Discussions

On most points I agree with you sjk but worked out west and saw companies lay of long term Canadian welders to replace them with foreign workers in the oil patch. That program did nothing good for Canada or Canadians. And if Tim Hortons can't find employees to microwave donuts then owners should work there stores themselves

And for the first time in my life I will not vore conservative.harper suffers from the arrogance all polatitions seem to suffer from. Luckily I have in my riding the ability to vote for a candidate with integrity who has represented us with honor before Inkyou Mark. If I didn't have that option there would be no one to vote for. As the comie dictator the scarecrow with no brain and the drunk just don't cut it either

tafeel said "On most points I agree with you sjk but worked out west and saw companies lay of long term Canadian welders to replace them with foreign workers in the oil patch. That program did nothing good for Canada or Canadians. And if Tim Hortons can't find employees to microwave donuts then owners should work there stores themselves "

has done many good things for Canada. Most of these people go on to gain permanent residence and then on to become Canadian citizens, they are buying homes, vehicles and contributing to our economy. It's the companies you speak of that abused the system for their own benefit! Not the Government, not the workers!  
 
PS: If we cant find people to flip donuts at Timmies for $15+ an hour, that says a lot about us, not the program!

Can we 'decline' our vote in a federal election in Manitoba, or is it only a provincial election?

In a high employment area 15$ an hour may not be a workable wage at tummies. 15 x 40 = 600$ per week x .66 = 396$ per week x 4 weeks = 1584$. In places like fort McMurray and most everywhere else in Alberta where a 1 bedroom costs you 1200$ per month maybe timmies business model doesn't work. And as for the government they make the programs and design them so as the people they support can abuse the programs so yes I do blame the conservatives for the abuse of the programs if not them then who should have fixed it before the problem was as bad as it got.

Wow! I am intrigued seeing so much enthusiasm on this thread. More than 60% people among the eligible youth voters do not vote.  
 
What would it take to engage these young voters? Any answers?

Personally, I feel that a way to get young people involved in the process is education and awareness!  
It wasn't until I went on a trip through my union this summer. We were educated on issues going on in the world at large, our country and in our own communities. I realized that just because I wasn't voting, I was still making a statement by NOT voting.  
It was this realization that made me want to learn about our political system and government. This will be my first year participating, and I am wanting to make an educated decision on which party to vote for!

Education is definitely the key. I was a a community BBQ Saturday and had a chance to ask Rhoni, one of the top student leaders at BUSU. I think he is one to the Vice-presidents there. His organization is going to educate students to register to vote by having a booth/table at the mingling area there. He has good intentions and support from Canadian Federation of students. Hope fully he finds enough volunteers to make his project successful. Larry McGuire was there too and he seemed very positive as well as his volunteers.  
I wonder what ACCSA (Assiniboine Community College Student Association) is doing about getting this ACC students out to vote. They have a few thousand voters on campus.

chanban23 said "Personally, I feel that a way to get young people involved in the process is education and awareness!   It wasn't until I went on a trip through my union this summer. We were educated on issues going on in the world at large, our country and in our own communities. I realized that just because I wasn't voting, I was still making a statement by NOT voting.   It was this realization that made me want to learn about our political system and government. This will be my first year participating, and I am wanting to make an educated decision on which party to vote for! "

what kind of trip this was through the union and maybe some more of what you learned?

NDp minority would be interesting. People assume that the Liberals would automatically support the NDP. I know many liberals who have very little use for the NDP socialist policies.

SJK said "    chanban23 said "Personally, I feel that a way to get young people involved in the process is education and awareness!   It wasn't until I went on a trip through my union this summer. We were educated on issues going on in the world at large, our country and in our own communities. I realized that just because I wasn't voting, I was still making a statement by NOT voting.   It was this realization that made me want to learn about our political system and government. This will be my first year participating, and I am wanting to make an educated decision on which party to vote for! " what kind of trip this was through the union and maybe some more of what you learned? "

SJK, you ask what kind of trip this was. It was a program called "YIP", which stands for Young Workers Internship Program, and it was through the UFCW. We learned about issues going on in the world (such as political corruption, social injustices, and the devastation created by greed and war, to name a few). We also touched on the different levels of government in Canada, the different political stances that one can take, the value of community, how to help foster growth and change around you, and the value of standing up for what you believe in.  
Since taking this course, I am now armed with knowledge and feel a responsibility to be involved. One of my favorite sayings : "If you're not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem" (author: unknown). One of the problems that youth face today, in my opinion, is ignorance and indifference about these issues. It is now my intention to become familiar with the four major political stances, and to cast my first (of hopefully many!) votes this October in the Federal Election.

