So election day was yesterday. Here are the federal results:
* Conservatives: 143 seats
* Liberals: 76 seats
* Bloq: 50 seats
* NDP: 37 seats
* Independent: 2 seats
So what does this mean? Well, CPC gained 16 seats, the Liberals lost 19 seats, the Bloq lost 1 seat, NDP gained 8 seats, the Greens lost their seat, and the independents lost 1 seat.
But was the $300 million pricetag of the election worth it? I’m doubtful. Roughly 60% of those who voted didn’t vote CPC, and the CPC still has a minority government.
A couple of interesting points: the CPC received no seats in Newfoundland and Labrador, NDP stole a seat from longtime Refom/CPC MP Rahim Jaffer in Edmonton, Elizabeth May didn’t come anywhere close to winning in her riding, and Michael Fortier lost his “seat”.
I had hoped the PCs would take more from the Bloq, but I’m not really up on my Quebec politics…
Looks like we’re in for more of the same – the PCs having to get at least one other party on board to get anything passed.
I also saw on the news this morning that the lowest voter turnout was in the prairie provinces this time – what a turn around from the days when the Reform party was running and AB and SK were the highest turnouts.
Yeah, in our riding, we were down by 10 percentage points. Apparently, the country had the lowest turnout ever.
59% on the west coast… I still would like someone to explain to me how it is politicians work their math… hmmmm over 60% did NOT vote PC’s and yet they are still the leaders of our country..I know Algebra and I know Geometry and I know plain math but I don’t know that kind of math!!
Because that 60% is split among several other parties.
Well if you want to argue about the number of riding that didn’t vote for a party then – 75% of Canadians didn’t vote Liberal, 84% didn’t vote Bloq, and 88% didn’t vote NDP.
That’s how the electoral system works the party who has the least opposed gets in. If we required an actual majority to get elected we’d be chasing our tails for years.
I’m fine with the system except for the allocation of seats across the country – that needs to be looked at.
And I am fine with that, rick. My problem is when the media (or the governing party) claims “Canadians have spoken”, implying the majority chose the end result.
I really think we should be able to vote separately for the Prime Minister and separately for our local MP.
I think the fact so few came out to vote speaks volumes.
I don’t know about that, Mary. Sounds awfully American to me…
Our parliament isn’t set up to have a PM who is not a member of the ruling party anyway.
The thing that I find most interesting is that the polls and the media made it sound like there was a distict possibility that the liberals might actually form the minority government. The result was quite far from the truth. Why is it so hard to get non-partisan reporting?
The majority of the rhetoric that I have heard before, during, and after this election has been unfounded and biased it is very dissappointing.
Really, Tyler? None of the poll results I read over the last week showed any Liberal lead whatsoever. Perhaps we’re reading different polls and different media because I hadn’t once read that it was possible for a Liberal minority.
“The thing that I find most interesting is that the polls and the media made it sound like there was a distinct possibility that the liberals might actually form the minority government.”
Which says plenty about the reliability of those sources.
“The media” (whoever that is) are looking for a story and there’s no story in “Looks like it’s all going to be the same”.
Sound bites and dirty pool – that’s about all the media are good for these days.
American or not, our current system is not terribly helpful or fair. I would really prefer being able to vote for my local candidate on his/her own merits and not automatically give it to a leader I may not want in.
Then get someone to run as an independent, Mary.
That’s essentially what you’re describing.
Yes, but an independent can never be Prime Minister.
And I would like to be able to vote for the Prime Minister as WELL as a local MP. It works municipally (well of course, I know that works differently).
I really feel they need to change the electoral system provincially and federally.
rick,
How does voting for an independent ensure Mary gets to vote for an MP and the prime minister?
Kim,
It wasn’t as much a Liberal leading sort of scenario but a Liberal gaining momentum and the Conservatives losing seats and popularity. I was being lead to believe, by and large by the media, that the Liberals were going to gain ground in this election. I am sure that there is no way to change the system but I still reserve the right to be disappointed that I can’t find unbiased reporting. I live in this bubble of naivety where I envision a time where a party is elected based upon their actual merits and not based upon what the partisan media decides to tell us their merits, or more likely faults, are.
