Canadian General Election

[scottish]

Here we are.   Each of the party leaders has explained why they are best suited to be prime minister:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/we-asked-canadas-federal-leaders-why-are-you-as-a-leader-best-suited-to-run-our-country/article26805015/
One of them thinks that he's the only person who's sufficiently capable to be prime minister.  The others don't seem to be quite as, shall we say, self-confident?   

[daverobev]

Anyone else fed up with the rhetoric?

"Irresponsible", blah blah "middle class Canadian families", "reckless".

I'd love politics if it wasn't so full of shit. Man, I'd love to form a party-of-independents - no party line, free votes on all, committees for most stuff, and founded on science.

Ugh.

[Le Poisson]

Here we are.   Each of the party leaders has explained why they are best suited to be prime minister:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/we-asked-canadas-federal-leaders-why-are-you-as-a-leader-best-suited-to-run-our-country/article26805015/
One of them thinks that he's the only person who's sufficiently capable to be prime minister.  The others don't seem to be quite as, shall we say, self-confident?

CBC (Mansbridge one-on-one???) did this a while ago. The answers back then were laughable. Apparently they have polished their lines in the interim. I think it was his last question in each of their interviews.

[tardis]

It struck me that if a party wins in your riding by a small margin, and the votes were relatively evenly spread across the main 3 parties, 2/3s of voters will not be represented by the party they voted for.  Eugh... first past the post in action.

It was interesting to hear an add from the Pirate part on CBC promoting basic income.  I really didn't know anything about the party, but that made me look them up and find out where on earth they even have members running.

Philosophy: American "Conservative" versus Canadian "Conservative" - I have just started reading Moral Politics: how liberals and conservatives think and Don't think of an elephant: know your values and frame the debate (both by George Lakoff).  He makes the point that in the US there is the concept that if you are a moral person, God will reward you and you will do well financially.  The  corollary to that is, if you are poor, you must be a bad person because otherwise God would have rewarded you with financial success.  And if you are a poor=bad person, why should moral people (i.e. those making lots of money and paying lots of taxes) support you?  This is a basic tenet of the American conservatives (Republicans, maybe Libertarians and Tea Party?). 

Of course, our early Canadian political history didn't share that view.  Lower Canada was ruled by the Church and the Seigneurial system, so doing well financially had nothing to do with how moral you were.  Similarly, in Upper Canada, the Political Compact generally had power, and again it was family money and political connections with Britain that favoured those in power, not moral goodness.  In fact, in Glengarry School Days (1902), which is a very moral Christian book (what they used to call "muscular Christianity") and a historically interesting read, the financially shrew boy is not held up as a model, rather he is looked down on as being too "sharp".  Also of interest, the girls were as smart as the boys and did as well in school, they are not presented as second class citizens, although the social roles of boys and girls were clearly different in an agricultural society.  Canadian social values were more the "it's hard here, we need to support each other" model. 

The relevance of this to our present election is that Harper's conservatism seems more aligned with the American model than the Canadian model.

This was very interesting to read.  Those books are on my to read list.  I always find it fascinating how strongly history affects culture.

[RetiredAt63]

A lot of this is in the Green party platform.  One of the many reasons I have been voting Green recently.  And once we do election reform, I can go back to voting where I want to vote instead of doing a "Heave Steve" vote.

http://www.greenparty.ca/en/platform

PS a side benefit of being retired is that there is more time to pay attention to politics, instead of just the sound bites.
PPS The leader I trust most?  Elizabeth May - honest, committed, hard-working, smart, democratic, sensible.

I'd love politics if it wasn't so full of shit. Man, I'd love to form a party-of-independents - no party line, free votes on all, committees for most stuff, and founded on science.

Ugh.