..."a vote for Trudeau is a vote for barbarism and the murder of children who are waiting to be born." (CTV News website) Call it pro-choice if you must, or a woman's "right", but considering Justin stands behind abortion, right up to the end of a pregnancy, I will NOT be voting Liberal. There are no words...except maybe disgusting.  
I'm not sure who (out of the remaining parties) I'll be voting for yet, but for those who are bashing the Conservative government about the consecutive deficits, I believe Trudeau dug Canada into a bigger hole than Harper...and I mean Pierre Trudeau.  
 
"The discrepancy between the strong economic position Trudeau inherited from his predecessor and the calamity he left to his successor could not be more stark. The accumulated deficit under Trudeau rose tenfold, from $19.4 billion to $194.4 billion, or from 25.5 percent of GDP to 43.2 percent. The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in 1968 versus 11.2 percent in 1984. The annual budgetary deficit was 0.9 percent of GDP in 1968 and 8.3 percent in 1984. Total annual federal spending was $12.9 billion when Trudeau became PM and was $109.2 billion when he quit, or from 17 percent of GDP to 24.2 percent. Trudeau’s record on inflation, fueled by government spending that rose an average of close to 15 percent over his 15.5 years in office, was the worst among developed nations. Under Trudeau, our currency fell 17 percent against the American dollar, 47 percent against the Japanese Yen, and 68 percent relative to the German Mark." (The Truth About Trudeau).  
 
I don't think we can point just 1 finger at any 1 politician or party...unless someone can show me a PM who ran this country & kept all their campaign promises, had no deficit after leaving, without lying/bribing, etc. etc....I betcha no one can!!  
 
Like a few previous posts before, I will choose the lesser of the evils. Justin is more focused on Eastern Canada, not hard-working, lower or middle class Canadians. I think anyone who thinks he can relate to the working middle-class had better give their head a shake. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a 7-figure trust fund. I don't think he knows how to run a country...he's never really even had a full-time job!!

I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed that all of the pamphlets and publications for Larry Maguire exclude any mention of the Conservative Party or Prime Minister Stephen Harper? Is Larry choosing to distance himself from the party and its leader?  
I'd be interested to hear what someone outside Brandon-Souris is finding with their Conservative Candidate election materials. Do the other candidates reference the party or Prime Minister?  
If it is only Larry doing this, is it possible that he may resign from the party after the election and hold an independent seat?  
Maybe I'm reading too much into it... but it definitely has me scratching my head.

http://www.therebel.media/three_reasons_why_harper  
 
Edited by thatsjustme, 2015-09-28 16:21:47

Amy O said "..."a vote for Trudeau is a vote for barbarism and the murder of children who are waiting to be born." (CTV News website) Call it pro-choice if you must, or a woman's "right", but considering Justin stands behind abortion, right up to the end of a pregnancy, I will NOT be voting Liberal. There are no words...except maybe disgusting.   I'm not sure who (out of the remaining parties) I'll be voting for yet, but for those who are bashing the Conservative government about the consecutive deficits, I believe Trudeau dug Canada into a bigger hole than Harper...and I mean Pierre Trudeau.     "The discrepancy between the strong economic position Trudeau inherited from his predecessor and the calamity he left to his successor could not be more stark. The accumulated deficit under Trudeau rose tenfold, from $19.4 billion to $194.4 billion, or from 25.5 percent of GDP to 43.2 percent. The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in 1968 versus 11.2 percent in 1984. The annual budgetary deficit was 0.9 percent of GDP in 1968 and 8.3 percent in 1984. Total annual federal spending was $12.9 billion when Trudeau became PM and was $109.2 billion when he quit, or from 17 percent of GDP to 24.2 percent. Trudeau’s record on inflation, fueled by government spending that rose an average of close to 15 percent over his 15.5 years in office, was the worst among developed nations. Under Trudeau, our currency fell 17 percent against the American dollar, 47 percent against the Japanese Yen, and 68 percent relative to the German Mark." (The Truth About Trudeau).     I don't think we can point just 1 finger at any 1 politician or party...unless someone can show me a PM who ran this country & kept all their campaign promises, had no deficit after leaving, without lying/bribing, etc. etc....I betcha no one can!!     Like a few previous posts before, I will choose the lesser of the evils. Justin is more focused on Eastern Canada, not hard-working, lower or middle class Canadians. I think anyone who thinks he can relate to the working middle-class had better give their head a shake. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a 7-figure trust fund. I don't think he knows how to run a country...he's never really even had a full-time job!! "

