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Canada PoliERA |OT| Two Years of Sunny Days? That’s Scheer Madness!
- Thread starter Caz
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Significant? PEI's politics are the same as anywhere else in the maritimes. All it takes is one small issue to upset the retired voters and they will flip the whole table.
The whole region is mega fucked by poverty, and getting old.
The whole region is mega fucked by poverty, and getting old.
The whole "lets move to the centre and not scare anyone and maybe if we're dull enough we'll accidentally get elected" has never worked no matter how many times the Federal and BC NDP have tried it.
Given the cautious and conservative nature of Atlantic Province politics however maybe it'll work out for the Greens.
Given the cautious and conservative nature of Atlantic Province politics however maybe it'll work out for the Greens.
I'm not sure if I'm the only Islander here or not, but the current election is certainly going to be interesting to see how the result breaks down, because normally there's not a huge difference across the province in terms of vote distribution (i.e., there's no riding that either of the two traditional main parties couldn't expect to win on a good night) and we've never had an election with a third-party vote of this size (I mean, technically if the polls are right the Liberals would be the third party).
Bevan-Baker seems dead set to defy the odds. Conventional wisdom also says that you can't forego press conferences with platform announcements because you lose media focus, either, but he had a single press conference, gave their full platform and basically said (naturally paraphrasing) "K, you good? Gonna go knock on ALL of the doors now." And that appears to be working for him, as well, given that the latest poll on the 16th shows the Greens as well ahead of the pack (though I am aware of the perils of polling results from the island).
So in paying attention to the PEI election, came across something unthinkable:
P.E.I. Green Party candidate dies days before provincial election
Both the candidate and his son. RIP
I'm glad the press is respecting the family's wish for privacy in not discussing the details. And much respect for the Greens suspending all campaigning for the rest of the election period.
But this brings up an honest question: with only 4 days until the election, what exactly happens now? Do they just run a dead man on the ballot since the party can't replace him in time? And doesn't that inherently skew the results, either possibly for or against? I've never heard of something like this, so I'm rightfully confused.
P.E.I. Green Party candidate dies days before provincial election
Both the candidate and his son. RIP
I'm glad the press is respecting the family's wish for privacy in not discussing the details. And much respect for the Greens suspending all campaigning for the rest of the election period.
But this brings up an honest question: with only 4 days until the election, what exactly happens now? Do they just run a dead man on the ballot since the party can't replace him in time? And doesn't that inherently skew the results, either possibly for or against? I've never heard of something like this, so I'm rightfully confused.
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Holy Christ. RIP to the guy and his son.
Surprisingly, there are laws written for this kind of situation -- they simply suspect the election in that district/riding and hold a byelection at a later date. https://www.canlii.org/en/pe/laws/stat/rspei-1988-c-e-1.1/latest/rspei-1988-c-e-1.1.html (section 45).
Surprisingly, there are laws written for this kind of situation -- they simply suspect the election in that district/riding and hold a byelection at a later date. https://www.canlii.org/en/pe/laws/stat/rspei-1988-c-e-1.1/latest/rspei-1988-c-e-1.1.html (section 45).
Suspending the vote in that district and proceeding with the election excluding the district and holding a byelection seems like the most sensible of all options. So that's alright.
Also in PEI election news, advance polling in PEI pulled in nearly 38,000 people, 4 times the amount of the last election and 36% of the electorate.
I wouldn't say it did not work out. She definitely helped her party build a solid base of support and the ABNDP did not get obliterated off of the political map unlike the Alberta Liberals. The ABNDP will be back in power in a few election cycles once Albertans get tired of the UCP. For now the ABNDP can continue to build up their party which they barely had a chance of doing because of their fluke win in 2015 and come back stronger against the UCP. Notley's original plan was to increase the size of the ABNDP caucus and then win the 2019 election but the ABNDP winning in 2015 prevented that from occuring.
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This most famously happened in 1966, when one of the Liberal candidates in the 1st Kings dual-member district died, resulting in both elections in 1st Kings being delayed. The results in the other districts yielded a 15-15 split on election night, meaning that the two seats in 1st Kings would determine the outcome of the election. The incumbent PC government basically sent every provincial public works crew into the district for the following few months to pave everything in sight, while the Liberals flooded the district with free booze and lobbied the federal Liberal government to appoint a popular former MP to a Senate seat even though Pearson hated the MP in question. The Liberals ended up winning both seats, prompting one barbershop in Charlottetown to write in its window "What does it profit a man to pave all of Kings County but lose the election?"
That's really sad. RIP to the candidate and his son. That's a terrible thing to happen to a family.
Yeah for sure. The ANDP has a base and they're in a better situation than ever to consistently compete.
The core reason Notley lost is because she hooked the ANDP wagon to the notion of the pipeline being built. In doing so she opted to fight the election on the terms set by the Conservatives, the assumption that the pipeline is a requirement for the health of Alberta's economy. With the pipeline struggling to be completed, her government was of course thus "failing", and so it was simple for the United Conservatives to portray themselves as a better option.
What she should have done is rejected the premise that the pipeline is even politically relevant at all.
