Melanee Thomas

I live in Montreal at least 10 months out of the year. However, my permant residence remains my parents’ farm in south-western Alberta. Based on electoral law in Canada, I could vote in my riding back home, or I could vote in the riding I live in while at school.

In Montreal, I live in Gilles Duceppe’s riding. He’s going to easily take the seat, and I don’t want to give the Bloc the $2 that goes along with my vote (thanks to Bill C-24, passed in 2003). In Alberta, my riding (Macleod) contains five reservations, and there’s a First Nation’s candidate on the ballot for a party I’m happy to see my $2 go to. As a result, I needed to get a special ballot to vote in Alberta. 

[Read more…] about The Special Ballot: Why Young People Don’t Vote?

I’ve noted earlier in the campaign how different and interesting campaign signs are in Quebec. A few more have gone up in the neighborhood that warrant mention.

My local Green candidate *finally* got signs up for the last week of the campaign. They are very pretty, featuring the Green candidate in a nice park (probably Parc LaFontaine, being in the riding and all). What makes it interesting is that there’s a tag line on the sign referring to personal environmental sovereignty. The Green candidate ties support for Quebec sovereignty with environmental support. 

[Read more…] about More Interesting Campaign Signs in Montreal

I’m sure all political observers in Alberta would agree that Edmonton Strathcona is the Conservative’s weakest seat in Alberta. Harold Jansen figures the Conservatives will take it, but this just might make it more interesting.

[Read more…] about Could the NDP elect a member in Alberta?

I love Margaret Atwood. I remember nearly losing it for laughing during an oral book report in high school relaying the funeral scene in Life Before Man, being stunned when I finished the Handmaiden’s Tale as a young undergraduate, and adoring the uniqueness of the Penelopiad last year. Imagine my surprise when this woman, who I’d characterise as a large influence on my development as a feminist, said she’d vote Bloc if given the chance as there’s no real alternative in Quebec.

[Read more…] about The Bloc has Margaret Atwood’s vote (but not mine)

At least that’s what every decent undergraduate student knows.

Thanks to the sands of time, I find this kind of bald-faced policy mistake hilarious. It’s illuminating as I’ve suspected Harper has been coordinated with a variety of interests for quite some time. Much of the anti-Bloc campaign in Quebec seemed too slick to be coincidental. Harper strikes me as the kind of leader who micro-manages every detail of any action plan to the "T", ensuring each operative knows their role in executing the plan. I just assumed he was too savvy to be so blatant, or smart enough to realise a number of people would think, "hmm. That sounds awfully similar. Let’s compare the text." 

[Read more…] about Plagarism is Always Wrong, Mr. Harper.

Now that all the party platforms have been released, we can expect a plethora of report cards on the details of the platforms to be released by a number of advocacy groups. I received my first today from the Canadian Federation of Students. The CFS, representing over half a million post-secondary students from coast to coast, evaluated the party platforms on tuition fees, student aid, Aboriginal education, Graduate Students & Research, Copyright reform, and funding for universities and colleges in both English and French.

[Read more…] about Platform Report Cards: Grading the Parties on Education