Federal Election Polls

On Guard for Thee · October 12, 2015

Yes im sure he is an excellent empty headed phony, he has been playing one his entire life, style over substance, the informed voter.

I am searching hard to find any substance to your post. Just don't see it. The style could use a little work as well.

Vancouver King · October 12, 2015

Actually CTV reporter (the one hosting Power Play) was saying that it could be good news for conservatives as he saw a lot of seniors in the long line ups and he said seniors usually vote for conservatives so likely they are out to cast votes for Harper (I didn't know seniors mostly vote for conservatives so that was new to me).

I believe a higher voter turnout as the case may be this year means a lot of determined citizens wanting to throw away the party in power.

Seniors in early voting poll stations likely means "the early bird gets the worm" generation simply wants to avoid hour long waits later in the day.

CITIZEN_2015 · October 12, 2015

Seniors turn out to vote in larger numbers than other age groups. You may be interested in this Elections Canada report on voter turnout by age group, especially Figure 3: Estimates of Voter Turnout by Age Group, 2011 Federal General Election.

http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=res&dir=rec/part/estim/41ge&document=report41〈=e#p41

It is common belief that a large number of seniors vote Conservative although Elections Canada has no way of being able to report on this.

Because they tend to vote in such large numbers, in an election all parties throw goodies at seniors in order to gain their support.

Thanks for the link. It is unfortunate that younger people participate less. Very disappointing as it should be more important to them to vote. It is the future of a country at stake in which they have to live for many decades and the job growth as promised by liberals affects them most.

Usually seniors are more religious than young people and the core support for conservatives is religious right (and the rich who hate to share their accumulated wealth with those less fortunate). So there may be some truth to that but also this conservative party has done very little for seniors.

capricorn · October 12, 2015

this conservative party has done very little for seniors.

Actually, in my opinion seniors have done very well under this Conservative government. The Conservative party has made my job easier by enumerating the programs they initiated on their website.

Since 2006, the Harper Government has created $3 billion in additional annual targeted tax relief for seniors and pensioners. We:

Introduced Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSA), which 2.7 million Canadian seniors have now opened. Income earned and withdrawals from TFSAs do not affect eligibility for the Age Credit, Old Age Security (OAS), and Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS) benefits.

Enhanced the TFSA in 2015 to allow Canadians to contribute up to $10,000 each year. By 2019, we expect seniors to receive 60% of the benefits from this new contribution limit.

Introduced Pension Income Splitting for seniors to benefit more than 2.2 million Canadian seniors each year. The average benefit is more than $900 annually in federal tax relief.

Improved the rules for Registered Retirement Income Funds to allow seniors to preserve more of their retirement savings.

Increased the Age Credit amount by $2,000, to provide up to $1,055 in annual tax relief for eligible seniors.

Created a new, permanent, non-refundable Home Accessibility Tax Credit for seniors and persons with disabilities that provides up to $1,500 in tax relief each year.

Doubled, to $2,000, the maximum amount of income eligible for the Pension Income Credit, which provides up to $300 in direct tax relief for eligible seniors each year.

As a result of these actions, about 400,000 seniors have been removed from the tax rolls completely.

http://www.conservative.ca/harper-announces-new-support-for-canadian-seniors-2/

And this time around, they're promising a $2,000 equivalent to spouse deduction for single seniors.

CITIZEN_2015 · October 12, 2015

Actually, in my opinion seniors have done very well under this Conservative government. The Conservative party has made my job easier by enumerating the programs they initiated on their website.

http://www.conservative.ca/harper-announces-new-support-for-canadian-seniors-2/

And this time around, they're promising a $2,000 equivalent to spouse deduction for single seniors.

Of course your post comes from the source and more credible. My post was on the basis of what I saw on TV many seniors complaining especially veterans for various reasons but I stand corrected. Likely the tax reliefs Trudeau is proposing for middle class will benefit most of seniors and he has said he won't take away the given tax credits either.

Edited October 12, 2015 by CITIZEN_2015

cybercoma · October 12, 2015

Kathleen Wynne and Justin T push the exact same policies.

The exact same policies, eh? I guess we should send them each a copy of sections 91 and 92 of the Constitution then.

CITIZEN_2015 · October 12, 2015

CTV news Power Play: Who is the preferred Prime Minister of Canada?

