Volpe handler busy as little beavers!

This is a fabulous video from the Beau River, in Calgary.


These beavers look like Joe Volpe's crew. Ignoring those watching with cameras.

This time around they've been removing Green Party pamphlets from mailboxes.

Orla Hegarty photographed it all!

A Joe Volpe campaign worker swapping Liberal pamphlet for a GPC flyer

-Liberal Switch-er-roo (Pic by pic)
-Liberal Switch-er-roo (Contact sheet)

Last time around, Volpe had campaign contributions from 5 family members, three from the children in the same family. Now, you know that campaign contributions from one person are limited to $1000.
Sleazy way to get around the law.

Joe Volpe - Canadian Blogs

This fine is in relation to his most recent "irregularities". ... Joe Volpe's campaign is alleged to have paid the membership fees of new party recruits

In September 2005, it was reported that Volpe had claimed $10,891.15 in meal and transportation expenses over an eleven-month period.^[72] Opposition MPs argued that this figure was excessive, and noted that Volpe's meal expenses were more than three times higher than his predecessor as Immigration Minister, Judy Sgro, during the same period a year earlier.

On October 15, 2006, the Toronto Star reported that the Career Foundation, a federally-funded charity serving the unemployed, had paid seven of its clients to work on Volpe's leadership campaign. The Foundation is headquartered in Volpe's Eglinton—Lawrence riding and fell under his purview during his tenure as Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development.

Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2006,

The Toronto Star reported Saturday that the Volpe camp had allegedly paid the $10 membership fee for at least nine party members it signed up in Montreal. The report also alleged that two new Liberal members signed up in Montreal were dead and several had been signed up without their knowledge.

Meanwhile, a complaint was filed Monday with the Liberal party alleging that 60 members were signed up improperly by Ignatieff's camp in two Toronto-area ridings -- including one man in Ignatieff's constituency said to have died two years ago.

Handler dumping, election polls, signage,

Here in Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox & Addington I can sum up the riding with a photo!

Settlers from Scotland, the USA, put down roots in our region.

A very conservative riding.
The motto of the region: 'back off, government'.


Living in the outskirts of a town, no door-knocking candidates here!

Our Green Party S-I-L candidate is going door-to-door. Hours of campaigning.

Campaign donations are rolling in.

Campaign donation!

Campaign teams have been knocking on doors across the country.

I suppose it is good exercise!
On the other hand, here is an exercise in deception.
In this not-so-surprising photo (below)
you can see Joe Volpe and his handler, the latter dumping a Green Party pamphlet, replacing it with the Liberal red.

A Joe Volpe campaign worker swapping Liberal pamphlet for a GPC flyer

-Liberal Switch-er-roo (Pic by pic)
-Liberal Switch-er-roo (Contact sheet)
Great photo captures by a Green Party canvasser:

Orla Hegarty photos

Kady O'Malley was in on figuring out what was up.  Finally had a response from Joe Volpe's campaign..."When this issue about the canvasser was brought to my attention by the Green Party candidate... in deference to his concern and to the hard work of my own campaign, the canvasser was released by the campaign."

The polls say:

NANOS POLL

Strength in Ontario puts ‘squeaker of a majority’ within Harper’s reach

The NDP is at 16.9 per cent support in Ontario compared to 47.8 per cent support for the Conservatives and 29.3 per cent for the Liberals. That’s Mr. Ignatieff’s lowest level of support in the province since the election began and Mr. Nanos said Mr. Harper has been the main beneficiary of the Grit slide. (The margin of error is plus or minus 5.6 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.)

No, Nanos, no!

Harper's lowered tax cuts for business irks me. Then I read this US-based article: 

9 Things The Rich Don't Want You To Know About Taxes

Basically, it is true. The rich get richer, and in the US don't pay taxes...

' Mad Men who once ran campaigns featuring doctors extolling the health benefits of smoking are now busy marketing the dogma that tax cuts mean broad prosperity, no matter what the facts show.

It’s true that the top 1 percent of wage earners paid 38 percent of the federal income taxes in 2008 (the most recent year for which data is available). But people forget that the income tax is less than half of federal taxes and only one-fifth of taxes at all levels of government.

Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance taxes (known as payroll taxes) are paid mostly by the bottom 90 percent of wage earners.  That’s because, once you reach $106,800 of income, you pay no more for Social Security, though the much smaller Medicare tax applies to all wages. Warren Buffett pays the exact same amount of Social Security taxes as someone who earns $106,800.'

Election in Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington

What will change? What remains the same?
For the most part, statistically speaking, most incumbents will remain in their seats.

