Voting starts today for 2015 Federal Election

[Podo]

Early voting for the 2015 federal election starts today. Harper has run this country into the ground for far too long, and it is going to be very interesting to see what happens. I'm only 25, so I've only been able to vote in three elections. Each time, the Conservatives have won by what is essentially technicality, since the first-past-the-post voting system is super flawed. As an example, in the last election the Conservatives only got 30-something percent of votes, but they have a majority government. Does that make sense? Of course it doesn't. More can be read about it here, for those who are not familiar with our electoral system.

The problem will arise if our vote is split. The Conservatives are the only right-wing option in Canada that matters (The Bloc Quebecois is irrelevant outside of Quebec), while there are three left-wing options; Green, NDP (New Democratic Party), and the Liberals. While that seems like a good thing, it becomes complex when working in concert with the first-past-post model. Even if 60+% of the country is left-leaning (and nearly 70% is, based on past elections) if no one party gets more votes than the Conservatives, they'll control the country for another four years, or until a vote of nonconfidence is declared. Or, I guess, if the Govenor-General decides to dissolve parliament. Neither of those things are likely, however.

The Conservatives need to get the boot. Currently, over 70% of the country hates them. Even the Conservative MPs themselves are leaving the party due to Stephen Harper's draconian policies and campaign of racism, discrimination, and hatred of non-white Canadians. He has to go. I'm worried about it, I really am, because if the Conservatives get another term, I don't know what this country is going to look like when we come out the other side.

[Dark_Grey]

Well as Harper likes to spout in his campaign speeches, Canada fared best during the 2008 recession of all the G7 countries. Was that because of Conservative management or in spite of it?

Check out the first debate (linked) and decide for yourself. If you have keen eyes and ears, just watching the leaders debate each other should tell you a lot about who to vote for. Protip: Green party leader was "not invited" to any debate after this one, hence why I'm posting it

http://youtu.be/hSf2__qpeGA

[acidhead]

My guess... and it's a highly uneducated one, is scare monger Harper will be re-elected to quote his campaign bus slogan "Proven Leadership - For a - Safer Canada - Stronger Economy

I'll be voting for the Libertarian Party like I always do.... I vote on principle... always have always will. I refuse to compromise.

[acidhead]

Well as Harper likes to spout in his campaign speeches, Canada fared best during the 2008 recession of all the G7 countries. Was that because of Conservative management or in spite of it?

Check out the first debate (linked) and decide for yourself. If you have keen eyes and ears, just watching the leaders debate each other should tell you a lot about who to vote for. Protip: Green party leader was "not invited" to any debate after this one, hence why I'm posting it

http://youtu.be/hSf2__qpeGA

Back in March when the HOC debated bombing Syria and Bill c51 I watched the full replays nightly. I gotta say as much as I disagree with the Green party policies overall Elizabeth May was the ONLY person in that whole room who spoke with a rational common sense regarding personal liberty back home and the unintended consequences of interfering in another nations affairs militarily. I sat amazex listening to her speak and each time she finished and sat down the rest of the politicians just stared at her wide eyed and then continuex on attacking each other over mere details of both issues never actually stoppong to say... gee maybe this isnt a good idea. Again... Ivdont endorse Green party policy but in my uneducatex honest opinion Elizabeth May has my deepest respect and I would take her over the other clowns for PM in a heartbeat.

[Thanato]

Voted Yesterday, was quick, painless, and fun.

[Dark_Grey]

Back in March when the HOC debated bombing Syria and Bill c51 I watched the full replays nightly. I gotta say as much as I disagree with the Green party policies overall Elizabeth May was the ONLY person in that whole room who spoke with a rational common sense regarding personal liberty back home and the unintended consequences of interfering in another nations affairs militarily. I sat amazex listening to her speak and each time she finished and sat down the rest of the politicians just stared at her wide eyed and then continuex on attacking each other over mere details of both issues never actually stoppong to say... gee maybe this isnt a good idea. Again... Ivdont endorse Green party policy but in my uneducatex honest opinion Elizabeth May has my deepest respect and I would take her over the other clowns for PM in a heartbeat.

