Political Parties and Elections in Canada |  Les
élections et les partis politiques au Canada |
Updated July 9, 2011
Page révisée le 9 juillet 2011
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-------------------------------- -------------------------------- Selected media articles/series worth highlighting from before and during the 2011 federal election, including election results and analysis. -------------------------------- Selected sources - daily media
coverage --------------------------------- Non-governmental organizations
--------------------------------- Registered political parties
for the 2011 federal election * Liberal Party of Canada * New Democratic Party of Canada --------------------------------- 2008 federal election links:
--------------------------------- The Harper Record ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Polls - links to polling firms and Google.ca election poll search results --- always current! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pope
Benedict XVI Declares Stephen Harper a "Living Saint" ---
Canadian PM Reciprocates by naming Benedict to the Canadian Senate |
Some criticisms of the CBC’s Vote Compass - from the Pundits' Guide to Canadian Federal Elections (see the link below) The Social Election Experiment: Vintage Voters
CTV Poll Tracker - updated daily by Nanos Research CBC Poll Tracker - Roundup of surveys Poll Tracker from Election Almanac Polling
Station
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your Member of Parliament using your Postal Code ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canada
Election 2011 Source: |
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Selected media and other coverage and analysis:
( links galore, daily updates!)
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The links below are in reverse |
July 5, 2011
Reasons
for not voting in the May 2, 2011 federal election, May 2011
More than one-quarter of the 7.5 million eligible voters who reported
they did not cast a ballot in the May 2, 2011 federal election indicated they
did not do so because they were not interested in voting. Another 23% said
they were too busy to vote.
- includes three tables:
* Reasons for not voting among those that did not vote, by sex and by age
group, May 2011 federal election
* Reasons for not voting among those who did not vote, by geography, May 2011
federal election
* Reasons for not voting among those who did not vote, by immigrant status,
May 2011 federal election
Related subjects:
* Government
* Society
and community
* Social
networks and civic participation
Source:
The Daily
[Statistics Canada]
Exit
Interview: NDP Tony Martin
May 20, 2011
By Meagan Fitzpatrick
Twenty years in politics came to an end for Tony Martin on May 2 when he was
defeated in the northern Ontario riding of Sault Ste. Marie. He had been an
MP for the NDP since 2004 and before that was a member of the provincial government,
serving under Bob Rae when he was NDP premier in Ontario. Martin is passionate
about poverty -- eradicating it, that is -- and it's been a focus of his time
in public office. In Ottawa, he dedicated a lot of his time to that work on
committees and on a private member's bill that would create a national strategy
to eliminate poverty and an Office of the Poverty Elimination Commissioner.
Source:
CBC
COMMENT: (by Gilles)
It was truly a pleasure and an honour for me to meet Tony on a couple
of occasions and to promote his work in my site and newsletter.
Bill C-545 may have died on the order paper, Tony, but your dedication to
the cause of poverty eradication has left a profound mark on all of us who
work in support of social justice in Canada. I wish you well in the next chapter
of your remarkable life...
[...and I pray that the NDP surge can produce someone who can grow into those
large shoes of yours.]
From Framed
in Canada
(Trish Hennessy's blog):
This four-part series of blogs chronicles Trish's efforts to make sense of
the May 2 results.
She also offers considerations for progressives to get us through to the next
federal election.
1,617
Days: Naming The Politics Of Fear
May 16, 2011
By Trish Hennessy
The Harper government won its coveted majority. How did this happen? What
does it mean for Canada? And what should progressives do before the next federal
election?
1,616
Days: Dividing Canadians
May 17, 2011
By Trish Hennessy
Stephen Harper played the fear card and won, while the NDP made history by
becoming the official opposition.
1615
Days: Championing Progressive Values
May 18, 2011
By Trish Hennessy
(...) Stephen Harper may have won the election, but a strong NDP opposition
raises the possibility that a broader audience of Canadians will be exposed
to truly progressive ideas for the first time in a generation. That, in itself,
holds change-making potential.
Democracy
is a wheel: let me roll it to you
May 18, 2011
By Trish Hennessy
The politics of fear helped define the 2011 federal election. For all of its
darkness, fear also drove a lot of voters to consider new possibilities, to
make new choices, including jumping on the orange wave. The challenge for
progressives wanting to ensure Canada maintains the promise of social justice
that we briefly coalesced around post-war is to begin work immediately on
a reframe: Our challenge is to change the conversation, rather than get trapped
in the conversation that has been set for us (economy in peril).
[ Trish Hennessy is a former journalist
working with the Canadian Centre
for Policy Alternatives. ]
Source:
Framed in Canada
May 2, 2011
The people of Canada have spoken.
Jails and jets it is.
And more unfettered contempt for Parliament and the people of Canada.
Best analogy of the week:
"Jack Layton winning 102 seats against a Tory majority
is like winning the jackpot at a bingo on the Titanic."
Election
night results from Elections Canada
- includes results for all of Canada, for each province and territory, by
postal code and more...