[Le Poisson]

A lot of this is in the Green party platform.  One of the many reasons I have been voting Green recently.  And once we do election reform, I can go back to voting where I want to vote instead of doing a "Heave Steve" vote.

http://www.greenparty.ca/en/platform

PS a side benefit of being retired is that there is more time to pay attention to politics, instead of just the sound bites.
PPS The leader I trust most?  Elizabeth May - honest, committed, hard-working, smart, democratic, sensible.

I'd love politics if it wasn't so full of shit. Man, I'd love to form a party-of-independents - no party line, free votes on all, committees for most stuff, and founded on science.

Ugh.

I have many of the same impressions of the Greens. One of the things that impresses me about May is that she isn't afraid to agree with the other parties when they are right. I am baffled at why it is necessary for all three parties to take a different stance on an issue they all agree on, then argue it even when they are after the same result. FFS, just say "Yup, if we're in power, we'll aim for the same outcome." In the debates, May was the only one strong enough to do this.

I think she is the only truly free leader on the stand, but then "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don't mean nothing honey if it ain't free..." (Janis Joplin - Me & Bobby McGee)

[RetiredAt63]

When I worked in Ottawa I used to go to something called "Bacon and Eggheads" which was a working breakfast with a speaker about a science topic of interest to MPs.  MPs, senators and their staff were all invited, they were free, the rest of us had to pay.  It would have people from Embassies and Universities and the press.  Attendees could pick up a list of attendees - Elizabeth May was always there, often with with staff, and she asked good questions, never asked just for the sake of asking.  A good number of NDP and Liberal members and/or staff attended.   Those young NDP members who came in on the Orange Wave were very serious and responsible and worked hard at educating themselves about issues.            Never any Conservatives.  We are an agricultural riding, and I wrote my MP saying I hoped he would attend when the topic was of direct interest to our riding (of course he would already know about it, they were all invited) and his office wrote me back "why he couldn't go".  Of course, why he couldn't go is that Conservative MPs didn't go.

A lot of this is in the Green party platform.  One of the many reasons I have been voting Green recently.  And once we do election reform, I can go back to voting where I want to vote instead of doing a "Heave Steve" vote.

http://www.greenparty.ca/en/platform

PS a side benefit of being retired is that there is more time to pay attention to politics, instead of just the sound bites.
PPS The leader I trust most?  Elizabeth May - honest, committed, hard-working, smart, democratic, sensible.

I'd love politics if it wasn't so full of shit. Man, I'd love to form a party-of-independents - no party line, free votes on all, committees for most stuff, and founded on science.

Ugh.

I have many of the same impressions of the Greens. One of the things that impresses me about May is that she isn't afraid to agree with the other parties when they are right. I am baffled at why it is necessary for all three parties to take a different stance on an issue they all agree on, then argue it even when they are after the same result. FFS, just say "Yup, if we're in power, we'll aim for the same outcome." In the debates, May was the only one strong enough to do this.

I think she is the only truly free leader on the stand, but then "Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose,
Nothing don't mean nothing honey if it ain't free..." (Janis Joplin - Me & Bobby McGee)

[Dee]

RE engagement of MPs: Other MPs who seem to be engaged with the issues and posing relevant questions during committee have been the Bloc Quebecois MPs.

RE strategic voting: I used to not be very favourable to it but, this time, I'm all for it. What offends me most about the Harper government has been the complete disregard for compliance with Charter rights and the significant impact their legislation has had on civil liberties especially and rights in general. And I really think Anyone But Conservative would lead to a better outcome on that front, so I have no problem casting my vote for whoever in my riding might overtake the Conservative candidate - in this particular election. However, it is highly unlikely that the Conservative candidate in my riding will be unseated. So I have been wavering between voting Liberal or NDP. There is also a Green candidate on my ballot (but no other candidates besides these four parties). The Liberal candidate is the one that would have a shadow of a chance of getting in -- if the votes for all the other candidates were added together, they would likely amount to more than what the Conservative will get in votes (but perhaps barely). So it seems unlikely that my voting Liberal strategically would work (i.e. would actually result in having the Liberal candidate win). If I look at overall platforms, party leaders, etc., I am more inclined to vote NDP, particularly because I know one of the candidates (in another nearby riding) and would like to support her (even though it would be indirectly). On the other hand, the NDP candidate in my riding does not seem particularly strong and if I look at who I'd prefer as an MP, I think the Liberal candidate would be better. So there is a lot of thought going into my one vote... and a lot of wavering between those two options.