Do you know any middle to low income families that can save $10,000 in a TFSA?  
 
Apparently Harper is under the impression that the "average Canadian family brings in $120,000 and can save up to $10K...... that is nowhere near the actual stats:  
 
In 2013 the average family income in Canada was $76,000 (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil108a-eng.htm)  
 
I think the $10K a year is attainable only by upper middle class to high-class: roughly 1/3 of Canadians have less than 1 month worth of earnings saved in case of emergencies and 1/3 live paycheque to paycheque....  
 
The fact that Harper has given this increase (from $5.5K to $10K /year for TFSA) and because he believes the average family earns $120K tells me HE is only looking out for upper middle to high class Canadians. He should live on what most of us earn - maybe it would bring him down to earth a bit.  
 
Oh, and I WAS a staunch conservative - I even voted for Harper. I won't even consider voting for them now.... illusion gone.  

Cee Jay 55 said "    Amy O said "..."a vote for Trudeau is a vote for barbarism and the murder of children who are waiting to be born." (CTV News website) Call it pro-choice if you must, or a woman's "right", but considering Justin stands behind abortion, right up to the end of a pregnancy, I will NOT be voting Liberal. There are no words...except maybe disgusting.   I'm not sure who (out of the remaining parties) I'll be voting for yet, but for those who are bashing the Conservative government about the consecutive deficits, I believe Trudeau dug Canada into a bigger hole than Harper...and I mean Pierre Trudeau.     "The discrepancy between the strong economic position Trudeau inherited from his predecessor and the calamity he left to his successor could not be more stark. The accumulated deficit under Trudeau rose tenfold, from $19.4 billion to $194.4 billion, or from 25.5 percent of GDP to 43.2 percent. The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in 1968 versus 11.2 percent in 1984. The annual budgetary deficit was 0.9 percent of GDP in 1968 and 8.3 percent in 1984. Total annual federal spending was $12.9 billion when Trudeau became PM and was $109.2 billion when he quit, or from 17 percent of GDP to 24.2 percent. Trudeau’s record on inflation, fueled by government spending that rose an average of close to 15 percent over his 15.5 years in office, was the worst among developed nations. Under Trudeau, our currency fell 17 percent against the American dollar, 47 percent against the Japanese Yen, and 68 percent relative to the German Mark." (The Truth About Trudeau).     I don't think we can point just 1 finger at any 1 politician or party...unless someone can show me a PM who ran this country & kept all their campaign promises, had no deficit after leaving, without lying/bribing, etc. etc....I betcha no one can!!     Like a few previous posts before, I will choose the lesser of the evils. Justin is more focused on Eastern Canada, not hard-working, lower or middle class Canadians. I think anyone who thinks he can relate to the working middle-class had better give their head a shake. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a 7-figure trust fund. I don't think he knows how to run a country...he's never really even had a full-time job!! " Do you know any middle to low income families that can save $10,000 in a TFSA?     Apparently Harper is under the impression that the "average Canadian family brings in $120,000 and can save up to $10K...... that is nowhere near the actual stats:     In 2013 the average family income in Canada was $76,000 (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil108a-eng.htm)     I think the $10K a year is attainable only by upper middle class to high-class: roughly 1/3 of Canadians have less than 1 month worth of earnings saved in case of emergencies and 1/3 live paycheque to paycheque....     The fact that Harper has given this increase (from $5.5K to $10K /year for TFSA) and because he believes the average family earns $120K tells me HE is only looking out for upper middle to high class Canadians. He should live on what most of us earn - maybe it would bring him down to earth a bit.     Oh, and I WAS a staunch conservative - I even voted for Harper. I won't even consider voting for them now.... illusion gone.   "

for the four of us (2 adults, 2 kids) is 53,000 - so I am well below the average I guess.  
 