Here is a snapshot of my riding, for example. We are religiously conservative. Our local provincial Randy Hillier (AKA, 'Nanny State' MPP) and federal (MP) elected rep Scott Reid share an office, and a number of initiatives. Probably a good idea for them, as they do not split the provincial/federal vote. They are against same-sex marriage. (I swear!)





What we are finding in Canada is an increase of the Green vote, as young people begin to get involved and seek a new direction.
The wind blows signs, gusts in all directions. Not so the voters.

Scott Reid (CPC), David Remington (LPC), are running again. Greens: John Baranyi. Independent: Ralph Lee. NDP: Doug Smyth.

Our riding: L-F-L and A

The Ottawa citizen has been featuring various Ottawa Valley ridings. Ours was in the paper yesterday. Look at the blue vs. red!

We live in a predominantly WASP (98%), inexpensive part of Ontario: average home prices =  $207,000. Yet there are huge mansions by the lake, with clusters of small WW II homes in the centre core of the city.

Having grown up in downtown Toronto, population in the 5 millions, or so, and a wide variety of multicultural groups, this is quite a different place for me to live.

I spent my first 25 years in Toronto, the next 25 in Ottawa.
It is shocking how white we are here in Lanark! And how old: 16% over age 65 years.
Single parents: 13%.
Unemployment is an issue (5.7%).
Teen suicides (9 last year).
We have volunteer firefighters,
and a burning ban few seem to agree with or follow.

The guy across the street dumps garbage on his vacant lot.

And conservative!
Whew.

The 'back off' government signs are intimidating.

Landowners want the right to do what they will with their land. As Scott Reid said, as quoted in the paper, there are laws requiring a farmer to put up a fence so his/her cow doesn't pee in the river. This limits the farmer's rights to access to their river.

Heaven forbid that we have laws against polluting a river, when most people in the country have wells, like us!

We don't pee in your pool. Don't pee in our watershed!
I'm shocked by the attitude.






'Reid argued that landowners see the value of their land drop because they are governed by government actions and land- use law.
Earlier this year, Reid attracted attention when he sent a letter to a Toronto newspaper critical of fellow Tory Norm Sterling, the veteran MPP who represents neighbouring Carleton-Mississippi Mills. Reid said Sterling’s office had been “neglectful” of riding issues and his own office had to step in.' [Read more: Ottawa Citizen]





We have hunting law violations. Some dork was fined $1050 by the MNR for hunting BLUE JAYS.
 Welcome to my world!

BTW:

Vintage Voter has been sharing OLD photos of current party leaders. It's really funny. These look like, well, my high school yearbook!

How Parliament would look if only youth voted

• only 37 per cent of eligible voters (2008 - Elections Canada) between the ages of 18 and 24 voted
• however, 68% of voters over age 65 went to the polls
• average of all age groups: 59 % voted
• If only seniors voted: the Conservative Party would have a huge majority of 44% of the vote
• in the 50 % range in the western provinces and Atlantic Canada. 
• The Liberals would win 34 % of seats, with strong performances in Quebec and Ontario.

Pledge to vote!

I am voting. It is my democratic right. As a woman, there are many countries in which I could not exercise my vote, or I would suffer bribery, or mortal harm.

That said, at least we are talking about it. But the various choices are scary. One of the choices is party leader, Stephen Harper.
'Stephen Harper has consistently chosen to put his fetish for power and control ahead of fundamental constitutional principles. He has even chosen to lie about the Constitution.'


Then there are journalists heavily lobbying for or against:


READ ’5 REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR STEPHEN HARPER’
My take on this:
1. Harper lies. No question. (Don't most of them?)
2. He doesn't hang with the best of characters. 
3. He sets back the women's movement 45 years. 


4. He is sending us the way of the American Tea party...


He is onside with Charles H. McVety, who is against same-sex marriage choices, and seems to be Tea Party North.
5. Harper and his government are in contempt of parliament, to what end? A conservative majority? Spending $300 million on an unnecessary election, since he wouldn't compromise on a budget that serves the people, not the upper class. Harper and his cronies made our precious census, the statistics that stand up for the poor, the underserved in our society, the working classes, those living on the edge of society.
5. Harper takes from the poor, cuts business taxes, and gives to the middle class (eventually - 2015?) and protects big business.
6. Harper has filled the prisons with those who are mentally ill, and suffering from addictions. Crowded prisons (I volunteered in one teaching a creative writing class) breed serious convicts. The policy of rehabilitating is impossible for those prisoners who we might be able to reach. Treatments are overwhelmed by those who are stuffed in prisons too small to accomodate their numbers.