If the ANDP had been more aloof, been in favour of the pipeline, but also treated it as simply an proposal by some business like any other, she would have been more in control of the terms of debate going into this election.
The focus of the ANDP should have been on ensuring that Alberta's economy is healthy and strong regardless if the pipeline is built or not. The party could have added a mild sales tax which would have generated a steady revenue stream independent of oil boom/bust, and Alberta would still have the "Alberta Advantage" over other provinces. Said revenue stream could have gone into all sorts of projects with job creating properties.
Oh man, I wonder if my colleague was on the island during that election!
The BC NDP have raised plenty of taxes since being elected and they remain popular. Removing the Medical Service Plan was paid for by new fees on businesses, which are passed on to employees, but no one really cares since the fees are still about the same as other provinces. The BC NDP also raised income taxes on the bracket above $150k. Anyway the key is to explain what the taxes are for, and to mostly tax the rich.
I think the ANDP could have gotten away with introducing a sales tax, but it would have had to maintain the "Alberta Advantage" of still being the least taxed jurisdiction in Canada, and it would probably be best paired with income tax cuts and low income tax rebates. Also there would have needed to be some explanation for why the tax was being raised, (eg. more infrastructure spending? education?).
I just wouldn't think that the NDP would be the party that would want to bring in a Sales Tax considering that its one of the more regressive taxation schemes. It would be a hard sell to their base; and heavily go against one of the universal talking points of the party.
Yeah the regressiveness of sales taxes is why the BC NDP were initially against the Carbon Tax when it was initially proposed by the BC Liberals. This issue can be reduced by increased tax credits for low income persons however.
The status quo boom and bust has worse outcomes for low income persons. I expect the United Conservatives to slash programs to balance the budget, with the low oil prices as the excuse.
Yeah. There are ways that the regressiveness can be reduced. Like exempting Food, Clothing, Hygiene Products and Basic Necessities. Leaving it to only be a more luxury tax. But that's also a hard sell on a population which is used to not being taxed at all. Also from the NDP prospective sales taxes are one of their more hardline points across the board.
lol
This is why I keep thinking it'd be easier to just give up because both parties are essentially in bed with the same corporate interests.
But I suppose this is where someone would insert that "meet in the middle" Boogie gif and how this is a good thing. :p
Liberals are so different from the Conservatives*.
*except when they're not.
Maclean's and 338Canada are projecting a 1-2 seat Green majority in PEI
2 and a half more days to go.
2 and a half more days to go.
I didn't check, but was there polling to indicate where the seat that will have to go to a by-election would have gone?
Yep. And when the CPC tries to get on its soapbox and declare its moral and ethical high ground above the corrupt Liberals they still can't help but show their asses.
It was considered a lock for the Greens. District 9 in Charlottetown in the maps at the link.
I still think voters are "I'm sick of Liberal and Trudeau corruption, I'm down for some CPC corruption".
We could honestly be entering into a new era of democracy where the people are just so fed up with no progress being made, that the dynasties that we have grown accustomed to just won't happen anymore. Basically turfing the current government because they didn't do anything fast enough. Which in turn makes things worse because policies keep on ricocheting back and forth.
I mean, now we are really in the weeds in regards to the influence of the Internet on Democracy. Sure, it was a thing before. But not on the scale that it is today. Now that you have people who literally grew on on the internet able to vote now, voter patterns and information has just been dialed up to an all new level not really seen before in human history.
Ah, interesting. Well hopefully it doesn't get as strange as that story above from the 60s with a tie and parties bribing the riding to try to win government.
It's difficult to say that you're incorrect. The internet plays a big part in shaping the behaviors of boomers, no doubt, the landscape is bound to change because of that.
But I'd argue that the larger shift to a new generation of voter has more of an impact here than anyone gives credit to. As the millennial generation and generations after come into their strength as the largest cohort in the electorate, that will have a much stronger impact.
The Canadian millennial voter, by and large, seems heavily engaged politically (though that doesn't always translate into voting, for a lot of reasons I can get into if pressed to provide the context), predominately dislikes/hates conservatism, does not seem terribly forgiving of missteps and is less likely to form party allegiances but will instead vote on policies that appeal to them. That last part alone spells doom for politics as usual, where parties have relied on entrenched voter habits and partisanship by virtue of the "brand" the party carries. Empty promises will make for temporary victories that could, over a longer course of time, sink a party long-term, as the internet provides the ability to ensure that those mis-steps and empty promises live forever among the "internet-native" generations.
Additionally, the silver bullet of a "strong economy" that governments have been able to use to shield themselves from criticisms over their mis-steps does not hold the same weight as it once did, thanks in part to an understanding by the millennial voter that strong economies can benefit a select group of people disproportionately and that they themselves may not see any benefit from that.
Lastly, the real danger is assuming that millennial voters will willingly adapt to politics rather than politics needing to adapt to them, because if they don't, there's a real worry that when all options grossly fail them, voter participation will plummet to historic lows that will lead to majorities that are false in more ways than one. It's very much "adapt or die" time.
