To respond to this post properly, you need to be watching television, reading the newpaper and preferably Maclean's magazine in order to give a complete response.
Your Task:
1. Respond to the following question. You must make specific references to newspaper articles, official websites, magazine articles, television commercials/interviews/debates, etc. You should be referencing your material. If you are citing something you saw on television, ensure that you provide the date, time and station. (20 marks thinking; 5 marks communication)
2. Engage a fellow classmate in a debate about something said that you do not agree with. Explain what your issue is with their point of view. (10 marks application; 5 marks communication)
The question: WHAT IS YOUR PREDICTION FOR THE UP-COMING FEDERAL ELECTION?
That is, a Conservative majority? Conservative minority? Liberal majority? Liberal minority? Or are we going to be pleasantly surprised by a come-from-behind victory from another party?
This is a broad question and it has been purposely given to allow you freedom to approach your response from several different directions. Also, feel free to make additional comments about what your think about elections in Canada. We will be addressing this topic in class at a later date...
This assignment must be posted by Wednesday, September 24th. This will give you the opportunity to wait and see what your classmates say. Don't forget to respond to someone else's predictions. I am really looking forward to what you have to say!
36 comments:
First off let’s take a look at the two main candidates running for office this year. We have the Democratic Party Leader Barrack Obama with Joe Biden VP (Liberal) and the Republican Party Leader John McCain with Sarah Palin VP (Conservative).These two candidates present obviously different perspectives and views on varieties of issues from public welfare and economy, to offshore drilling and the Iraq situation. So let’s take a look at the main issues and factors affecting the ways candidates will go about these issues. First off we have a nation wounded by the steady rise of unemployment rate% as more bankruptcy and mortgage issues throw the economy into recession. As each candidate speaks his mind and informs the public of their plans for changing the US for the better we can begin to see that the Democratic party though strong and appearing to lead does not manifest its ideas for change in a proactive way, this however is not a factor when it comes to the younger more liberal populations of the US who still support Obama due to his personality at best. To sum up the republicans as best as possible would be to clearly define the party as environmentally destructive, humanly destructive (with talks of not only Iraq, but possibly Iran) and in support of such concepts as using all the resources we have, outlawing abortion and following a conservative agenda with A slight undertone of a southern accent mixed with southern values. These two visually different parties all have views of change and plans for action, but no one sees the true nature of these parties. The US is run by the multi-billion dollar companies and corporations that feed their constant craving for money by gaining political power and abusing it. This is not usually seen on television, but the parties receive funding and support from these lobbyists on behalf of these corporations, do so, to grant themselves access to more opportunities to milk the population. On each side there are lobbyists, with names unknown backing different parties with rewards of money, property, respect, and power? It is this factor that constantly sidetracks the government from dealing with political issues in terms of the human life and resorting to a “How can we just keep getting more?” agenda. The Republican Party will most likely take this election as they have 2/3 of the time for the past 3 consecutive 8 year terms (Bush[R], Clinton [D], Bush[R]), unless the US realizes that it achieved more during the term with Clinton than it obviously did with the current president whose IQ mirrors the value of his age. With all of this into consideration, it is time the US population reached a state of this realization and acted in a way that could finally make a difference. This can only be done through not voting. If the majority of the citizens of the US went into election day and spoiled their ballot, this would call for a reevaluation of the American way, in turn doing more for this straying nation than a vote for either “corporation”.
SO I didn't know it was supposed to be the Canadian election. I find neither election will actually change anything other than whose hands money flows into. I'll post in a bit, sorry miss.
As shared by many, it is my own personal opinion that there will be a conservaitive majority in the upcoming federal elections. This can be seen through the predictions surveyed so far nation wide; as found at such websites as http://www.electionprediction.org- "Current Prediction," or http://www.democraticspace.com/canada2008 "Current Projection." Despite that prior predictions do not always prove true, it is my personal belief that there will be a conservative majority lead due to what the conservatives stand for, and what other parties, such as the liberals do not. The conservative focus includes battling youth crime, as the homicide rate continues to rapidly increase across teh country due to young offenders. Also, new benefits for the northern provinces, which are overall ignored and under privledged in comparison to the rest of the country- and therefore establishing development there which will benefit the rest of the country as well. In addition, Harper and the conservatives plan to maintain our free health care system and find ways to improve the service. In addition, the 2008 budget of the conservatives continues to reduce taxes and decrease debt. Much of this includes investment in the country's manufacturing areas (primary example is the automotive manufacturing industry) Strengthening tax advantages, once again reducing taxes including greenhouse gas emmisions and safety systems for food products and health products (primary example is the maple leaf plant crisis). These are just some of the key aspects of the Harper conservative governemnt if re-elected. As a result, it is mine and that of many Canadians that the conservatives will be re-elected. In addition, they are also currently hold much leadership because of the negative effects of other pareties, such as the liberals/Stefan Dion. This can be understood through the push of the famous carbon tax he wants, which seems evidently useless. He is also very known for his confusion and dis-orientation, as he is unable to set his priorities straight for the country. He beleives that young people should not be at all in relation with any prison, which is viewed as rediculis by many including myself because of all of the crime and death caused by youths. Most importantly, he believes that the health care system should be re evaluated to elimintae free health care; how is this ethical at all when larger countries such as the United States are attepmting to put a health care system such as ours in place. National Post author and broadcaster Michael Coren interviewed Dion, and as a result of such comments as “reconcile people with God’s environment,” and “God Bless Canada,” Coren concluded that "there were many column inches devoted to how he was introducing American, un-Canadian and fundamentalist values into a country that is devoted to the separation of church and state...But surely God has not joined the Liberal Party of Canada, and His words seemed so naive, so vulnerable to critique, so — forgive me Mr. Dion — callow and such a product of inexperience." It becomes evident through some of what Dion stands for and much of what he believes and says that he is quite simply in capable to minister such a country as Canada. As for the other parties, I believe that there is not as much controversy or ignorance as with the liberals, however, the experience and overall strength/authority is lacking- something that the conservatives hold very strongly. Time will tell, and despite my personal hopes, it is for the best interest of the country that we escape this eleged "recession," and improve our economy- something that can only happen with a strong leading party who is now able to reconstruct their plan.
>There is only Kasper's posting to respond to, however it is about the American elections. Therefore all i can say is that i most definaetly agree with him on the facts that apply to both North American elections; which is that voting matters. As he states, the "starying" nation cannot be helped more than with a vote, if we all do our part and vote we cannot be dissapointed with the results, nor will we have to deal with a bad decision because most cistizens will make the ethical choice. I also very much agree with Kasper with the fact that neither election, despite who or what is elected, will at all change "whos hand money flows into," as we always have and therefore always will be unfairly taxed, taken from, and scammed by all governemnts. Their main purpose after all is to maximize profits for themselves, with the best interest of the country's profile at hand rather than that of the indivual citizens. Despite all of the truth that Kasper has pointed out which involve both countries, I do not aree with him on the concept of reaching a state of realization and making a difference, as it can be seen through historic and even present evidence that "making a difference" is simply not enough for a realization to be reached. The governemnt sadly rules everything, and whether we choose to believe it or not, they are the only ones who can make a difference. This takes us back to the concept of voting, as voting is therefore imperative as it decided who will be elected and therefore creates differences and establsihes realizations.
It is evident that in the Canadian 2008 Federal election a Conservative majority government will prevail. In a poll taken on Monday, September 22nd, 2008, by the CBC News the Conservative party has 38% of Canadian Votes followed by the Liberal party with 24% of the votes. It is apparent there is a large lead for the conservative party with less than a month left to the election. There are many reasons for the major lead of the Conservative party. The Conservative party has many effective and persuasive issues and platforms they have decided to tackle in this race. City Pulse 24 news website states that the Conservatives plan to make many tax cuts and give tax credits to certain individuals. First time home owners, seniors, and parents on maternity or paternity leave are promised tax credits. Fuel tax cuts by at least 2% are promised by the Conservatives as well. Stephen Harper, the Conservative leader, also promised a tougher criminal justice system on Canadian youth. Harper wants to implement life sentences for first and second degree murder and fourteen year jail sentences for youth that commit violent crimes. This is very persuasive at this time in the province of Ontario because youth are becoming extremely violent. In terms of the environment, Harper wants to establish a regional development agency for northern Canada, this is a good attempt to boost the economy and improve the environment. On the Conservative website Harper indicates that he wants to clean Canada’s air quality as well as land and air pollution to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the Conservative website, Harper also indicates that he would like to implement plans to reduce debt, strengthen Canada’s tax advantage, invest in Canada’s manufacturing industries, as well as Canadian priorities such as the environment. Through these budget plans the Conservatives have the most influential platform for Canadians. Harper’s plans to invest in manufacturing industries, such as Ford will allow many jobs to be attained and people will have more of an income creating a richer society for Canadians. Therefore, Harper has convinced Canadian society that he is the right prime minister to embark upon the renovations of Canada.
