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And they're off. Six weeks of campaigning all boils down to one day... today is federal election day and today we Canadians have our opportunity to help guide the direction of our country over the next five years (unless the powers that be decide to go early).
No excuses, folks.
Get out a vote.
If you don't bother to exercise your democratic right, please refrain from any complaints about the government over the next term of office.
National web sites serve their purpose but for the lowdown on local election coverage, book mark NNEWS Election '08. We'll be at the polls, on the street, and at each campaign headquarters as the election results roll in. We'll be first to talk to the winner (and the losers) and get their reactions after the polls close.
Oh yes, and have a safe and peaceful Thanksgiving weekend.
Take time this weekend to read about the four candidates vying to represent the riding in Ottawa for the foreseeable future. Because worse than not voting at all is putting the X beside the name of a candidate you know nothing about. The News has a great Election '08 section with the scoop, the views and the platforms of all four NQW hopefuls.
Do your homework. And VOTE.
Northumberland - Quinte West has been called a "hot riding" VoteforEnvironment.ca, a coalition of Canadians concerned about climate change. Hot as in a riding where vote-splitting could elect a Conservative. The web site offers what it refers to as "specific, transparent advise on how to vote strategically to ensure a pro-environment outcome."
If the straw poll on our web site is any indication, voters appear to be leaning towards a change of hats in Ottawa after Oct. 14. As of this afternoon, the former MP and Liberal candidate Paul Macklin is the choice of 64 per cent of the 135 poll participants, followed by the NDPs Russ Christianson at 19 per cent, with 10 per cent for Ralph Torrie of the Green Party. The Conservative incumbent Rick Norlock is pulling up the rear at seven per cent.
Could an upset be in the cards for Mr. Norlock?
We'll have to wail until the polling stations close Tuesday evening to find out.
Well, it's less than a week until we head to the polls and at last glance, the world economy is in a tail spin. So the big question on my mind (and likely on the minds of the majority of voters) is which party has the gumption and the willingness to intervene to get the Canadian economy back on track?
Personally, I'm not convinced any of the four PM wanna-bes can do much to stop the blood-letting. The real power lies in the Bank of Canada, which lowered the prime interest rate a half of a percentage point last night. Will this be enough to regain public confidence and get us to open the wallets and start spending again? Perhaps. But like it or not, Canada is at the mercy of the world economy and more specifically, at the mercy of our US neighbours. As our main trading partner, we can't help but be swept up in the US's woes.
So, it doesn't much matter where we mark our X. The new guy (or gal) in the big seat will likely talk a good talk but things will not improve economically until the US starts to climb out of its financial sink hole.
I watched the federal leaders' debate on Thursday night, resisting the temptation to flip to the American stations to see if Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin was going to implode.
I'm glad I stuck with the Canadians.
The debate was not only informative, but also entertaining, as the four wanna-be prime ministers teamed up on Stephen Harper. Although Mr. Harper played nice, as per his new-found image, you could tell he's ready to get his minority government — or majority, if the Liberals lose enough ground to the strengthening NDP and Greens — because, really, the English debate left little doubt who will return to power on Oct. 14.
Although Liberal leader Stephane Dion appears to be a smart man, his party is in too much disarray to win the confidence of the electorate, while Jack Layton and Elizabeth May can expect to make up ground as Liberal supporters look elsewhere, but even dreaming about becoming the official opposition is a stretch at this point.
So the leaders' debate really didn't solve anything, but it did help me to better understand each party's platform and where each party is lacking.
Of course, debates hardly ever solve anything though, because a lot of promises get made and, well, how many are actually kept is what's usually up for debate in a few years.
Northumberland-Quinte West shines in the national spotlight tomorrow night as local Green candidate Ralph Torrie represents his party on CBC Radio One's CBC Newsworld program “Canada Votes: The X Challenge.” The 90-minute debate, hosted by CBCs Mark Kelley, will focus on the Canadian economy.The program broadcasts Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m.
The format features five-to-six debates, prompted by audience questions. The audience is approximately 100 Ontario voters who are leaning towards the four main parties running in Ontario. Each of the four party speakers will be given one minute to respond to each question. The show also allows one minute statements plus a two-to-three minute freewheeling exchange between the speakers and audience. When the debate is over, the audience will be polled to see if any minds were changed as a result of the debate.
Kudos to Torrie for winning his party's confidence and respect enough to be the featured spokesperson on a coast-to-coast broadcast.
Well, the local race to capture a seat in Ottawa appears to be more like a turtle walk.
Where are the signs, the issues, the passion, and most of all, where are the candidates? It appears Election 2008 is more about the head honchos of the five federal parties rather than an in-depth examination of local priorities.
So the announcement about a revamped all-candidates debate comes as a breath of fresh air. With the four NQW hopefuls going head to head on local issues of importance, voters should be better informed when they head to the ballot box on Oct. 14.
As long as the candidates stick to the program and refrain from calling each other's leaders liars and inept, things should go well. If not, the debate will be nothing more than the national mud-slinging contest at a local level.
Voters need to know what each candidate supports and their plans for Canada's - therefore, NQW's future. Concentrate on strengths of your party platform rather than try to poke holes in your opponents' mandate.
Elizabeth May, Green Party of Canada leader, rolls into Cobourg Friday morning (Oct. 26) shortly after 8 a.m. during her cross-country whistle-stop train trip. Ms. May is the first party leader vying for top spot on Parliament Hill to visit the riding.
Kudos to Ms. May for talking and walking the party's environmental advocacy line. While other party leaders fly from coast to coast, she sets a wonderful example of holding the line on emissions, an example we car-lovin' Canadians should strive to aspire to.
If only the federal government (whoever wins) would get serious about coughing up serious cash to beef up transportation infrastructure to help the average Canadian jump on the mass transit bandwagon.
With less than 72 hours into Election Campaign 2008, Stephan Harper has been made to eat crow after the infamous 'pooping puffin' incident. Seems some eager beaver Internet web designer came up with animation depicting a flying puffin unloading on the shoulder of Liberal leader, Stephane Dion, with the caption 'Not worth the risk.' The clip has since been pulled from the Conservative web site but Harper apologised for the faux pas, calling it "tasteless and inappropriate."
Canadians need and want to hear about the real issues facing all of us. Will our jobs still be here next week? What about the environment, the melting polar ice caps, the rising price of commodities and our universal health care system?
Enough stupidity, all of you. Harper, Layton, Dion, May... grow up and stick to the program and cut the theatrics.
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