I have voted Green in a previous election but feel no inclination to do so this time. This time around, I actually do want to rally with one of the parties who will get many seats.

Losing extra contribution room in my TFSA seems like a very small price to pay to have a government that would respect fundamental rights and freedoms. Which I think would be the case with Anyone But Conservative.

[RetiredAt63]

Quiet here, are we all exhausted yet?  Oops, while I typed this Dee posted, I guess we are all back!  48 hours and 8 minutes from now my polling station opens.

Interesting take on the election from a former editor of the Globe and Mail:
https://medium.com/@InklessPW/throwout-by-william-thorsell-986c7546f921

[Shinplaster]

Interesting take on the election from a former editor of the Globe and Mail:
https://medium.com/@InklessPW/throwout-by-william-thorsell-986c7546f921

Well said.

The Liberals and NDP are promising electoral reforms.  In future elections, campaign ads should actually have to be truthful.  I don't think many people know that legally they are allowed to say anything they wish, truthful or not.  Most I have spoken to assume that if it's on TV, it must be true.  When told otherwise, they are shocked.   I am shocked they believe some of the nonsense being spouted.  If you can't win telling the truth, you don't deserve to win.

[RetiredAt63]

I know/realize that sometimes election promises can't be easily kept - if the outgoing government has misrepresented the finances, for example, the incoming government has a new unexpected financial situation to deal with.  But generally speaking, election platforms, which should match the party principles and goals, should be carried out.  Unfortunately we the electors seem to have a really short-term memory for all this - we forget the issues because new ones pop up (or are made to pop up) or things happen in the larger world that affect us (i.e. Syrian refugees and our immigration policy in this election, world oil prices and the effect on the Canadian economy).

If the ABC push works and we have an ABC government, we need to push for immediate electoral reform, or it will be left by the wayside.  [Side note - this is an old metaphor, should we update to "on the shoulder with 4 flat tires"?]

The Liberals and NDP are promising electoral reforms.  In future elections, campaign ads should actually have to be truthful.  I don't think many people know that legally they are allowed to say anything they wish, truthful or not.  Most I have spoken to assume that if it's on TV, it must be true.  When told otherwise, they are shocked.   I am shocked they believe some of the nonsense being spouted.  If you can't win telling the truth, you don't deserve to win.

[Kmp2]

I picked my std last weekend, in the advanced ballot. however living in SH riding I know who my MP will be tomorrow. unless the libs or NDP sweep through, and Stephen Harper executes a perfect Jim Prentice in a 'fine I will take my ball and go home' move... Quitting before the ballots are counted.... I can hope right? by-election?

while I will miss my tsfa contribution limit, it is effectively robbing our future government of tax income. I fail to see how that is any different then running a deficit and borrowing against future tax dollars.

the NDPs huge mistake was to promise a balanced budget, no one believes that, and it comes across as a bald face lie.

Trudeau has been more honest, and has led one of the more positive campaigns I have seen.  I hope he is rewarded for it. When combined with Rachel Notley's classy campaign, it may be a trend and perhaps we will see more campaigns like this in the future.

[GuitarStv]

I picked my std last weekend, in the advanced ballot.

I'm sorry to hear that, and was unaware that they could be transmitted in that manner (perhaps you were mishandling the ballot?).  Best of luck on your recovery.


:P

[RetiredAt63]

A bit of levity in the commentary
https://video.buffer.com/v/56246651927d399929cfcb00

And finally, after all these weeks, we can go and VOTE!!!