There was a period of a few days after the French debates when the media claimed Dion was increasing in popularity, but the polls still showed he was trailing Harper (of course by only a slightly narrower margin).
I am equally naïve, hoping for a day when every voter makes informed choices as they vote. sadly, I live in a community where this far from reality.
Tounge in cheek – I suppose I am not so unhappy when the uninformed voter votes the same way I do, just when they vote contrary to what I think is right.
I don’t want everyone to necessarily vote like I do. I want everyone to be informed and then choose accordingly. Sadly, that doesn’t happen so we have people choosing leaders they have very little clue about, and these politicians are aware of this and take advantage of the ignorance of citizens. Very sad state of affairs.
Does the Church have an official political neutrality policy in Canada, and is there a letter read annually about it in Sacrament meeting?
If the Church has a neutrality policy, what is the party to which all truly converted members are expected to support anyway? :)
We are just told to get out and vote. The neutrality policy is the same worldwide.
No one is expected to support any party over another (in spite of what some members might think).
I think it’s interesting that the talk is ‘what will we do about all these people that don’t vote??!’
The fact is, you can’t MAKE people get interested. You can’t make them get informed. Just like I can put my kids in bed but I can’t MAKE them go to sleep. I can put food in their mouths but I can’t MAKE them swallow.
To MAKE people vote, to me, goes against a fundamental principal of democracy.
The fact is, it is impossible to get involved with and informed about all the things in life that are important.
Would I like more people to get involved and vote? Yup
And I would like more parents to get involved with their children’s education.
I would like more people to come to my book club.
I would like more members to be good examples.
I would like more women to get involved with what’s going on with Enrichment in our ward.
I would like more people to come to the EQ activities my husband works so hard on.
But every person I know has a long list of things that are worth causes that they probably could/should get involved with – but for one reason or another they don’t.
That’s just life.
I go to the Parent Council meetings at my kid’s school with a handfull of other parents. That small groups has made a number of decisions that affected ALL the parents in the school. We can’t MAKE The other parents get invovled….they just get what they get when they don’t come and make their voice heard. A couple years ago the board was considering closing the school…and man, did we have packed meetings! Now the threat of closure is over and we’re back to the same small group.
That’s just life.
Personally, I’m pretty happy to have most people stay home. Then I can go vote and be more likely to get what I want. LOL
:)
But really I would rather we had a true majority, where the needs of Canadians are understood, respected and that there is true leadership and not just fighting and personal or party interests. I suppose with my recent governmental studies my eyes are being more opened to the need for this. I have a great desire to see people want to be involved. When things ‘go bad’ suddenly everyone freaks out and wants to blame someone, but are happy to sit back and let whatever happens happens, without really understanding the process, in times of prosperity and plenty. We need to be involved, keep our representatives accountable and remember that though we may not all agree on every issue, what is important is that Canada remains free and we remain aware and involved. If we allow others to make those decisions for us, we can quickly lose that. There really isn’t room for complacency anymore and unfortunately the majority of Canadians are either complacent or feel their voice doesn’t count…that change is hopeless, so why try?
“not just fighting and personal or party interests”
Once you remove the fighting and personal or party interests from politics, I’m at a loss to describe what’s left … a vacuum perhaps?
The interests of Canadians for one, but Mary already said that.
I have yet to speak to a politician who did not get into the line of work without a personal agenda.
I daresay they do not exist.
Which is why Mary is wishing for it.
I thought I heard on the radio that in Australia there is a token tax credit attached to voting. Don’t vote, don’t get the tax credit. Think it would have an impact? Which party/parties do you think would benefit most from such an incentive?
I don’t think bribery or fining is the answer. Then you have an increase of uninformed voting, people who just vote to get the incentive or avoid the fine.
Very conflicted in my emotions about the election. Some very competent opponents … but politics has degenerated. Partisan politics and ideological positions seem to banish common sense. Sound clip this and photo op that.
One leader who dominates with unrighteous dominion, another leader who tries to reform a corrupt old boys club but is ineffectual and a dreamer whose policy is pie in the sky I can solve all our problems overnight. Plus one very sensitive women who has no chance of winning in the current system.
I have problems with people who have easy solutions for everything…
Enough of fairy tale politics… with easy party line answers.