From the CBC:
Canada
Votes 2011 Election results
- interactive map of results
Harper:
Majority win turns page on 'uncertainty'
Layton seizes Opposition; Duceppe, Ignatieff defeated in ridings as parties
decimated
Breaking
down the election results
A closer look at Canada's new House of Commons
Source:
CBC
From
the Globe and Mail:
Canada’s
new electoral divide: It’s about the money
By Patrick Brethour
VANCOUVER— From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
May 3, 2011
[ 500
comments ]
The newly drawn electoral map is split, but the cleavage is not left versus
right, nor is it Quebec versus the rest of Canada. The
true divide, the new reality of Canadian politics, is between the economic
heartlands that the Conservatives now dominate throughout the country and
the economic hinterlands won by the NDP.
Centrist
compromise spurs Tory triumph
By John Ibbitson
May 3, 2011
It worked. Stephen Harper finally won his majority government. He did it by
surrendering right-wing cant for centrist compromise. He didn’t sound
that way, but he acted it. And the voters understood. There is a new reality
in Ottawa. The fusion of right-wing factions into a party of the moderate
centre-right now dominates national politics. Mr. Harper, who has already
governed for five years, will govern for four more. The lesson for the parties
to his left is obvious: Unite or lose.
Also from the G&M:
* Voters
want Harper kept on short leash and aren’t yet sold on Layton: study
* Harper finally wins majority as NDP surges into Opposition
* Harper to move fast to use his new authority
* Ignatieff will not resign, despite losing in own riding
* Duceppe resigns as Bloc leader after losing riding
Source:
Globe and Mail
From the
Toronto Star:
Conservatives
soar to majority with NDP forming historic opposition
May 3, 2011
The Conservatives have finally captured their elusive majority government
in tonight’s federal election with the NDP taking its historic place
as official opposition, pushing aside the Liberals to a humiliating third
place finish. It is the first time in Canadian history that the Liberal party
did not finish either first or second.
[ 196 comments ]
Interactive Map of 2011 Federal Election Results
Source:
Toronto Star
A
Conservative majority. Now what?
By Murray Dobbin
May 3, 2011
There is no point dwelling on the obvious other than to simply reiterate it.
The election of a Conservative majority government will usher in wrenching
change in Canada and we will have to witness the worse that Stephen Harper
has to offer. (...) What was shocking for people throughout the first three
weeks of the campaign – before the strange, detached euphoria of the
NDP surge was that so many Canadians – hovering near 40% – could
support a government that was not only conservative in policy terms but virtually
a rogue government in terms of its blatant and unapologetic trashing of democratic
institutions and conventions. It did not seem to matter a whit that Harper
harboured thugs in his inner circle, was found in contempt of Parliament,
and lied without hesitation whenever it suited him.
Source:
Murray Dobbin's Blog
[ About Murray Dobbin ]
From the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:
Historic
NDP Breakthrough
By Erin Weir
May 3, 2011
A Harper majority is very bad. However, I have trouble imagining it cutting
public programs more than Chretien’s
majority did. The Conservatives and Liberals have long been rather similar
on economic issues. The NDP replacing the Liberals as one of the two predominant
parties is hugely positive. Canadian social democrats have been striving for
this realignment since they founded the CCF in 1932.
The
Economic Impact of Harper’s Majority (audio file)
May 3, 2011
This 6-minute debate between Michael Hlinka, CBC business correspondent, and
CCPA Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan examines the economic impact of a Harper
majority. It took place early today on Metro Morning, the local morning CBC
program in Toronto. It touches on the nature of growth, the distribution of
the benefits of growth, the erosion of the foundation of growth, and the role
of the NDP, as official opposition, to offer some balance to the process of
defining and serving the public interest.
Source:
Making It Count (Election
blog)
[ Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
(CCPA) ]
Related video:
Triumph
and Defeat (CBC video)
May 3, 2011
Video highlights from the speeches of the five party leaders on election night.
Source:
CBC Videos
Hundreds
of links to election coverage - updated
daily
Still haven't reached your saturation point?
The Canadian Daily Digest
offers a varied diet of media coverage of the 2011 federal election.
Kazoo
Has Spoken.
My friend Zoom's Double Yellow-Headed Amazon Parrot has expressed his voting
preference, scatologically speaking.
("Kazoo did his own research and reached his own conclusions quite independently.
Which makes me wonder if parrots have better critical thinking skills than
the majority of many Canadians…")
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The rest of the links below cover the period leading up to the election. |
All parties except Conservatives support
Make Poverty History goals
http://www.makepovertyhistory.ca/story/all-parties-except-conservatives-support-make-poverty-history-goals
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Federal Election 2011 Endorsements
Left and Right:
The Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail
(no surprises here.)
Toronto
Star endorses the NDP
April 30, 2011
(...) The last thing Canada needs is an affirmation of a government obsessed
with control, dismissive of critics, and determined to further diminish the
role of the state in charting a better future for the country. (...) New Democrats
have shown at the provincial level that once in office they can square their
social conscience with fiscal responsibility. They are the party of Tommy
Douglas, Allan Blakeney and Roy Romanow — pragmatists with a vision and
a heart. Now that a much more significant role beckons at the federal level
they must accept the challenge of developing that approach nationally as well.
