It's Official: Harper Calls Election
After weeks of speculation and posturing, Prime Minister Stephen Harper called an election this morning, officially kicking of the campaigning that will culminate in Canadians going to the polls on October 14.
The election call comes on the heels of a new CBC poll indicating that 38 percent of Canadians would vote Conservative if the election were held today, enough to retain power, and that both Stephen Harper and Jack Layton, NDP leader, are viewed as better possible PMs than liberal leader Stéphane Dion (polling of blogTO readers is so far telling a very different story - see still active poll below). The Green Party and Bloc poll at similar levels, well below the other three parties, with Elizabeth May's strength in Ontario.
Each party is pushing hard for GTA votes, traditionally a left-wing stronghold but more in play for the Conservatives than years past, according to the poll.
Several Toronto ridings will be hotly contested, as the Liberals are working hard to keep and gain seats amidst Dion's controversial Green Shift plans. The Liberals announced that Christine Innes, the wife of former MP Tony Ianno, will run in the Trinity-Spadina riding, a seat now held by popular NDP candidate Olivia Chow since 2006.
There is some concern that the Candian elections will be overshadowed by the campaigning south of the border, but unlike the Americans who have been on the trail for 18 months, everything will be wrapped up here by the day after Thanksgiving.
Hopefully this time Canada can set the leftward trend.
Photos by (left to right): Shawn Fuller, ItzaFineDay, and Joshua Tusin.
Vote in the blogTO Poll:
Comments (15)
"Hopefully this time Canada can set the leftward trend."
By every indication, that isn't going to happen. I'm curious to see what happens in trinity-spadina.
A Harper majority combined with an Obama win would mean that I'd have to more seriously consider that job offer in the States.
Oh, the sick irony that I moved here from the States in part because of the politics down south.
You guys are seriously overestimating the power of the presidnet if you think Obama can transform things in the United States. On their best day, they wouldn't be as progressive or rational as we are. That isn't to say we're particularly rational, just in relation.
Our civic culture is entirely different. A term or two of a Harper majority wouldn't change that. Just as a term or two of Obama won't change how things are done in the States.
Gee, the Liberals are pulling a "Palin" in Trinity-Spadina. You know, you can't just send in a woman and automatically win an election.
The riding has more and more young families moving in every day with condos and infill housing being built. The number of Italians is constant or decling, while the number of Chinese is steadily increasing. Prediction: Chow wins easily.
Comparing Olivia Chow to Palin is... so ridiculous I don't have anything clever to quip it with.
Blue for me this time around, don't like Dion and what the Libs have been doing in the last decade, and I really dislike the far left. Minority Conservative gov is just fine with me, as long as it's not the bleeding heart Libs in power.
I don't think Anon was comparing Olivia Chow to Sarah Palin. I'm assuming it was http://en.epochtimes.com/n2/canada/liberals-canada-trinity-spadina-christine-innes-3884.html
Christine Innes who is their new candidate and looks little like Palin I guess but thankfully doesnt hold the same views as her. I voted for Olivia last election because I thought sending the Liberals a message about their behavior was important and I thought Olivia could make some progress happen for our city which has not happened. Voting NDP against the cons ive found is a waste because we have been ignored and will continue to be ignored by the cons as they dont have a chance of an elected MP in Toronto or in any other of the Big 3 for that matter. So here's hoping for a Liberal Minority.
Do you think that people realize that a majority Conservative government = Republican government?
I think the best case scenario is a minority Conservative victory which will give the Liberals an opportunity to replace Dion with a more dynamic leader for the next election.
fuck the alberta based, suburban-values government.
if the cons can develop a worthy urban agenda, and quit slashing art + social programs, then we would be fine. cause the libs certainly cant gain any power.
So Olivia Chow will win because she's Chinese? What exactly does the NDP offer Toronto, other than a lot of fantastic ideas that have no basis in reality that they have the luxury of throwing out there because they know they'll never be in a position to enact any of them.
If it's true that Stephan Dion has dual citizenship with France, then it's not acceptable for him to be Prime Minister. His commitment to Canada is highly suspect, if he's not prepared to renounce his French connection!
http://www.elections.ca/loi/rep/images/image002_e.gif
If any young people actually care about the country (and not just enough to complain on a message board) GO AND VOTE.
Unless you want policies set in the interest of people 30 years older than you... again. Young people seem to like to bitch and moan about politics and Harper, but when it comes time to act, they vanish. If they voters in the same percentage old people do - Canada's political face would change overnight.
Stephen Harper is just like George Bush.
Just like Bush, Harper fully approves of Tasers. Tasers keep the masses petrified and under strict control. Strong Taser approval makes the Taser corporation, Taser Inc. powerful and unstoppable. Harper loves that.
Just like Bush, Harper loves unlmited corporate greed. Gas gouging ? Harper will easily tolerate it. Anything which empowers corporations and allows them to dominate society, Harper supports. Unrestricted corporate power is allowed by Harper.
Just like Bush, Harper loves preemptive wars and an aggressive foreign policy. On Iraq, Harper said, "I think we should work closely with the Americans." If Harper had a majority, Canada would be taking part in the illegal, immoral, unnecessary and unilateral smashing of Iraq. Harper is a blind, faithful lapdog of the disastrously destructive American Neo-Conservative movement. All wars launched by Republican administrations are to be unquestionably supported by Canada, according to blind Bush-Bot Harper. 100,000 dead civilians and 5000 dead soldiers are easily tolerated by Harper.
Just like Bush, Harper fully approves of corporations raping and wrecking the earth for unlimited profit. "Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations", said the blindly pro-Republican corporatist Harper in 2002. If digging up and destroying the entire northern half of Alberta makes Cheney & Bush happy, and makes the oil industry executive a billionaire, then Harper is ALL FOR IT. He'll sleep very soundly, smiling in glee, because he has rightfully served the interests of unlimited corporate greed.
Just like Bush, Harper hates weed. His team of hypocritical, morally Fascist, oblivious maniacs just promised hundreds of millions of dollars to tobacco farmers, while at the same time putting forth bill C-26. Bill C-26 imposes a minimum sentence of 6 months in prison for any Canadian who grows as little as ONE marijuana plant.
Just like Bush, Harper despises media access and media probes into his policies. But also just like Bush, he'll have the public duped by a purely cosmetic and superficial image makeover into thinking that he's a moderate, reasonable, approachable, accessible, "compassionate" Neo-Conservative.
Canadians should simply vote ABC : Anything But Conservative. Vote Liberal, Vote NDP, vote Green, vote Libertarian. But make sure you vote, to stop the prospective wave of Neo-Conservatism from destroying Canada. Under Harper, Canada will effectively function and exist as the 51st state under Republican rule.
Remember, Harper has NEVER criticized or opposed any policy or action of the Bush administration. Bush is Harper's hero, and the Republicans FULLY support Harper.
After witnessing the devastation caused by 8 years of Neo-Conservative Bush administration policy, do you really want those policies to be applied coast to coast in Canada ? If not, then simply vote ABC : Anything But Conservative.
A vote for Harper is a vote for Bush, Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, Limbaugh and McCain. The Neo-Conservatives are comprised of a clan of hardline, authoritarian, ruthless, blind, dogmatic, oblivious maniacs whose applied policies always deliver war, persecution, torture and unlimited corporate greed.
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