In response to Christina’s opinion, I 100% agree that there will be a Conservative majority. Through the polls taken nation wide, it is apparent that the Conservatives are in a very large lead. With Harper’s plans to reduce crime and execute more severe punishments to criminals who break the law, it gives Canadians hope for a safer society. Harper is also tackling economic problems by reducing taxes and giving tax breaks. This helps many individuals financially. It is also true that Dion, the Liberal leader, is very unconfident with his platforms and issues that he wants to deal with such as the carbon tax. Dion also wants to raise taxes in general, therefore, creating a greater deficit for Canadian society. I also hope the deficit Canada is facing will come to an end and with Harper as prime minister that may be possible.
-Anna:)
Seeming how the federal elections are closing in for the Americans, the elections for Canada is unpredictable to a certain degree. People are determined for a majority government but do not know which political party to vote. To start things off, the two most popular parties in Canada are the Liberals and Conservatives. The other political parties (Bloc Québécois, Green Party, and NDP Party), make up the rest of parliament. The reason for this divide is due to the fact that conservatives and liberals have the most credentials and “Canadian ideals”. On the other hand the other parties are not trusted to govern the country. This is because Jack Layton (NDP leader) and other leaders promise many new ideas, however every year, they receive small amount of seats, therefore are not useful for Canadian citizens. By looking at the results from the previous year that Harper (Conservative leader) had run this government, he had shown progress in improving the borders of Canada along with military forces. Therefore, Harper’s government will succeed in winning another minority government unless a coalition is brought upon.
By focusing on these two representatives, both of them have shown different perspective of how to run their country despite the change they advertise to their consumers. People expect these two parties for a better nation where people are equal in terms of race, gender and age. The citizens of Canada expect a party to lower their taxes, making their life easier, even though the idea of taxes will never cease to decrease. Another factor is the people in poverty, the actual citizen of Canada, or the world for that matter; due to the fact these men and women need the government’s help in order to live healthy and sufficient lives when it comes to survival. The people of this nation do want war, because their children are at risk, since loved ones die everyday due to metal darts, which people refer to as the new disease of death. One important issue that the government should look at is the gas prices, which obviously have people in an outrage since oil is losing its quantity. Even though people plea for a better nation, all the parties can do for them is the worst possibility which is to give more taxes, and better wages. More or less Canada is a child, as the government is the parent. This is because the citizens of this country often plea for wants rather than needs, causing struggle for these candidates who wish to run Canada. However, politicians use the people to their advantage by means of using their false promises for wants, even though they are actually fulfilling what the country needs, such as the carbon tax law.
At the right side of the spectrum, the Conservatives lectures, the troops fighting overseas will not return until their task is completed in Afghanistan. Basically, they say that no matter how much that this nation tries to pull out their forces, they won’t for the reason Canada can not leave people in the hands of terrorism and disorder. Another economic problem is gas and if the Conservatives win once more they will be forced with giving new taxes (carbon tax). However if any other party wins, they must enforce carbon taxes because it is unavoidable and the only hope that this tax will not be harmful as income taxes. If Harper is not elected to be the next prime minister, the other parties’ promises will only make Canada a worse country. One of the factors is the Liberal party; they want to promote carbon tax along with other taxes, making citizens pay more taxes. Also they promise to bring their troops by negotiating with the enemy to a peace treaty, even though the plan will fail due Canada fighting the war for two years.
Before elections actually occur, they often advertise citizens what they are trying to sell to people. When it comes to politics, people can say that it is a playground for who is better at being popular. When watching the television, it’s a continuous fight between Harper and Dion. Harper often advises that Dion is a loss with his carbon taxes, if people vote for Liberals. This creates damage for those who are being targeted, and with this in mind the consumers will follow and contribute to Harper’s campaign than other Canadian candidates. Even though Canada is forced to place ballots for the next election, popular votes will determine who has the better sale, and at this point the Conservatives have the best bet.
the sites: www.globaltv.com/elections,http://www.conservative.ca/?section_id=2444&language_id=0 , http://www.thestar.com/federalelection/issues , toronto star section LIFE: pg 26 Terry Enright
By the way the comment was done by JOHN Schokman.I forgot to write down my name.
In terms of who will win the Canadian federal election it is becoming more and more evident that a Harper majority government is within reach. It seems that Stephen Harper has the backing of not only the polls but also of Canadian voters. The most recent poll results put the “Conservatives at the forefront with 39% of support whereas the Liberals under Stéphane Dion trail with 23% of the support (The Canadian Press.)” These poll results indicate that the Conservatives are well ahead of their competition and if these results hold until election day, it is likely that the conservatives will win the majority government Harper has been seeking. However, it is not just the polls that support Stephen Harper but also average Canadians since many are of the opinion that Harper is the best suited for the job as Prime Minister. The results of a recent survey that asked Canadians which of the party leaders would make the best prime minister stated that “nearly four in ten Canadians said Stephen Harper (39 percent). Following Harper is not Stéphane Dion but NDP leader Jack Layton at 15 percent, then Dion at 13 percent (CBC.ca).” These results indicate that Canadians also believe that Harper is the strongest leader out of all the other candidates and can keep Canada strong and prosperous.
This most important issue in this election is the economy because Canadians are especially concerned with the state of the economy because of all the troubles the American economy has been undergoing with the mortgage crisis and the sudden bankruptcy of big American banks. Since Canada has always been directly influenced by what goes on in the states Canadians want to feel secure that the Canadian economy will remain strong instead of plunging into recession. Because the economy is such a major issue this election, one survey asked Canadians living in the provinces of Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia who they thought was the candidate that could best handle the crisis and keep Canada’s economy strong. The decision in all three provinces surveyed was unanimous because “Voters in those ridings said they believe the Conservatives are best able to handle the situation (Globe and Mail).” In terms of his policies on the economy, Stephen Harper appeals to the average middle class voter by introducing more tax breaks and will keep the GST low. Dion on the other hand is not equally as practical because he keeps rambling on about green initiatives and will create a “$1 billion fund to help manufacturers adopt green technologies (Toronto Star).” Really, how is this supposed to help the economy? Oh and lets not forget the question, where is that $1 billion going to come from – taxpayer money?”
Harper, throughout his campaign talks about real issues directly impacting the Canadian society such as the economy and reforms to the criminal justice system. Harper wants harsher penalties imposed for crimes and wants to change the young offenders act so that youth are capable of getting a life sentence. This is a worthwhile initiative because today’s society is sadly less safe than it was before so there must be stricter measures in place to protect the public and send a message to criminals. Dion, in my opinion, has said nothing worthwhile because his main standpoint this election is the Liberal Green Shift plan and a Carbon Tax imposed on fossil fuels. This only raises prices on items such as fuel and propane and introduces a new and absolutely needless tax for Canadians. Seriously, when is Dion going to start tackling the real issues that actually matter such as the economy or health care? Sure, the environment is a big issue to but there are more important things to worry about right now because I think more Canadians want to prevent a recession from occurring rather than fund green initiatives through their taxes. In my opinion, Dion does not seem like a strong leader because he does not have his priorities straight and is a little out of touch with what Canadians want. Though some (especially the Liberal party) may criticize Harper for being right wing, pro-American or similar to George Bush, at least he has decent policies.
>I totally agree with what Anna and Christina on the fact that it is most likely going to be a conservative majority. Also I agree with Anna when she says that Dion is an unconfident leader because he is now not talking as much about the carbon tax as he did in the beginning since he has probably lost confidence in it. A strong leader should not second-guess themselves if they believe that their policy is right.
I agree with John in everything except for the fact that it is going to be a conservative minority. There is a big gap between the conservatives and the liberals in the poll and also Harper seems to have more public support than both Dion and Layton. Also the coalition between the liberals and the NDP has not been confirmed by either Layton or Dion so we do not know whether or not that will play into the election results.