Source:
Toronto Star
---
The
Globe’s election endorsement: Facing up to our challenges
April 27, 2011
(...) Only Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party have shown the leadership,
the bullheadedness (let's call it what it is) and the discipline this country
needs. (...) Mr. Harper could achieve a great deal more if he would relax
his grip on Parliament, its independent officers and the flow of information,
and instead bring his disciplined approach to bear on the great challenges
at hand. That is the great strike against the Conservatives: a disrespect
for Parliament, the abuse of prorogation, the repeated attempts (including
during this campaign) to stanch debate and free expression. It is a disappointing
failing in a leader who previously emerged from a populist movement that fought
so valiantly for democratic reforms. (...) The campaign of 2011 – so
vicious and often vapid – should not be remembered fondly. But that will
soon be behind us. If the result is a confident new Parliament, it could help
propel Canada into a fresh period of innovation, government reform and global
ambition. Stephen Harper and the Conservatives are best positioned to guide
Canada there.
Source:
Globe and Mail
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From the
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU):
April 30, 2011
What's new online:
[This section archives documents that
have been featured on the CRRU homepage..]
Why
I'm voting for child care
29 Apr 11
- Activist and mother Vicky Smallman discusses her child care struggles; invites
Canadians to vote for good child care May 2nd.
Addressing
child and family poverty in Canada: Where do the parties stand?
29 Apr 11
- Campaign 2000 assesses the federal parties' records and promises on child
poverty.
Does
not play well with others
28 Apr 11
- Post from CCPA's election blog offers a letter from child care staff to
the Harper family regarding Stephen.
Newfoundland
and Labrador Budget 2011: Standing strong
28 Apr 11
- Newfoundland government promises "two-year pilot project focused on
the development of child care spaces in family homes".
Funding
for 25 new child care centres raises family choices. Commitment to 54 new
centres over five years
27 Apr 11
- Manitoba budget includes $21.3 million for child-care centres including
46 capital projects; promises 2,100 newly funded spaces.
child care in the news
[This section features interesting and noteworthy
news about ECEC and related issues in Canada and internationally.]
· Put
children first
[CA] 29 Apr 11
· When
you vote, keep our children in mind
[CA] 28 Apr 11
· OurVote.ca:
Code Blue -- Build child care
[CA] 27 Apr 11
· Porter:
Why child care is a big election issue
[CA] 27 Apr 11
· Child
care takes centre stage
[CA] 27 Apr 11
· Standing
behind a failing system
[CA-NL] 27 Apr 11
· Time
to put children first
[CA] 26 Apr 11
· NDP
push: Jack Layton answers questions
[CA] 26 Apr 11
· Mixed
reaction to child care plan
[CA-NL] 20 Apr 11
· Daycares
question new funding
[CA-MB] 14 Apr 11
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Fiscal
Record of Canadian Political Parties
By Toby Sanger
April 29, 2011
With all the recent news stories — as well as
alarm raised by other leaders — about the fiscal and economic impact
and record of NDP governments, I decided to take a look at and review the
fiscal record of all federal and provincial governments in Canada for the
past three decades. These results may be surprising
to some: they show that NDP governments have the best fiscal record of all
political parties that have formed federal or provincial government in Canada.
Source:
Progressive Economics
Forum Blog
[ Progressive Economics Forum
]
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From Campaign 2000:
Three
out of four cross-Canada parties commit to reduce poverty;
Conservatives ignore Poverty Reduction and Inequality (small
PDF file)
News Release
April 28, 2011
Toronto – Citing the persistence of poverty and growing gap between the
rich and poor across Canada, national anti-poverty coalition Campaign 2000
today expressed satisfaction that three out of four parties have committed
to a poverty reduction plan.
Addressing
Child and Family Poverty in Canada: Where do the parties stand?
Campaign 2000 sent a letter with 10 key questions [ small PDF file
: English
-Français
] on poverty to the leaders of all parties. Based on the responses from each
of the federal parties, Campaign 2000 put together a summary of the answers
in a grid, outlining where each federal party stands on poverty.
Grid of party platforms on poverty-related issues (PDF - 72K, 2 pages)
Summary
of party platforms on poverty-related issues (PDF - 85K, 10 pages)
Benchmarks:
* Commit to reducing child and family poverty by 25% in five years and 50%
in 10 years
* Raise the Canada Child Tax Benefit to $5,400 ($2011). End the clawback by
provincial governments for those receiving social assistance.
* A system of affordable, high quality, public and not-for-profit early childhood
education and care accessible to all children: by 2020 including a policy
framework with goals and objectives, targets and timelines, recognizing provincial
and territorial roles and responsibilities.
* Develop a national strategy for affordable housing enshrined in legislation
including substantial federal funding for social housing.
* All those working full-time, full-year guaranteed a life free from poverty.
Re-establish the federal minimum wage to at least $11. per hour (2011$) and
indexed annually to inflation. Development of strategies to achieve sustaining
employment and liveable incomes. Increase WITB to $2,400 for all employed
adults.
Source:
Campaign 2000
Campaign 2000 is a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian
awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to
end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000.
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Is
Stephen Harper a hologram?
Rick Mercer on what he learned on the campaign trail with the party leaders
by Rick Mercer
April 28, 2011
(... )My time with Harper on the road was excruciating for the Tories. Abortion,
kickbacks, failed teleprompters and low turnouts—what saved the day was
Harper’s successful high-profile interview with Peter Mansbridge. Michael
Ignatieff had the converse experience. He travelled the country and gave barn-burner
performances, but when the lights came on in the studio with Mansbridge, Ignatieff
dug up the corpse of the coalition and danced it around the room. A thousand
speeches in a thousand hockey rinks won’t make up for that. And
Jack Layton is a great campaigner but a good speech in Gatineau doesn’t
put the NDP in first place in Quebec. Jack made that happen on French debate
night. Again, it’s the air war.