 
I managed to save about $650 into savings (350 of that goes right into my kids' RESP, so really, only 300 of that is savings for us)  
 
No, Harper does not get what it is like to be not rolling in dough.  
 
Mulcair does not get it either. He wants to bring in thousands more refugees and give them all daycare spots subsidized by long time Canadian taxpayers (along with free healthcare and social services) rather than helping our kids and families get training to ensure they can work their way out of poverty.  
 
Trudeau I can't get a reading on. Yes, he has never had to work a day in his life either. He is paying lip service to those of us that need assistance, by supposedly taxing the richer and removing unnecessary freebes from them - but so many other things about the Liberal platform scare me. I just don't know who to believe.  
 
I want to vote Green - but I do not believe they have a good candidate here nor do I think even with a revolt vote that might win some seats - if they are so low on the totem pole so to speak in parliament how effective could they possibly be?

foxtrot11 said "    Cee Jay 55 said "    Amy O said "..."a vote for Trudeau is a vote for barbarism and the murder of children who are waiting to be born." (CTV News website) Call it pro-choice if you must, or a woman's "right", but considering Justin stands behind abortion, right up to the end of a pregnancy, I will NOT be voting Liberal. There are no words...except maybe disgusting.   I'm not sure who (out of the remaining parties) I'll be voting for yet, but for those who are bashing the Conservative government about the consecutive deficits, I believe Trudeau dug Canada into a bigger hole than Harper...and I mean Pierre Trudeau.     "The discrepancy between the strong economic position Trudeau inherited from his predecessor and the calamity he left to his successor could not be more stark. The accumulated deficit under Trudeau rose tenfold, from $19.4 billion to $194.4 billion, or from 25.5 percent of GDP to 43.2 percent. The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent in 1968 versus 11.2 percent in 1984. The annual budgetary deficit was 0.9 percent of GDP in 1968 and 8.3 percent in 1984. Total annual federal spending was $12.9 billion when Trudeau became PM and was $109.2 billion when he quit, or from 17 percent of GDP to 24.2 percent. Trudeau’s record on inflation, fueled by government spending that rose an average of close to 15 percent over his 15.5 years in office, was the worst among developed nations. Under Trudeau, our currency fell 17 percent against the American dollar, 47 percent against the Japanese Yen, and 68 percent relative to the German Mark." (The Truth About Trudeau).     I don't think we can point just 1 finger at any 1 politician or party...unless someone can show me a PM who ran this country & kept all their campaign promises, had no deficit after leaving, without lying/bribing, etc. etc....I betcha no one can!!     Like a few previous posts before, I will choose the lesser of the evils. Justin is more focused on Eastern Canada, not hard-working, lower or middle class Canadians. I think anyone who thinks he can relate to the working middle-class had better give their head a shake. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a 7-figure trust fund. I don't think he knows how to run a country...he's never really even had a full-time job!! " Do you know any middle to low income families that can save $10,000 in a TFSA?     Apparently Harper is under the impression that the "average Canadian family brings in $120,000 and can save up to $10K...... that is nowhere near the actual stats:     In 2013 the average family income in Canada was $76,000 (http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/famil108a-eng.htm)     I think the $10K a year is attainable only by upper middle class to high-class: roughly 1/3 of Canadians have less than 1 month worth of earnings saved in case of emergencies and 1/3 live paycheque to paycheque....     The fact that Harper has given this increase (from $5.5K to $10K /year for TFSA) and because he believes the average family earns $120K tells me HE is only looking out for upper middle to high class Canadians. He should live on what most of us earn - maybe it would bring him down to earth a bit.     Oh, and I WAS a staunch conservative - I even voted for Harper. I won't even consider voting for them now.... illusion gone.   " for the four of us (2 adults, 2 kids) is 53,000 - so I am well below the average I guess.       I managed to save about $650 into savings (350 of that goes right into my kids' RESP, so really, only 300 of that is savings for us)     No, Harper does not get what it is like to be not rolling in dough.     Mulcair does not get it either. He wants to bring in thousands more refugees and give them all daycare spots subsidized by long time Canadian taxpayers (along with free healthcare and social services) rather than helping our kids and families get training to ensure they can work their way out of poverty.     Trudeau I can't get a reading on. Yes, he has never had to work a day in his life either. He is paying lip service to those of us that need assistance, by supposedly taxing the richer and removing unnecessary freebes from them - but so many other things about the Liberal platform scare me. I just don't know who to believe.     I want to vote Green - but I do not believe they have a good candidate here nor do I think even with a revolt vote that might win some seats - if they are so low on the totem pole so to speak in parliament how effective could they possibly be? "