~Teodora Tellieva
I actually agree with the opinions that there will be a Conservative majority, although I personally want a Liberal majority. Tax cuts are all fine and dandy, but considering our economy isn't too great right now, dropping taxes could only lead into further recession. Just like the United States for example, neither parties have promised universal tax cuts. The John McCain led Republicans mean to keep taxes for the middle or lower class, while the Barack Obama led Democrats promise a tax cut for the middle to loser class, while raising taxes for higher class, namely those who make more than $250 000 a year. For a country who's economy is not doing too well, universal tax cuts are really counter-productive.
Also, basing one's platform off of trying to stop youth crime is not really legit. For one, if the education system was better, there would not be as much youth crime. There is not enough money going into education, so maybe that is where a party should start, instead of trying to punish them. The root of the problem should be taken care of, well before these kids grow up to be delinquents.
Now going back to Christina's point of Conservatives pouring more funding into manufacturing like automotive, well... That is a total lie. In the past year, multiple plants have had major layoffs, costing ten's of thousand's of jobs, namely the Daimler Chrysler plant in Brampton that laid off its entire night shift. I know this personally, because my older cousin Joe was laid off in April. Another close to home example of suffering manufacturing is 3 of my uncles got laid off from their steel manufacturing plant. The entire company went down under because it could not afford to stay afloat, simply because costs were too high, and demand was too low. All of their jobs were safe during Liberal majority, but mysteriously, they were all laid off when the Conservatives came to power... Odd considering the Conservatives were using the fact that they were going to protect manufacturing at all costs. I guess the costs were multiple plants. Ironic...
The Liberal's main stance is to improve the country's economy. Considering our economy is in the hole at the moment, I think that should be a very important aspect to take into account. There are more homeless people in Canada than in recent memory. Without a home, these people cannot get jobs. Without jobs, these people cannot have homes. It's a vicious cycle, which is hard to end because of the current economy.
My final point is to rebut a couple points. How does lowering taxes lower debt? RAISING taxes would lower debt. Also, this "debt" was created by the Conservatives, considering there was a surplus after the Liberals lost power. Also, it was said that a strong leader does not second himself themselves. A strong leader should be able to second guess themselves, learn from their mistakes, and make better choices in the future. If a leader does not, well... You get George W. Bush... And we've all seen how great that turned out.
http://www.liberal.ca/platform_e.aspx
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/strategy/article.jsp?content=20080226_171506_4932
In my own opinion I believe that both major parties are bad in there own sense but if it comes down to it we are going to have a Liberal Minority including the NDP. These two parties are on the same side of the political spectrum. Using the chart that the others have been using in there predictions state that Conservative - 38%, Liberal - 28%. NDP - 21%, BQ - 8% GRN - 6%. Based on these statistics shown in a recent poll the conservative have a majority, but if Liberal and NDP will have a coalition and team up they will take the win with a minority government, which isn't always a bad idea. With a minority government you have two parties inputting ideas on how to make things better for the citizens. One reason that the Conservative has such a lead in these polls is maybe because of the comments and ideas Steven Harper said about Taxes. A while back (not exactly sure when) on CP24 they showed Stephane Dion speaking and saying how he should raise taxes on truck drivers and some others. This was obviously a bad idea, and realizing this himself he takes this statement back and scraps that whole idea. Because of this people just still might see him in this light now. "The only thing worse than knowing nothing, is to know a little because then you think you know everything." People
who watch the news once every two weeks happen to catch this controversy of him raising taxes and only think of him in this way, not knowing that he has taken this all back. Therefore before we start lashing out and making comments on which is the best government for Canada we should have all the facts. I personally believe that people should take a test of common knowledge before they can vote just so they know the basics....like who the party leaders are. I can't even wrap my mind why people would want to vote conservative, i thought conservative was all about tradition and keeping our roots. Since when were our roots the same as the United States? Conservative wants us to keep to ourselves and not get involved in anything; they want to make everything private. Which is a bad idea, yes we do have many natural resources but we cannot survive isolated from others.
I believe that many will not vote liberal because of the Gay and Lesbian freedom that they want to give. I think that’s a load of s***, the church doesn't believe in this and the church is the way of the Lord. That's also bull**** if God really didn't want us to do something he wouldn't of given us the ability to do so. Since most of the population is Catholic they will vote Conservative solely based on this reason. Ignoring the fact of Private healthcare and cutting off trade with other countries, what happened to the idea of helping others? There are a lot of things wrong in this world and i don't plan on fixing any of them because that’s just wishful thinking. This election is not going to be about choosing the best government, but the lesser of two evils.
Referring to basically everyone else who has posted so far (meaning Kasper Christina and John because that’s all i see at the moment.) You might think in a conservative government because you think that’s what will happen but would you really want private healthcare having to pay? The conservative government just wants to be like our neighbours, I'm not saying that using their ideas is a bad thing but we should think how good has it been working for them, its amazing for the higher class but for the middle class its a bit of a struggle and were supposed to satisfy the majority.
My final comment is that if we have a Conservative Government, just call us The US' biggest state.
-Ariel Benavidez
http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/canada/The-Canadian-Political-Spectrum.html
http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/polls.html
These are the sites i used
Ariel Benavidez
Well, instead of repeating what others have just said... i'm going to agree with all of it. Yes, Canada is in a little bit of trouble. And to be brutally honest, whenever i hear any of the candidates for future Prime Minister speak i truly realize that we are in trouble.
Whiler Stephane Dion speaks of carbon taxes, and Stephen Harper criticizes Dion, nothing is being done for the good of Canada.
I belive that there will be a Conservative majority in the upcoming election. I think this because Stephane Dion is obviously not a stable leader, he doubts himself too much and most importantly he proposes things such as TAXES. I'm not saying, in any way, that Harper will do a better job, however, he does have more experience as Prime Minister. In Harper's favour, his proposal of making the punishment for criminals harsher may actually help in decreasing crime. In addition, he is far more well liked than Dion, and by voting for Harper people will be choosing, as Ariel said, "the lesser of two evils".
I strongly believe that if the Liberals had a different leader, they may have stood a better chance.
I disagree with Ariel because the Conservatives are not trying to be like our neighbour. In truth, we have always been the U.S' biggest state. What happens to the affects us, and vice versa. For example, they go to war, we go to war...but that's another story.
In conclusion, i think the people of Canada accustomed to Harper, and allowing Dion to take office would be a huge mistake. Therefore, the Conservatives will be taking the majority of seats and will win the elction.
-Liana Angelucci
works cited...
http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/504222
http://www.thestar.com/FederalElection/article/504317
In the outlook of who will capture the Canadian Election of 2008 it is apparent that Steven Harper and his conservatives will reach their goal: A Conservative Majority. In the poll stats on voting it seems that Steven Harper has the lead with 39% compared to the liberal 'leader’ Stephan Dion who has accumulated 23% (in my opinion, shocking that he got that many). With the outlook of the polls now and if Mr. Harper can keep on the Canadian citizens 'good side' it is possible that a conservative majority is clear. the website CBC.ca conducted a survey asking Canadians what party leader would make a better prime minister than Stephan Dion, taking the top was the conservative party with 38% in comparison to 28% to the liberals, 19% for the NDP, 8% for the Bloc and 7% to the Green party. "The conservatives are now up by a couple of points and they are within striking distance of a majority" was stated by Senior Vice-President of Environics Mrs. Donna Dasko.
I agree with Teodora when she says the number one issue is Canada’s economy and the fact is that it has been for some time. This is just coming to light because of the goings on with the US economy since Canada is directly linked. i feel that leaders feel pressure to address the matter with concerned Canadians using it as a way to snatch the election win. Now look at Stephan Dion’s brilliant idea > As teodora said he keeps rambling on about some ‘brilliant’ idea about green initiatives and wants to create a $1 billion fund to help manufacture green technologies. $1 billion dollars from where… AH YES the tax payer’s pockets! That was found in an article in the Toronto star. Now Mr. Harper is taking the ‘give the people what they want’ and it seems to be working. Within his thoughts on economy Mr. Harper plans to reach out to the middle class voters (people like you and me if we could vote). He wants more tax breaks and plans to keep the good old GST low from 7 to 5%. Now everyone is happy! In my opinion Steven Harper talks about the issues and addresses then, acknowledges that he knows what they are. Some of his tactics are 1. Change the young offenders act; harsher punishments for the crime, let’s add life sentencing… 2. Harsher penalties (always an election winner) because the BIG ISSUE is that Canadians need to feel safe in their cities!