Source:
Macleans.ca
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Tories
compiled Harper's most controversial quotes
April 25, 2011
A 500-page dossier of potentially damaging remarks by Stephen Harper has hit
the election campaign, but don't blame the opposition parties — it was
prepared by the Conservatives. The thick binder of material, obtained by the
Liberals, is a treasure trove of controversial Harper quotes, listed alphabetically
by subject matter. It covers everything from abortion to western alienation
and dates as far back as the 1980s.
[ comments (936) ]
The
Harper quotes dossier: a sample
April 25, 2011
Source:
The Canadian Press
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What's new from the
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU):
April 25, 2011
* Child
care report card: Harper's score 'unsatisfactory' - 20 Apr 11
- Code Blue for Child Care has released a report card grading the Canada-wide
parties' child care election promises.
* Federal
election 2011: Women's equality
20 Apr 11
- CUPE fact sheet reviews the federal government's record on women's issues,
provides statistics on the status of Canadian women and proposes ideas on
how to do better.
* Community
plan for a public system of integrated early care and learning
20 Apr 11
- Plan developed by the Coalition of Child Care Advocates BC and Early Childhood
Educators BC offers "provides a framework for significant and lasting
system change in British Columbia."
* National
child care program needed
[Canada] 20 Apr 11
* Youth
Nation question of the day: Do you support the creation of a national strategy
for childcare?
[Canada] 20 Apr 11
* We
need a child care plan that covers the real costs
[Canada] 15 Apr 11
* Time
is right for a national child care plan
[Canada] 10 Apr 11
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Women's Legal Education
and Action Fund (LEAF)
LEAF is the only national organization in Canada that exists to ensure the
equality rights of women and girls under the law
- home page includes links to :
* About * Litigation * Get Involved * News & Events * Resources * Publications
* Contact LEAF
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The
Ad Hoc Coalition for Women's Equality and Human Rights
The Ad Hoc Coalition for Women's Equality and Human Rights came together in
2006. International Women’s Week 2007 was the beginning of an ongoing
campaign to reverse the Harper cuts and pressure the federal government and
the opposition to commit to concrete and meaningful measures to advance women’s
equality in Canada.
- home page includes links to:
* home * election 2011 * in action * about us * cookbook for women's equality
* order materials * resources * links * contact
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From
Dignity for All:
Election
Coverage 2011: Party Platforms & Poverty (PDF - 392K, 6 pages)
By Megan Yarema, Dignity for All
April 20, 2011
Poverty is complex and multi-faceted. In order to unpack the party platforms
a little further, the Dignity for All campaign has identified nine key issues
that relate directly to the attainment of campaign goals: poverty strategy,
housing, early childhood education and care, income supports, pensions and
seniors, tax benefits, employment, education, and healthcare. We’ve
examined the party platforms and related initiatives to see which party has
specific poverty efforts developed within each category. All information contained
in this document was obtained from political party websites (limited to information
on their own party) and media articles.
Source:
Election
2011: Poverty in Canada, part III
See also:
* Election
2011: Poverty in Canada, part II:
The Party Platforms on Fighting Poverty
April 15, 2011
* Election
2011: Poverty in Canada
April 12, 2011
***
The Dignity for All Campaign calls
for vigorous and sustained action
by the federal government to combat the structural causes of poverty in Canada.
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From
Citizens for Public Justice:
* Election
2011: Some More Issues
April 21, 2011
Over the years, Canadian churches, Christian organizations, and other social
justice advocates have provided valuable analysis on a range of issues of
concern to Canadians. Throughout this election campaign, CPJ has shared our
perspectives on a number of key issues. Now, recognizing that there are issues
of interest beyond the scope of our work, we’ve compiled a survey of
some of the major themes worthy of consideration that are being highlighted
by our colleague organizations.
- includes resources on the following topics:
* Every Voter Wants to Make a Difference
* Tough on Crime, but at what Expense?
* Canada’s North
* Human Trafficking
* Afghanistan
* International Development
* Coalition Government
* Election
2011: Aboriginal Issues - Canadian Issues?
April 21, 2011
* Election
2011 Canadian Refugee Policy: Looking Back, Looking Forward
April 14, 2011
* Election
2011: Regional Perspectives
April 14, 2011
* Election
2011 Housing: Easier to forget for some than others
April 4, 2011
Source:
Citizens for Public Justice
Our mission is to promote public justice in Canada by shaping key public policy
debates through research and analysis, publishing and public dialogue. CPJ
encourages citizens, leaders in society and governments to support policies
and practices which reflect God’s call for love, justice and stewardship.
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NDP
Surge to Second Place Nationally and First in Quebec as Liberals Stumble,
Bloc Collapse
Conservatives Cruising to Victory With 43%Support, NDP (24%) and Liberals
(21%) Battle it Out for Second Place
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Toronto, ON – A new Ipsos Reid poll on Canada's Federal Election has
captured the collapse of the Bloc vote in Quebec that has catapulted Jack
Layton's NDP into first place there and second place nationally as the Liberals
sink to third place. What this suggests is that with this new political landscape,
Stephen Harper's Conservatives may well be headed for a solid majority government
while the Ignatieff Liberals may not yet have hit bottom with just over a
week to go.