Trudeau - 32.3%

Harper - 28.1%

Mulcair - 20%

Justine Trudeau now leads (outside the margin of error) as the preferred Prime Minister of Canada.

Yeah the guy who is not supposed to be ready is now the preferred Prime Minister of Canada and that says a lot about the conservative campaign and their style of negativity, fear and division.

Edited October 13, 2015 by CITIZEN_2015

ToadBrother · October 13, 2015

CTV news Power Play: Who is the preferred Prime Minister of Canada?

Trudeau - 32.3%

Harper - 28.1%

Mulcair - 20%

Justine Trudeau now leads (outside the margin of error) as the preferred Prime Minister of Canada.

Yeah the guy who is not supposed to be ready is now the preferred Prime Minister of Canada and that says a lot about the conservative campaign and their style of negativity, fear and division.

I think the game is up. While there's some chance for the Tories to fight back up, I wonder if the realization that even a sizable minority is not in the cards is going to rob them of the will to fight on. I've watched elections here and elsewhere over the years, and a miasma starts to creep over a party; a sense of impending doom.

I remember reading an article on John Major's final run in the 1994 UK election, and the term "bunker mentality" was used to describe those dying days, where Major's advisers and strategists would take a peek at how things were really looking, but quickly submerge themselves in happier thoughts of how they were going to somehow pull victory from the jaws of defeat.

Frankly, what's there to hope for if your Tory? With a majority now clearly unachievable, and both oppositions parties making it clear they will not support a Tory government, and the NDP now batting its eyelashes at a probable Liberal minority, even winning is going to simply be a protracted retreat.

CITIZEN_2015 · October 13, 2015

I think the game is up.

It is not over until it is over. Things can turn around quickly though I doubt it because Trudeau is now being liked by most Canadians as the underdog who rose to fame and came out first in competition in spite of repeated attempts by his opponents to assassinate his character and his abilities but he came out victorious as the nice guy who wants a chance to work hard to provide a good government and make life better for 9 out of 10 of Canadians.

Edited October 13, 2015 by CITIZEN_2015

blueblood · October 13, 2015

I think the game is up. While there's some chance for the Tories to fight back up, I wonder if the realization that even a sizable minority is not in the cards is going to rob them of the will to fight on. I've watched elections here and elsewhere over the years, and a miasma starts to creep over a party; a sense of impending doom.

I remember reading an article on John Major's final run in the 1994 UK election, and the term "bunker mentality" was used to describe those dying days, where Major's advisers and strategists would take a peek at how things were really looking, but quickly submerge themselves in happier thoughts of how they were going to somehow pull victory from the jaws of defeat.

Frankly, what's there to hope for if your Tory? With a majority now clearly unachievable, and both oppositions parties making it clear they will not support a Tory government, and the NDP now batting its eyelashes at a probable Liberal minority, even winning is going to simply be a protracted retreat.

I think it was done at the debates. People just sick of harper in spite of him not doing anything in the grand scheme of things too outrageous. Pity, the budget is balanced, and all those trade deals got done up.

Trudeau will be in power 10-15 yrs after this as the tories dont have as good a leader on deck. Pity as our debt is about to balloon.

Edited October 13, 2015 by blueblood

On Guard for Thee · October 13, 2015

It is not over until it is over. Things can turn around quickly though I doubt it because Trudeau is now being liked by most Canadians as the underdog who rose to fame and came out first in competition in spite of repeated attempts by his opponents to assassinate his character and his abilities but he came out victorious as the nice guy who wants a chance to work hard to provide a good government and make life better for 9 out of 10 of Canadians.

The attack ads that were able to scuttle Ignatief have clearly backfired against Justin.

blueblood · October 13, 2015

The attack ads that were able to scuttle Ignatief have clearly backfired against Justin.

They used the wrong attack ads on him. Saying hes "not ready" gives him an opportunity to "get ready" which he did.

blueblood · October 13, 2015

It is not over until it is over. Things can turn around quickly though I doubt it because Trudeau is now being liked by most Canadians as the underdog who rose to fame and came out first in competition in spite of repeated attempts by his opponents to assassinate his character and his abilities but he came out victorious as the nice guy who wants a chance to work hard to provide a good government and make life better for 9 out of 10 of Canadians.