To my attention it has been observed that Mr. Stephan Dion had not talked about issues. From him what I hear is “let’s raise taxes” why? to fight and preserve our environment. Honestly after ‘lets raise taxes’ who hears an explanation as to why. Harper has his ideas set and he knows what he is aiming for but Mr. Dion has a little to learn on the issue of pressing matters to concerned Canadian citizens.
I do not agree with John on the issue of a Conservative Minority because Mr. Dion being the ‘leader’ of the liberals is not putting up an effort fight and Mr. Harper has already captured the voters support with his direct ideas.
To Ariel’s Response, how are we going to succumb to a liberal minority with the absolute pathetic attempts that they’re so called leader Mr. Stephan Dion us making. What matters more to voters: the issue of raising taxes even by a small fragment or a gay and lesbian rights act the liberals want to pass. DING DING DING we have a winner, people care more about the factor of how much money they are going to have to fork out of their pockets. Yes religion is a factor in choosing what to support but when it comes down to it, it still will result in money i.e. TAXES! wining. If we get involved in everything Canada will look just like the U.S and then what good will that do for us? Labeling ourselves as ‘oh Canada is involved why are they always involved’ along with ‘ where is Canada why are they not involved’ which is the problem the U.S is having right now and a Conservative government would prevent us from falling into the same trap! Don’t even get started on heath care, why do we need to privatize, what good will that do us. The idea of helping others is not gone but is being modified so that in return we don’t get screwed. You make a strong argument but one that is quite unstable due to the fact that what is it that the liberals have to offer in terns of what I like to call VALID! What good will it do to have them in power, we don’t benefit from what they are going to provide. Riots with the church and state are bound to rise and Canadians revolting over tax increases. What an amazing future for the government!
Sites that i used :
http://www.thestar.com/federalelection/issues/Issuesprofile/422099
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/09/04/poll-results.html
~Keisha De Coteau-Nedd
The recent announced election that is to be held on the fourteenth of October raises new opportunity for our Canadian government. The predictions held to the current date suggest that the Conservative government will again come into rule in our political economy. With the percentage of 37.6, they are the leading party above any other. The others parties that have a possibility of coming into play in the elections are the Liberals with 25.2% and the NDP with 18.3%( democraticspace.com). Personally, I believe that the conservatives are going to win not only for their position in predictions but for what they will attempt in achieving. From an article from the CBC, Stephen Harper’s views of the what will make the country better are tax cuts. If he is to be re-elected into the Prime Minter position once again he will attempt in making harsher punishments for those who commit crime, a 2 % per litre tax cut for diesel and aviation fuel, tax credit for first time home buyers, attempt in withdrawing Canadian troops from Afghanistan and provide veterans and parents on maternity leave with more support. The Liberal government which also has stated some well though out ideas can stand some what of a chance with their campaigne. Dion, leader of the Liberals has stated that if he is elected into the Primer Minister position he will try to cut fossil fuel emissions , provide money for child-care to low income families, provide student loans and put millions into many different causes that will effect different parts of Canada. The NDP party which is lead by Layton are saying that they will attempt in expanding Alberta’s tar sands, creating jobs in manufacturing, funding for woman’s groups and aiding the crime prevention.(www.cp24.com)
To my beliefs the campaign is truly only between the Conservatives and the Liberals, for the NDP pose a week stand point. Harper, brings forth more controversial issues such as pulling troops from Afghanistan and pays more detail to making Canada safer. While the Liberals promise many different things for Canada they are out-shined by the Conservatives in some points. The fact that taxes will be cut is something that people will automatically cling too, for it is saving them money. The majority of young parents looking for homes and money to raise their children will be dazzled by Conservative propositions. There is a large amount of Canadian citizens suffering from the lack of financial assistance and so many will gladly vote for who they think can provide them with support. It seems to me as if Harper has meet many of the wants of Canadian citizen while the other parties are less focused. Although the NDP government and Liberals, as a coalition team put may be able to put forward better ideas. The joining of two minority parties can eventually lead to victory but as for the present the Conservatives will still win the election.
- I agree with everyone who said that there will be a conservative majority. Many believe that they can help our government and want to reap the benefits. I find Ariel’s comment about homosexuality to be an eye opener, I never thought that a vast majority of people would vote against a government for allowing freedom. He is right in the fact that many will not vote for the Liberals because they reject anything that is different or is opposed by they church. Although, they do not follow what the church has to say.
I agree with what Michelle had to say in that lowering taxes will cause more debt for us as a country. No one likes to pay taxes, this why the idea of lowering them draws them in but taxes pay for our health care. People are given money when they are on welfare because of taxes. How are the conservatives going to lower prices and put money into Canada if they are collecting less?
The recent announced election that is to be held on the fourteenth of October raises new opportunity for our Canadian government. The predictions held to the current date suggest that the Conservative government will again come into rule in our political economy. With the percentage of 37.6, they are the leading party above any other. The others parties that have a possibility of coming into play in the elections are the Liberals with 25.2% and the NDP with 18.3%( democraticspace.com). Personally, I believe that the conservatives are going to win not only for their position in predictions but for what they will attempt in achieving. From an article from the CBC, Stephen Harper’s views of the what will make the country better are tax cuts. If he is to be re-elected into the Prime Minter position once again he will attempt in making harsher punishments for those who commit crime, a 2 % per litre tax cut for diesel and aviation fuel, tax credit for first time home buyers, attempt in withdrawing Canadian troops from Afghanistan and provide veterans and parents on maternity leave with more support. The Liberal government which also has stated some well though out ideas can stand some what of a chance with their campaigne. Dion, leader of the Liberals has stated that if he is elected into the Primer Minister position he will try to cut fossil fuel emissions , provide money for child-care to low income families, provide student loans and put millions into many different causes that will effect different parts of Canada. The NDP party which is lead by Layton are saying that they will attempt in expanding Alberta’s tar sands, creating jobs in manufacturing, funding for woman’s groups and aiding the crime prevention.(www.cp24.com)
To my beliefs the campaign is truly only between the Conservatives and the Liberals, for the NDP pose a week stand point. Harper, brings forth more controversial issues such as pulling troops from Afghanistan and pays more detail to making Canada safer. While the Liberals promise many different things for Canada they are out-shined by the Conservatives in some points. The fact that taxes will be cut is something that people will automatically cling too, for it is saving them money. The majority of young parents looking for homes and money to raise their children will be dazzled by Conservative propositions. There is a large amount of Canadian citizens suffering from the lack of financial assistance and so many will gladly vote for who they think can provide them with support. It seems to me as if Harper has meet many of the wants of Canadian citizen while the other parties are less focused. Although the NDP government and Liberals, as a coalition team put may be able to put forward better ideas. The joining of two minority parties can eventually lead to victory but as for the present the Conservatives will still win the election.
- I agree with everyone who said that there will be a conservative majority. Many believe that they can help our government and want to reap the benefits. I find Ariel’s comment about homosexuality to be an eye opener, I never thought that a vast majority of people would vote against a government for allowing freedom. He is right in the fact that many will not vote for the Liberals because they reject anything that is different or is opposed by they church. Although, they do not follow what the church has to say.
I agree with what Michelle had to say in that lowering taxes will cause more debt for us as a country. No one likes to pay taxes, this why the idea of lowering them draws them in but taxes pay for our health care. People are given money when they are on welfare because of taxes. How are the conservatives going to lower prices and put money into Canada if they are collecting less?