If the election were held tomorrow, the Conservatives would receive 43% of
the vote among decided voters, up 2 points from two weeks ago. Further, 45%
believe that ‘the Conservative Party under Stephen Harper has done a
good job and deserves re-election’, which, if translated into votes,
would likely secure a majority government.
Source:
Ipsos Reid
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Up,
down, no change? Conflicting election polls confusing, headache-inducing
By Joan Bryden
April 20, 2011
OTTAWA - A new poll suggests the NDP is on a roll, surging to a second-place
tie with the once mighty Liberal party. No, wait. A new poll suggests the
NDP is running slightly behind its fourth-place finish in the last election.
Or maybe it's slightly ahead. Or maybe nothing's changed. Voters trying
to make sense of the raft of contradictory daily public opinion polls during
this federal election campaign are likely to wind up with a migraine. So
who among the plethora of pollsters should they believe?
"Nobody," says veteran pollster Allan Gregg, an outspoken critic
of his own industry and chairman of Harris-Decima, which conducts polls
for The Canadian Press.
As far as Gregg is concerned, the election campaign has magnified problems
with political polling: methodological issues that are skewing the results
of both telephone and online surveys; commercial pressures that are prompting
pollsters to over-hype their surveys; and an unholy alliance with journalists
who routinely misconstrue data and ignore margins of error.
Source:
Winnipeg Free Press
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Video:
Margaret Atwood on the 'Dictato-meter'
April 21, 2011
Margaret Atwood visits The Globe and Mail's Editorial Board and explains
her idea for a 'Dictato-meter'.
Source:
Globe and Mail
COMMENT : Kudos to Margaret Atwood for reminding
us that this election isn't about the economy or stability or bickering
in the House of Commons --- it's about the party in power being found in
contempt of Parliament and the Prime Minister being unacceptably less than
open with and accountable to the Canadian public.
[ Gilles ]
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From
Citizens for Public Justice:
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Canadian Federal Election
OLA! is the CPJ's monthly update. You can subscribe
to OLA!
During the federal election campaign. OLA is posted weekly; the first four
weeks of Election 2011 OLA appear below.
| Election
2011 Ola! - Week Four Election 2011: The Disappearance of Debate on Health Care Election 2008: What Happened to Health Care? If you want to be healthy, try not being poor Canada’s Well-Being Deficit Questions for candidates Party websites Election links |
Election
2011 Ola! - Week Three Election 2011: Fighting poverty – the party platforms A time for inspired leadership and action You don’t always get what you want… Still waiting for recovery: Recession increases poverty rate in Canada By what measure? Questions for candidates |
|
Election
2011 Ola! - Week Two |
Election
2011 Ola! - Week One Election 2011: A public justice perspective The issues Dignity for All New neighbours The environment Taxes |
All
back issues of OLA!
- including a weekly election update for the 2008 federal election like the
one above.
CPJ's election coverage also
includes a collection of links to other NGO sites and documents related
to the 2011 federal election.
[This link takes you further down on the page you're now reading.]
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April 20, 2011
Stephen Harper : “I don’t accept that question.”
Canadian Public : "We don't accept that answer."
Opposition
not prepared to work with minority government: Harper
April 20, 2011
RIVIERE-DU-LOUP, QUE.—Conservative leader Stephen Harper says he doesn’t
believe opposition parties are prepared to work with him if he forms a minority
government on May 2. Asked if it wasn’t his responsibility
to introduce an agenda acceptable to all parties in the House of Commons if
he gets another minority mandate, Harper said, “I don’t accept that
question.”
He was responding to Liberal leader Michael
Ignatieff who told CBC in an interview Tuesday that it would be Harper’s
job to seek agreement of all parties if he wants to continue governing. If
Harper can’t do that, Ignatieff said, the Governor General could then
ask the second-place party to try to form a government.
Source:
Toronto Star
---
COMMENT [by Gilles]:
I don't know how that maverick managed to infiltrate a gathering of the Harper
Sycophant Club without being screened out for daring to ask a simple question
of Saint Stephen the Living
Saint. Even within the constraint of his "four-question rule"
(no more than four questions from the audience & media at any one event),
The Saint managed to portray Himself as dismissive, rude and autocratic. "I
don't accept that question" is not an acceptable answer.
Smarten up.
Recommended viewing!
Includes a damning list of attacks on Canadian women by the Harper Government.
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Harper’s
Index
The Harper Government by the numbers
April 16, 2011
* Number of open-to-the- public campaign events that Michael Ignatieff has
held so far this campaign: 39
* Number of open events that Stephen Harper has held: Zero
* Number of votes cast by students at the University Guelph that the Conservative
Party tried to have rejected through a legal challenge: 700
* Amount spent by John Baird and Tony Clement on “G8 Legacy Fund”
projects: $45.7 million
* Percentage of the funds used to build G8 “legacy” projects in
Tony Clement’s riding that were misappropriated from the Border Infrastructure
Fund: 100%
* Amount approved by Parliament for the “G8 Legacy Fund”: $0
* more...
Source:
Liberal Party of Canada (LPC)
Also from LPC:
Rise
up, Canada (3-min. video)
Michael Ignatieff
April 16, 2011
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April 16, 2011
From the
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU):
Federal
election 2011: What do the party platforms say?
