Federal Elections 2015

[godwin]

We are off!

Whichever party that promises to reinstate long form census and especially better data collecting in real estate field.. will get my preferred consideration. We need data to make good decisions, we don't need any more good politicking.

Which candidate is "ready" or not.. doesn't really matter to me.. as in life circumstances usually shape people..

Stephen Harper asks governor general to dissolve parliament and kick off long federal election campaign

By The Canadian Press August 2, 2015 8:17 AM

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he has asked Governor General David Johnston to dissolve Parliament, touching off an 11-week campaign in advance of an election Oct. 19.

Harper made the announcement today outside Rideau Hall, square in the middle of the August holiday weekend, ending months of speculation and conjecture about when the campaign would begin.

He was quickly peppered with media questions about why he was subjecting Canadians to a campaign that promises to be the longest in more than a century and the costliest in the country’s political history.

Simple, Harper replied: Conservative rivals are already campaigning, and they’re doing it on the public dime.

“If we’re going to begin our campaigns and run our campaigns, that those campaigns need to be conducted under the rules of the law, that the money come from the parties themselves, not from the government resources, parliamentary resources or taxpayer resources,” he said.

“In terms of the advantages this party has, in terms of the fact that we are a better financed political party, a better organized political party and better supported by Canadians, those advantages exist whether we call this campaign or not.

“What we do by calling this campaign is making sure we are all operating within the rules and not using taxpayers’ money directly.”

NDP Leader Tom Mulcair was scheduled to launch his party’s campaign moments after Harper’s event; Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is scheduled to make a statement later in Vancouver, where he is attending that city’s Pride parade.

Harper stands to become the first prime minister since Sir Wilfrid Laurier in 1908 to win four consecutive elections.

The very rarity of that feat goes a long way towards explaining his real reasons for choosing to formally call Canada’s 42nd election in the middle of a holiday weekend in the dead of summer, triggering a gruelling, 11-week marathon rather than the five-week sprint that’s typified federal campaigns in recent times.

The unusually long campaign activates an obscure provision in the Harper government’s overhaul of election laws last year, allowing parties and their candidates to spend more than double the spending limits of $25 million and $100,000, respectively, that would have applied for a minimum 37-day campaign.

Having amassed vastly more money than any other party, the increased spending limits give the Conservative party and its candidates a huge advantage over their more impoverished rivals.

It’s been clear for weeks how the ruling party intends to use its financial advantage: to carpet bomb the air waves with attack ads.

Conservative ads trashing Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau as “just not ready” to be prime minister have been ever-present on radio and television for more than two months already. Liberal insiders admit they’ve been effective, contributing to the Liberals’ slow decline in the polls to third place from their front-running status over the previous two years.

“A national election is not a popularity contest,” Harper said. “This election will determine who is in the best position to make the right decisions to ensure the safety and security of this country.”

What we do by calling this campaign is making sure we are all operating within the rules and not using taxpayers’ money directly

Late Friday, the Conservatives suddenly turned their sights on NDP Leader Tom Mulcair with similar attack ads depicting him as an unethical, opportunistic “career politician.” Having helped drive Liberal support to the NDP, they’ve now evidently decided they need to blunt Mulcair’s momentum at the outset of the campaign.

The shifting targets of the Tory ads reflect the tricky two-front war facing the governing party.

At a time when the economy has tanked and polls suggest two-thirds of the electorate are looking for a change, the Conservatives risk driving change seekers to coalesce behind the NDP if they attack the Liberals too hard, and vice versa. They’ll attempt to strike a balance, attacking both and warning that the economy is too fragile to risk putting it in the spendthrift hands of either Mulcair or Trudeau.

But Mulcair and Trudeau also face two-front wars — with each other as much as with Harper. Each will be attempting to prove that his party is the vehicle that can defeat the Conservatives and provide real change. And in doing so, they’ll be fighting not just to win the election but, potentially, for the very survival of their respective parties.

Should Harper win a minority, the two opposition parties will come under pressure to form a coalition to snatch power from him. Should he win another majority, they’ll come under pressure to merge outright and stop splitting the progressive vote.

In either scenario, the opposition party that emerges strongest on Oct. 19 will have the upper hand; the weaker party could face possible extinction.
Original source article: Stephen Harper asks governor general to dissolve parliament and kick off long federal election campaign

[Tapioca]

I don't see any party winning a majority this time around, but will the NDP have enough steam over a long campaign? The Conservatives have lots of money and will spare no expense throwing mud about Mulcair against the wall.

In an era where voter turnout is approaching 50%, will the Conservatives have enough of the 25-30% who do vote to win?

[CRS]

One thing that I absolutely hate about the Conservatives is their smear campaigns. Politics should be about the issues - not personal attacks.

All the Trudeau hate ads on all the time on TV and radio are ludicrous. Talking about "budget balancing itself" and "looks like he has some growing up to do".



The budget issue is like the pot calling the kettle black. The Conservatives have been in power for 3 terms where they've promised to bring Canada on budget and to a surplus. Where are we today? Well, the Bank of Canada has cut interest rates for the second time in 6 months.

[Jmac]

I wasn't considering voting for the Conservatives, but if I were, those ads would definitely make me second guess myself. Any party that's that insecure doesn't deserve to be in charge of the country.