I'm heavily leaning towards Green party this election. They don't have a snowball's chance of winning, but not entirely through their own fault. The usual media circus shouts a lot louder than the Green party can and deliberately cutting them out of debates is taking a page right from American politics.

I don't 100% agree with all of Elizabeth May's policies but I agree with enough of them that they'll most likely get my vote.

Mulclair is a spineless turd. He'll run this country in to the ground.

[Podo]

See, I'm a fan of Green policies, but voting for Green in this election seems like a perfect way to hand the country to the Conservatives again. I refuse to do that. Also, my riding is resoundingly NDP. So I'm voting orange, strategically. I don't think this election is about getting who we want, I think this election is about getting rid of Harper.

[acidhead]

See, I'm a fan of Green policies, but voting for Green in this election seems like a perfect way to hand the country to the Conservatives again. I refuse to do that. Also, my riding is resoundingly NDP. So I'm voting orange, strategically. I don't think this election is about getting who we want, I think this election is about getting rid of Harper.

Just curious.... if the riding here is resoundingly NDP what does it matter if you vote Green? The NDP is still going to win this riding. Vote with your conscience. I'll be one of around 100-200 who votes for the Libertarian Party here... lol

Edited October 9, 2015 by acidhead

[Dark_Grey]

Just curious.... if the riding here is resoundingly NDP what does it matter if you vote Green? The NDP is still going to win this riding. Vote with your conscience. I'll be one of around 100-200 who votes for the Libertarian Party here... lol

Geez and I thought the Green voting bloc was small lol. I know what you're saying, Podo and I have thought about that. Do I vote for the party I want to win or do I vote for the lesser evil that can win..

[Podo]

Geez and I thought the Green voting bloc was small lol. I know what you're saying, Podo and I have thought about that. Do I vote for the party I want to win or do I vote for the lesser evil that can win..

And that's really the issue, isn't it? Without representational voting, it's tricky. In my last three elections, I've gone for what I wanted. This time, I believe strongly that we need to oust Harper whatever the cost, so I'm voting for who CAN win.

Just curious.... if the riding here is resoundingly NDP what does it matter if you vote Green? The NDP is still going to win this riding. Vote with your conscience. I'll be one of around 100-200 who votes for the Libertarian Party here... lol

Well yes technically I could go Green and not really affect anything negatively, but for me, as I've said before, this election is about giving Harper das boot. If I vote Green, I will know in my own mind that I did not contribute to Harper's ousting. If he wins, I'll feel guilty. I need to vote NDP in my riding to feel like I'm making a difference, in any small way.

[Gingitsune]

Polls predict Leberals will win a minority governement, Consertatives will be in the opposition and NDP will have the balance of power.

[Likely Guy]

Polls predict Leberals will win a minority governement, Consertatives will be in the opposition and NDP will have the balance of power.

I wouldn't be upset by that. Voted early this morning. Fingers crossed.

[acidhead]

Libertarian party is leading so far at all the exit polls. Looks like Tim Moen will be the next PM of Canada.

[Podo]

Polls predict Leberals will win a minority governement, Consertatives will be in the opposition and NDP will have the balance of power.

I'm okay with this, actually. Historically, Canada has been the strongest when we had Liberal minority governments. I'm hoping to see a Red Ottawa when I wake up tomorrow morning.

[Gingitsune]

I voted so early this year, it doesn't feel like today is the election day.

[Bavarian Raven]

If the Livs or NDP win, I just hope they don't reduce or eliminate the TFSA and income splitting, or bring back the stupid long gun registry. While the conservatives are far from perfect they did do some good things IMHO as mentioned above.

[Thanato]

Well that was unexpected. Liberal Majorty and Legal Pot.

[EEHC]

I decided to vote Green when it became clear in the polls that the Conservative governement would be defeated.

