Korean Job Discussion Forums

mithridates · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 6:21 pm Post subject: Politics in Canada

Just in case no one has been paying attention:

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/13818

another link

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061114/climate_conference_061115/20061115

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061115/china_snub_061114/20061115

Octavius Hite · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:23 pm Post subject:

Good, im not Lib but I would rather have a liberal majority than anything else. I can't wait to see the conservatives shown the door.

Wrench · Joined: 07 Apr 2005

khyber · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Compunction Junction

When greens could become a vocal (and more powerful) opposition, I will be a happy, HAPPY mofo.
Not necessarily in POWER, but I kinda like their idealism.

Wrench · Joined: 07 Apr 2005

Octavius Hite · Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 10:55 pm Post subject:

I live in Korea but I have lived on all three coasts of Canada (yes all three) and the Liberals best represent Canadian values as far as I can see. Unlike the US where the choice seems to be left or right, in Canada we have the right (PC) and the left (green, ndp, bloc) and then the centre party (Liberals) and thats why they consistantly succeed in politics.

Kuros · Joined: 27 Apr 2004

Maybe I'm a hopelessly myopic American, but doesn't that maple leaf next to NDP look a tad too much like the shape of Iraq?

thepeel · Joined: 08 Aug 2004

Octavius Hite · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 4:00 am Post subject:

peace, order and good government

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

mithridates · Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:11 am Post subject:

The Greens aren't a party of the left.

Slep · Joined: 14 Oct 2006

as an anglo quebecer, i've always wished i could vote for the Bloc.
They're policies are amazing. I realyl like that they promise to try and pass a law demanding all large government contracts be reviewed by parliament.
If only they didn't have that 'let's dissolve the country' policy.

Canadian Club · Joined: 12 Aug 2006

cosmicgirlie · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

The Greens are not a "left" party. They're central. Fiscally responsible yet socially progressive. As for them getting a voice this is about to happen as a by-election is happening in London North Centre--where I lived while going to school but who didn't--where Elizabeth May is well on her way to being elected.

The Cons lady is the former mayor who refused to declare gay pride parade and as a result got a big fine--$5000 for the city of London and $5000 personally. She has also been living in the US for the past 6 years doing work for the republican party. I'm not sure a Liberal strong hold is going to go for her.

The NDP is a quack job. That's hard for me to say as I usually tend to like the NDP for their social views. But this lady is just throwing punches but aren't hitting anything. She's trying to villianize the Con and the Lib and has taken a stab at Liz May but she didn't bite where the others have.

The Liberal is a decent guy, too bad he has a former Con with a crappy blogging history on his staff. Former firefighter and champion of human rights it's weird to see him have someone who wrote such hatred. However, if this guy has changed his stripes then well good on him. I'm all for change.

Lizzy on the other hand is going clean. She's not taking a swipe at the other candidates. She has nothing but positive comments for them for the most part. She knows the Lib from previous work. However with the environment is the hot issue with Canadians so I can see her getting elected. Not to mention she's got Garth Turner on her side--that rebel former Con who was booted from Caucus recently plugging away with her trying to get her elected. Jim Harris never had that much press coverage. She's all over the place and it's peaked peoples interest.

Okay I'm done. I'm such a political geeky girl.

freethought · Joined: 13 Mar 2005

The idea of 'canadian' values... that's an interesting discussion.

I've lived, worked and travelled all over the country. I have family who are oil workers, propertied millionaires, public figures, scientists, graphic designers etc. In my life experience there are certain Canadian values that are held by the MAJORITY of canadians. These values and ideas may not be prevalent from Coast to coast to coast, but they are held by the majority of canadians. These values rather than being western or eastern I think are better defined in terms of 'urban' values and modern vs rural and archaic. That's not to say that there aren't people in downtown TO who don't think global warming is happening, that stem cells kill children, that every muslim is a terrorist etc, but for the most part, the pattern holds to varying degrees.

That's why the Liberals have ruled for 80% of the time for the last century. When they have been in power they have governed reasonably well. often times it is the opposing view points that are out of sync with canadian ideals that causes the other parties not to be elected--- not some vast central canadian conspiracy.

Something similar is happening now. The income trust decision, the state of afghanistan mission, the SSM revisitation etc. It's not an Ontario conspiracy, but rather a bad choices by parties other than the Libs that keep them from being in power. And when those other parties do get in power.... they often govern terribly and botch their time in office (not unlike the Liberal government of lets say, Paul Martin.)