reddy_the_tory

It's usually a way for us to get noticed. Sometimes I think Canadians have an inferiority complex. But at the same time we don't won't to be associated with Americans. It's literally an oppurtunity to distinguish ourselves from our neighbors. Canada and the United States are so extrememly similar (when looking from a foreign perspective) that we usually play a blame game to differentiate ourselves. Previous posters are correct...it's Miller's fault, it's McGuinty's Fault and it's Martin's fault. They honestly have no idea whose Jurisdiction all the gun violence is because it involves all three of them. If the Sun suddenly exploded, I'm sure a canadian politican somewhere would say that it was George W. Bush's fault for not doing enough for the environment.

In all the discussions I have seen here one thing always strikes me: We are all pretty well educated (and interested) in what will happen at the end of January. The question I have is...are Canadians interested? No, I don't think they are. Around the New Years supper table my family and I gathered and I suddenly realized that of all the registered voters at the table (9 of us)...I would be the only one voting. I know this from previous experience; My family doesn't care about elections...they say something like... "The government will do whatever they want to do anyways, I won't change that." And the statistics prove it. The lowest voter turnout in Canadian History took place in the beginning of the hot summer season and was about 60%. We can talk about Harper being a baffoon, Martin being a crook, Layton being a shmoe and Jean being a seperatist...but who really cares? A little under 4 million voted for Harper in the last election, and about a million more voted for Martin. Another 6 million or so, voted for someone else. Where were the other 10 million? No doubt sunbathing and not caring. With all this talk about minority represenattion what do you say to the supporters of the NDP, BLOC and Greens? 'A miniority of Candians elected you, but let's not consider anything you're saying.' Also, a minority of Candians never bothered to vote. What are we REALLY going to do about these minoroties? Doesn't the government and the Charter of rights and freedoms deal with these people? No. Essentially, I am trying to make you realize that a lot of Canadians don't care about politics, I think our goal should be to find out why. Once we find that out, we should do everything in our power to change what we can do in politics to include a lot more then we do now. (Dare I say go the Austrailian option of mandatory voting...we'll get the results...but will people care?) If the voter turnout is anything below 65% again, we have more than a small problem on our hands.

Still being an amature to understanding the polictical scene in Quebec...I understand the politics are clearly different. But one just needs to watch radio-canada or TVA for a couple of seconds, (even if you can't understand the language) and you notice there is a different culture. The BLOC website and the BLOC signs are always more 'warm and receptive;' plus they have sears catologue glamour shots on them! Even during a provincial election, you know EXACTLY who is the candidate by name and by picture. I remember provincial liberal signs with their candidates on them. The funding issue is there...but the signs are abundent during provincial campaigns as well.

Hmmm, if Mr. Harper does form a government I wonder who will form his cabinet? Traditionally, the government (no matter how long it lasts) usually has a cabinet member from every province...I think he may have to use some Senators as cabinet members in order to represent a few provinces...