Why Canada is in an election, and why we must vote
The Conservative party (which had the most seats in Parliament, but not quite enough for a majority), led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, was brought down by a non-confidence motion by the other parties (Liberals, Bloc Quebecois, and NDP). Harper's government was found to be in contempt of Parliament for evasiveness and outright lies to committees seeking information about budget expenses (the first time any Commonwealth government has been found in contempt).
Harper and his party has a history of unethical conduct: the "In and Out" election campaign financing scandal (whereby they broke the law to spend more than legally allowed in a past election); covering up torture of Afghan detainees; funnelling money into a Conservative-held riding under the guise of G8/G20 hosting expenses... the list goes on. In addition, they've racked up a huge deficit (squandering a surplus left by the previous government), yet want to lower taxes, spend billions on fighter jets and prisons (regardless of fact that crime is on decline in Canada)... while slashing human rights and environmental budgets. We've lost international standing with the loss of a UN Security Council seat, and are constantly the target of derision by other nations for Harper's attitude towards climate talks and policy... while sending our once peace-keeping troops to bomb Libya and giving huge subsidies to oil companies. He's talked openly of dismantling our public health care system. Oh, and he's anti-abortion and anti-gay-marriage also.
Sadly, many Canadians seem completely oblivious to all of this.
I'm urging all voters - especially youth - to get out and vote smartly to keep the Conservatives from a majority. This is your future, and I'm sure the Conservative's agenda is not aligned with what the vast majority of younger Canadians want.
Not sure who to vote for? Try the "Vote Compass". Some will claim it biased - but most of those complaining are Conservative supporters. I found it quite accurate, personally.
Unfortunately, bear in mind that our electoral system is flawed, and in many cases penalizes us for voting purely with our conscience... because the Conservative party is just one party on the right of the political spectrum, and the other 4 parties split the center/left vote... so they can win seats with as little as 26% of the vote in some ridings. So we need to vote smartly too. I don't like it, but - the Liberals, NDP, Greens, even the Bloc, all have similar ideals. They may disagree somewhat in the implementation, but they're all better than the Conservatives. I'd rather they try to compromise on the implementation than be shut out of government for four years. So if you're in a "Swing" riding, consider voting for the non-CPC candidate that has the best chance of winning. Check out Catch 22's website - http://www.catch22campaign.ca - for their recommendations.
And - tell others. Tell anyone who will listen. Talk to your parents and grandparents. Explain why voting Conservative is against your ideals. I'm sure many Conservatives will be surprised to learn even a fraction of the reasons - many of them just vote that way out of tradition, they have been largely unaware of what Harper has really been up to.
And above all, please, vote. Let's raise the abysmal 33% turn-out rate for the 18-24 year old electorate, and match (or even better!) the seniors.
NB: After the election - if we can keep the Conservatives from a majority - then we need to demand electoral reform. As I'm so incredibly tired of feeling pressured to vote strategically. Our system is broken, we need proportional representation. (See Fair Vote Canada)
Thanks for your time.
Harper and his party has a history of unethical conduct: the "In and Out" election campaign financing scandal (whereby they broke the law to spend more than legally allowed in a past election); covering up torture of Afghan detainees; funnelling money into a Conservative-held riding under the guise of G8/G20 hosting expenses... the list goes on. In addition, they've racked up a huge deficit (squandering a surplus left by the previous government), yet want to lower taxes, spend billions on fighter jets and prisons (regardless of fact that crime is on decline in Canada)... while slashing human rights and environmental budgets. We've lost international standing with the loss of a UN Security Council seat, and are constantly the target of derision by other nations for Harper's attitude towards climate talks and policy... while sending our once peace-keeping troops to bomb Libya and giving huge subsidies to oil companies. He's talked openly of dismantling our public health care system. Oh, and he's anti-abortion and anti-gay-marriage also.
Sadly, many Canadians seem completely oblivious to all of this.
I'm urging all voters - especially youth - to get out and vote smartly to keep the Conservatives from a majority. This is your future, and I'm sure the Conservative's agenda is not aligned with what the vast majority of younger Canadians want.
Not sure who to vote for? Try the "Vote Compass". Some will claim it biased - but most of those complaining are Conservative supporters. I found it quite accurate, personally.
Unfortunately, bear in mind that our electoral system is flawed, and in many cases penalizes us for voting purely with our conscience... because the Conservative party is just one party on the right of the political spectrum, and the other 4 parties split the center/left vote... so they can win seats with as little as 26% of the vote in some ridings. So we need to vote smartly too. I don't like it, but - the Liberals, NDP, Greens, even the Bloc, all have similar ideals. They may disagree somewhat in the implementation, but they're all better than the Conservatives. I'd rather they try to compromise on the implementation than be shut out of government for four years. So if you're in a "Swing" riding, consider voting for the non-CPC candidate that has the best chance of winning. Check out Catch 22's website - http://www.catch22campaign.ca - for their recommendations.
And - tell others. Tell anyone who will listen. Talk to your parents and grandparents. Explain why voting Conservative is against your ideals. I'm sure many Conservatives will be surprised to learn even a fraction of the reasons - many of them just vote that way out of tradition, they have been largely unaware of what Harper has really been up to.
And above all, please, vote. Let's raise the abysmal 33% turn-out rate for the 18-24 year old electorate, and match (or even better!) the seniors.
NB: After the election - if we can keep the Conservatives from a majority - then we need to demand electoral reform. As I'm so incredibly tired of feeling pressured to vote strategically. Our system is broken, we need proportional representation. (See Fair Vote Canada)
Thanks for your time.