13 Apr 11
- CRRU has gathered links to the parties' election platforms and highlighted
excerpts from their ECEC platforms or related family policies where included.
Code
Blue for Child Care
13 Apr 11
- New website from Code Blue for Child Care campaigning for political parties
to make child care a central issue in the federal election.
Federal
election 2011: Early childhood education and care
13 Apr 11
- Fact sheet from the Canadian Union of Public Employees reviews the Conservative
government's record on ECEC and provides a plan for how the federal government
could build a child care system.
·
Sault federal election candidates discuss childcare
[CA] 13 Apr 11
·
A moving target: federal parties aim for the family
[CA] 13 Apr 11
·
Struggling NBers see hope in parties' pledges
[CA-NB] 12 Apr 11
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Lapses in childcare are unacceptable
[AU] 11 Apr 11
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The foundation is finally ready to build national child care
[CA] 7 Apr 11
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Selected media coverage of the French leaders' debate
From CBC.ca:
French
debate stirs up Que. constitution issue
Harper, Ignatieff say issue not a priority
Apr 13, 2011
The leaders' French-language debate sparked heated exchanges on Quebec's
identity, stirred up more coalition talk and jousting over Canada's military
and spending priorities as the party chiefs sparred for a second night.
- includes a link to the complete video of the two-hour French debate with
translation dubbed in, and another link to a three-minute video of the leaders'
closing statements.
[ 935
comments ]
* French-language debate video clips (with translation)
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From the
Globe and Mail:
* English v. French: Comparing the party leaders' debate performances
* Scatological attack on Stephen Harper’s record goes viral
---------------------------------
Reportages en français:
---------------------------------
Reportage de
Le Soleil:
[ Cybrepresse ]
Débat
des chefs: quatre à se battre
Le 14 avril 2011
(Québec) Autre langue, autre stratégie. Reflet de sondages
différents au Québec, le débat en français a
donné lieu à une lutte à quatre sans coup d'éclat
plutôt qu'à une simple chasse à Stephen Harper, hier.
---
Également
de Cybrepresse:
* Le débat de ce soir vu par nos experts
* Harmonisation des taxes: le PC et le NPD s'engageront dans leur plateforme
* Débats: quel débat des chefs? Vos points de vue
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Selected media coverage of the English leaders' debate
(All articles below were posted on April 12 and 13, 2011)
From the
Toronto Star:
* Under attack in debate, Harper asks Canadians for majority
* Ignatieff throws his chips behind the character issue
* Economy on everyone’s tongue during showdown
* The best (and worst) of the debate
* Harper and Ignatieff had six minutes to hammer out truth
* RECAP: Federal Leaders' Debate
---------------------------------------------------------------
From the
Globe and Mail:
* Debate
a feisty showdown that likely changed few minds
It may be enough for another Conservative win – just not the kind
Harper covets
* HEAD TO HEAD No clear winner in Harper and Ignatieff’s six-minute showdown
* GLOBE EDITORIAL The leaders' debate had policy, but left Canadians in search of passion
---------------------------------------------------------------
From the
National Post:
* Harper deploys Iron Dome to deflect opposition missiles
* Chris Selley: Ignatieff sticks to script, misses opportunity to close gap on Harper
* John Ivison on the debate: Harper won by avoiding blunders
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From CBC.ca:
*
REALITY CHECK Blog: Fact-checking the leaders' debate
- Recommended!!
* Debate:
Highlight reel (video)
Key moments from the 2011 English-language leaders' debate.
* Leaders
make debate pitches, trade barbs
Under attack, Harper appeals for Tory majority
* LEADERS' DEBATE: Replay our live chat and watch the full video on-demand
* Social media: The leaders' English-language debate
* YOUR TAKE Blog: What Canadians are really saying
* MY ELECTION: Riding profiles, candidates and voting information
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From CTV.ca:
* Leaders
prep for Round 2 after squaring off in debate
- includes an article with highlights of the debate AND a four-minute clip
from CTV's national news (Lisa Laflamme and Lloyd Robertson)
* What were the most-used words of the debate?
* Election
2011 : Debate on Demand
- Watch the entire leaders' debate or just the issues that matter to you.
---------------------------------------------------------------
From the
Canadian Daily Digest:
43 links to media coverage of the April 12 leaders' debate
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Election
2011: Fighting poverty – the party platforms
April 13, 2011
How we treat our most vulnerable citizens says a lot about our country and
its values. The same is true of governments. Citizens for Public Justice,
along with our partners in the Dignity for All campaign, have long called
for vigorous and sustained action by the federal government to combat poverty
in Canada. (...) So how do the political parties currently vying for our
votes specifically plan to address poverty in Canada?
Source:
Citizens for Public Justice
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Dare
Labs and Optimum PR
Launch the Social Election Experiment
Press Release
April 13, 2011
Can the number of likes a candidate has on Facebook indicate their chances
of winning the 2011 Canadian Federal election? That’s what the teams
at Optimum PR and Dare
Labs in Vancouver wanted to find out, so they have joined forces to
create The Social Election Experiment:
http://socialelection.ca
Since there are now over 16 Million Facebook users in Canada, the teams at Dare and Optimum PR decided to look at Facebook support (”likes”) for candidates in each of the 308 ridings across Canada - in real time. They will be tracking the race dynamically, and showing a snapshot of where each candidate stands in every race across the country and any changes in daily trends.
