Canadians can spoil ballots too, but can’t blame it on computers
While Elections Canada will likely have many things to worry about as Canadians go to the polls today, counting ‘chads’ won’t be one of them. Americans have been counting, arguing and in some cases even eating chads, the little round pieces of paper that fall out when holes are punched by voting machines. Machines that […]
Here’s a handy list of Web addresses for all of the major teams
It’s Federal Election Day and time to be a good boy, no sermons this week, says Web guru Pierre Bourque This week, no sermons and no posturing from me. Elections are, after all, serious business, so I am leaving the final word about this federal election to the various political parties and Elections Canada, the […]
No way, vote-swapping could never happen here, politicos say [Nader’s Raiders]
‘Could you imagine someone saying, ‘I’ll trade you my Stockwell Day vote for your Joe Clark’?’ says Boudria He’s known as the “spoiler” today, but even before Americans went to the polls earlier this month, supporters of Green Party U.S. presidential candidate Ralph Nader found themselves on the receiving end of some blistering attacks by […]
Click, click: a primer to election night’s English TV coverage
CTV will field more than 30 remotes across country, CBC-TV to broadcast from Hall of Honour on Hill For political junkies, election night’s TV coverage is a must see, repeat, must see. And while the true news addict will likely be flipping madly between channels throughout the night, for those without multiple televisions for event […]
Elections disclosure law of political donations is a huge sham: illegal, fictitious donations were small, but shows wealthy groups routinely use loopholes to hide money
We now have irrefutable proof that Canada’s law for disclosure of political donations is a sham. Democracy Watch last week released the results of its efforts to see just how bad the loopholes in the law are. The results are disturbing: – The Liberals accepted an illegal donation from a U.S. corporation, despite the fact […]
Radwanski predicts another narrow majority for Chretien’s Libs: but barring some major election days surprises, Stockwell Day’s party will be lucky to win one seat in Ontario
I reported in this space several weeks ago, on the strength of research conducted by PunditMag.com, that 88 “ridings to watch” would determine the outcome of today’s federal election. With the remaining 213 seats relatively easy to predict, it would be the success of each party in those remaining constituencies that would allow us to […]
This election was about one thing only, winning at all costs
Party organizations spent nights digging dirt and days unloading it onto targets suggested by pollsters It was branded as the election that would bring Canada into the year 2000, the election of values, choices, and the opportunity to restore democracy and decorum to the political system. But none of this happened. This election was about […]
Grim and gritty campaign fails to capture the electorate
Possibly the campaign is so diffused, depersonalized and prepackaged that voter response seems muted Things are becoming grimmer and grittier as we head into the final day of our election. The week closed with Prime Minister Jean Chretien under a cloud over the alleged improprieties on behalf of one of his constituents. Canadian Alliance Leader […]
Moore gives Nader Raiders of north an “F for comportment”: time to turn the tables on Democracy Watch [Report Card]
It’s Report Card time. Last week, Democracy Watch came out with its assessment of the political parties’ platform planks on “democratic reforms.” So, class, we’ll now do likewise with DW’s own recent attempt to promote, in its words, government that is “representative, ethical, open, accountable and citizen-driven.” Like most earnest, well-meaning school teachers, we’ll start […]
Here’s a thought, could Elinor Caplan have got it right?
Consider (again) the observation of Liberal cabinet minister Elinor Caplan. She said, in effect, the Reform Alliance party was a haven for bigots. People who worried about “the yellow peril” or an “Asian invasion” or who nursed resentments of uppity Indians, or believed their federal government was always “selling out” to Quebec, felt comfortable and […]