My income was lower than yours last year - only three in my house at the time: myself and two sons. Now I only have to worry about 1 under 18. I couldn't save $1K a year let alone 10..... and I get "room and board" from my adult sons which helps but still doesn't put me over $50K  
 
I will not vote conservative nor NDP. Green is a wasted vote in this election, in my opinion: so liberal by default - even though Justin is young and possibly out of touch with the "working man". I have seen reports on the tax money Colorado is pulling in - Justin may be on to something.  
 
 
 
Edited by Cee Jay 55, 2015-09-28 16:56:26

My thoughts on this election.  
 
I will vote...but only because I consider it my ethical duty to do so. I don't feel that any of our top three candidates had the integrity to run a campaign based on the quality of their campaign, instead resorting to slam ads and the classic "anything but Harper" ditty.  
 
Also this is the election that WILL NEVER END. The 11 week campaign is exhaustive and we're only going to see it get worse in quality over the next 3 weeks.

It's a choice of "He's just not ready", "He still isn't ready", "He may never be ready" or "Will she ever be ready"

Cee Jay 55 said "It's a choice of "He's just not ready", "He still isn't ready", "He may never be ready" or "Will she ever be ready" "

I like EM, but she has no chance. Mulcair creeps me out, and think he will be a poor rep on the world stage. Harper has proven time and time again he is cagey and something is not quite right. Justin may be young, but he comes from a political dynasty so some of that has to have rubbed off. Hubby met him and liked him personally and likes some of his ideas - but other things just make me cringe.  
 
I am all for legalizing marijuana. I saw the numbers from Colorado and was stunned. We'd need to ensure police are better equipped to take care of impaired drivers, but otherwise I am for it. No, I have never done any drugs myself either....

owyhee said "Lots of good comments on here.   Voting Conservative simply because know what to expect. Don't trust other two leaders (who have a chance of being elected)with the way things are happening throughout the World. Harper & Cons. party don't impress us either so 'lesser of 3 evils'. Think it w/b a minority gov't & we'll be heading to the polls again shortly regardless. More $$$ spent! "

So you think you know what to expect by voting Conservative? This is a good read for anyone who thinks this country is better under Harper.  
 
http://www.theharperdecade.com/blog/2015/9/27/foreign-posturing-how-does-harpers-foreign-policy-stack-up  

and NDP wins in this area, there will be a member of  
parliament elected that does not know what income splitting is.

Elmer said "and NDP wins in this area, there will be a member of   parliament elected that does not know what income splitting is. "

Perfect. Income splitting should be reserved for retirees. Splitting incomes for working families only benefits the top 15%. Families where both spouses have to work to make ends meet get nothing. Single parent families get nothing. These are the demographics that need the tax breaks, not the "traditional" family unit where one parent stays home and the other has a high paying position. And yes, it is the high income earners that benefit the most from this program... those in the lower income ranges below $80k don't see nearly as much benefit.  
 