And if no-one wins?
http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/10/17/Minority-What-Happens-Next/

[Ottawa]

In a week's time we may be waking up (for those who didn't stay up late the night before) to a new landscape.  Should we extrapolate from the current Mustachian Poll results?  Yes, of course :-)

Currently our poll shows:

Libs - 34.5%
NDP - 31%
Cons - 17.2%
Greens - 8.6%
Other - 8.6%

The CBC poll tracker shows:
Libs - 34.2%
Cons - 31.7%
NDP - 23.4%
Greens - 4.8%
Other - 6%

Alright then, we all agree.  Liberal minority. 

Brief analysis: NDP will support.  Will probably last a couple years.  Possible Liberal majority follows from there if they follow through on some of their promises.  Will likely alter C-51 to be more moderate...  In reality, much will depend on where the world takes our economy and whether the Libs ride a good or bad economic wave...

Cons likely to be down and out for some time.  They have lost a lot of their senior cabinet over the year and Harper will be out.  Who will they choose for next leader?  McKay?  Baird?

UPDATE

Currently our poll shows (76 votes):
Libs - 39.5%
NDP - 23.7%
Cons - 18.4%
Greens - 9.2%
Other - 9.2%

The CBC poll tracker shows:
Libs - 37.2%
Cons - 30.9%
NDP - 21.7%
Greens - 4.4%
Other - .9%

Looks like the Libs have firmed up a little more in the minority position.  I am also gazing into my crystal ball and predicting an outside possibility of a Liberal Majority. 

[TravelJunkyQC]

NDP is the most popular in my riding, so that's what I'm voting in order to ensure the Conservatives get less. Again, I'm voting strategically against a party instead of FOR a particular party. I'm okay with it. First time voting in Canada, pretty exciting for me though!

[Ottawa]

Fun place to spend some time before 7:30pm today:
http://www.electionprediction.org/2015_fed/p_35on.php

Interesting commentary on each of the ridings...

[choppingwood]

NDP is the most popular in my riding, so that's what I'm voting in order to ensure the Conservatives get less. Again, I'm voting strategically against a party instead of FOR a particular party. I'm okay with it. First time voting in Canada, pretty exciting for me though!

That is exciting!

[Ottawa]

I don't want to bias anyone, but this was pretty interesting news this morning.  I can tell you, from Ottawa, the Duffy trial was a very stinky affair.  It made a mockery of the witness affirmation/oath.  I was impressed with Perrin at the time. 
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-has-lost-the-moral-authority-to-govern-says-former-pmo-lawyer/article26864767/

Very strongly worded comment section.  This is a piece of evidence in support (for the national tone) which could see a crystal ball-gazing Liberal majority.

[okits]

Voted. Husband and I typically go to the polling station together. It's kind of like a cheap date where you need ID, LOL.

I guess tonight will be a two-screen night. One for the Jays, one for election coverage!

[RetiredAt63]

I voted.  Five polls, no-one there, but I voted after the before work and before the lunch hour crowd.  People were leaving as I arrived, and arriving as I left, so it is a small but steady stream. The lady at my poll said voter turnout was higher than usual for the morning, so maybe overall turnout will be higher.  Her voter-age grandchildren are voting for the first time this election - if the 18-30 crowd start voting it will be a real turn-around for Canadian politics.  Yes I am in the age group that votes, but I have voted in every federal and provincial election that I was eligible to vote for.  I was too young for the 1968 federal election, so my first must have been in 1972.  My first provincial election would have been in 1970 (Quebec). 

And here is a surprise - or maybe not:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/andrew-coyne-exits-editor-role-at-national-post-will-remain-columnist/article26868832/

[Le Poisson]

And here is a surprise - or maybe not:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/andrew-coyne-exits-editor-role-at-national-post-will-remain-columnist/article26868832/

And that kids, is what you have the power to do if you save up your FU money. Or maybe he was shown the door, but either way, it's nice that he stood for his principals and made waves.