[68style]

Shocking that anyone is even considering voting for Conservatives given what a fucktard Harper has turned into at nearly every juncture between encroaching on civil liberties, failing to uphold protection for climate change and sliding legislation through to force Provinces to follow whatever Ottawa does (ie: redefinition of parkland in BC)...

Never mind the sorry state of our economy and the Senate boondoggles.

That all said, I was in England when they recently had their elections (May 7) and everyone was lit the fuck up over there because the Tories beat out Labour so handily (I guess all the Labour supporters forgot to go vote?) and working out in the gym with the BBC coverage on made me laugh that they've been around a couple thousand years longer than we have as a country and they've got exactly the same fucking problems we do hahaha... my point being is that it apparently doesn't matter very much and that our elected government has very little actual impact on our daily lives regardless what their ideology is. They're all horrible and none of them represent any of us anymore.

TLDR: "Meh?"

[tonyzoomzoom]

the biggest impact will be on the each party's political supporters. They are the ones that stand to gain (or lose) a lot. The citizens are just there to pick up the tab.

[CharlesInCharge]

[Galactic_Phantom]

Those Trudeau bashing ads on the radio has been going on forever, way more than two months. Slandering and propaganda should not exist in an election...and coming from people are supposed to represent this country....

[Yodamaster]

The conservatives are the only ones who aren't anti gun, so it makes my choice pretty obvious.

Mulcair has said time after time that he's going to bring back the long gun registry, despite it being a failure.

[Culverin]

[jasonturbo]

I love how the cons were so focused on balanced budget or surplus for 2015.

Im sure it's no coincidence that it's during an election year... grabbing at straws liquidating assets to prop the numbers up. (Most notably the sale of GM shares worth approx. 3.4B CAD)

That's hardly balancing a budget, smoke and mirrors is all that is.

Having said that, they are all clowns IMO, voting is almost pointless, you're better off spending that time you would have spent voting on self improvement. One hour of self improvement will have more of a beneficial impact on your life than electing any of these goons will.

[westopher]

Originally Posted by Yodamaster

The conservatives are the only ones who aren't anti gun, so it makes my choice pretty obvious.

Mulcair has said time after time that he's going to bring back the long gun registry, despite it being a failure.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but you are basing your vote for control of the Canadian economy, laws and tax system on having a party that won't make you register a rifle?

[murd0c]

I can't wait to help vote Harper out!!

[carisear]

if that's the issue that matters to him, then great for him.

People have voted for candidates based on looks ... at least that's an actual issue.

[westopher]

Originally Posted by carisear

if that's the issue that matters to him, then great for him.

People have voted for candidates based on looks ... at least that's an actual issue.

An uninformed voter is worse than a non voter. (not lumping him in with that, more agreeing with your second sentence.)
A genuine question though, what are the negatives to having your gun registered?

[tiger_handheld]

is there some site that shows where these people stand on "issues" -- economy, family, war, policies, etc.?

like we have for comparison shopping?

[carisear]

I don't see anything wrong with a gun registry, but I don't see much value in one either. ESPECIALLY at what it cost. I'm neutral on the gun registry debate.

[Bouncing Bettys]

People like Harper for scrapping the Long Gun Registry as they feel it infringed on personal rights and freedoms but they aren't bothered by Bill C-51 which actually infringes on personal rights and freedoms?

[Jmac]

Originally Posted by tiger_handheld

is there some site that shows where these people stand on "issues" -- economy, family, war, policies, etc.?

like we have for comparison shopping?

CBC had a pretty good layout of where each party/leader stands on key topics last election.

[bcrdukes]

Originally Posted by westopher

An uninformed voter is worse than a non voter. (not lumping him in with that, more agreeing with your second sentence.)
A genuine question though, what are the negatives to having your gun registered?

I am letting Revscene determine my vote.

[westopher]

K please don't vote for harper dukes.

[Klondike]

Yeah, I'm not going to listen to the radio 'till the end of the election.

Any good podcasts worth downloading?

[StylinRed]

A 3 Month election campaign....and the Conservatives are allowing an expenditure increase after the typical 37 day campaign....what a bunch of conmen...do you know how much this extended campaign is going to cost us taxpayers?

Fucking hell, I hope people are smart enough this time, but I highly doubt it

[GS8]

International group to monitor Canada?s federal election | Ottawa Citizen


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I can't believe it's been 10 fucking years since people voted this party in. What have I done with my life?

I feel like we're heading toward USA '08 with Greece '15 not too far away

[CRS]

Originally Posted by westopher

An uninformed voter is worse than a non voter. (not lumping him in with that, more agreeing with your second sentence.)
A genuine question though, what are the negatives to having your gun registered?

The negative is that it becomes a pretty big hassle for law abiding firearm users.

The original concept of the gun registry was to track down criminals who use guns while committing crimes. However, the big problem with it is that the vast majority of gun users are law-abiding citizens. So you basically cast a giant net for a very small subset of the population.

Now, you might be thinking, well, if it makes Canada safer, I'm for it. You would be wrong. The gun registry had helped solve ZERO gun related crimes.

If you're a criminal, chances are that if you're not going to follow one law, you're not likely going to follow another. So if you're going to murder someone, you're not going to register your firearm so that police can track you down. You'd probably avoid doing it just for the amount of paperwork you need to put in.

All in all, the gun registry has been a colossal failure that has used millions of tax dollar money solving absolutely nothing. It has not solved gun violence, hell, it has not even solved a single case tracing the gun used back to the owner.