FWIW, Harper has no experience as an average, working class person. His entire adult life he has been in politics. Also, when he first took over as PM, he had zero experience for such an important position. At least JT has worked normal jobs.

Not entirely true. Harper has worked in a mail room and on computer systems. He didn't come from a wealthy family as far as I know. Can't say the same for Trudeau who only knows about the middle class because his advisers tell him about us.  
That being said my vote is still up for grabs. Though I can probably say for certain it won't be NDP.

JR said "    Elmer said "and NDP wins in this area, there will be a member of   parliament elected that does not know what income splitting is. " Perfect. Income splitting should be reserved for retirees. Splitting incomes for working families only benefits the top 15%. Families where both spouses have to work to make ends meet get nothing. Single parent families get nothing. These are the demographics that need the tax breaks, not the "traditional" family unit where one parent stays home and the other has a high paying position. And yes, it is the high income earners that benefit the most from this program... those in the lower income ranges below $80k don't see nearly as much benefit.     FWIW, Harper has no experience as an average, working class person. His entire adult life he has been in politics. Also, when he first took over as PM, he had zero experience for such an important position. At least JT has worked normal jobs. "

At least JT has worked normal jobs.  
 
Don't take this the wrong way, but I always find this statement in reference to high profile politicians somewhat comical.  
 
You think JT really had the same experience working his "normal" job as the rest of us peasants do working ours? Come on.  
 
I can tell you if my face was one of the most easily recognizeable faces in Canada and had several million in the bank, my "job" would only be for "show".  
 
The quoted statement implies that he works a full time job, and goes home with his paycheck from which he has to deduct his costs of living. He would then have to budget and save for the things he wants, like the rest of us. Do you really think that's ever been the case for him?  
 
I'm not dismissing JT, just pointing out that I don't think any of these candidates are in touch with the average working Canadian. Which has usually been the case, since money buys you alot of power.  
 
 
 
Edited by Torque, 2015-09-29 07:42:07

GoGoGadget said "I'm wondering if anyone else has noticed that all of the pamphlets and publications for Larry Maguire exclude any mention of the Conservative Party or Prime Minister Stephen Harper? Is Larry choosing to distance himself from the party and its leader?   I'd be interested to hear what someone outside Brandon-Souris is finding with their Conservative Candidate election materials. Do the other candidates reference the party or Prime Minister?   If it is only Larry doing this, is it possible that he may resign from the party after the election and hold an independent seat?   Maybe I'm reading too much into it... but it definitely has me scratching my head. "

you are reading wayyyyyyyyyyyy too much into that!LOL!  

I am fed up hearing on tv that sentence of Justin he is just not ready

I have to say that while I'm not particularly aligned with the Liberal platform, Justin Trudeau has impressed me with his ability to make the best of the attacks from the Conservative party.  
 
I just want to shake them all and say "Don't tell me what you think the other guy 'can't' do, tell me what you're going to do or what you've already done." As well as "Don't play on the fears of your people as a cheap way of distracting us from issues of economic stability". I'm tired of the smoke-screen topics like the Niqab stealing the show when that issue is such an obvious ruse to distract us from other more important issues.  
 
Is it time to start listening to Elizabeth May?? How the H does she put up with all this ridiculousness?

Mela said "I have to say that while I'm not particularly aligned with the Liberal platform, Justin Trudeau has impressed me with his ability to make the best of the attacks from the Conservative party.     I just want to shake them all and say "Don't tell me what you think the other guy 'can't' do, tell me what you're going to do or what you've already done." As well as "Don't play on the fears of your people as a cheap way of distracting us from issues of economic stability". I'm tired of the smoke-screen topics like the Niqab stealing the show when that issue is such an obvious ruse to distract us from other more important issues.     Is it time to start listening to Elizabeth May?? How the H does she put up with all this ridiculousness? "

she just pulls out another bottle of wine! LOL!  

I am tired of hearing that a green vote is a wasted vote  
I will vote green - I think more people would vote green if they didn't feel it was a wasted vote. i think more people would vote libertarian and others if progress could be made to have a system where every vote did actually count.  
I am all for proportional representation. Hope the country leaders get with the 21st century some time soon and start thinking proactively about the future.