Election day in Canada!

[sandwich_bird]

For all of you non-Canadian out there that most likely don't know this; today is election day in Canada!

For the Canadians here: Who are you voting for (or if you're not of legal age yet, who would you vote for)? The NDP gets my vote! It's actually pretty exciting because finally, the NDP will most likely be the official opposition. Even Harper changed his speech of " You have 2 choices; either you vote for the Conservatives or the Liberals" to " either you vote for the Conservatives or the NDP".

[The_Blade]

Vote for Bloc Quebecois! Their fundamental ideas of country unity are amazing. ^^

I do find amazing that Harper would ever love the New Democrat Party guys; but that's just me from one year ago, when I lived in Canada.

So, no vote from me... but I would vote for concervatives, if I was Canadian.

PS: I lived in BC so I was educated away from the simpaty of the BQ party

[Todie]

what are the biggest issues in Canadian political debate? who are the NDP?

[sandwich_bird]

Vote for Bloc Quebecois! Their fundamental ideas of country unity are amazing. ^^

Love the sarcasm

I do find amazing that Harper would ever love the New Democrat Party guys; but that's just me from one year ago, when I lived in Canada.

It's not really love, it's just that the NDP is getting a lot more interest with the Liberals falling apart (thanks to the joke that is Ignatieff) and the Bloc being dished in Quebec.

what are the biggest issues in Canadian political debate?

Well to quote wikipedia, this is how our political system work:

Canadians vote for their local Member of Parliament (MP) only. The party leaders are elected prior to the general elections by party memberships. Parties elect their leaders in run-off elections to ensure that the winner receives more than 50% of the votes. Normally the party leader stands as a candidate to be an MP during an election.

The election of a local MP gives a seat to one of the several political parties. The party that gets the most seats normally forms the government, with that party's leader becoming prime minister. The Prime Minister is not directly elected by the general population, although the Prime Minister is directly elected as an MP within his or her constituency.

Canada's parliamentary system empowers political parties and their party leaders. Where one party gets a majority of the seats in the House of Commons, that party is said to have a "majority government." Through party discipline, the party leader, who is only elected in one riding, exercises a great deal of control over the cabinet and the parliament.

A minority government situation occurs when the party that holds the most seats in the House of Commons still holds less than the opposition parties combined. In this scenario a party leader is selected by the Governor General to lead the government, however, to attempt to create stability, the person chosen must command the support of at least one other party.

Right now we had a conservative led minority government. What happened is that the opposing parties (NDP, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois) were dissatisfied with the current way things were going in Ottawa (our capital), and the fact that the Conservative weren't willing to change that budget. Issues with the budget included:
-Buying a bunch of jet fighters for 9 billions$ + a 16 billions$ maintenance contract
-Corporate tax cuts
-No compensation to Quebec for a change in sale taxes

Also, a lot of claims were made that the conservative were never willing to work with other parties.

who are the NDP?

NDP stands for New democratic party. It is mostly a leftist party so they stand for reducing poverty, increasing corporate taxes, human rights protection, being "greener", increasing public health-care, etc

[The_Blade]

-No compensation to Quebec for a change in sale taxes

This is asking for trouble...

I do find Canadian politics interesting and perhaps as one of the most stable forms of government. I just wonder if I will see the Governor General (delegate of the Queen [Yes, England's Queen]) ever challenge the Prime Minister again. Unwritten constitution you so funny.

[DemolitionSquid]

I didn't vote. They're all crooks. It doesn't matter who's in charge, power corrupts, and they all buttfux us.

[mikill]

Yuk! I hate living in a NDP Area. But Im happy with the majority government. Alberta has it so good.

[sandwich_bird]

This is asking for trouble...

I do find Canadian politics interesting and perhaps as one of the most stable forms of government. I just wonder if I will see the Governor General (delegate of the Queen [Yes, England's Queen]) ever challenge the Prime Minister again. Unwritten constitution you so funny.

Nah, if he does, he's getting the boot (especially with Harper) and honestly, no one in Canada will miss him!

Yuk! I hate living in a NDP Area. But Im happy with the majority government. Alberta has it so good.

Well, we should exchange! I hate living in a Conservative area

[mikill]

Do you know what the parties actually stand for? And what have they have done in the past?

[TheEconomist]

I didn't vote. They're all crooks. It doesn't matter who's in charge, power corrupts, and they all buttfux us.

*sigh*

Also, what is a Canada?