Canadian Election - again!

If I thought there was any likelihood of getting a change of government, I'd be glad to spend the money. However, the likelihood is that it'll just be 36 days of more name calling than usual followed by the same old &$*^&$* in power. A friend of mine said the other day, "I don't know whether to vote for the thieves, the criminals or the crooks." Hmmm. Fortunately, our MP is one of the better ones, so at least I can vote on that basis.

Of course, there are probably plenty of people in your area who think just the opposite, and your MP needs to be replaced.

That's why they have elections. I do have a former Canadian friend (he's still a friend, just not Canadian) who says he thinks the big mistake Canada made was in going over to a number of parties. I don't know; I can see advantages.

I sure wish our campaigns were as short as yours are, though.

I'm glad that there's another election, I'm not conservative and absolutely hate Harper. I normally vote NDP, but last election I threw my vote to the conservatives just to try to avoid having Harper elected.

One thing that I'm happy about now that we live in an apartment is that we don't get the campaigners coming around door to door anymore. I don't like being bothered at my home, especially with politics.

Kind of funny, the "Harper Government" (as they identified themselves on the phone) called for my old roommate a few days before this was announced for a survey. When I told them that she didn't live here anymore, they asked if I wanted to do it. I told them to call back later, they never did, and then the election was announced.

Wow, "hate Harper?" I thought Canada was the land of sweetness and light, courtesy and reason.

I guess politics is politics...

They are actually broadcasting some of the political things going on in Canada here in the U.S. From a distance, it looks entertaining, and not as cut throat as politics are in this country.

Do you remember when they called McGuinty a "reptilian alien kitten eater"? That was hilarious!

Ignatieff (sp?) will do no good for this county, he can go back to the US (sorry Americans, lol).

I love how there are so many parties to choose from, but at the same time it distributes the votes too much. If my mom doesn't like either the Liberal or Conservative candidate, she votes for the Green Party. Then you have people that vote the same no matter who the candidate is. I would rather have a lower voter turn out if the voters were informed, than have a higher turn out of people who are voting just because they can. Know what I mean?

One thing I do like is that each year the NDP seems to be getting more and more votes. Maybe it's because they seem to target the working class and younger votes more, who knows. I love Jack Layton, he's a very nice man, I had the opportunity to meet him once.

Personally, I also liked when we had a minority government instead of the majority.

With the "Harper Government" one thing I really didn't like was how he focused so much on families. I believe he recently proposed another tax break for them, but what about low income families without children? There is very little for us. I choose not to have children because we cannot afford them on our own, I don't want to have to rely on the government to pay for my kids. My cousin takes advantage of that, she actually makes more through tax cuts and support programs and NOT working, than I do working my butt off at a minimum wage fulltime job. I have a very good relationship with our building manager as well and was complaining to her about the different government programs and whatnot, she said that when she had her child she continued working even though it was pointed out to her by several of her coworkers that she would make more sitting at home.

Like I said before, I vote NDP - I don't really care who knows because I'm happy with my decision and it's what's right for me. Things need to improve for the working class. As it is now, it's nearly impossible to live by yourself in a large city when you only have a minimum wage job.

I didn't even know there was one!

I don't really like any of the choices of leaders.

I agree 100%...BUT if I had to go with the lesser of evils, I would probably vote NDP because Jack Layton does appear to be the most down to earth.

When it comes down to it though, they all make promises they can't keep to get votes, which is why, for the most part, I have no interest in any of it.

Here's the vote compass on the CBC site.http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cana...1/votecompass/

It is the broken promises, and how they change their minds as soon as they have power. I wish Would state their true agendas, and let the people decide want they support. If only honesty was a requirement

I went through that, and, of course, I don't know all the politicians involved or all the ramifications of the issues (just what I hear on CBC on Sirius Radio), but I wasn't very far from the center of the crosshairs on the scale.

Sometimes those things do throw ya for a loop, n'est-ce pas?

I came out surprisingly close -- don't have to vote against my judgment. But, then, there's always a place for strategic voting, as well as voting for the candidate, rather than the party. Whatever works!

Jack got my vote the last time. He will again this time.

Unfortunately I don't think he will win. I somehow suspect that Harper will get in yet again!!! They should just boot him out and let someone else head up the Conservatives. Harper is a complete jack-a/donkey!!!

Exactly! I hate that too! I can't stand the MP candidate for the NDP in my area, but I have to vote for that person in order to cast a vote for Jack.

Apparently I lean more to the Liberals and furthest from the Conservatives.

But I'm still voting NDP!!!

I'm thinking it's time to pull out the old Western Separatist hat............doesn't matter how the West votes, the election is decided when Toronto polls are counted.

That said, Ignatieff is just plain scary, he would carry Canada to hell in a handbasket faster than you can say Iggy. He talks about spending control, yet promises billions in new spending and tax increases. Smilin' Jack hasn't a hope and would spend us out of existance (please remember, I come from the same province that had decades of CCF and NDP governments, and it got us nowhere). I am leaning to the thought better the devil you know and (mis)trust than a new devil.

I don't hold too much stock in the "Harper Gov't" thing....I recall the same designation being applied to Mulroney, Pearson, and others, nothing new here.

Harper may be scary but dang it, he isn't quite as frightening as Iggy, whose loyalties lie elsewhere, and it isn't for the good of the people.

What I really prefer is a gov't with sanity and balance but that hasn't existed in decades and is unlikely to ever exist again. It matters not what country, extremism is the watchword for any elected official, be it far to the left or far to the right. Here, we just happen to have two that are way to the left, one way to the right and one who wants to break up the country. Pick your poison.

As a westerner and a farmer, I do look at things differently than people who live in the eastern cities.

Yes, we did have a strong NDP government here for a long time, but the last incarnation almost left the province in ruins - Calvert destroyed all headway Romanow made and raised taxes, raised oil royalties, and trotted out some unbelievably stupid things that were fortunately shot down like trying to repeal the farm fuel tax exemption although he succeeded in adding tax to many livestock products (as if some city person os going to go buy a bundle of fence posts or livestock water troughs). In short, he forgot where he came from and it was bad news all around except for government union employees. So out he went, and now we are finally back to where we were decades ago - growing and flourishing. A socialist government can be extremely repressive by the nature of their policies but well run (Douglas, Blakney, Romanow), it CAN work but poorly run, it is devastating.

My views on Quebec are best left unsaid