The worst possible outcome has arrived

Ambassador · Post by **Ambassador** » Tue May 03, 2011 5:27 am

...welcome the Harper dictatorship.

24bit · Post by **24bit** » Tue May 03, 2011 7:59 am

My condolence.
You may know we have a conservative government for some years now,
giving billions to criminal bankers and brokers, taken from the people by cutting down our pensions and social security.

Post by **Cat_7** » Tue May 03, 2011 7:43 pm

Sounds like the Netherlands...

Cat_7

Silent Flamer · Post by **Silent Flamer** » Tue May 03, 2011 11:54 pm

Waa . I'd wish Jack Layton was the new Prime Minister . However , the NDP got 103 seats . 103 seats = 103 districts . That is one big plus for the NDP , having the rights to improve all of those districts . I really hope the parties use their seats properly!

Post by **ClockWise** » Wed May 04, 2011 11:53 am

Who could have predicted that Liberal Party meltdown? Who could have predicted the loss of almost all of Toronto?

At least we've got realignment. The Liberal party is due for retirement. It's good to have the NDP as the official opposition. The Liberals needed to be defeated (just not this badly). It's not so bad that the Liberals are free of some of that cruft. No one in that party will be mourning the loss of Joe Volpe or Alan Tonks or Ruby Dhalla...

I don't feel as bad as some about the result.

In four years we can try again. You know, the first Labour Party MP was elected in 1900. J.S Woodsworth was elected in 1921. The CCF was created in 1932. We've been working for democratic socialism for a long LONG time. We can wait and endure another Tory government. We've waited THIS long.

Though we now have the most conservative government in history, I feel we have NEVER been this close to realising that 110-year-old dream. Funny, right?

And, heck, Elizabeth May was elected. That's another good thing, That'll start some other people dreaming. Maybe in another 110 years the Greens will become the official opposition.

NOTE TO NON-CANADIANS:

There was an election on Monday inwhich Canadians elected a very right-wing government. But it was a historic election. The perennial third-place (and often fourth-place) left-wing New Democratic Party had its best-ever finish (second place). Best ever by far.

Meanwhile, we elected our first ever Green Party member of parliament. That party has been around since the 1980s, but never managed to actually get someone elected.

Ambassador · Post by **Ambassador** » Wed May 04, 2011 2:34 pm

It gets worse when you look at the actual numbers:

- 61.4% voter turnout (second lowest in history)
- 39.6% voted Conservative (lowest majority votes in history)
- 60.3% didn't vote Conservative

This means that 24.3144% of ALL CANADIANS voted Conservative.

I think we need some sort of voting reform, no?

Post by **ClockWise** » Wed May 04, 2011 2:47 pm

Chretien actually got a majority with only 38.4% of the vote in 1997. So... yeah, we need electoral reform! And have for some time.

Here are some Happy Numbers:

1. Voter turn-out was higher than last time. So we are trending up, at least!
2. The NDP elected a 19 year old kid in Quebec (the youngest MP ever) as well as a whole bunch of university undergrads and twenty-somethings. This could get young people interested in politics and further increase turnout.

Here's a number that makes ME happy:

The combined Liberal and Conservative vote was only 58.5% (down from 63.91%). Canadians are increasingly turning to "non-conventional" political parties. They are realising that they have a real choice.

Ambassador · Post by **Ambassador** » Wed May 04, 2011 7:41 pm

Chretien actually got a majority with only 38.4% of the vote in 1997. So... yeah, we need electoral reform! And have for some time.

Thank you for this correction.

1. Voter turn-out was higher than last time. So we are trending up, at least!

It is disappointing if you look at the hype going in. They were predicting extremely high voter turnout.

2. The NDP elected a 19 year old kid in Quebec (the youngest MP ever) as well as a whole bunch of university undergrads and twenty-somethings. This could get young people interested in politics and further increase turnout.

On the other hand these are the people who will be fighting the Harper majority. One was even on vacation in Las Vegas AFAIK. It's insane. It would have been acceptable if we had another minority or other scenario. Right now, it just adds to the absurdity.

2. The NDP elected a 19 year old kid in Quebec (the youngest MP ever) as well as a whole bunch of university undergrads and twenty-somethings. This could get young people interested in politics and further increase turnout.

Too bad this also lead to vote splitting under our current system.

However, on the plus side, it looks like "I'm-not-going-to-be-radical" Harper's gov't is already running into hot water, a mere two days after the election.

Post by **ClockWise** » Thu May 05, 2011 12:18 pm

I guess there will always be vote splitting. We musn't tell people that they shouldn't vote for the party they like. Telling someone to vote for a second or third choice will certainly kill turnout. People will get discouraged.

Just gotta work for electoral reform!

Ambassador · Post by **Ambassador** » Thu May 05, 2011 6:58 pm

Uh... your statement is kinda at ends with it self. So you want voting reform that isn't voting reform?

IPalindromeI · Post by **IPalindromeI** » Thu May 05, 2011 10:43 pm

The PCs and Reform merged to create the unholy abnomiation known as the Conservative party, and it's all crazy right wing Reform and not the sane centre-right PCs, with I could have stomached.

Post by **ClockWise** » Thu May 05, 2011 10:56 pm

I mean that working for proportional reform is more important than worrying about vote splitting. I think that people calling for "strategic voting" will just drive down voter turnout.

Eventually we will get proportional representation. Until then... vote for who you want and live with the consequence (Harperland).

fanman93 · Post by **fanman93** » Fri May 06, 2011 1:31 am

Well, I think that the reason that Harper won is because there was only one part to the Right, and multiple to the Left. Perhaps not everyone agreed with his agenda, but wanted to vote right, and weren't prepared to vote left. All the different parties seemed to have the same platform at the end of the day, however.