Many people on this blog have stated that they believe that the conservative party will win by a majority with Harper as Prime Minister. In one of the latest polls on Monday, September 22nd, 2008, by the CBC News, the Conservative party was leading at 38% of Canadian Votes followed by the Liberal party with 24% of the votes. The election is till approximately a month away, and thus, polls can change. I believe that the conservatives will win with a minority government. This is because, despite the fact that many people are losing hope in the Liberal government due to Stéphane Dion, many people will still vote for them regardless of the fact that they may think that Dion is an “idiot”, especially in the province of Ontario, where there is a strong support for the Liberals and have been for many years. There are strong believers in the Liberal party that would not vote for conservatives. The Conservative party will most likely win the election due to superior promises they made. For example, the conservative government stated that there will be a two-cent-per-liter cut in taxes on diesel and aviation fuel. Also, yesterday on BBC news at around 11:00, Harper stated that a revision of the youth criminal justice system would be in place. He stated that, any youth convicted of a serious crime such as murder will no longer be anonymous to the public. I believe that this would be a great idea because under section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, we have the right to life, liberty and security. This means that as a citizen of Canada, I should have the right to feel secure living in my house, not having to wonder if my neighbor is a murderer. The Conservative party is also for harsher punishments in the criminal system, which is what Canada needs, especially in Ontario with the increase of gang violence and homicides. Also, the Conservative party says that taxes will be cut down and promise Tax credit for first-time homebuyers to claim up to $5,000 in closing costs for a rebate of up to $750. This appeals to the middle-class society, especially those who have or want to have a family. Where as the Liberal Government want to increase taxes such as carbon tax on fossil fuels to cut emissions. Instead of help middle class society become wealthier, Liberals would make the middle-class society lower. Another main issue in this election is health care. AN idea for the Conservative government is a dual-system including private and public health care. In a sense, this is a good idea, for those who are well off and can afford private healthcare will not have to wait hours upon hours to be seen by a doctor. This would also decrease wait times in the public healthcare system. If public and private schools in society function well, why not do the same with health care? Also, the last time the Liberals were in power, “Liberals slashed $25 billion from the Canada Health and Social Transfer and created a health care funding crisis for every province and territory in the country.” And “patient wait times nearly doubled.” Also, the Liberal government “failed to address the severe shortage of doctors, nurses and other critical health care professionals.” Where as the Conservative party “Implementing the 10-Year $41.3 billion Federal/Provincial Plan to Strengthen Health Care”, “Signed Patient Wait Time Guarantee agreements with all provinces and territories” and “Increased funding for new training spaces to address the shortage of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals.” For these reasons, I believe that the Conservative party will win a minority government for the reasons listed above.
Work Cited
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080915/080915_campaign_promises/20080915/?hub=CP24Home
http://www.conservative.ca/EN/4739/78188
http://www.liberal.ca/vis_leader_e.aspx
http://www.canadianbusiness.com/managing/strategy/article.jsp?content=20080226_171506_4932
www.globaltv.com/elections,
In response to ariel’s comment!
Before stating that people should have their facts straight and “lashing out”, some research on your end should too be done. I do not believe that there would be a huge loss of votes for the Liberals due to the same sex marriage law. Sure, it may offend some, but the majority of Canada have more important issues than just same-sex marriage. I do not know many people stubborn enough to base their vote merely on this reason. Just because Canada’s population has a large number of Catholic members, does not mean they are rooted in their faith. Didn’t you ever think that there are gay Catholics in the world? I disagree with your statement “if God really didn't want us to do something he wouldn't of given us the ability to do so” does that mean God wants us to kill because we have the ability to do so? Does that mean God wants us to destroy the earth and all the animals because we have the ability to do so? I don’t think so. In reference to healthcare, Harper did not state that a full private healthcare would be put in place of public healthcare. To see his views on health care, visit the Conservative website which states they are still keeping a public health care system. I think Harper knows that if he wanted a full private health care be in tact, that we would loose many many votes because clearly, it is evident that the entire population could not afford it and would oppose. And referring to your final comment, we are already the US’s biggest state and have been for a while. What they do negative or positive, always affects us.
-By Kathy Gostek
For the 2008 Canadian Federal Elections, situations always arise and there are many different views for each party. In my opinion, I think there will be a Conservative majority in the end. Statistics are shown that on a poll taken on September 20 2008, citizens are chosing the Conservative party to be best to manage the economy. http://www3.thestar.com/cgi-bin/pollnew.pl?poll=080920MC. This poll show's that the Conservative Party is 52%, Liberal Party is 30%, NDP is 11% and Green Party is 8%. With only 20 days left until the election day, I think that the Conservative party will win. They deserve to win because this party tries to help everyone as a society, not just as an individual. For an example, Stephen Harper is now going to focus more on the criminal justice system. He wants to make the world a safer place to live in and is making more consequences to those doing wrong actions. The Conservatives also plan to cut down on the taxes. In my opinion, Stephen Harper knows what he's doing more then Stephane Dion, Liberal leader, because he has more experience. Specifically on the situation with the taxes, Dion wants to put foward with the taxes and Harper wants to lay back. I think most citizens are going to vote for Conservative due to the promises they are making, they are reasonable. However, individuals will still vote for Liberal because they have always voted for them and they don't want the Conservative to win. In the end, the government decides on all the rules and differences. We will see what will happen when the federal election day comes.
Along with many other Canadians, I strongly feel that there is going to be a Conservative majority in the up-coming Federal election. Right now, Conservatives are leading the second-place Liberals by 16 points which makes it very hard for me to believe that Liberals can win at this point. Of course, anything is possible; they may win. This survey was created on the 20th of September, it is very recent. There is an argument that Liberals should win but if Liberals deserve to win, why are so many people voting for the Conservatives? There is a reason why they are winning. If I could vote it would be for the Conservatives. I strongly believe in MOST of the things that they stand for. The only reason I say most is because some of the things that they say are corrupt, but at least they are not as corrupt as the Liberals. Not to say that Liberals are not suitable to win the election, I just prefer more of the Conservative party’s ideas and statements than the Liberals. I like the fact that the Conservatives are going to invest more money to help the environment and stop people from abusing it, further limit house arrest and balance rehabilitation and responsibility. There are so many other things that the Conservative party is going to do if they win the election but these three are my personal favorites.
Going back to Michelle’s post, I agree with you that the Conservatives didn’t always do the right thing and I am sorry for what has happened to your uncles. But imagine having an increase in tax and no free health care. That is ridiculous; I don’t understand how you say lowering tax will increase debt. It may for some people, but there are others out there that can’t afford to pay the taxes we have today itself! I don’t think you are really speaking for the majority here. Yes, the Conservatives have a bad side but so do the Liberals. No political party is perfect; in my opinion I personally don’t like Stephen Harper because I think he does not keep his word on important things BUT he is by far going to be a better Prime Minister than Stephane Dion. Harper did a pretty good job this year as a whole, and I am sure he has learned from his mistakes. He has a year full of experience and I think being the Prime Minister of Canada again will be a great experience for not only him, but for us also.
I agree with 100 percent with Andrea. Mr. Harper has experience and he defiantly will do a great job this year as Prime Minister of Canada, in my opinion.
Overall, every political party has their ups and downs but one has to look at the overall affect of the party. Many people tend to pinpoint at negatives on political parties but nobody’s perfect, everyone makes mistakes. I feel that even though Stephen Harper made many bad mistakes, he has learned from them and he will b a great Prime Minister this year. I know I have said that a thousand times by now; I am just trying to stress this important point.
I got my resources from:
http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/CanadaVotes/News/2008/09/24/6863941-cp.html
http://www.conservative.ca/?section_id=2444&language_id=0
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/story/2008/09/21/poll-harris.html?ref=rss
There are few words to describe my disenchantment with all of the political parties and their leaders. I don't really see the need for another election, since we will probably end up with much of the same government. These campaigns seem to be just an opportunity for the party leaders to bash each other, and they're spending our tax dollars to do so. Having said that, my prediction for the up-coming election is a Conservative minority. On September 20, 2008, the National Post ran an article entitled, "Harper near majority:poll". In this poll, 40% of those surveyed said that they supported the Conservatives. The Liberals had 27% of the vote. Meanwhile, the NDP and the Green parties were far behind, with the NDP at 15% and the Green Party at 10%. According to this same poll, 45% of the people surveyed said that they would be unhappy with a Conservative majority. While many believe Harper to be the best person to manage the pending economic crisis, they are still not comfortable with him as a leader. Unfortunately, the alternatives could prove to be disasterous for the country. Stephane Dion's Liberals want to impose a carbon tax. With talk of a coming economic crisis, this idea will not be particularly appealing to voters. It will take years to see a return on these taxes, and inflation will only make things worse for the average citizen. History has shown that bad economic situations in the U.S. often spread north of the border. According to an article on ctv.ca, Jack Layton of the NDP has proposed cancelling Canada's softwood lumber deal with the States (http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/
ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080920/
election2008_softwood_deal_080924/
20080924?s_name=election2008). This could ruin our relationship with the U.S., which we depend on. In economically unstable times like this, it is critical that we maintain excellent economic relations with the U.S. Stephen Harper, although he isn't perfect, seems like the best choice for Prime Minister at this time. We can't afford to choose someone as inexperienced as Dion or as clueless as Layton to be the next leader of this country.
