posted
So*, I get an email today. Turns out, when I registered with the Canadian High Commission when I arrived here, it does pay off in some way.
Not that I ever received any of the warnings about violence or such about Sri Lanka that the other Canadians or Americans, for that matter, received. Or any of the invites to any of the High Commission events that all of the Americans living here received.
But I did receive a reminder that I could vote in the upcoming Federal Election even though I no longer live in Canada.
What? There's an upcoming election? What happened? I don't think Jacques Chretien's time is up, but didn't he have a minority government or something? No, wait, is that possible? Joe Clark was the last one... But Paul Martin is the current Prime Minister after Chretien stepped down, and that was about two years ago, so yeah, maybe his time is up. Okay, no problem.
Anyway. I go to Elections Canada and read the eligibility criteria.
quote:Voter eligibility criteria
To vote, you must be a Canadian citizen and be 18 years of age or older on polling day.
You may register to vote by special ballot using the form in this guide provided:
1. you resided in Canada at any time before applying for registration; 2. you have resided outside Canada for less than five consecutive years since your last return to Canada (some exceptions apply); and 3. you intend to resume residence in Canada.
Yep. Guess that lets me out. Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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quote: But Paul Martin is the current Prime Minister after Chretien stepped down
His time isn't up. The usual term has to be under five years and is usually around fourish. This was a minority government that a motion of no confidence moved against it. Well, cbc's not got it yet but I'm assuming your recieving of the e-mail makes it kind of official.
At least I can vote this time around!
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Ah! So it was a minority government! I wasn't totally wrong after all!
The vote of no confidence doesn't, quite frankly, surprise me.
Care to summarize for me what led to that vote? Anything to do with that $120 million Chretien Cronies' scandal?
Oh. Oops! Possible bad.
quote:In light of the possible up-coming federal elections, the Canadian High Commission would like to remind you that you can vote, even when you are abroad, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria.
posted
Well, I think the wording is something like "the government is no longer trustworthy" or something. I think they just want an election. I don't think there's really anything specific that the Liberal Party has done recently... LinkPosts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
Vote for the New Democratic Party!
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posted
The vote on the motion of non-confidence is supposed to be this morning. This is the second time that the opposition parties have tried to bring the Liberal minority government down; the first time a Conservative defection (Belinda Stronach) and an Independent MP voting with the government saved them. At that time, though, the government had NDP support in exchange for an amendment to the budget reversing proposed corporate tax cuts and increasing social spending (among other things in a similar vein). This time, the NDP leader (Jack Layton) says that his party will be voting against the government.
Paul Martin had promised an election within 30 days of the final Gomery report (the inquiry into the Sponsorship scandal), but the opposition wants it sooner than that, so they want to bring the government down. I'm not sure why they're doing it; polls show that Canadians don't particularly feel like having and election and I suspect that a lot of people will demonstrate that by not voting. My prediction: voter turnout in this election will be the worst in Canadian history.
Of course, since voter turnout has been trending downward for ages now, that's hardly an earth-shattering prediction.
Also, it's Jean Chretien.
Edit: Blayne, shouldn't you be voting for the Marxist-Lenninist Party? They run candidates in a lot of ridings, you know.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
I'd suggest you vote anyway. There are probably reasons to maintain proof of intent to resume residency whether or not your current feelings are in that direction.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
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posted
Teshi, you didn't need to take that out. You posted between when I started my edit and when I posted it.
The vote is supposed to be just after 6:30 PM EST tonight. I believe Newsworld is going to have live coverage, so I should be able to watch it at the gym. If not, I'll be staying home and watching there.
Edit:
quote:I'd suggest you vote anyway.
Um, what? Pragmatism trumps honesty in your books, does it?
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
Honestly, I didn't even realise it was an edit. Which is why your post came out of the blue, I suppose...
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I really do not look forward to voting in this election. I hate it when I have to pick whether to vote for my MP or my PM, especially when voting for my MP might lead to Harper being the PM and I just do not have very good feelings about that.
Posts: 1158 | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
The Liberal candidate in my riding was strongly opposed to same-sex marriage and hates the CBC. I expect him to win the riding, but I definitely won't be helping him to do it. The NDP will probably get my $1.75 despite my dissatisfaction with Jack's grandstanding of late. If the Greens field a decent candidate here and put a platform together I might consider voting for them (depending on what that platform is, of course), but we'll see.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
My riding invariably goes Conservative (It was Alliance the year Alliance was in existance, sigh), assuming I vote from at home rather than here.
quote:Originally posted by twinky: Also, it's Jean Chretien.
Er, I can be soooo pathetic sometimes.
I mean, really, honestly, and truly, I know it's Jean. But my brain insists on telling my fingers that it's Jacques.
Sigh.
And honestly, there are, quite possibly and likely, tax implications that go along with intent to reside in Canada. I personally don't feel like giving Canada Revenue Agency any teeth into my worldwide income when I honestly don't intend to live in Canada ever again.
Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
I have the opposite problem that Rei does. Voting for my MP would help towards making Stephen Harper my PM, which I do want. But I loathe my local candidate (John Baird, if that name means anything to anyone here), so much so that if there is a viable (or even a not totally pathetic) independant candidate, I just might not vote for my own party. He's so popular anyway, it's not like he needs my vote. It'll just soothe my conscience.
