is that knowing how those in the east have voted might affect whether and how people vote farther west.
The usual problem is that we in B.C. turn on our radios and TVs at 8:00 PM on election night, and find out who the bastards back east have elected. We have only 12% of the seats in Parliament, so usually it's decided by the time we're done voting. (Maybe not this time. Hee hee.)
This maybe worked in the days before the internet and cheap long distance calls, but seems absurd now. There was a court case about ten years ago which went to the Supreme Court, where an individual had a blog he used to report on the election as it progressed, which of course was contrary to the statute. The Supreme Court found that this was indeed a violation of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but that it was justified by the "notwithstanding" clause, that allows governments a limited right to infringe rights, if they can prove it would be justified in a "free and democratic society". He got a nominal fine.
Of course, we also have some federal funding of political parties, and quite limited direct corporate and union funding.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
or some such
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Apr 24, 2011 - 12:47pm PT
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Ain't this drama over yet? Takin' yer time?
Get on with it, already.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Apr 24, 2011 - 12:51pm PT
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Drama? My nephew in Barrie posted proudly on his Facebook page, or so my wife
tells me, that he voted for the first time Friday (?). I don't know what for
but y'all have another dedicated citizen of conscience on your hands although
from what I've heard Iggy won't be benefitting from his zeal.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 24, 2011 - 01:04pm PT
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Ain't this drama over yet? Takin' yer time? Get on with it, already.
Our elections are done in six weeks, start to finish. Yours take two years, and then you start all over again. Humph.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
or some such
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Apr 24, 2011 - 01:18pm PT
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That whole plan wasn't my idea, Anders.
I'd have given them 2 weeks. Tops.
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 25, 2011 - 11:56pm PT
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Thomas Jefferson was the first person on record to make longitudinally cut and fried potatoes, what are now called French fries, to honour the long and close ties between France and the USA. Isn't that an interesting factoid?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_fries
ps I'm getting really tired of seeing Jack Layton and his gheystache advertised on ST. Anyone else?
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 26, 2011 - 01:35am PT
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'Fraid not - those with Y chromosomes aren't my type. And Bruce started the politicians' hair theme.
It's just that the darn Layton ads keep popping up, and are getting irritating. Only a week to go, thank heavens.
Bruce has a good point - Ignatieff has much the most interesting face of the three main leaders. Quite craggy and angular.
Interesting that the tax filing deadline is the same day as the election.
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