In response to what Ariel posted, he raises some good points, but I respectfully disagree. He says that the Conservatives don't want to get involved in anything. We are involved in Afghanistan, aren't we? That's a pretty big international operation. Yes, the Liberals were in power when Canada went to war, but it was under the Conservatives that the mission was extended to 2011. In terms of natural resources, it's not such a bad idea to conserve them, especially when it comes to nonrenewable resources. We need those resources for future generations.
-Martina Vlasic
All right.
I believe that there will be a Liberal Minority in the next federal election.
Ever since Mr. Jack Layton opened the coalition door, I believe he will no settle matters with Mr. Harper and turn to Mr. Dion to put the conservatives out "for the greater good".In which As of 3 polls conducted by 3 different companies found out that if they did decided to form a coalition that the liberal/NDP would come away with the win. (as of sept.21/08)
What has Mr. Harper done so far? Brought down youth crime? He has vowed a youth crackdown now? How could he be trusted when he was hacked and someone gained access to a government Internet service to send out spoof e-mails in Stephen Harper’s name.
Could you imagine what would would have happened if that was send to a foreign diplomat let's say the USA.
We would have an issue or like us Canadians like to say it a crisis on our hands.
Now when I look at Dion i just see him being portrayed as the idiot,I see him getting attacked but there hasn't been any claims that his party's platform is stupid. I applaud the conservatives for using this type of negative propaganda, which they been trying for years. personally I'm quite sick of it, I'm quite sure that everyone has seen a attack on Dion.
The party's platform on the environment is that the liberals want to incorporate a more green policy , so then we condemn him immediately.
Nobody has taken into account that his green shift plan would raise taxes on fossil fuels to fight climate change, and return money to individuals in the form of corporate and personal income tax cuts.
Now the main issues which everyone seems to Disregard him is the Carbon Tax it is true that The carbon tax is expected to raise $40 billion over four years. Green house gas emissions would be taxed at $10 per tonne in the first year, rising to $40 per tonne by the fourth year. HOWEVER did anybody notice that gasoline is exempted?
Environment Canada indicates we each produce about 5 metric tonnes annually. Are we really that cheap? Are we really that hypocritical? We moan and groan to become greener and if you have to pay 50 for the first year? 50 bucks?! or later on you spend more money on a decent brand name jeans and shirt for 200 instead of trying to make Canada greener?
I'm not quite sure if that is sad or pathetic.
Moving on, I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Dion. However I'm loyal to the liberal party. I think that Chirstina is on crack when she says the liberals have shied away from their traditional vales.
They always been traditionally more involved in society helping to move the changes of progress and opportunity's to the people than taking the laid back approach. It is clearly evident in all sectors
of their platform.
Example.
On child care Liberals: Have promised to add on more money and invest 1.25 billion dollars over 4 years into new day care centers.
Now the Liberals are going to win Ontario. 3 reasons behind this statement.
1. It had been a liberal stronghold for many years
2. While the conservatives as let the manufacturing sector fall , Dion will join with Queen’s Park to develop economic programs to help Ontario workers and businesses and also create a $1 billion fund to help manufacturers adopt green technologies
3.Dion has promised to invest $70 billion over ten years to build and upgrade strategic infrastructure, create an $8 billion national transit strategy, develop a small communities fund and improve border crossings and sports and recreational facilities.
With the help of NDP
and Mr. Harper making mess ups like attacking the art industry. It is possible for an liberal minority.
The Election Date is Still Far of Giving time for the Liberals to swing Momentum forward. Along with the NDP's.
Sources: Toronto star
http://www.thestar.com/federalelection
Toronto Sun
http://www.torontosun.com/canadavotes/home.html
Polls
http://www.nodice.ca/elections/canada/polls.php
Thanks for bearing though,
N. Paesano
The upcoming elections are more predictable then we make it seem. There will obviously be a conservative majority win. Although Brain Mulroney had lost the respect for the Conservative Party in the eyes of the Canadian citizen through the Airbus scandal of 1995, thirteen years later Canada has forgiven them and decided to elect Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Many may laugh and question what the Conservative Party has done for the good of our nation, but what they overlook is the fact that no scandals and government corruption has recently occurred. The Liberal Party has thrived on scandal since they entered office from the King Byng Affair of 1925 where PM William Lyon Mackenzie King appointed Jacques Bureau from The minister of customs and excise to Senate even though he secretly allowed alcohol into our boarders during prohibition to the hospital document scandal in 1978. This is when General Francis Fox of Trudeua’s Liberal cabinet helped the woman he had an affair with receive an abortion. In addition one of the most corrupt finical scandals done by the Liberal party was The billion-dollar boondoggle this involved Chrétien's Liberal government that was granted $1 billion to create promised jobs and utilize money properly within the nation, but conveniently lost the track records of these employment records leaving Canada $1 billion short of funds. Although the Conservative Party has had their share of scandals within the three years Prime Minister Stephen Harper has governed our country he has proven himself and regained the respect of Canada. He has lowered our taxes on goods by two percent and has kept himself out of making wrong decision on issues by removing government authority, which is ultimately a good thing. All humans are flawed so they should not have the power to make decision that will ultimately affect the good of society. If everything is okay then we should leave the country to run that way. According to Rousseau humans have the intention for good and evil but are intentionally good and this is why the Conservative type of governance has worked in our society. They believe that the Government should play a little role in matters cornering society as humans have the capacity to solve issues themselves. We do not need to be spoon feed and constantly nurtured by the Liberal party, if we are old enough to vote, we are old enough to take care of ourselves. Overall we as Canadas have lost insight on what an election is meant to be. We are suppose to elect a candidate best suited to govern our country, but now we are electing based on the person we believe will be the less corrupt and not take our money. In the words of Sun Media Columnist Valerie Gibson she stated that“… a Canadian politician is usually caught with his hand in the till,” and since the Conservative Party is not implanting a ridiculous non- effective tax like a carbon tax they will win a majority government in this upcoming federal election.
References:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/24/news/canada.php
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cdngovernment/scandals.html
Response:
I was reading through the postings and I tried to find one that I can aruge against, but I more or less agree with them all. There will defiantly be a conservative majority win. I agree with Kathys posting as the Conservative party is brining a strong platform; lower taxes, harsher punishments on crime and dealing with the un necessary inflation of gas prices. All we know of the Liberal Party platform is they are going to impose a carbon tax, something that most Canadians do not want. Taxes in Ontario are already one of the highest in Canada, and we citizens are not looking to pay more. The conservative party just “lets things be,” which is very effective to our society. ( I would have said the French saying but I forgot what it was)
When it comes to the Canadain 2008 Federal elections this year i personally agree with the rest of my classmates in saying that there will be another Conservative majority. Earlier on many canadians thought that our new PM would come from the Liberals party but unfourtunatley Mr.Dion decided that he would put a carbon tax on every citizen which left many canadains woundering if Mr.Dion would work for our government. Stephan Harper on the other hand is promoting that if he is re-elected back into parliment that we will drop our taxes dwon 2%,he also wants to change the youth criminal act making young offenders do life in jail depending on the crime they have commited. Many canadians will unfourtunatley see all of these promises that he has made and will ignore the fact that he still will not bring our canadian troops home which to me is an even bigger issue.
In conclusion i fully agree with the rest of my classmates in saying that there will be a conservative majority.
-Denisia
The federal election which is upcoming for Canada has major parties involved such as the 2 highest in running; the Conservatives and the Liberals. According to polls already taken The Conservatives are in the running followed by The Liberals and the NDP's.
.http://www.nodice.ca/elections/canada/polls.php
I agree with the tallied polls and previous postings by other students. I believe and also want the Conservatives to win in this federal election becuase i think that they are actually trying to do our country good. Besides all these other parties that promise Canada so much and say so much will change, in the end nothing gets done and everything stays the same. I think if the conservative party is re-elected Stephen Harper will asure us that changes will be made. He is promising many changes that Jack Layton did not follow through with. I agree with everyone who is voting and agreeing conservatives will once again win.
