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Election day tomorrow. Polls open early and close at 930 PM where I am, so don't assume you can't get to the polls in time if you're working. Also, your boss is supposed to give you a chance to go vote during the day I believe, so consider that if required.
Tomorrow will be an unbelievably long day for me, but I'm totally looking forward to it. If by some miracle the incumbent I'm covering is upset, tomorrow night will be super fun.
Maybe it's a sign of my age, but I've found that in every social situation I've been in the past few weeks has been dominated by Canadian political conversations. That just isn't normally the case.
The discerning case in my opinion is people seem to be defaulting by voting Liberal without knowing any of the issues. My brother and I were chatting outside. He says all the candidates are liars, yadda yadda yadda, and then when I ask him who he's voting for he says he definitely won't be voting for the Conservatives. Umm... why? If you have a reason that's perfectly acceptable. But if you don't know the issues and are just voting without an actual reason just stay the fuck home.
Honestly, when people say things like this I wish that they wouldn't vote at all. They don't know the issues or the platforms either party is voting on, but they'll cast their ballot for a party because of some kind of brand image they have in their mind. His reasoning was because the Conservatives slashed arts funding. But they didn't. Arts funding from 2005 - 2008 has actually increased 14% across the board. What was cut was the programs that DIDN'T YIELD RESULTS. So it's a bad thing the government is getting rid of programs that waste our money in favor of those programs that give us something in return? And somehow this is a bad thing... This is the kind of dumb logic the Liberals and the NDP are making me shake my head at.
That's the reason I'm actually voting for the Conservatives. This will be the first time I'm actually casting my ballot for them. I have plans for the future, and I don't want a Liberal leader with grand plans shaking up the market and scaring jobs and resources away. I want a government that is fiscally responsible and won't just spoon feed it's populous sugar coated lies in order to appease them. (such as Harper telling us those manufacturing jobs AREN'T coming back) Our banking institutions are the hardest and most honest in the world, which is regulated very well. The Liberals under Paul Martin are semi-responsible for that and the new Conservatives under Steven Harper have kept that torch burning by initiating new banking laws which prevent the banks from being predatory to its lendee's.
Legislation in 2006 makes in illegal for banks to sell you a mortgage or loan contingent on additional loans from them. For example, your bank can't offer you a 12% interest rate on your new boat IF YOU ALSO switch your mortgage to them as well. That is illegal. If they want to offer you that 12% interest rate on your boat they can't force your hand in to a mortgage crisis you don't want. If they can't give you that 12% they're forced to tell you no or give it to you at a rate they think is fair for the risk involved.
Ok. Election Day. Get voting.
I already voted. I'm home sick today by coincidence and made a morning out of it.
I voted as well. Come on, Christian Democratic Party!
I spent a few hours researching the candidates last night, and none of them appeal to me at all. The libertarian candidate hadn't even updated his website since last spring, and it's full of mistakes.
I'm fairly certain Olivia Chow has a lock on Trinity-Spadina anyway, so I don't think I'll even bother voting this time.
Actually that's dumb. Even if the person of your choosing doesn't win this round, knowing by how much and why people didn't vote for them will always help them come back with a stronger platform the next time. Don't just fold your cards because you aren't going to get what you want. I'm almost positive my riding is going to be Liberal. But that didn't stop me.
I agree completely. The reason I'm not voting is that I'm more or less indifferent to the outcome. If I thought that one candidate was substantially better than the others, then of course I would vote.
I voted for a candidate in the last provincial election that didn't stand a chance.
The Liberal and Conservative platforms are generally very different this time around. The NDP probably is, too, but I haven't read their brochures so I don't know. From what I've read the platforms breakdown like this:
Conservatives:
- Less involvement economically through new business regulation.
- Key investments for future growth in target margets.
- No tax increase; annual budgetary balances will be met through investing and smart business
Liberals:
- Much more involvement through regulation for business.
- Increased taxation to meet budgetary requirements. Focusing heavily on new environmental taxes. Taxes will be slashed in years coming in other sectors (such as income) to make up for new tax increase.
NDP:
- Throw money at everyone to stop them from hating you.
- Cut taxes. Who cares!?
- Run the country shoulder deep in to debt like Bob Ray did when he was PM of Ontario.
Personally, I think this economic crisis whistle blowing by the NDP and Liberals is bullshit. I am basing this on the fact that International Monetary Fund said Canada will lead all G-7 countries in growth in 2009. We're GROWING economically. Also, the fact that World Economic Forum ranked Canada’s banking system the soundest in the world. Do you know how hard it is to qualify for a mortgage in Canada? They do extensive pay cheque analysis and background checks to make sure you're actually making what you make. People lying about their income status is what got America in the shit they're in now. We don't have that problem.
Our bank regulation has already been passed years ago, with the latest regulation making it harder for predatory lenders to do harm to ignorant low to middle class families. I don't want Dion or Jack Layton crying foul to win an election based on a made up crisis. Canada is in a stronger position financially than almost any country in the world. We don't need new taxes, we need to invest in market improvement such as equipment and incentive grants to help new businesses lay the foundation needed. That will create more jobs, and a fundamental issue I take to heart.
It should be noted that I am not an environmentalist, and believe strong incentives is the way to drive up environmentally friendly initiatives. Not taxation on existing companies. I think that will drive business away to place where they don't have to pay (like America, or Mexico). In a global economy that's important.