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BetterMost Community Blogs => Our Daily Thoughts - The BetterMost Community Blog Network => My "Great White North" => Topic started by: Sheriff Roland on April 28, 2011, 11:40:10 pm

Title: Canadian elections 2011 - fallouts
Post by: Sheriff Roland on April 28, 2011, 11:40:10 pm
It now appears, with only 3 days left before the election, that the Conservatives will not get their desired majority.

The third place party (vote wise, in previous elections) has shot up in the polls surpassing the faltering Liberals and are now poised to garner a larger block of seats than the Liberals did in the last parliament.

In reality, though few people are committing to this idea at this point, I believe it's a real possibility that even though the Conservatives end up with the most seats, they will not succeed in forming a functional government and the New Democratic Party (NDP) are likely to combine forces with the Liberals to form a functional government for the next few years. In the recent past, the two left wing parties did not have (combined) enough seats to form a majority, seeing as the seperatist party (Bloc Québecois) held the third largest number of seats.

The most recent seat projection (based on regional breakdowns of polls, March 27 stats) has the Conservatives holding 135 - 142 seats, the NDP 97 -107, the Liberals 51 - 66, and the Bloc (BQ) 4 to 14. (thus giving a NDP/Liberal coalition 148 to 173 seats, well within the 155 seats required for a majority.)

http://www.electionalmanac.com/canada/projections.php

And the NDP numbers (currently 30% of votes to 35% for the Conservatives) have done nothing but rise in the past 3 weeks; they might even increase enough to catch up with the Conservatives by election day, May 2
Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Sheriff Roland on April 30, 2011, 12:05:25 am
the latest national (3 day rolling) poll

(http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01270/web-nanos-ballo_1270161cl-6.jpg)

and the source:

http://beta.images.theglobeandmail.com/archive/01270/Nanos_rolling_poll_1270157a.pdf
Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Sheriff Roland on April 30, 2011, 12:19:33 am
Almanac's latest seat projections:

Conservatives: 133 to 145 seats
NDP:               104 to 108 seats
Liberals:           44 to 61 seats
BQ:                    6 to 15 seats
Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Sheriff Roland on April 30, 2011, 05:21:15 pm
And a further update:

Conservatives: 134 to 144 seats
NDP:               101 to 125 seats
Liberals:           31 to 67 seats
BQ:                    6 to 8 seats
Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: oilgun on April 30, 2011, 06:11:30 pm
This atheist has been praying that the repulsive Conservatives don't get their much wanted majority.  Harper's government has been the most opaque, non-accountable, anti-democratic and dishonest in all of Canadian history.  He ruined the country's reputation so much so that I'm actually ashamed to say I'm Canadian.  I spit on him and his little dog too, lol!

Find out why I hate Harper so much:
http://shitharperdid.ca.nyud.net/



Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Sheriff Roland on May 01, 2011, 07:43:46 am
Guess this means you won't be voting Conservative tomorrow, hun? Me neither .... but then, being franco-ontarien, I never have.
Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on May 01, 2011, 09:26:28 am


Good luck, Canadians/Canadiens/Canadiennes!

These three would love  to go on a road trip together again, I just know it....

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Bush_Fox_Harper.jpg)
Former U.S. President George W. Bush, former Mexican President Vicente Fox and
Stephen Harper, right, at the Chichen-Itza archaeological ruins in 2006


Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Sheriff Roland on May 01, 2011, 10:16:29 am

Good luck, Canadians/Canadiens/Canadiennes!

These three would love  to go on a road trip together again, I just know it....

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5a/Bush_Fox_Harper.jpg)
Former U.S. President George W. Bush, former Mexican President Vicente Fox and
Stephen Harper, right, at the Chichen-Itza archaeological ruins in 2006

You mean a speaking toor, right? Well former Canadian Prime Ministers don't usually do that kinda stuff - though Harper ain't exactly the run-of-the-mill PM and I wouldn't be surprized that when he does retire from Parliament Hill, he may chart a course similar to American ex-Presidents ... he's Sooo enamoured in everything American.


Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Aloysius J. Gleek on May 01, 2011, 10:41:18 am



You mean a speaking toor, right? Well former Canadian Prime Ministers don't usually do that kinda stuff - though Harper ain't exactly the run-of-the-mill PM and I wouldn't be surprized that when he does retire from Parliament Hill, he may chart a course similar to American ex-Presidents ... he's Sooo enamoured in everything American.




That too--but first he needs to be "formered" to be the Former Prime Minister Harper!

