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Post by Superhappyjen on Jun 20, 2004 9:24:27 GMT -5
So for my fellow canucks, election day is coming up. I'm a bit nervous that our country is going to be run by a bunch of anti-choice homophobes. I think I'll vote Green. They seem like nice people.
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Post by AuntieSocial on Jun 20, 2004 16:34:24 GMT -5
LOL @ "nice people" ... If only it were that easy ...
To tell you the truth, this latest barrage of attacks coming from the Conservatives has me sick to my stomach ... IF I hadn't already decided against voting Conservative, this "The LiberalsLiberals (and NDP) like child pornography" thing would have decided me against them ...
Yea, the greens seem like nice people ... BUT - foreign policy? monetary policy? healthcare & military spending? There are too many questions for me to be able to vote Green...
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Post by Hilly on Jun 21, 2004 7:06:03 GMT -5
I agree, the Conservative's policys on abortion and same sex marriage could be a giant step backward for womans, and gay and lesbian rights. I'm not sure the "new" Conservatives have weeded out the kooks left over from the Reform/Alliance years, Stockwell Day for example. Concerning the Liberals, the sponsership scandal and the huge cost overrun of the gun registry have me discouraged. However my main beef is with Paul Martin. His refusal to register his ships (Canadian Steamship Lines) in Canada in order to save tax money is in my opinion a absolute disgrace.  I could understand it if he was just an average citizen, but this guy is our bloody Prime Minister for gods sake. That being said I may still vote for the Liberals to try to keep the Conservatives from winning. I'm afraid a vote for either the NDP or the Greens may let the Conservatives in through the back door. I'm still undecieded.  |
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Post by Superhappyjen on Jun 21, 2004 8:59:02 GMT -5
IThat being said I may still vote for the Liberals to try to keep the Conservatives from winning. That's usually my philosophy too, but I'm sick of voting against who I don't want to win. I want to vote for someone who I want to win. Unfortunately I'm not sure who that is... |
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Ginnsu
Maverick's Chew Toy
Posts: 47
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Post by Ginnsu on Jun 22, 2004 14:27:13 GMT -5
I've already voted and I chose NDP. The Conservatives (Andy Burton) have represented the riding I live in since the second last election. The Conservatives get into office in this part of the country by saying that they are the the only party who will represent the west with the same vim and vigor that the Liberals represent the central provinces with. But of course, as has been mentioned in this thread, they are anti-choice, anti-gay, and are often pro-big-bussiness, and pro-xtian.
Personally, I can't like any party 100%, but when I think about what is best for Canada I like some of the Green Party platform, some of the Marxist-Leninist (edit: D'oh! not communist) Party platform, and some of the NDP platform. So I voted for the party that I liked that was most likely to win in my riding. NDP.
Nationally, an NDP win will be a long time in coming. And I'm probably more polically left then they are, but any leftward force is going to happen slowly. When I look at the historical changes that have occured over the past 2-3 hundred years in western nations, I see that womans rights, minority rights, and progressive platforms are brought on by the centralist party (usually liberals, democrats, etc.) so that they may stay the party in power. So there are only two things that I see that I can do to get what I want to see for this country. A lot of pateince in voting for the left most party likely to win even if they aren't as leftist as I'd like them to be, and actively educate myself and others in the times between elections.
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Post by AuntieSocial on Jun 22, 2004 18:24:14 GMT -5
That's usually my philosophy too, but I'm sick of voting against who I don't want to win. I want to vote for someone who I want to win. Unfortunately I'm not sure who that is... Ahh, but that is the Canadian way - we don't vore FOR things, we vote AGAINST things, or AGAINST current candidates ... Another things that irks me about Harper is his former stand on the Iraq war... he wanted to follow the great cowboy in the grand pissing match of foreign politics. I am, and always was, against that war. The reasons have become quite clear (although the actual motives are still mirky). He has now back-peddled his position (hind sight is a wonderful thing, but not as wonderful as printed statements in news archives). I won't vote for a person who was willing to send our troops to their slaughter over oil (or whatever the reason du jour may be). On the other hand, I can't see myself voting for the Liberals ... especially with Martin at the helm ... he was, afterall, the finance minister when many of these scandalous situations first started ... if he knew of them, he wasn't doing his job. If he didn't know of them, he also wasn't doing his job. Basically, he wasn't doing his job, how can I trust that he will do the PM job?!? I will probably vote NDP, however, my riding has been Liberal since the dawn of time. Our neighbourhood is a sea of red lawn signs ... Civil Liberatrians - too anarchous for my liking ... Marxist-Leninists ... most likely the best match to my personal views, but I'm not quite a communist (though my "Political Compass" score was left of Stalin, go figure) Yep, I think it's the NDP ... though my vote will be lost in the flood of the Red Sea ... |
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Post by vertigo on Jun 22, 2004 23:54:40 GMT -5
Shame on you...