The tories campaign is like dions 08 campaign. I imagine harper will be getting the speech shortly or will have already gotten it.

Evening Star · October 13, 2015

They used the wrong attack ads on him. Saying hes "not ready" gives him an opportunity to "get ready" which he did.

Even as someone with no marketing experience, that seemed like a spectacularly poorly thought-out attack strategy.

On Guard for Thee · October 13, 2015

They used the wrong attack ads on him. Saying hes "not ready" gives him an opportunity to "get ready" which he did.

They certainly did. They tried to paint him as some sort of wet behind the ears adolescent, especially when they went after his hair of all things, and came off sounding like....wet behind the ears adolescents.

Smallc · October 13, 2015

Pity as our debt is about to balloon.

There is no evidence of that whatsoever. Even with the deficits planned, debt to GDP will continue to decline.

blueblood · October 13, 2015

There is no evidence of that whatsoever. Even with the deficits planned, debt to GDP will continue to decline.

Its still extra dollars that have to be paid. Even if gdp grows by 7%.

Essentially its like taking a loan out on a car and then getting a pay raise. The debt still needs to be paid and we learned our lesson with trudeau 1 and mulroney.

blueblood · October 13, 2015

Even as someone with no marketing experience, that seemed like a spectacularly poorly thought-out attack strategy.

Yup, they gave him a theme to run on.

In all seriousness, people are just sick of harper. I think a different leader would have been much more successful as the tories had a balanced budget, big trade agreements and the theme of people keeping more of what they earn.

Smallc · October 13, 2015

Essentially its like taking a loan out on a car and then getting a pay raise. The debt still needs to be paid and we learned our lesson with trudeau 1 and mulroney.

No one is planning to recreate what happened in the past. The debt has increased in the last 6 years by far more than Trudeau plans.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Smallc

blueblood · October 13, 2015

No one is planning to recreate what happened in the past. The debt has increased in the last 6 years by far more than Trudeau plans.

The deficit has also returned to a small surplus which means that the debt will start getting lower again. Trudeau wants to spend excess money on a problem that cant be fixed by us if its even a problem at all. Unless trudeau can convince china to fire up its printing press and buy more resources.

The problem is with interest rates. If those rise significantly then this country is in trouble.

Smallc · October 13, 2015

The deficit has also returned to a small surplus which means that the debt will start getting lower again. Trudeau wants to spend excess money on a problem that cant be fixed by us if its even a problem at all.

That's going to happen no matter who is in power.

All that said, infrastructure investment isn't a bad thing. Toronto and Vancouver are in dire need of transit improvements.

blueblood · October 13, 2015

That's going to happen no matter who is in power.

All that said, infrastructure investment isn't a bad thing. Toronto and Vancouver are in dire need of transit improvements.

Personally id trade the child tax credit for infrastructure investment, but that would be viewed as cruel

But the budget is balanced and debt payments are starting again.

ontario is spending all kinds of money and keep digging deeper and deeper. Not only that his plan to pay for it is to up taxes on people who are doing well which is something i oppose in principal as i view it as trying to enforce equality of outcome instead of equality of opportunity and that people shouldnt be vilified for doing well. Especially since they already contribute to society a lot.

All the liberals have to do was keep a balanced budget, have somebody not named trudeau, and i think they would be knocking at a majority.

Edited October 13, 2015 by blueblood

Smallc · October 13, 2015

Personally id trade the child tax credit for infrastructure investment, but that would be viewed as cruel

From a selfish standpoint, I wouldn't as a I make a lot of money off of it.

blueblood · October 13, 2015

From a selfish standpoint, I wouldn't as a I make a lot of money off of it.

Lol, i hear you on that. But say you were to increase sales and get yourself to the good level of income, i dont believe you should be punished for that as your taking a big risk with a business and are quite possibly employing youth helping them out, whereas trudeau thinks you should pay more taxin that event.

Smallc · October 13, 2015

I see where you're coming from (I'm not a big fan of paying tax even if I'm a big fan in theory) but I'm not going to make $200K a year - probably more along the lines of $60K for each of the 4 of us as partners.

There are too many reasons I had to go Liberal - the Senate, electoral system, political advertising, infrastructure...there are more things that I can't think of at the moment.