Because Harper ( conservative canadian PM) is about to present his budget to the Commons by the end of January. If it is not accepted by the other parties (Liberal, NPD, Bloc Québecois), his minority government will fall and we’ll have elections, just three months after the the last ones.
You guys have elections every four years on a fixed date and everyone (pres, representative, governor and a whole bunch of people)is elected at the same time. It is not the same thing in Canada. The ruling party calls the elections every four years (in a majority government) on whatever day suits it. In a minority government (we had three since 2004), the party with most MPs must make a coalition with another party or go into election…again. On top of that, provincial elections are completely independent from federal ones. So, in 2008, we had federal elections in october, Quebec had provincial elections in december, we followed the american election and we might have another one this winter or spring. :P
Good thing elections up here last two months instead of two years!
CF I must say I like the system you Canucks and the Europeans have because it gives more parties a say so in running the country. Down here only 2 parties have a realistic shot in major elections and oftentimes we just have to go with the lesser evil.
For a long time we only had two parties, both inherited from the British; Liberal and conservative. NPD’s ancestor made its first steps in the 1950’s and had it’s glory days in the 1980’s and is pretty popular now (fifty seats out of 300something). Even Quebec separatists have their own party, the Bloc, which is, of course, quite frowned upon by the conservative right from the west. The Bloc was founded in the 1990’s and has 50 out of the 75 seats in Quebec.
There is no magic trick, trust the underdog and vote for it! I guess the fact that we have more seats in our legislature (303, if I’m not mistaken) instead of the one state=one seat american rule helps a more diversified government as well as the anti-melting pot we have; Acadians, quebeckers, natives, eskimos, westerners…diversified population=diversified parliament.
CF: missed our setup a bit. In one house it’s 2 per state (where the while Blago-Burris thing is), and in the other it’s based on population where there’s currently 435 (I think–I haven’t paid any attention until recently correct me if needed).
It’s not perfect, but one of the better ideas for government so far. And we keep working on it.
Up here, the senate is not elected (descendent of the British Chamber of the Lords, major blunder. Some want to abolish it or at least reform it.) Senators are chosen among people who achieved something big for Canada. For example, former General Romeo Dallaire, one of the rare people who at least tried to do something about the Rwanda genocide and is trying to do something about Darfur right now. Former New-Brunswick premier Louis J. Robichaud (the guy who brought Acadia into the 20th century!) was a senator until he died.).
The MPs (members of parliament) are elected one per riding, according to population (number and interests); For example, the riding where I live, Acadie-Bathurst, has about 100 000 people. I guess it’s in the average. New Brunswich, with its 800 000 (approx) people has ten ridings while the sole island of Montreal has way more than that.
When possible, they try to fit people with the same interests in one riding (or at least they’re supposed to). For example, if a small french-speaking villageis right on the line between two counties (ridings) one being french and the other being english, they’ll stick it with the french-language county. For example, in the south east of NB, there is the city of Moncton; 60% english speaking people, 40% acadians,right between the suburbs of Dieppe (acadian) and Riverview (english). Moncton-Dieppe-Riverview is one (bilingual) riding (roughly 100 000 people there again!). North and East of that you have the (acadian) towns of Bouctouche and Shediac, part of the Beausejour-Petitcodiac county. South, you have the (english) counties of Albert, Westmoreland and Kent, which form the riding of…Albert-Woestmoreland-Kent!
HUMPHRIES over 15 years ago
Hint: NO Hair!
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 15 years ago
Because Harper ( conservative canadian PM) is about to present his budget to the Commons by the end of January. If it is not accepted by the other parties (Liberal, NPD, Bloc Québecois), his minority government will fall and we’ll have elections, just three months after the the last ones.
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 15 years ago
You guys have elections every four years on a fixed date and everyone (pres, representative, governor and a whole bunch of people)is elected at the same time. It is not the same thing in Canada. The ruling party calls the elections every four years (in a majority government) on whatever day suits it. In a minority government (we had three since 2004), the party with most MPs must make a coalition with another party or go into election…again. On top of that, provincial elections are completely independent from federal ones. So, in 2008, we had federal elections in october, Quebec had provincial elections in december, we followed the american election and we might have another one this winter or spring. :P
Good thing elections up here last two months instead of two years!
DALLASDAN over 15 years ago
CF I must say I like the system you Canucks and the Europeans have because it gives more parties a say so in running the country. Down here only 2 parties have a realistic shot in major elections and oftentimes we just have to go with the lesser evil.
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 15 years ago
For a long time we only had two parties, both inherited from the British; Liberal and conservative. NPD’s ancestor made its first steps in the 1950’s and had it’s glory days in the 1980’s and is pretty popular now (fifty seats out of 300something). Even Quebec separatists have their own party, the Bloc, which is, of course, quite frowned upon by the conservative right from the west. The Bloc was founded in the 1990’s and has 50 out of the 75 seats in Quebec.
There is no magic trick, trust the underdog and vote for it! I guess the fact that we have more seats in our legislature (303, if I’m not mistaken) instead of the one state=one seat american rule helps a more diversified government as well as the anti-melting pot we have; Acadians, quebeckers, natives, eskimos, westerners…diversified population=diversified parliament.
victor59 over 15 years ago
Go ask the Trailer Park Boys what to do, I’m sure Bubbles will have better ideas than your MP’s.
claudermilk over 15 years ago
CF: missed our setup a bit. In one house it’s 2 per state (where the while Blago-Burris thing is), and in the other it’s based on population where there’s currently 435 (I think–I haven’t paid any attention until recently correct me if needed).
It’s not perfect, but one of the better ideas for government so far. And we keep working on it.
CorosiveFrog Premium Member over 15 years ago
Up here, the senate is not elected (descendent of the British Chamber of the Lords, major blunder. Some want to abolish it or at least reform it.) Senators are chosen among people who achieved something big for Canada. For example, former General Romeo Dallaire, one of the rare people who at least tried to do something about the Rwanda genocide and is trying to do something about Darfur right now. Former New-Brunswick premier Louis J. Robichaud (the guy who brought Acadia into the 20th century!) was a senator until he died.).
The MPs (members of parliament) are elected one per riding, according to population (number and interests); For example, the riding where I live, Acadie-Bathurst, has about 100 000 people. I guess it’s in the average. New Brunswich, with its 800 000 (approx) people has ten ridings while the sole island of Montreal has way more than that.
When possible, they try to fit people with the same interests in one riding (or at least they’re supposed to). For example, if a small french-speaking villageis right on the line between two counties (ridings) one being french and the other being english, they’ll stick it with the french-language county. For example, in the south east of NB, there is the city of Moncton; 60% english speaking people, 40% acadians,right between the suburbs of Dieppe (acadian) and Riverview (english). Moncton-Dieppe-Riverview is one (bilingual) riding (roughly 100 000 people there again!). North and East of that you have the (acadian) towns of Bouctouche and Shediac, part of the Beausejour-Petitcodiac county. South, you have the (english) counties of Albert, Westmoreland and Kent, which form the riding of…Albert-Woestmoreland-Kent!