But the other side of the story...
READ ‘5 REASONS NOT TO VOTE FOR MICHAEL IGNATIEFF’


I have to stop here...with 5 main parties, there are reasons for disagreeing with them on on various issues. Surely these politicians can work together to create a working, functional parliament?

Poster by one of my Gr. 8's, 2006

While this election is ridiculous, a message must be sent across to those who would gamble with our money, essentially with the $300 million this election will cost us. Harper gambles his minority, and the privilege and power that he won, with a majority,  with our economy and the direction this country is taking. I think I will be voting strategically.

I am so very angry with the finger pointing and the recriminations. The attack ads are abhorrent. The games they play must stop. The media spend time arguing points,
e.g., by Andrew Potter


The CBC has been taking a lot of criticism for its Vote Compass, an online quiz that asks you questions about where you stand on various questions of public policy, and then tells you which party you should vote for. 


Then there is Glen McGregor

Sun Media ignored Flanagan on VoteCompass prof's objectivity

Debating the name-calling, blaming by the Conservatives, while explaining a debating point not moot to the election issues.

Nearly $300 m.!

We need a balanced plan for this country. We have been much less hard hit by the recession than other countries. We have to ensure that small towns, like those in southern Ontario who are being hit by American head office decisions to close local plants, survive the US's recession. (Cornwall's recent 400 job losses, Smith's Falls loss  from Hershey's plant closures, Stanley Tools, Rideau Regional Centre).

We need politicians who respect the people; those who work for hourly wages, who suport failing family members, the working poor, as well as those who shoulder the responsibility of being employers, or caregivers.
We need to look after those unable to look after themselves. The animals, the environment. This country isn't broken, but it is bruised.We must show politicians that we are watching them, and we are not pleased.

Yes, I am voting. Probably strategic voting in my riding. Read, research, check out your local candidates.

*McVety is with Defend Marriage Coalition, a lobby group seeking to repeal the Civil Marriage Act (also called Bill C-38), the 2005 federal law legalizing same-sex marriage in Canada. A common theme of news coverage of McVety is the degree of his influence and that of his evangelical colleagues over Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the Conservative government generally.

Pledge To Vote

@pledgetovote Canada

Who is ♞ The dark horse?

Who will you vote for?

Firstly, there are those dissing CBC.ca's Vote Compass. Written by a Phd. student, the Twitterverse says, it is hardly an unbiased means by which you can determine where to place your precious vote.

It is important, I thought, to look at what has happened in previous elections. Who is still hanging around? Who oughtta be hung?! And what are these people saying about their platforms?

The great thing, in one respect, is how the Internet save EVERYTHING! CBC's Canada Votes 2011, has much info.

Click here to visit

The Canadian Press has a link on CBC's page, an interactive webpage, which shows the seats in parliament, actually links to the member who sits in the seats. Thought that funny. The Party Leader's seat is marked with a crown!

I've written about questions to ask your candidates previously. Truth is, we are carrying on. Our view is blocked by signage, candidates are running door-to-door, appearing in the Media wherever they will take them.

I've had questions from my US blog friends, we can blame The Colbert Report!

01:36

Colbert talks Canadian politics

Wednesday, Mar. 30, 2011 8:23PM EDT

Mock conservative commentator Stephen Colbert, who has a history of poking fun at Canadians on "The Colbert Report," is at it again.

Rick Mercer explains us in Canada...
There is lots of info about us. I am doing well, though. Lanark Frontenac Lennox Addington is a huge riding. I'm still rather interested in some of the other candidates.
Here is my son-in-law, who is running against Pierre Poilevre, in Nepean-Carleton.

There are some who are recycling the signs. The web pages could be recycled, too! My riding, #147, has many of the same characters!

The GLobe & Mail has a page. There, Jason Brennan, an assistant professor of philosophy at Brown University, is the author of The Ethics of Voting, tells us: Be a smart voter – Canada needs you
From the sublime


to the ridiculous!

Election Primer for my American friends!

Rick,

Always nice to hear from , what Ed Sullivan (well before your time) referred to as "all you youngsters out there". 

I'm afraid that I'm still watching the old fogies sport of curling.

Actually got up at 5:00 yesterday to watch.

Of course us country folk are early risers anyway.

Canada won silver today, in the unlikely event that you run into some Canadian seniors in Florida, you can now have a conversation piece.

Hope you enjoy a youth full, manly day on the golf course.

