Battlin' Robot Steves!

[pyat]

Well, American readers, a federal election has been called in Canada, so you won’t have to read my musings about your election as often.

Of course, the election up here is terribly dull. The issue everyone seems to be talking about most, right now, is whether not carbon taxes are a good idea. Have you ever heard an attack ad criticizing a carbon tax policy? I have. It’s not a very exciting thing. Carbon tax is not a visceral topic that one can get really angry about.

This election will pit a very, very, very boring Conservative minority government and our wax-dummy PM against an evidently disorganized Liberal party, led by a well-spoken egghead. The Liberals are also very boring.

Not quite as boring are the third and fourth parties!

We have the Bloc Quebecois, led by a charming and eloquent raving anti-monarchist who may or may not wish to see Anglophone blood running down the steps of Parliament Hill. Nah, just kidding. He's cool. They're something of a wild card, though. The Bloc will vote with the Conservatives or Liberals as they please, making outcomes hard to discern.

Finally, we have the NDP, the raving Socialist "Bible Billy and his Funny Money" party, led by Jack Layton, who is no doubt best known as my municipal politics professor from university. I am probably voting for them.

It is also quite possible that the Green Party of Canada will win some seats in this election.

One final note of Canadian smugness - this election was called today. We vote on October 14th. 24 hours later, the election is over. So, we can get back to complaining about US politics!

Comments

[seritaph.livejournal.com]

I was under the impression your government had sold out to the copyright industry?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I recall something of that kind! It does not appear to be an election issue as of yet, though.

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

Well, I know at least one MP wasn't going to vote for it.

Shame I'm not in his riding so I can vote for him, though...

[relee.livejournal.com]

There was a lot of news about that, then it all went quiet. I'm not sure if that bill was passed, failed, or if it's still on the table.

It's the first time I ever sent a letter to my member of parliament, too. ^.^;;

[zenten.livejournal.com]

It's still on the table for after the election. I'm hoping it will just die a quiet death.

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

I like Dion, personally, and I *don't* like Layon, personally. Vice versa with the party itself.

However, as I get older and more angry observant, I notice the NDP sometimes has relevancy issues...

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Agreed on both points. My vote will depend on the local candidate, probably.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

For me Layton is sleazy, Dion seems like a kind of sad puppy, and Harper seems competent at doing things I really don't want for this country (like, if I was a major shareholder of a company and I wasn't worried about ethical issues I'd put Harper as the CEO).

For the first time I'm unsure on who I'll vote for.

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

There's always the Green party.

Oh, wait, the Liberals are issue-farming them already. Too late!

[mrs-dm.livejournal.com]

I can't stand Jack Layton. I think he's looks like across between Vladimir Lenin and a 70's porn star.

[madmanofprague.livejournal.com]

You make him sound much cooler.

[freifraufischer.livejournal.com]

But were any of your candidates members of political parties actively seeking the disallusion of Canada? If not I think we still win.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

The Bloc aren't as active about it, these days. They seem to be turning themselves into a regional interest party more than an independence for Quebec party.

But that could change, of course.

[lee-in-limbo.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the Canadian Way of doing Democracy. We don't want to be Americans, but we want a say in their elections. We're kind of like Texas, that way.

I figure it's going to be another depressing election, but I'll keep voting for my guys and hope they'll have enough of a voice in Parliament to make sure my interests are heard, at least.

Lee.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I'm suspecting we'll get another minority government.

[relee.livejournal.com]

Well, they're our neighbors. Plus lots of Canadians are former Americans. So it's kind of important for us that they not be ruled over by the Legion of Doom.

[bodhifox.livejournal.com]

Why don't you people let poor Quebec be its own country? HMMM?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Because most of them don't want to be, according to repeated polls - though admittedly it can be a razor thin majority who want to stay.

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

Also, we don't want to spend the jet fuel to keep Ottawa connected to the Maritimes if Quebec is no longer Canadian. Think of the environment!!

Then there's the massive numbers of government buildings in Quebec, which would all need to be moved and restaffed - it's just a huge hassle.

I'm only sort of kidding.

[relee.livejournal.com]

Attack ads. Those bastards. When I was younger, we didn't have attack ads in Canada. They made the attacker look bad! Now, what, it's good to be a jerk? Where's our ancient tradition of politeness now? I used to point at American mud-slinging and say "We're better than that!" and feel proud of my Canadian heritage.

I usually read the statement of purpose for each party during the election, then vote for whoever most closely represents my ideals. Usually either NDP or Green. One time I voted for the Liberals since the NDP was basically saying the exact same thing that year and the Liberals had a better chance of winning.

It's neat that you had Jack Layton as your university professor, but what in the heck did you study where Municipal Politics is a course?

I kinda hope we get another minority government. It's been 'interesting'. Whatever happens I want to get the conservatives out and the reporters back in. It's not right for politicians to be able to go about their business without being jostled by Marg the Barbarian.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Oh, attack ads are pretty old. They got sharper and more personal in the 90s, is all.

I took journalism at Ryerson. We had to take municipal politics because most starting reporters spend a couple of years covering council meetings.

Ummm... what election?

[mwbard.livejournal.com]

Umm... I hate to be the local Canadian disbeliever, but how come there is no news of any election on the CBC, CTV, Global, or City websites?

Are you SURE this election actually exists?

Re: Ummm... what election?

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Check out the front page of all the newspapers this morning. I dunno - maybe they were jumping the gun?

Re: Ummm... what election?

[velvetpage.livejournal.com]

The newspaper said this morning that Harper was going to call an election by the end of the week, subject to the agreement of the Governor-General, which is a given, really. So, it hasn't been called, but it's nearly a sure thing even so.

[anidada.livejournal.com]

You say "raving Socialist" like it's a bad thing. ;D

I think the main reason our election seems dull by comparison is because the fate of the world doesn't largely rest on the shoulders of the victor.