I feel that this year's federal election is a complete waste of time. Through recent polls done by various newspapers and TV stations, it seems as though the Conservatives will win again. Some are even predicting a majority government, but I predict a Minority. If it proves to be a Minority this whole tabacle would've have just been a result of wasted tax dollars because it would just be the same result. I feel as many do that there isn't a candidate that really sticks out. It seems as for this vote people are voting for their local MP or the party they've always voted for not who they want to actually be Prime Minister. It seems no one has faith in our candidates. Even in one off Harper's campaign ad's his slogan was "We're better off with Harper." To me that means that even he knows there isn't a stick-out candidate so we might aswell go with Harper again. Though I am predicting a Conservative win, if I were able to vote, I wouldn't vote because I like Harper I would vote for them because of what the party has done when they've been in power. The one main thing was lower taxes, though it may have only been 1% he's actually the only guy so far that's fulfilled his promise, and on big purchases that 1% can save a couple of hundred dollars. The other leading candidate is Stephan Dionne. To me it seems that this guy doens't know left from right sometimes. He studders way to much, primarily becaus ehe can't speak english and also I could honestly see him as being the Canadian George Bush. Dionne often gets caught in his own lies and has been confronted with them and he doens't know how to get out of them. Also another knock agaisnt him is that he wants to introduce a "carbon tax". If your trying to win the last thing you should be doing is talking about more taxes. You could make a "fun tax' or a "happy tax" or even a 'free money tax" all exciting words but once you add tax to the end of it you know your going to get screwed over somehow. There is also Jack Layton of the NDP. For some reason this year Mr.Layton seems optimistic a little too optomistic. He actually thinks he will be our next Prime Minister, but lets get serious he won't be. There are still huge flaws that party needs to adress before they can actually give the big 2 a run for htier money.
In our country voting isn't a big thing as opposed to our neighbours to the south. They have big conventions with thousands of people, celbrity endorsements and non-stop advertising. In Canada its alot less of all those three points I just said. It seems people just don't care, most don't even know who all the candidates are which is sad. There just isn't enough care for politics in our country. And when people go to vote, especially those with knowledge they will vote for what thye see. Will it be the mope (Stephan Harper) who really hasn't done much to hurt us YET and has also kept our country aflaot econmically through these hard times in the states I applaud him for that). OR will people vote for a guy who can barely speak their language, wants to add tax and personally I think he looks like a sleesebag. People vote for what they see because many don't have the proper knowledge. The only reason why I think Liberals will contend would be because of their Local MP's such as the popular Ken Dryden. Though most people will see Harper hasn't done any harm and Dionne really isn't going to do much better than Harper so in the words or the Conservatives "We're better off with Harper".
I'm going to have to disagree with Ariel. You may say if we go conservative we'll be the USA's biggest state, haven't we always been. we've always tried to be like them because there the biggest power house though we have our unique differences which make us Canada. One of them is universal healthcare, which the US is trying to do like us. And if they ever did take that away from us trust me it wouldn't go down quietly, people would start protests and I can see an election right after that. It wouldn't be smart for Harper to do that.
-Daniel Listi
IGNORE MY FIRST POST I FORGOT TO EDIT AND I DONT KNOW HOW TO DELET IT
The upcoming elections are more predictable then we make it seem. There will obviously be a conservative majority win. Although Brain Mulroney had lost the respect for the Conservative Party in the eyes of the Canadian citizen through the Airbus scandal of 1995, thirteen years later Canada has forgiven them and decided to elect Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Many may laugh and question what the Conservative Party has done for the good of our nation, but what they overlook is the fact that no scandals and government corruption has recently occurred. The Liberal Party has thrived on scandal since they entered office from the King Byng Affair of 1925 where PM William Lyon Mackenzie King appointed Jacques Bureau from The minister of customs and excise to Senate even though he secretly allowed alcohol into our boarders during prohibition to the hospital document scandal in 1978. This is when General Francis Fox of Trudeau’s Liberal cabinet helped the woman he had an affair with receive an abortion. In addition one of the most corrupt finical scandals done by the Liberal party was The billion-dollar boondoggle this involved Chrétien's Liberal government that was granted $1 billion to create promised jobs and utilize money properly within the nation, but conveniently lost the track records of these employment records leaving Canada $1 billion short of funds. Although the Conservative Party has had their share of scandals within the three years Prime Minister Stephen Harper has governed our country he has proven himself and regained the respect of Canada. He has lowered our taxes on goods by two percent and has kept himself out of making wrong decision on issues by removing government authority, which is ultimately a good thing. All humans are flawed so they should not have the power to make decision that will ultimately affect the good of society. If everything is okay then we should leave the country to run that way. According to Rousseau humans have the intention for good and evil but are intentionally good and this is why the Conservative type of governance has worked in our society. They believe that the Government should play a little role in matters cornering society as humans have the capacity to solve issues themselves. We do not need to be spoon feed and constantly nurtured by the Liberal party, if we are old enough to vote, we are old enough to take care of ourselves. Overall we as Canadians have lost insight on what an election is meant to be. We are suppose to elect a candidate best suited to govern our country, but now we are electing based on the person we believe will be the less corrupt and not take our money. In the words of Sun Media Columnist Valerie Gibson she stated that“… a Canadian politician is usually caught with his hand in the till,” and since the Conservative Party is not implanting a ridiculous non- effective tax like a carbon tax they will win a majority government in this upcoming federal election.
References:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/24/news/canada.php
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/cdngovernment/scandals.html
Response:
I was reading through the postings and I tried to find one that I can argue against, but I more or less agree with them all. There will defiantly be a conservative majority win. I agree with Kathy’s posting as the Conservative party is brining a strong platform; lower taxes, harsher punishments on crime and dealing with the un necessary inflation of gas prices. All we know of the Liberal Party platform is they are going to impose a carbon tax, something that most Canadians do not want. Taxes in Ontario are already one of the highest in Canada, and we citizens are not looking to pay more. The conservative party just “lets things be,” which is very effective to our society. ( I would have said the French saying but I forgot what it was)
>> First off, when I posted this blog, there was no one to debate with unless if it is the American government. However, now that I find so many blogs, Ariel and Nick are my prime targets. Before I start to wage war with these two, on my behalf, even if people do not agree about the Conservatives having a minority, I still believe they will win. Starting with Ariel, he believes that the Liberals will win a minority; however they are failing their goal as it, ever since Dion made the mistake of bringing up the carbon taxes. Ariel, I advise you to look again at those results, they will change eventually, and as you can already see, the Conservatives already rule the “playground”. He does bring good points on the homosexual marriages and such; however Canada is not another “UNITED STATES!" Canada is a mixture of different cultures, so how does one person define the Canadian system if this country is multi-cultural? Look at Canada’s symbol of the lion and the unicorn; they represent two different nations (England and France). This means that most of Canada’s structural government consists of English and laws are based on France. What difference does it make if Canada is influenced by the States? I seen none, since Canada accepts all kinds of tradition, so I can clearly state to you Ariel, Canada is influenced by many nations, however is not another United States.
My final rant is on Nick. How foolish do you believe that Liberals have a chance to win a minority government? Even if Liberals will get a coalition with Jack Layton, his seats are few compared to the Conservative ridings. Nick, I am positive you have looked at the polls, and done the research with the coalition, however will fail in the end, ever since Dion has messed up with his campaign on new taxes. In addition, Harper has more experience than the representatives, who can not express him/herself when it comes to public debates. People watch the television and vote based on what each party has to sell. So far with degrading the Liberals, and making the Conservatives, reign supreme is a success. Also another fault with this is how Dion is being portrayed as an “idiot”...is actually true because the media in Canada believe he is not ready to run a country but maybe to run a MacDonald restaurant, since most of his ideas are flawed (carbon taxes). I know how Nick is loyal to Liberals, however being loyal is not needed, with the fact which leader of a political party can express his/her words true and be able to back themselves up? In conclusion, I believe the Conservatives will run this country better, than that of the Liberals.
>>>This was posted by John Schokman. Sorry for the late post>>>
The federal elections is always a topic of conflict and opinionated judgment. There are many factors that influence the vote of a Canadian in a federal election and in my opinion the strongest and more benefiting voice will be heard.
Politicians always promise the moon and the stars during an election, but voters must know better and have tge knowledge to read wghich canidate will live up to the expectation.
Harper of the conservative party is promising to cut taxes while Dion of the Liberal party is trying to bring forth a carbon tax. Such factors influence a vote. The conservatives are looking out for the economic stability and well being of the Canadian citizen. Raising taxes will only lead to more economic dilemma, by increasing prices on everything which is opposite of the direction Canadians are headed for. Families need economic certainty.