[Jon_Snow]

Voted. And managed to avoid voting for the Party which would be best for my personal finances.

Yay for me...I guess. :/

[okits]

Voted. And managed to avoid voting for the Party which would be best for my personal finances.

Me too.

Yay for me...I guess. :/

I know the feeling, but I tell myself that money isn't the most important thing.  If it were, you'd still be working!

[choppingwood]

I voted.  Five polls, no-one there, but I voted after the before work and before the lunch hour crowd.  People were leaving as I arrived, and arriving as I left, so it is a small but steady stream. The lady at my poll said voter turnout was higher than usual for the morning, so maybe overall turnout will be higher.  Her voter-age grandchildren are voting for the first time this election - if the 18-30 crowd start voting it will be a real turn-around for Canadian politics.  Yes I am in the age group that votes, but I have voted in every federal and provincial election that I was eligible to vote for.  I was too young for the 1968 federal election, so my first must have been in 1972.  My first provincial election would have been in 1970 (Quebec). 

And here is a surprise - or maybe not:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/andrew-coyne-exits-editor-role-at-national-post-will-remain-columnist/article26868832/

A decent crowd in my small village in Northern Alberta at mid-morning. A certain amount of crankiness, for some reason, in what is thought to be a Tory riding. (Hard to tell though, because the ridings have been turned topsy-turvy since the last federal election, and some of it tossed out a Tory cabinet minister in the provincial election.)

I have used my free ten articles at the G&M this month, and even the online library version was trying to force me into a paid subscription to read election coverage, so I can't read this link. So this morning I switched over to the National Post, which seemed to be saying that Trudeau had run by far the smarter, more voter-savvy race. Maybe that has something to do with this article?

[sky_northern]

Voted. And managed to avoid voting for the Party which would be best for my personal finances.

Yay for me...I guess. :/

+1

Steve have been running these radio adds last week or so, and they are all about "reducing taxes for middle class families" or something to that effect. Been driving me nuts.
I can see beyond getting another $1,000 tax cuts. I can make the connection between what my taxes pay for and the level of service I expect from government. (When government cuts they never seem to cut the bloated management or paperwork that cause more issues than not. They cut services.) I pay a lot of taxes as a single, well paid person, but I would never vote for the current conservatives for a promise of a tax cut or increased in TFSA. Too much else at stake.

I actually liked the Green candidate in my riding this year, but had to vote strategically so voted NDP. The Conservative candidate is terrible, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't have made it in but felt best voting for the most likely person to beat him.

[okits]

And here is a surprise - or maybe not:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/andrew-coyne-exits-editor-role-at-national-post-will-remain-columnist/article26868832/

I have used my free ten articles at the G&M this month, and even the online library version was trying to force me into a paid subscription to read election coverage, so I can't read this link. So this morning I switched over to the National Post, which seemed to be saying that Trudeau had run by far the smarter, more voter-savvy race. Maybe that has something to do with this article?

I find, per device, I get ten free articles in the browser and ten free articles in the G&M app.  I've heard clearing your cookies also resets the count.

Andrew Coyne is badass.

[Shinplaster]

I wish there had been a way to give an extra vote to Elizabeth May.  Our local Green candidate is not the brightest penny in the fountain, so we didn't vote for him.  But I thought Elizabeth May was the most intelligent party leader, and the voice of reason throughout this campaign.  I would have liked to have seen her included in all the debates, not just tweeting from the sidelines (where she still was more effective than the actual debaters sometimes!)

Our polling station was pretty busy, so hopefully more people came out and voted this time.

[RetiredAt63]

I had serious issues with my local Conservative candidate, I would not have voted for him even if I did want to vote Conservative.  The government policy on anything science is a major negative for me, so I voted for the person most likely to beat the Conservative.  He looks not bad as a candidate also, which didn't hurt.  The Liberals were well prepared, the NDP were slow starting and the Green candidate was last minute.

