Normal politics as you would expect in a Westminister style parliament?
Snap elections are part of the system. In the UK it is 6 weeks from the calling of the election to the new government being in place: the general election happens on a Thursday and on the Friday the Queen asks the new PM to form a government. It does lead to election fever or speculation from time to time (there was a huge amount of speculation in the spring that Brown was going to go to the Polls as Labour was riding high at the time but in the end he didn't). However it does mean that we don't get the whole run up every four years and a lame duck administration.
Well, I guess the thing you have to realize is that until recently this was a perfectly acceptable thing to be doing. We've never had a fixed election date the way the US does, we used to have elections any old time. Now, given that it was *THIS* government which introduced the bill to fix the election date (in what I like to call a blatant Americanization of our system - no offense) I HAVE NO IDEA why Harper is pulling this stunt now, but it's actually not as radical a move as it sounds.
Don't get me wrong, I don't like the Conservatives, and I especially don't like Harper, but the Liberals are corrupt, and the NDP (the moderate *third* party!) will sadly never form the government. Voting NDP in a federal election is tantamount to throwing your vote away, unless you have a fairly good chance of seeing *your* candidate in office.
Don't worry, I know that Canada calls elections whenever there's a need for it, and it's not on a set schedule. I grew up between the U.S. and Canada - my family is from Nova Scotia.
It was more that it sounded like a Conservative ploy to swipe power, and "conservatives" have been giving me the creeps lately. I wondered if it was remotely related to our crazy conservatives. They wouldn't outlaw gay marriage, would they?
Well, I think it might be telling that when Bush and Harper met, shortly after Harper took power, Bush had to be reminded by his handlers that when he was addressing the media and referring to the Canadian Prime Minister, he probably shouldn't refer to him as "Steve." It seems they got on like a house on fire. *shudder*
I figure that he would probably love to outlaw gay marriage. The fact is that during the election campaign they promised to put it to an open vote in Parliament. Then, they were elected with a minority government, which means that even with everybody voting the party line they still might have been defeated. Funny thing, the issue just "hasn't come up" since then.
Harper is pulling this now because polls indicate that a quick election would give him a majority government.
Like you, I dislike Harper immensely. I vote NDP, but my riding is traditionally NDP - Ottawa Centre - (We had Ed Broadbent until he retired before the last election. Paul Dewar has taken his place quite nicely, though he's no Broadbent.) and it's not a thrown away vote. Thank goodness! Btw, I find it highly amusing that Parliament sits in the middle of a riding that has never voted for a ruling party, that I can recall. :D
This has been coming for a while, Harper just wants to get a more solid government in place because nothing has been passing lately. There aren't enough Conservative seats for them to do anything. So he's hoping everyone else hates Dion as much as he does and will vote Conservative.
Er, as far as conservatives giving you the creeps... I'm not a Harper fan, but most political parties in Canada are a lot more central than in the US, at least. Harper did want to retract gay marriage but he couldn't, so. There's only so much damage they can do, really - Canadians aren't really partial to change and there's so much administration over everything that they can't do anything too extreme before someone else is voted in.
Um. Lots of rambling. :P Basically most of our parties are pretty similar and central, the voting is happening because our government is stuck in a minority rut, and I plan to vote Green anyway.
Ah, good point. I keep forgetting that our crazy-ass party system isn't standard for other nations. Our Republicans are a mix of fiscal conservatives (who I can respect) and Christian Dominionists (who give me the creeps), and they're both so diametrically hatefully opposed to Democrats that moderates don't know what to make of any of them.
It's insane. I WISH our parties knew how to meet in the middle a bit more.
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branchandroot
no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 02:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 02:58 pm (UTC)Snap elections are part of the system. In the UK it is 6 weeks from the calling of the election to the new government being in place: the general election happens on a Thursday and on the Friday the Queen asks the new PM to form a government. It does lead to election fever or speculation from time to time (there was a huge amount of speculation in the spring that Brown was going to go to the Polls as Labour was riding high at the time but in the end he didn't). However it does mean that we don't get the whole run up every four years and a lame duck administration.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 05:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 06:09 pm (UTC)Don't get me wrong, I don't like the Conservatives, and I especially don't like Harper, but the Liberals are corrupt, and the NDP (the moderate *third* party!) will sadly never form the government. Voting NDP in a federal election is tantamount to throwing your vote away, unless you have a fairly good chance of seeing *your* candidate in office.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 06:13 pm (UTC)It was more that it sounded like a Conservative ploy to swipe power, and "conservatives" have been giving me the creeps lately. I wondered if it was remotely related to our crazy conservatives. They wouldn't outlaw gay marriage, would they?
no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 06:26 pm (UTC)I figure that he would probably love to outlaw gay marriage. The fact is that during the election campaign they promised to put it to an open vote in Parliament. Then, they were elected with a minority government, which means that even with everybody voting the party line they still might have been defeated. Funny thing, the issue just "hasn't come up" since then.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-09 05:49 pm (UTC)Like you, I dislike Harper immensely. I vote NDP, but my riding is traditionally NDP - Ottawa Centre - (We had Ed Broadbent until he retired before the last election. Paul Dewar has taken his place quite nicely, though he's no Broadbent.) and it's not a thrown away vote. Thank goodness! Btw, I find it highly amusing that Parliament sits in the middle of a riding that has never voted for a ruling party, that I can recall. :D
no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 08:30 pm (UTC)Er, as far as conservatives giving you the creeps... I'm not a Harper fan, but most political parties in Canada are a lot more central than in the US, at least. Harper did want to retract gay marriage but he couldn't, so. There's only so much damage they can do, really - Canadians aren't really partial to change and there's so much administration over everything that they can't do anything too extreme before someone else is voted in.
Um. Lots of rambling. :P Basically most of our parties are pretty similar and central, the voting is happening because our government is stuck in a minority rut, and I plan to vote Green anyway.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-08 08:33 pm (UTC)It's insane. I WISH our parties knew how to meet in the middle a bit more.