Friday, December 02, 2005

Its time to elect a new Prime Minister

Canadians are going to the voting booths sometime in January (I can't remember the exact date and I'm too lazy to go back and find out). So here is a great opportunity to learn a little bit about government in Canada.

Federal electorates are called ridings. In the riding where you reside you are responsible for voting for which candidate you want to represent you in parliament. They are called members of parliament (mps) and are usually affiliated with a party. At the end of voting day they count up all the ballots and determine who will lead each riding. The leader of the party with the most ridings becomes the Prime Minister.

Elections occur whenever the current Prime Minister decides they are going to happen but they have to occur at least every 5 years. The last election occurred sometime between August 2004 and June 2005 (again I remember voting but I'm too lazy to go back and check exact dates). In that election the winning party (the Liberals) gained the most ridings but still had a minority in the government making any sort of effectiveness impossible. Amidst scandal and a growing lack of confidence the other parties bullied the Liberals into calling a new election.

There are 4 major parties right now in Canada. The Liberals, the Conservatives, the NDP (National Democratic Party) and the Bloc Quebecois (free Quebec). I find it fascinating that a party whose main goal is to have Quebec separate is a major part of parliament. We have the pothead party and other side ones too and independents but they rarely get in.

So there you go. Elections are a coming. I can't wait to get up to Canada this Christmas and hear all the campaigning while chestnuts roast on our fire (note sarcasm).

Cster found a blog that seems to be giving a running commentary on the Campaigns. Check it out here.

A side note on our elections:
Last election I was registered to vote in my parents riding. I did not want to drive all the way down there so I went to my local riding voting place showed them my drivers license and they registered me right there to vote (with no computers, just a little white haired woman with a ruler, a pen and a highlighter and a big wad of paper with everybodies name on it.) They hadn't me my card and I went and voted. After the process I realized that Cster while not Canadian had a valid drivers license and if we weren't such good law abiding folk he probably could have gotten a voter card too. And if I so desired I probably could have gone to my parents riding and voted there too. Hmmm...

4 comments:

Ortensia Norton said...

It't January 23rd. I was hoping for some politics. Glad you started it. I will now go back and read the rest of your blog and then I'll have something more useful to write about.

Heather said...

Thank you so for your info. I'd better get to reading about this. I'll certainly not learn much about it watching the American news.

Anonymous said...

Just because you are not living in Canada, doesn't mean that you can't vote this year either. You can vote as an expat. Not sure which riding it is, but there is one. Also curious of course...

The Conservatives have decided to reduce the Goods and Services Tax (GST) from 7% to 5%. What an uproar it has caused today.

There will be 4 leadership debates this go around. (or rather 4 yelling matches). I hate them.

It is minus 16 celius, which is about zerio Farenheit, so everyone is having fun knocking on doors (not).

AHHHH, Canadian politics. You got to love them.

PS. You forgot the Green Party.

Ortensia Norton said...

Thanks for the link. I can now pretend that I will vote with something more than my get this time...but hey why vote, we'll get to do it again in 8-10 months.

And thank goodness you are a law abiding citizen. 2 points for you.