I have wine and home-made Bailey's in the fridge, ready for the election reporting.  I may not be feeling too good in the morning  ;-)  My liver is not what it was in my 20s, not enough practice any more.

[Ottawa]

Just use the incognito mode in your browser. You will no longer be limited!

And here is a surprise - or maybe not:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/andrew-coyne-exits-editor-role-at-national-post-will-remain-columnist/article26868832/

I have used my free ten articles at the G&M this month, and even the online library version was trying to force me into a paid subscription to read election coverage, so I can't read this link. So this morning I switched over to the National Post, which seemed to be saying that Trudeau had run by far the smarter, more voter-savvy race. Maybe that has something to do with this article?

I find, per device, I get ten free articles in the browser and ten free articles in the G&M app.  I've heard clearing your cookies also resets the count.

Andrew Coyne is badass.

[Ottawa]

I had serious issues with my local Conservative candidate, I would not have voted for him even if I did want to vote Conservative.  The government policy on anything science is a major negative for me, so I voted for the person most likely to beat the Conservative.  He looks not bad as a candidate also, which didn't hurt.  The Liberals were well prepared, the NDP were slow starting and the Green candidate was last minute.

I have wine and home-made Bailey's in the fridge, ready for the election reporting.  I may not be feeling too good in the morning  ;-)  My liver is not what it was in my 20s, not enough practice any more.

Ha ha!  Yes, it helped that the Liberal in my riding was a very competent individual.  Usually I would vote Green.  However, strategic voting to get rid of Harper was far more important this time round!  Yes, I have a homebrew in my hand with the CBC (over the air of course) on currently...

[GuitarStv]

My conservative candidate bowed out in disgrace after it turned out he was peeing in people's coffee mugs in their kitchens when he was working as a contractor.  I suspect this will harm the replacement's chances.

[Ottawa]

My conservative candidate bowed out in disgrace after it turned out he was peeing in people's coffee mugs in their kitchens when he was working as a contractor.  I suspect this will harm the replacement's chances.

This was one of the highlights for me!  :-)

[lostamonkey]

Wow, it's looking good for the liberals so far.

[Ottawa]

Well.  About to close in BC.  So, the result is 'known'.  Just not known.  Looks like the liberals could be in a majority position.  Must continue watching CBC...will see how long for!!!

[RetiredAt63]

Do I drink and watch, or go to bed?  Right now it looks like my riding might actually go back to being Liberal.  At least our candidates all live in the riding, not like some in Ottawa.

[Ottawa]

Do I drink and watch, or go to bed?  Right now it looks like my riding might actually go back to being Liberal.  At least our candidates all live in the riding, not like some in Ottawa.

Looking  back 4 years from now...you'll be glad to have chosen the former!

:-)

[scottish]

Well, what to say?

Harperman, it’s time for you to go

[RetiredAt63]

I've seen a lot of elections - but I might hang in there to hear Harper's speech.

Oh, looks like Chris Alexander and Julian Fantino might lose their seats.  Couldn't happen to more deserving people.  Oops, update, maybe Joe Oliver too? Still early there.

Do I drink and watch, or go to bed?  Right now it looks like my riding might actually go back to being Liberal.  At least our candidates all live in the riding, not like some in Ottawa.

Looking  back 4 years from now...you'll be glad to have chosen the former!

:-)

[totoro]

Thank goodness we don't have a majority voting for a party that proposed a barbaric cultural practices hotline.  Way to go for the bigot vote!

We own businesses and are within the demographic that could have voted conservative.  No fricken way was I going to vote for a party that endorsed legislation like that. 

Hopefully the majority of Canadians agree.  Any party that could keel over into that insanity shouldn't be re-elected.

