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Conservatives

Liberals

NDP

Bloc Quebecois

Greens

Far from all of them

[Zrk2]

Following a non confidence vote and some shenanigans about contempt of parliament we in Canada are having another election.

Here's how the parties break down:

Conservatives: Were in power, moderately right wing, PM Stephen Harper
Liberals: Centre left, held power for most of the 90s, but lack good leadership. Currently headed by Michael Ignatieff
New Democratic Party (NDP): Left wing, essentially socialist, decent leader, Jack Layton
Bloc Quebecois: Seperatists, they want to leave confederation and are the third largest party, despite only running in Quebec, headed by Gilles Duceppe.
Green Party: Environmental one issue party, never win any seats, but somehow manage to get more of a spotlight than any other fringe party.
(Wikipedia links to avoid BS on official websites.)

http://www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2011/03/25/17751366.html (Right wing paper)
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/960565--conservative-government-falls-in-non-confidence-vote?bn=1 (Left wing paper)
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2011/03/25/pol-defeat.html (State broadcaster, left wing)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-government-falls-in-historic-commons-showdown/article1956416/ (Centrist paper, I think)

So, what do you think? I personally prefer the conservatives.

[Sowelu]

Hmm.  Harper's anti-abortion, anti-gay-marriage, and supports a lot of the dangerous and downright crazy free-trade agreements that the USA puts out.

Dammit, North America doesn't need another USA.

[Levi]

Green Party really isn't a one issue party, they haven't been for years.  People keep thinking that and that is why nobody votes for them. 

[Zrk2]

I'm more of a fiscal conservative, all the evangelical bullshit is the reason the right wing is always getting slammed. He has toned down that line now that he's in power though, more 'tough on crime' and 'OH SHIT WHERE'D THAT RECESSION COME FROM?!' and less 'NO GAY MARRIAGE!'

I prefer Rand Paul to Rush Limbaugh, for an American equivalent.

[Realmfighter]

I like the NDP, as I agree with basically every stance that they have taken.

[Sowelu]

Hey I can deal with fiscal conservativism as long as they keep their dirty paws off health care and aren't dicks about their wilderness areas.

[Levi]

I like the NDP, as I agree with basically every stance that they have taken.

Hee hee, I thought the NDP's stance was they are against whatever the other two guys are for and for whatever the other two guys are against.

At least that is what Layton always sounds like when he talks.

My view of the parties are:

Conservatives:  Amoral
Liberals: Corrupt
NDP: Sleazy (all they ever do is trash talk it seems)
Green Party:  Will never win votes because of their name.

I'll probably vote Green again.

[Willfor]

I'm Progressive Conservative, and as such, my party was gently taken behind the woodshed and ever so slowly caressed to death by the bigger voting block in the West when the two parties merged. I've got a bit of an "anyone but Harper" attitude to my voting this year, and my likely vote is for Michael Ignatieff this time.

I've flirted with the Green party, but only if Lizzie doesn't decide to tilt at windmills this year, and actually tries to get a seat she can win.

[Logical2u]

Hmm.  Harper's anti-abortion

Unfortunately he's not the only one! My local MP (who's with the NDP) was anti-abortion when that topic came up in a vote a few years back.

Anyways, what does everyone think the big issues in this election should be? I've read the budget and had a few ideas (at least for my issues).

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

• Net Neutrality/CRTC's recent usage-based internet ruling
• Education and research investment
• Canada's role in Afghanistan and/or Libya
• Canada's role in nuclear power and space

Obviously this is not an indication that we should all drop what we're doing and talk about those ideas - I'd just appreciate knowing what people think are big issues!

[Qloos]

Oh boy, we're really turning into the states if we're generalising the parties into wings.  Listen, don't worry about the hubub about parties or political left or right.  Search up your MP, figure out if you agree that he's/she's been doing a good job or not.  If not: elect someone else.

http://www.parl.gc.ca/common/index.asp?Language=E
Search up your MP by your postal code.
Click his or her face.
Click MP profile
Click the votes tab and figure out what the hell they've been doing.

I'm trying to find statements my MP has made, however, I'm feeling slightly lost.

[Levi]

Anyways, what does everyone think the big issues in this election should be? I've read the budget and had a few ideas (at least for my issues).

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

• Net Neutrality/CRTC's recent usage-based internet ruling
• Education and research investment
• Canada's role in Afghanistan and/or Libya
• Canada's role in nuclear power and space

Obviously this is not an indication that we should all drop what we're doing and talk about those ideas - I'd just appreciate knowing what people think are big issues!

Those aren't bad.  The issues I'd like focus on are:

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

• Debt/deficit reduction
• Education
• Healthcare & Poverty

Not very exciting but I think Canada has been really stagnating on these problems.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Oh look, parliamentary elections are going on in Canada. Well, I'm an ^{_{United States of}}American, but I might as well judge the parties since that's the point of the thread.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Conservative: The only thing I really like about them is that they like the USA.
Liberal: Decent overall, I don't care for their anti-firearm stance in the sightest.
New Democratic: If everything they really act to support everything they say they do and I was an adult Canadian, I would probably consider voting for this one. (Only iffy about expanding public healthcare and total opposition to millitary in foreign policy.)
Bloc Québécois: So. Seperatists. You don't say. I have little that I can comment on there.
Green: Not really convincing me about anything.

I wish the USA had more than two major parties like you guys do. Anyway, good luck with your democracy up there, be careful not to brush up against Detroit if you come down to visit the US. He has issues with being touched.

[Retro]

God, Canadian politics. I'm going to avoid getting into a huge rant right now on how utterly, utterly bland and uniform Canadian politicians / parties are, but I might feel compelled to later, because... ugh. It's just about impossible to actually feel excited about the future of Canadian politics or elections or whatever in any way, and it doesn't help that party leaders are more concerned with trying to make each other look bad than actually bothering to advocate or represent their platforms.

[Qloos]

Then lets discuss the policies ourselves, investigate what the politicians are about and choose based on that information.  Also, if you plan vote whithout taking any of that information into regard, then dont vote.  I'd prefer a 10% informed voter turn out over a 40% "I heard Stephen Harper was good for the economy" turn out.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/start-debut-eng.html
Lets roll.

[Zrk2]

Flaherty is my MP, lol, too bad I can't vote. Thanks for the link for that, I'm wiped from a rugby practice, that was all I could think of for an OP.

!!! Poll time!

As for issues:
-War in Afghanistan
-Libya
-Generating power I like nuclear [Because that's what I'm going to go to university to get a degree in, and because it is 0 emission and can provide base load generation wind and solar can't].
-Balancing the budget