Source:
The Social Election Experiment
http://socialelection.ca
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Children
and the 2011 Federal Election (PDF - 151K, 2 pages)
By Kathy Vandergrift
April 13, 2011
Canadians under 18 cannot vote, but federal policies affect their lives.
They represent one quarter of Canada’s population. There is a lot of
talk about families in this election, but not all family policies have the
same impact for children. The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children
hopes you will use your voice and vote to support the rights of children
in Canada.
Source:
Canadian Coalition for the Rights
of Children
The Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC) is a network of
Canadian organizations and individuals who promote respect for the rights
of children. Its purpose is to: exchange information; provide public education
materials about the Convention on the Rights of the Child; monitor implementation
of the Convention in Canada; and engage in dialogue with government officials
on child rights issues.
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Having
Their Cake and Eating It Too:
Business Profits, Taxes, and Investment in Canada: 1961 Through 2010
(PDF - 955K, 38 pages)
By Jim Stanford
April 13, 2011
This study examines historical data on business investment and cash flow
from 1961 through 2010, and, using econometric techniques, finds no evidence
in the historical data that lower taxes have directly stimulated more investment.
[ Related
news release ]
Source:
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
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Wordles!
Are
the federal parties putting their money where their mouths are?
April 12, 2011
On the CCPA federal election blog, research associate David MacDonald takes
a look at what the four major national federal parties are saying in their
platforms vs. what they actually want to spend money on.
For each party he's created two wordles
or word charts, to illustrate:
* Conservative
Party
* New Democratic
Party
* Liberal
Party
* Green
Party
Source:
Making it Count!
Countdown to the Federal Election
[ Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives ]
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April 12, 2011
From the
Toronto Star:
[ Both articles below include links to a half-dozen related articles. ]
Tories
under attack over bombshell G8 spending report
April 11, 2011
By Tonda MacCharles and Joanna Smith
OTTAWA—An explosive report suggesting the Conservative government misinformed
Parliament about wasteful G8 summit spending has put leader Stephen Harper
on the defensive as he heads into crucial election debates. Just
as the mid-campaign revelation of an RCMP investigation into leaks of income
trust tax changes derailed the Liberals in 2006, the story has the potential
to destabilize the Harper campaign.
[ Comments
(581) ]
---
Fraser
says Tories misused old quote to justify G8/G20 spending
April 11, 2011
By Les Whittington
OTTAWA—Auditor General Sheila Fraser is rebuking
the Conservatives for using an old quote of hers praising the Liberals as
proof she approved of last year’s G8/G20 spending by the Tories. In
another twist in the summit spending uproar, Fraser is demanding that the
quote cited by the Tories be removed from a recent report by a Commons committee
that studied how the Harper government spent $1.2 billion on the Muskoka
and Toronto summits.
[ Comments (31) ]
Sheila Fraser for Prime Minister!!
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Canada’s
corporate tax policy sustains child poverty
April 10, 2011
By Simon Rosenblum and Sid Frankel
During the federal election campaign, it is important to remember that Canada
already has one of the lower corporate tax rates in the western world. Now
the Conservatives want to lower it even further. Canada also has one of
the highest rates of child poverty in the western world. Why can’t
we be one of the lowest? It’s a question of priorities — fiscal
priorities. Surely that is the nub of the question.
[ Comments
(12) ]
Source:
Toronto Star
See also:
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Mulroney
shows his unease with Harper's Tories
April 10, 2011
Mulroney advice to Harper:
“There are big ideas out there. Popularity is meaningless unless you
use it to do big and good things for your country and for the people of
Canada."
Source:
Toronto Star
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Are
we going to reward contempt of Parliament?
By Dan Gardner
April 6, 2011
Yet another Harper minority?
"The status quo is just not tenable, for anybody,"
says Peter Russell, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto and
one of the country's most respected political scientists. But a Conservative
majority would be worse. "It would send a bad message about Parliamentary
democracy if a government brought down for contempt, very serious contempt,
on the finding of a Speaker, is rewarded with a majority. I think it would
encourage Mr. Harper and maybe those after him to be contemptuous of Parliament.
And then I think we're in real trouble."
Ah, yes. The small matter of contempt.
(...) it seems most of the public either does not
know or does not care that Canada's head of government has repeatedly lied
about Canada's Constitution. Nor are they concerned that the government
has shown so little respect for the constitutional order that Parliament
was forced to find it in contempt. In the week following
Parliament's historic condemnation of the Harper government, polls showed
support for the Conservatives either stayed flat in the high 30s or rose
into the low 40s. If that's how Canadians vote on May 2, we'll get a Conservative
majority. Contempt for Parliament will be rewarded. And then, as Peter Russell
suggests, we'll be in real trouble.
Source:
Ottawa Citizen
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A
colourful Commons: Canada's `pizza' parliament now the norm
By Richard Foote
April 1, 2011
``There is a blue door. There is a red door,'' said Liberal leader Michael
Ignatieff, explaining - as if he'd stepped out of a time machine - the two
apparent choices facing voters at the start of the federal election campaign.But
the truth is there will be countless options for Canadians on the ballot this
spring, and at least four parties - five if the Green Party ekes out a win
- will capture seats in the next Parliament, just as they have in the past.