[scottish]

No kidding.   This was a strange election.   Mr Harper called it early so he could have a long campaign to convince voters to vote for his party.   But it seemed to work the other way.  As time went by, people got a real look at Harper's character and didn't like what they saw.  From the PMO telling cabinet ministers what to do, to the niqab debacle, handling of Syrian refugees and finally the barbaric hotline, Harper just looked worse and worse.  At the end, all he could think of to say is "Justin will raise your taxes"  "Justin will cost us jobs"    I was listening to one of the conservative radio ads on the drive to work, and I thought it was a Liberal ad at first because it was all about Justin.   The things they were saying weren't even bad.

[Le Poisson]

1. A little concerned about a first-term Prime minister with a majority government. Without opposition to force restraint, things could go south quickly.
          1b. Thank Dog its not Harper again.

2. Interesting to see the west voting on a different ideology than the east-the split between Red, Blue, and Orange is telling of a country divided.

3. For the first time in years, the oil patch will not be the deciding power in either the politics or the economy of the nation. We could have a bumpy ride for a bit since other economies are gutted and need a rebuild.

4. Funny how urban/rural split also went to the Liberals, despite what appeared to be urban gerrymandering before the election. But then my opinion is Toronto-centric, and not scientific.

5. There is no five.

6. I forget what 6 was for.

[RetiredAt63]

1.  He seems to be good at picking good people. And I am sure people will remind him he got in at least partly on Heave Steve.
2.  I think a lot of strategic voting happened.  I know several people who voted where they thought it would count, not where they wanted.  We have to push for proportional representation and get it fast.
3.  But at least we won't have all our financial eggs in one basket.  Even other resource industries seemed to be neglected, it was all oil all the time.  Even more moderate pipeline opponents might be OK with more pipelines if the environmental protections are there.  Lac Megantic showed the risks of other means.
4. TPP may have upset rural areas. Those were farmers with tractors in Ottawa, protesting.
5.  We are all still here, commenting.
6.  How much alcohol has been consumed tonight?

1. A little concerned about a first-term Prime minister with a majority government. Without opposition to force restraint, things could go south quickly.
          1b. Thank Dog its not Harper again.

2. Interesting to see the west voting on a different ideology than the east-the split between Red, Blue, and Orange is telling of a country divided.

3. For the first time in years, the oil patch will not be the deciding power in either the politics or the economy of the nation. We could have a bumpy ride for a bit since other economies are gutted and need a rebuild.

4. Funny how urban/rural split also went to the Liberals, despite what appeared to be urban gerrymandering before the election. But then my opinion is Toronto-centric, and not scientific.

5. There is no five.

6. I forget what 6 was for.

[RetiredAt63]

The north (northern areas of provinces, and the territories) all went Liberal or NDP.  I guess they figured out what Harper thought of them.  And Mulcair just referred to the continuing NDP support for them in his speech.

[RetiredAt63]

Looks like Gilles Duceppe won't win his riding.

[RetiredAt63]

The good thing about a true majority is that Harper can't keep a caretaker government going and put off calling Parliament until 2016.

[Jon_Snow]

Sort of cool to see a PM who is more or less my own age (he's actually a bit older). Some aspects of the Liberal platform worry me...but I am willing to give them a chance to quell my concerns over the coming years.

Have to admit, this feels pretty good...a political breath of fresh air.

[RetiredAt63]

Harper's speech wasn't too bad, considering.  He sounded less stiff than usual. But I just realized, he is now leader of the opposition. Urk.  And the country-building comments, from the snitch line guy?

[RetiredAt63]

Just a thought - does this mean we can have more policy discussion and fewer attack ads during elections from here on in?  Since policy proposals won and attack ads didn't work too well?

[Cookie78]

Harper's speech wasn't too bad, considering.  He sounded less stiff than usual. But I just realized, he is now leader of the opposition. Urk.  And the country-building comments, from the snitch line guy?

I heard he's stepping down as leader of the party. Guess we will see.