It's a small part of why I have been so closely watching the PEI election, among other obvious reasons. (Let's just say plainly that Alberta was a lost cause for a whole host of reasons right from the get-go and Ontario had Liberal boomers who wouldn't give up the ghost of Bob Rae)
The generational makeup of the PEI electorate has changed rather dramatically in recent years, where it has been dominated by the elderly for the last several decades, but young people have begun to stay in the province and have an opportunity to flex their muscle, being a near-equal population segment (or at least the closest it's ever been to being so). So with the Liberals falling out of favor there and millennials knowing better than to vote for the PCs, they had 1 alternative and they are taking it, which I imagine is what is keeping the Greens at the top of the polls. Clearly elderly disenfranchised Liberals play a part in that, too, as do elderly voters who are thankfully deferential to the opinions of the young, but were it not for millennials looking for a leftist alternative to the Liberals, I don't believe that the Greens would have ever got the momentum they're currently enjoying.
Oh so new governments so often that policies and changes are never actually carried out to their completion, so like italy? *retches*. oh boy, that's gonna be fun /s
https://www.resetera.com/threads/zu...stance-from-students-parents-teachers.112873/
A thread on Zuckerberg and Facebook funded e-learning program getting backlash from students and parents.
I wonder if this is what the assholes in Ontario are planning.
Save money on education by getting "free e-learning" from Facebook.
And as we all know, Facebook isn't really free.
A thread on Zuckerberg and Facebook funded e-learning program getting backlash from students and parents.
I wonder if this is what the assholes in Ontario are planning.
Save money on education by getting "free e-learning" from Facebook.
And as we all know, Facebook isn't really free.
It's already happening. In QC for instance there are day trips to the Apple store from participating elementary school and high schools. They do teach kid things but they implant in them the need for Apple products. It was reported last holidays in newspapers here and no one cared. Same thing happening with Tablets being introduced in schools nationwide. Schools get them at a bargain price but the objective is to make sure kids get addicted to them and want one for home with the phone that goes with it. It's not surprise that edutainment mobile apps are functioning like gacha games with constant reminders about upcoming lessons or learning activities with an aggressive schedule.
That's just one of those funny things because the science now seems to be pointing to the fact that screens are actually bad for kids and tech bros won't let their own kids use them anymore.
For the record, as a resident, I'm dubious about those district-level projections. District-level polling in Canada is dicey even at the federal level, let alone with such small sample sizes.
The Greens would certainly have had a chance, though.
The delayed by-election will be interesting since it's more likely than not that the composition of the government will already be decided by that point, one way or another, so there's probably going to be a "might as well join the winning team" effect.
I'm sure the projections are based on a much broader support for the Greens in Charlottetown as a whole. Though as I'm certain you're aware, polling on the island is dodgy at the best of times, which is why in spite of 6 of the most recent polling putting the Greens with a decent to considerable lead, it's still considered a 3-horse race. All that said, there are some fairly reasonable assumptions one could make.
That "winning team" mentality might be part of what's driven Green momentum in the first place.
EDIT: Didn't warrant a new post, so I'll put it here: Elizabeth May got married on Earth Day yesterday. Because of course she did.
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No it's cool guys, this meagre carbon tax will totally offset the increase in oil sands production from this pipeline.
Liberal politics 101.
By trying to please everyone, you please no one.
Those couple seats they got in Alberta last election really are killing them. They are spending way too much time trying to save those seats to the detriment of their seat counts elsewhere in the country.
Not to say that the LPC should be leaving Alberta hanging out to dry. But they really have zero chance of saving those seats and their efforts to are hurting them amung their core demographics in other regions.
Edmonton centre and Calgary centre are doomed I'm sure but I'm pretty confident Sohi will keep edmonton mill woods.
Bomb threat at polling station in Charlottetown delays election results
Honestly, this election gets weirder by the second. I'm half-expecting that the Newfoundland election will continue the trend of bizarre and/or tragic election season news we seem to have going and it makes me really concerned that this ball won't stop rolling until after the federal election is done.
Honestly, this election gets weirder by the second. I'm half-expecting that the Newfoundland election will continue the trend of bizarre and/or tragic election season news we seem to have going and it makes me really concerned that this ball won't stop rolling until after the federal election is done.
Fake news, Stratford is not Charlottetown.
In all seriousness, one of my coworkers was supposed to vote there and couldn't due to the closure around midday.
The Greens won the student vote that the provincial school system holds every election, with a minority, the PCs in second, and four seats for the Liberals.
First result of the advance poll in O'Leary-Inverness, cabinet minister Robert Henderson 454 votes to 425 for NDP's Herb Dickieson.
853 no to 246 yes in the referendum.
853 no to 246 yes in the referendum.
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Well, that alone killed the Electoral Reform Referendum given that Part Deux, Electoral-Reformalloo was done under the pretense of pulling a BC Liberals with "50%+1 of the vote with at least 50% support in every single riding"
That move of ignoring previous referendums to recall them with that specific ruleset is turning out to be surprisingly effective in all the places that try it out.
Oh, shit. Seriously? I got that way off then. *fingers-re-crossed*
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