Again, good luck/bonne chance, y'all!




http://www.680news.com/royal-wedding/article/219323--prime-minister-harper-gets-up-early-to-watch-royal-wedding


MONTREAL -- There are few things that can distract a ramped-up politician in the dying days of an election campaign. 

A royal wedding is one.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper may be regretting his decision to skip today's lavish nuptials of Prince William and Kate Middleton in London.

Instead, he and his wife joined the many Canadians who rose at the crack of dawn to watch the pomp and pageantry on T-V.

From his hotel suite in Montreal, Harper recalled watching another royal wedding -- likely Prince Charles and Lady Diana -- while in university.

His wife Laureen offered some running commentary as they waited for the newlyweds to emerge from the balcony of Buckingham Palace -- remarking how pretty the bride looked.

After William and Kate kissed -- twice -- Harper stood to make a toast to what he called ``a once in a generation event.''

He added he and his wife were a little bit sorry they weren't there -- and then after looking at his wife, added -- ``more than a little bit.''
Title: Re: Canadian elections - May 2, 2011
Post by: Sheriff Roland on May 07, 2011, 05:44:58 am
Been trying to make some sense of the new Canadian reality resulting from this week's election.

What will be the worse case scenario of a Conservative majority government led by Steven Harper? Are gay marriage rights in jeopardy? What about the Woman's right to choose? And just how much pay-per-use medicare will be introduced? Is a return of the death penalty (50 years after it was abolished) a possibility? How many newly appointed federal judges will change the interpretation of the Charter of Rights? In the past 5 years, with a Conservative minority, Harper has already appointed enough Conservative Senators to defeat two bills passed in the lower house (the upper chamber is, like the Monarchy, merely symbolic in Canada), how much more damage will be done to our parliamentary system under a Conservative majority?

Harper's already declared (post election) there would be no radical changes in Ottawa. But if he's basing this assessment on the idea that Canada needs more jails, more fighter jets, even lower corporate taxes (all things introduced in the last budget before it's rejection brought down the government and caused this last election), and that it's normal to lie to Parliament (Harper was formally repremanded by the Speaker of the House for contempt of Parliament, a first in Canadian history) or simply progogue it when it (Parliament) doesn't agree with him (as he's done twice in the last 3 years - again a first and a second), then I guess the gradual moving of Canada on a right wing agenda is already well on it's way.

There are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.

I'm not sure how far I've progressed in my personal development as a result of this week's event, but I'm fairly certain it's not acceptance.

By the way, for those who haven't heard

(http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/2011-seats.jpg)          (http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/2011-votes.jpg)
Title: Re: Canadian elections 2011 - fallouts
Post by: Sheriff Roland on May 12, 2011, 09:06:28 pm
And so it begins.

Though these people have been having this rally for 14 years, and Harper stated categorically that any attempt to re-open the abortion issue would be defeated, as long as he remained Prime Minister ... the news coverage of this event has considerably increased & the participants are more hopeful than ever.

http://www.torontosun.com/2011/05/12/antiabortion-protesters-hope-harper-will-reopen-debate

Anti-abortion protesters hope Harper will re-open debate

OTTAWA - Thousands of protesters gathered on Parliament Hill Thursday and marched through Ottawa streets to demand the federal government outlaw abortion.

"We won't rest until, once again, a culture of life has been restored to Canada," said Jim Hughes, the National President of the Campaign Life Coalition.

The anti-abortion organization has held an annual rally in Ottawa for 14 years. Church and school groups are among those who attend every year.

During the election, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said his government would not support opening up the abortion issue.

"The government will not bring forward any such legislation and any such legislation that is brought forward will be defeated as long as I am prime minister," Harper said.

Anti-abortion activists are not holding their breath for Harper to change the law. Instead, they are hoping newly elected MPs will lead the charge.

"Harper has never been pro-life and so we don't expect much from him," said Hughes. "We expect a lot from the backbench MPs though. We think the numbers have grown as a result of this election and we're hoping they will bring private member's bills that will begin limiting abortion and, eventually, if Mr. Harper is there as prime minister or not, the law will change."

Dozens of pro-choice supporters were also on hand during the rally, including several men.

"I just think it is a really negative thing when you start to allow governments and politicians to regulate people's bodies, particularly women's bodies when their rights have been so marginalized for so many years," said Ron Couchman, the president of a group called Men for Equality and Non-Violence.

There are no federal abortion laws in Canada but a new survey suggests Canadians may be open to a debate on the issue, which has not happened for 30 years.

According to a study conducted by Abacus Data for QMI Agency, 52% of those surveyed said they are not afraid of a public debate on abortion, while 26% believed the issue should be left alone