Source:
Canada.com
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Summary
of the 100 Undemocratic and
Accountability Loopholes in Canada's Federal Government
- includes links to source material and
related resources, organized under the following themes:
* Citizen Empowerment / General Government Accountability loopholes
* Honesty in Politics loopholes
* Cabinet appointments and hiring loopholes
* Government Ethics loopholes
* Lobbying Regulation loopholes
* Open Government loopholes
* Whistleblower Protection loopholes
* Elections Law loopholes
* Money in Politics loopholes
* Government Spending loopholes
* Senate Accountability loopholes
Source:
Democracy Watch
Democracy Watch is a national non-profit, non-partisan organization, and Canada's
leading citizen group advocating democratic reform, government accountability
and corporate responsibility.
Also from Democracy Watch:
The
Harper Conservatives are >NOT< committed to open, honest, ethical government
News Release
December 17, 2010
* Federal Conservatives' Accountability and Democratic Reform Record Gets
An "F" For Breaking Many Promises and Practising Politics As Usual.
* Four Years After Federal Accountability Act Became Law, Dishonesty, Conflicts
of Interest, Excessive Secrecy, Unlimited Donations and Patronage All Still
Legal.
* Another, Stronger Accountability Act Needed To Close 100 Remaining Loopholes
and Flaws
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All
political parties ignoring poverty: researchers
March 30, 2011
The political stripe of a government does not help people affected by poverty,
according to researchers at the University of Windsor in Ontario. Two social
work professors in Windsor conducted a 10-year study on the effectiveness
of government policies on poverty reduction. The researchers found little
improvement across all 10 provinces, regardless of which party was in power.
Source:
CBC News
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March 30, 2011
New from the
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
(CCPA):
The CCPA has launched a federal election blog
to bring you expert analysis on the issues that will—or should—define
the election.
Making It Count features
timely commentary from CCPA staff and research associates, who will be weighing
in everything from the economy and federal finances to the social and environmental
challenges facing our country.
Selected posts:
* Right
Idea, Wrong Vehicle for Post-Secondary Education Funding - Erika
Shaker (March 29)
* Election
Stimulus - David MacDonald (March 28)
* Income
Splitting: A Bad Idea Returns - Erin Weir (March 28)
And don't miss CCPA Senior Economist Armine
Yalnizyan's article on The Globe and Mail website, which takes to task one
of Harper's first election campaign promises.
Income
splitting won't help families in need
By Armine Yalnizyan
Globe and Mail Blog
March 28
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Harper
confirms Canadians heading to polls May 2
March 26
[NOTE: content subject to change.]
Canadians will go to the polls on May 2, Stephen Harper announced Saturday
morning after visiting Gov. Gen. David Johnston and asking to have Parliament
officially dissolved.The move comes after MPs voted Friday in favour of a
Liberal motion that said Parliament had lost confidence in the government.
The motion cited a ruling earlier in the week that found the Conservatives
in contempt of Parliament.
Source:
CTV.ca
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From CBC News:
Vote
Compass - Whose views are most like yours?
Take this short survey to see which party leader's views are most similar
to yours.
[OMG, I'm Green!]
Vote
Compass uncovers your political stripe
Survey pinpoints party closest to your stand on major issues
March 26, 2011
Some
criticisms of the CBC’s Vote Compass
- from the Pundits' Guide to Canadian Federal Elections
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Catch-22
A voter-powered campaign to Defeat the Harper Conservatives
Catch 22 Harper Conservatives is a national, grassroots, pro-democracy
campaign to help defeat the Conservative government in the next election.
The campaign is not affiliated with any political party or organization.
Catch
22 strategy aims to vote out Stephen Harper government
By Carlito Pablo
February 3, 2011
In 2008, the Straight said strategic voting could stymie Stephen Harper. Prime
Minister Stephen Harper is facing a “Catch 22”. But this isn’t
the kind of double bind situation meant by the phrase taken from Joseph Heller’s
1961 novel Catch-22. It’s a grassroots campaign that seeks to drive the
Harper government out of Ottawa. The game plan: unseat at least 22 Conservative
MPs by endorsing an opposition candidate who has the best chance of winning
a seat in the next election. Going by the name Catch 22 Harper Conservatives,
the movement’s list has grown to 32 Conservative-held ridings across
the country, including four in B.C.
[ Comments (22) ]
Source:
The Georgia Straight
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Openparliament.ca
- Keep tabs on Parliament.
View the performance of your MP in the last Parliamentary session, the
status of Bills and Debates
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Canada
Election 2011
* 41st Federal Election Information
* CBC News Politics (updated daily)
* CTV News Politics (updated daily)
* Party Standings
* Polls & Projections
* Canada Election 2011 and Twitter
* Visitor Poll
* Canada Election 2008
* Federal Election History Since 1867
* Federal Politics
* Links
Source:
Election Almanac.com
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Registered
Political Parties' Fourth Quarter Financial Returns for 2010 Now On-line
February 1, 2011
News Release
OTTAWA, Tuesday, February 1, 2011 — The Chief Electoral Officer of Canada,
Marc Mayrand, announced today that the registered parties' fourth quarter
financial returns for 2010 are now available on the Elections Canada Web site.
Source:
Elections Canada
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