Liberals not running a candidate in Central Nova
In an effort to reach out to Green supporters, Stephane Dion has agreed not to run a Liberal candidate in Central Nova. I can understand why Dion would look for May's support since it gives him more credibility on the environment. Likewise I can understand why May would prefer the Liberals over Conservatives and I suspect she wants to avoid being in the same place as Layton is now where his willingness to attack the Liberals more than Tories has angered many of his supporters. The reality is most in the centre or on the left side of the spectrum would take the Liberals any day over the Tories even if they sometimes disagree with the Liberals.
As for my opinion on this, I personally disagree with the move. While this may increase the chance of the Greens gaining a seat next election and since MacKay's riding will be less secure he will have to spend more time in his home riding than campaigning nationally. However, the big issue for me as that not having a Liberal candidate robs all Liberal supporters from being able to support the party of their choice. Voting is not just about choosing the lesser of two evils, it is about voting for something and making your voice heard on who you think will be represent your interest no matter how small a chance they have at winning the riding. That is why I believe the Liberals (and likewise the Tories, NDP and Greens too) should run candidates in every riding. I did not know where the Liberal voters will park their votes, but the reality is Liberals shouldn't have to talk about who is their second choice, they should be able to vote for their first choice.
As for the chances of May winning, I still contend May has zero chance at winning considering the Greens only got 2% in the riding last election. I agree MacKay is more vulnerable now simply because the NDP only lost by 8% and if enough Liberal votes bleed to the NDP, they could pull this off. Likewise MacKay only needs to pick up a 1/3 of Liberal voters and he will be close to the 50% mark. My guess is MacKay will hold his riding, but if he doesn't it will be the NDP who takes it.
As for my opinion on this, I personally disagree with the move. While this may increase the chance of the Greens gaining a seat next election and since MacKay's riding will be less secure he will have to spend more time in his home riding than campaigning nationally. However, the big issue for me as that not having a Liberal candidate robs all Liberal supporters from being able to support the party of their choice. Voting is not just about choosing the lesser of two evils, it is about voting for something and making your voice heard on who you think will be represent your interest no matter how small a chance they have at winning the riding. That is why I believe the Liberals (and likewise the Tories, NDP and Greens too) should run candidates in every riding. I did not know where the Liberal voters will park their votes, but the reality is Liberals shouldn't have to talk about who is their second choice, they should be able to vote for their first choice.
As for the chances of May winning, I still contend May has zero chance at winning considering the Greens only got 2% in the riding last election. I agree MacKay is more vulnerable now simply because the NDP only lost by 8% and if enough Liberal votes bleed to the NDP, they could pull this off. Likewise MacKay only needs to pick up a 1/3 of Liberal voters and he will be close to the 50% mark. My guess is MacKay will hold his riding, but if he doesn't it will be the NDP who takes it.
posted by Monkey Loves to Fight at 6:50 PM
6 Comments:
I think that our 'first-past-the-post' electoral system is so dysfunctional that this is the next logical step in Canadian politics. It's done in other countries by parties stuck under the FPTP system and it works well for those parties. The important thing is that the riding associations and local members were consulted on this. I hope they were.
I'm enjoying reading the thoughts about this on the blogosphere. Earlier today I made my own blog post on this development. It certainly is big news.
Cameron W - Our first past the post system has its problems, but in a country as big as Canada, having a local constituency representative is absolutely critical. Any move to PR should be done through adding more seats or electing the senate through PR, not increasing the number of electors in the ridings.
In addition some countries like Germany have a strong history of bi-partisan cooperation, but that doesn't exist here and my worry is PR would lead to permanent minority governments and bipartisan cooperation would only happen after a series of minority, meanwhile this could hurt Canada in the interim.
I do agree that I hope the riding association was consulted. I also hope that they asked them how each would vote in the event of the lack of a Liberal candidate, since if many of the Liberals have the Conservatives as their second choice, that won't do them any good.
Besides I think this was a bad riding to choose anyway. Even without a Liberal candidate, I cannot see May pulling it off here. She should have run in a more winneable riding.
Seems there isn't a backroom deal that Stephan Dion won't consider or do.
Obviously, the Fiberals have learned nothing.
Their arrogance knows no bounds, and their dismissal of democratic traditions as inconveniences to a naked lust for power, for the mere sake of having power speaks volumes.
Might as well have Saddam Hussein as Stephane Dion for PM.
The good news is, I think it will backfire horribly. And I think Michael Ignatieff will look good in Tory blue.
Anonymous - I get the impression you are one who just blindly hates the Liberals. The Liberals may occassionally do things I disagree with, but it is not as though the Tories have done some things I don't like too.
You're quite correct, I don't much like the Liberals. If I want cheating and lying, I'll date my best friend's wife and at least have some fun.
Of specific concern to me though is Dion's penchant for cooking up backroom deals:
Who did write Dion's odd and anti-semetic mid-east policy for example?
And how will Dion achieve Kyoto without gutting Canada's auto industry, for another?
It's what Dion doesn't say that scares me.
He's got a hidden agenda and you should be scared too my friend.
Anonymous - Its not as though Harper hasn't done some backroom deals, i.e. the Emerson defection. I don't like them, but no matter who is in power, they will happen.
As for Middle East policy, I find Harper scarier than Dion here. Harper seems to want to follow the US policy in the Middle East, which has been an absolute disaster. I would welcome a change in policy in this region that seeks to bring about peaceful solutions and also improve Canada's image here rather than align ourselves with a country widely despised in the region.
As for Kyoto Protocol, I highly doubt without emissions trading credits we will reach it. However, we can get reasonably close without wrecking the economy. In fact according to the Stern Report, doing nothing about global warming will cause more economic harm in the long-run than acting, so Harper's denial of global warming is more worrisome.
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