The NDP and Tories have to little of an influence on the greater population of voters. In order for them to win it will have to be a sudden sway of judgment in the opposite direction of culture and support that the two main political rivals (liberal and conservatives) already have.
Nevertheless, It is a "run for the money". Any one party can be winner of these upcoming elections, surprisingly. However, according to a poll held across Canada, the Conservatives hold 37 per cent support, the Liberals hold 24 per cent support and the NDP is in third spot at 16 per cent of the support of voters.
In my opinion, the reason for this is the determination and experience that the conservative party already demonstrates in government. This gives the people a sense of security and comfort. Over and over, Harper has shown that once he sets a goal he won't move away from his objective.
Even though, Dion does have an environmental prospective (reducing greenhouse gases), ultimately so does the conservatives. The difference is that the conservatives also have other more bold and closer to home prospectives, such as elimination of house arrest for more serious offenses. This can gain the vote of many individuals now that crime rate has increased dramatically over the years.
All in all, the conservatives have the majority for this upcoming election, however, we will have to wait and find out what will happen because we never know!
References:
"Conservative government will further limit house arrest" Spetember 23, 2008 <"http://www.jimprentice.ca/EN/417/17236">
Election 2008: Rolling Poll
The Canadian Press: 2008 <"http://www.thestar.com/election">
Taylor, Steven. Liberal vs. Conservative narratives. 5 Feb 2007. <"http://www.stephentaylor.ca/2007/02/liberal-vs-conservative-narratives/">
Grecia Blanco
Re: Michelle's post
" The economy isn't to great right now, dropping taxes could only lead into further recession"
I don't really agree with this posts idea that Raising taxes, lowers debt or cutting taxes leads to debt. First and foremost we have a really good economy in comparison to other countries. Our economy is well off. What the people are so hopefully anxious in receiving is a break and that means the cut in taxes. This is like a chip off the shoulder. If people are paying more taxes, as in the case of the liberal campaign (carbon tax), then more and more people are losing money to the government that will not be fully returned. Furthermore that means an increase in price on basically everything. I don't understand how raising taxes, leaves people with more money.
Secondly, I would like to talk about how trying to stop the youth crime in the conservatives perspective is "not really legit" according to the post. "If the education system was better, there would not be as much youth crime". The conservatives Michelle, are trying to set forth harsher punishment to those more serious offenses that these young people are committing. Murder, arson, rape are serious offenses whether it be a young adult or fully grown adult committing it. For many years now, the crime rates in Canada are increasing and not seizing to do so. More serious measures need too be implemented so that people could feel safe walking down the street. In response to your education theory, I believe you are incorrect. Canada has a GREAT educational system, and it is not this systems fault that there is so much crime in our society. If anything, these people are receiving sufficient education, they are just not gearing it in the right direction.
Even though they are everything that i am not, i too believe that the upcoming federal elections will see Stephen harper as the Canadian Prime minister once again. There have been many studies done by the media, and its not a big wonder why everyone is going conservative. Stephen Harper is appealing to everyone that has financial problems by promising a large tax cut on countless things. Stephen Dion is a waste of a candidate, i am a liberal, but i know for sure that i cant trust someone that is so quick to change his opinion and who cant set their priorities straight. In conclusion i believe that Canada sill be run by a conservative majority mainly because of how uneducated people are. Sure we will be getting less taxes but at what cost, health care, school's, children's care. many of these things may not matter to us now, but they will have a big impact on us in the future.
Alex urgiles
Polls have suggested that the economy is the major issue going into this election, especially with the resulting high price of gas, along with rising prices of other goods and services, such as food, and the possible impact the current financial crisis may have on Canada. Experts say that Canada has just narrowly dodged a recession, although the economy is in its worst shape since 1991.
Both Dion and Harper have said that the others' plans will lead Canada into a recession, while Dion also stated that Harper has "mismanaged a once-booming economy into one with growth dropping to among the lowest of the G8 nations".
The Conservatives have stated possible negative consequences that could happen to the economy based on Liberal election promises if they were to be elected. As of September 20, 2008, Liberal election promises have totaled in excess of $80 billion spending over the next decade. The cost of programs promised by the Conservatives to date is less than $2 billion annually. Stephen Harper, the Prime Minister, has criticized the Liberal's spending promises, saying they are making "mind-boggling" spending plans that he predicts would send Canada into deficit.
I think that the Conservative majority party will win. They deserve to win because this party tries to help everyone as a group, not just as an individual. The promise by Stephen Harper to continue cutting taxes continues. Personally I feel that Harper may not be the best Prime Minister Canada has ever seen but he is not also the worst. I believe that there is more to come from this man and Dion will not win in this upcoming election But the question is if the conservatives will win well maybe no because the liberal party will probably gain most of the votes, I guess we half to see further in this upcoming election.
I agree with Anna that the conservative majority will win the up coming election because of the fact THAT Dion is not talking about the Carbon Tax as he was in the beginning of his campaign. This shows that he is not sheer of his own ideas and who would want a leader of a country that is not confident in his own plans. I feel he is not up for the task just at the moment. I agree with Johns ideas for most of the part except the fact that he believes that it will be a conservative minority.
'Canadians want to know me,' Dion says ahead of debates
Use gas tax to pay for public transit: Layton
Harper pledges tax credit for children's art activities
BQ can still stop Tory majority, Duceppe says
Fontaine urges parties to address First Nations poverty
March for abortion rights part of pan-Canadian day of action
NDP promises to boost child support
Harper unresponsive to anti-poverty group
Dion says Liberals are in the middle
http://www.thestar.com/federalelection/issues/Issuesprofile
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canadavotes/
http://www.lilith-ezine.com/articles/canada/The-Canadian-Political-Spectrum.html
Polls
http://www.nodice.ca/elections/canada/polls.php
I agree with Martina and Daniel when they say that there is no point doing another election because the results will be the same. It has been the same for the past few years however some people can argue that there can be a change with the elections. Also, when Harper points out specific ideas to what he's trying to change, I agree with the people agreeing to that because when citizens have to vote with what they believe in, they want a safe environment and Harper is trying to change how things work. Lastly, I agree with everything voting for the Conservative party because I think they should win due to the changes Harper is making.
It is slowly becoming clear that the Conservative party of Canada will win the Canadian 2008 election. This is evident because the Conservative party has a clear-cut advantage over all other parties on the online polls as of now. With the elections soon to come I find it very hard for there to be a sudden change of heart. If you go to this CBC link you will see these online polls and how much of an advantage the conservatives have http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/09/04/poll-results.html. This was posted a while back, however it is important to look at whom the people voted for as the suited Prime- Minister of Canada. Stephan Harper of the Conservative Party is favored to win as most Canadian see him as the best choice for the position of Prime Minister. All other involved where nowhere close to the results Stephan Harper Achieved. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/CanadaVotes/News/2008/09/15/6770801.html
This poll shows that the conservatives have gained even more of a lead, with even less time until Election Day. I should not base everything on online polls because they can sometimes be inaccurate, but with that much of a lead and the great support that the conservatives have been getting I believe they will win for sure. They are keeping the public in mind, and are constantly adapting their strategies to what they believe the citizens want to hear. Topics such as: protecting our kids from crime, and keeping a strong economic management so that we do not feel the affects of what’s happening in the United States. These are all the things people want to hear; all politicians do this, but the Conservatives already have a large following and by saying these things it will grow even more. If people want change I am sorry to say, but try again later because this time around the Conservatives are going for round two. I personally disagree with some of the beliefs of the Conservative Party because they want to stop funding Canadian arts by 45 million dollars, these artists being musicians, dancers, artist, actors and other things of this nature. I disagree with this because many great people came out from the art sector of Canada, by receiving help from the government, and it would be a shame to see great Canadian talent go to waste. In conclusion we might not all believe in the views and beliefs of the conservative party but they must be doing something right for the people of Canada to want them back again for a second round in office.
In response to christina's comment. I believe that there will be a conservative majority, Stephen harper has told us what we want to hear. He is lowering taxes, more money in our pockets, and is focusing more on criminal justice. But with a large tax cut, and more tax money being used on criminal justice, it leaves me wondering who will get the lower end of the deal, sure less tax and less criminals on the street, but at what cost, before those who are legible go voting they should really think about where the gov't is going to be getting the funds for their plans if they plan to lower our taxes?
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