The Conservative candidate stood no chance in my riding anyway. So I could afford to vote with my convictions first and foremost.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Sam.

[EEHC]

or bring back the stupid long gun registry.

They won't beat that dead horse. It would cost way too much to rebuild it for the limited use that it had, I think anyone knows that.

It's too little too late, the Conservatives have destroyed all the data. Now that doesn't mean the Liberals won't come up with some other gun control measures.

Well that was unexpected. Liberal Majorty and Legal Pot.

It's about time people stop facing a criminal charge for smoking weed and that the state start making money with it, as it does with tobacco and alcohol.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Sam.

[Gingitsune]

So it is the end of the Harper era, which lasted 9 years. A decent performance. It did quite a few necessary things, some others which were less useful. But we got what we needed to from Harper's program, now it is time to change to see what Trudeau Jr has to offert. We'll see if he last more than 4 years, he still look like a master bull****ter to me, who just throw buzzwords around. We'll see.

It's the victory of the strategic vote, that's for sure. I would rather have had minority Liberals with NDP with the balance of power, but I'm not the only one to vote.

It seems the Atlantic provinces were hungry for change, to say the least. So were the Territories.

In Quebec, although the Bloc manage to find a new wind, it's percentage of the vote dropped by two point, the party is dying with its key voters, the babyboomers. The Conservatives and NDP now have a basis to build on in the province, the Bloc and Liberals aren't the only options there anymore.

In Ontario, the principal change was Toronto, which turned from a patchwork of colors into a single block of red. Hungry for change too, I guess.

In the prairies, the Conservatives block was cropped on the edge and in the cities, probably as far as it will reduce, to expend again in 2019.

In British Columbia, Liberals got votes where they needed and the conservative edge in the rookies was spiced with Liberals and NDPs.

In my riding, I was delight to see the quality of the candidates go up. For the NPD, we passed from a student in politic science to the former ambassador in Ukraine, just that. o.O And for the Conservatives from an about decent deputy who happened to be elected in 2006 as Quebec City voted en masse after a change to the 13 years old Liberal government, to a very dedicated MP who knows how to make things work for his riding even when he's in the opposition, or even in a third party.

As a side note, in 2011, we purged the under average Conservatives candidates elected in 2006, I'm glad to see the quality went up this time and the Conservatives are now strong enough in Quebec to attract real talent.

Giving a last look to the result, NDP now has 44 seats, better than what it looked like sooner tonight when they had something 34.

[EEHC]

So it is the end of the Harper era, which lasted 9 years. A decent performance. It did quite a few necessary things, some others which were less useful. But we got what we needed to from Harper's program, now it is time to change to see what Trudeau Jr has to offert. We'll see if he last more than 4 years, he still look like a master bull****ter to me, who just throw buzzwords around. We'll see.

The Harper governement became petty, rigid or even downright hostile to it's population. It was hawkish, only looking for the first opportunity to send our troops abroad. It's environmental record is awful. Scientists from Environment Canada were muzzled amid deep cuts. A lot of people no longer recognized themselves and their Canadian values in this governement. It had it's chance but in the end a big chunk of the progressive vote united behind one single banner to defeat it.

Giving a last look to the result, NDP now has 44 seats, better than what it looked like sooner tonight when they had something 34.

Maybe but that's still less than half of what the NDP got in 2011. No doubt this was a painful night for the party's base who still had great hopes to hold the balance of power dealing with a Liberal minority. Questions will be asked about Mulcair's leadership and if a shift to the Centre was really the right thing to do.

Edited October 20, 2015 by Sam.

[Gingitsune]

Question need to be asked, but the 2011 move to the NDP was a finger against Conservatives, Liberals and the Bloc for proposing the same old thing three times in a row. It essentially meant "we have other options". But the moved allowed the Conservative to get a majority, so many people promised themselves to act more carefully next time. This massive move to the Liberals cost NDP a lot of ridings, but it costed the Conservatives even more.