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Post by Yaw on Jun 24, 2004 10:35:06 GMT -5
I also already voted, and voted NDP. Probably won't matter in my riding, but I felt we really need that left wing voice more than ever in Canada. It also puts some pressure on the Liberals not to veer too far in the Regressive Conservative direction.
Harper's scary. Never thought I'd say this, given the Mulroney years, but I want the PCs back. I may have disagreed with the Joe Clarks and Bill Davises, but at least they were intelligent people who weren't malicious. I can't say the same about Harper.
Anyone following the Progressive Canadian Party? There was a candidate in my riding. They seem to be the David Orchard-style, pissed-off-at-the-Reform-Party conservatives. I don't think she has a chance, but I'd prefer to see them doing well than the other Conservative party...
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Post by BaalShemRa on Jun 26, 2004 6:45:45 GMT -5
"Vote Liberal. We may be crooks, but we're not kooks."
Seriously, vote Liberal. You may like the NDP's social policies but economically, they won't help Canada. If they end up in a minority gov't, this might put a damper on their crookedness.
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Post by AuntieSocial on Jun 26, 2004 6:53:24 GMT -5
I actually liked ONE Progressive Conservative in my time ... Jean Cheret ... it may have been more to do with his charisma, I was considerably younger when he was one of the two PCs to be re-elected after the Mulroney Melt-down.
My husband is voting Liberal. I'm trying to get him to consider voting NDP. We already know what the outcome will be in our riding (or we're 98% certain), so I think another NDP vote would help tell a story on a larger scale.
At this point, I'm hoping for a Liberal minority gov't with a strong NDP backing.
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Post by Hilly on Jun 26, 2004 12:13:48 GMT -5
Glad to see you won't be voting for the Bloc, as I understand you live in Quebec.  Two days to go and I'm still undecided. As I understand it each vote will result in a token payment to said party, if they receive a certain percentage of votes cast. This could help the Greens if they manage to reach that percentage. |
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Franc28
Seasoned Citizen
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Post by Franc28 on Jun 26, 2004 12:47:48 GMT -5
Vote liberal or conservative if you think war and American imperialism is just peachy.
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Ginnsu
Maverick's Chew Toy
Posts: 47
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Post by Ginnsu on Jun 26, 2004 13:36:37 GMT -5
"Vote Liberal. We may be crooks, but we're not kooks." Seriously, vote Liberal. You may like the NDP's social policies but economically, they won't help Canada. If they end up in a minority gov't, this might put a damper on their crookedness. How would NDP's economic policies not help Canada? Just curious as to whether or not you might know something I don't. |
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Post by BaalShemRa on Jun 26, 2004 14:07:34 GMT -5
Hilly,
"This could help the Greens if they manage to reach that percentage. "
Why would you want the Greens when you already have the NDP?
"How would NDP's economic policies not help Canada? Just curious as to whether or not you might know something I don't. "
I hear them talk about the environment, workers's wages, safety etc which is fine but I never hear them talk about growth or comparative advantage ( though this may be unfair to expect in speeches ). The equivalent can be said of the Conservatives, which is more reason to vote Liberal. I'd like our GDP to grow and the NDP doesn't seem like the party that will balance long term growth with short term social spending.
Also, the anti-NAFTA and anti-FTAA people tend to be in that party. I don't know how much power they have. They also seem to regard profit as inherently immoral, which is awfully Catholic of them.
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Post by Yaw on Jun 26, 2004 19:38:33 GMT -5
But weren't you involved in the anti-FTAA protests in Quebec? I'm curious as to how you resolve that with the implication in your last paragraph that the NDP holding that stance is negative.
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I could understand it if he was just an average citizen, but this guy is our bloody Prime Minister for gods sake.