Perhaps there is also a paint ball, or off road dirt bike spot nearby, as I understand you young people like those as well.

Up here in the great frozen tundra, we are having an election.

I doubt if you spend enough time here to know how that works so I will try to explain in American terms.

First of all we have a Parliament.

I won't bore you as to how it works, as President, er..., Prime Minister (PM) Harper says, it doesn't work anyway.

Think of it like the House of Representatives, except that President Harper is there.

It would be as if your president sat in the House, but, and here is the big difference, had no accountability to it.

April 3rd Toronto Sun

We also have a Senate, but we don't elect them, they are appointed for life, sort of like union guys with lots of seniority.

Anyway, although we, like you, have fixed terms, we think its more fun to have an election every two years or so, usually in summer, as we have few summer sports.

We have 5 political parties, yes three more than you, unless you count Sarah Palin's "Don't retreat,  RELOAD!"  Alaskans as another party, or species.

The Conservatives are like southern democrats.

Photo: courtesy Anna
of Nepean-Carleton

The Liberals are like California democrats.

The NDP and Greens have no USA equivalent and would be illegal in 27 states.

The Bloc Quebecois is a best explained this way.

Suppose that in 1865 after General Lee surrendered, Lincoln decide to leave the Confederacy intact, and that a hundred and forty six years later, southern secessionists were still being elected to congress.

(I don't see why people think Canadians are boring).

Well there you are. In early May, we will hitch up the dog sleds and head to the polls, except in the odd place where the ice bridges have melted.

Well that's all for now. Cheers from us up north in Perth!

 

No, I did not write the above item. Hubby, ever the spewing font of information, decided to help our of Canadian snowbird friend, Rick, explain the principles of Canadian politics to their winter friends.

We old fogies keep in touch with modern technology. The myth is that we are too busy leaning on our canes to understand technology. Fact is, many of us are having a blast. This election has provided many opportunities for a laugh. Our PM won't debate, the opposition leader wants to... one-on-won. Oopsie, Freudian slip.
Ignatieff accepts Rick Mercer debate offer
Media consortium won't allow the only female party leader, Elizabeth May, debate in the televised debate, despite a fine showing last time, and nearly a million votes. They claim it is because she doesn't have a seat in parliament. Sets back the women's movement 40 years. 

Elizabeth May blocked from TV Debates

We can't vote for the BLOC leader, either. But he still gets national air time. Lots of fodder for people like Rick Mercer!

Election birdies, tweets and chicks

Well, there aren't many 'birds', in that women haven't stepped up in the way some would like. I can't blame women. I know, in the 80's when I entered the work force with 3 young children, there was pressure to perform, juggle long hours, and family. It wasn't something I wanted to undertake. There was pressure in the 70s, for we women teachers to take on positions of added responsibility: consultants, principals, and yet little support to manage a home life and a work life. Principals have meetings at all hours, as do the politicians.

According to Equal Voice...

• At the election call, there were 68 women in the House of Commons, or 22 percent, putting Canada in 52nd place according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union which ranks countries by the number of women in their national legislatures.

Only the Bloc Quebecois is running more than one third women, approximately 36 percent, in competitive ridings.  The New Democrats and Liberals are nearly on par with close to 30 percent and 27 percent women, respectively, in potentially winnable seats for their parties.  The Conservatives have nominated 36 women (20 percent) in their most competitive 179 ridings.

Facts from Globe and Mail:

24% of the Conservative candidates so far are women, 

33 per cent of Liberals, 

38 per cent of NDP, 

32 per cent of Bloc Québécois 

30 per cent of Green Party candidates.

I am fascinated with the way Twitter has changed the information instantly available on Twitter, and the 'net. Also fascinated with the way the print, electronic media are able to follow what is going on.
I recently wrote: Election tweets funny to facetious
It's well worth the price of admission.

Two Twitter solitudes in federal election

OTTAWA — Online buzz around the Canadian election is looking like a unilingual debate -- with French-language posts accounting for only about two per cent of election-related messages on the Twitter site. The Canadian Press analysis, done with digital affairs strategist Mark Blevis, suggest close to 30,000 messages have flashed around the microblogging site since the campaign began.

About 4.5 million Canadians use Twitter.

Overhead vulture buzzes
in both official languages
predator/prey conversation

on-line lurkers

The analysis, which is being conducted for The Canadian Press throughout the federal campaign, only measures messages stamped with so-called "hashtags" -- such as #fed2011(mostly French) and #elxn41 -- that allow Twitter users to identify their tweets as election-related.

[See also, #cdnpoli.]

watching from the trees!