Of course, I'm not going to vote Liberal. All the good Liberals got voted out in the last election. At least all the good ones who had any influence in government.
Why, oh why am I stuck in the riding where all the candidates suck?
Hey twinky, can we trade Liberal candidates? Take mine and I'll take yours. He sounds like what I would call a good Liberal. Posts: 609 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
I just got a call from Ipsos-Reid. The guy tried to tell me that the election had been called for January 23rd. I pointed out that they'd only just had the vote and that no, the election had not actually been called yet, nor had a date been set. Then I answered the questions as agreeably as I could. They were straightforward enough, and I even got to air my pet issue (the Anti-Terrorism Act) because one of the things they asked me to do was tell them about one issue that is important to me and that won't see any mention during the campaign. Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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posted
Maybe some one will call me! I should put together some kind of coherant idea of what is important to me politically. I suppose what I most dislike about politics is the way that the governing of the country is always bogged down with politics, if you know what I mean.
Heh heh. Politics marks notwithstanding, I'm just a silly girl.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Insisting on an intent to return makes perfect sense to me. If you've moved out of a country and are determined never to return, what business do you have voting in that country's elections?
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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Because it would be fun to mess around with Canadian politics, that's why! Posts: 8355 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
Excuse me but if a Marxist party existed and knew what the f*** it was doing then I'll consider voting for it, but as it is the NDP is the closest thing to a moderate-left party that represents my views best and I feel that they deserve a chance to form a government.
posted
Blayne, no one said anything that deserved that kind of response. Why don't you start acting like you're mature enough to participate in forming your nation's government.
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Blayne, I seriously had no idea whether you were old enough to vote or not and my comment was made in the case that you were seventeen or younger.
The parties do indeed exist, although of course they never come close to winning. Even if you've set your heart on the NDP you might be interested to look at a party website just because you're fascinated with that kind of thing: The Communist (Leninist-Marxist) Party of Canada.
Posts: 8473 | Registered: Apr 2003
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
Ok then Teshi I'm sorry, I had felt you were being insulting.
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posted
The poll in which I participated shows the Conservatives and the Liberals tied at 31 points apiece. With such a long campaign, though, any of the party leaders could easily self-destruct at some point along the way. I'm expecting to be out of the country on election day, though. How long before the election should I expect an advance poll? I've never had to vote in an advance poll before...'
Added: The poll also shows the NDP up two points at 18.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
What would be nice is for some more left thinking Liberal and Conserative members to flock to the NDP, like in Harry Turtledove's books where the socalist thinkers in the Republican Party left with Lincoln to join with German and east European Marxists to make a American Socialist Party, which won the 1918 elections. and.... read the books its about what if the Confederates won the war of succession.
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You know what I would like? A conservative government with the NDP as the official opposition. Now that would be an interesting four years. Or two, or one, depending.
Of course, I'd also like to see the Bloc disappear, but that won't happen anytime soon. *sigh*
I wish I was voting in Quebec this time around. Probably wouldn't make much difference, but you never know.
Posts: 609 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
As long as we're dreaming, I'd take the reverse scenario myself.
Posts: 10886 | Registered: Feb 2000
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
I hate the Bloc, why the hell are they in a Federal Election?? Who will honestly think that a Party wiht the name "Bloc Quebecois" will actually have Canada's interests at heart? The Liberals are progressiveish, like they're moderate. The Conservatives, wehile I don't like the concept and I think they're too much with America & big buisness (I could be wrong), the NDP is more enviromentally firendly, doesn't like big buisness, more left leaning and I think deserves a chance and see what they can do.
The Bloc's only purpose in life is to say "non" to the Liberals.
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Blayne Bradley
unregistered
posted
And maybe protect French speaker minorities. *shrug*
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posted
Well, so far this week Stephen Harper has been on a roll and making all the headlines and the other leaders have been mostly struggling to catch up.
<-- rooting for Harper.
Of course, this is just the first week of a very long campaign, so nothing has happened yet. But, so far, so good.
Posts: 609 | Registered: Oct 2004
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posted
(For Blayne, because I like the cut of his jib)
quote: World Turned Upside Down
by Billy Bragg
In sixteen forty nine, to St George's Hill a ragged band they called the Diggers came to show the peoples' will they defied the Landlords, they defied the laws they were the dispossessed, reclaiming what was theirs
"We come in peace" they said, to dig and sow we come to work the lands in common and to make the wastegrounds grow this earth divided, we will make whole so it will be a common treasury for all
The sin of property, we do disdain no man has any right to buy and sell the earth for private gain by theft and murder, they took the land now everywhere the walls spring up at their command
They make the laws, to chain us well the clergy dazzle us with heaven or they damn us into hell we will not worship, the god they serve the god of greed who feeds the rich while poor man starve
We work, we eat together, we need no swords we will not bow to the masters or pay rent to the lords we are free men, though we are poor you diggers all stand up for glory stand up now
From the men of property, the orders came they sent the hired men and troopers to wipe out the Diggers' claim tear down their cottages, destroy their corn they were dispersed, but still the vision lingers on
You poor take courage, you rich take care this earth was made a common treasury for everyone to share all things in common, all people one we come in peace, the orders came to cut them down
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If not, I'll be staying home and watching there.
