[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Josephus]

30 minutes is actually not so bad. I was under the impression it was longer, an hour at least. So that means polls close at 5:30 Pacific time in B.C.?

[Neil]

Yes you were breaking the law.  But don't worry, no complaint was ever made to Elections Canada.  That is required for an investigation to be triggered.  So even BB cant touch you now.

[Neil]

What's the argument against having uniform voting times, but stretching them out - say everyone can vote when it's 7 AM in the Maritimes until it's 10 PM on the West Coast? Too much a pain logistically, or is it felt that it will produce unfair results somehow as well?

Well, the logistical problems are nothing to sneeze at.  You're talking about having people in the polling places for 22 hours.  It's easier to just rig the old media and prosecute the occasional blogger.

[Jacob]

Well, the logistical problems are nothing to sneeze at.  You're talking about having people in the polling places for 22 hours.  It's easier to just rig the old media and prosecute the occasional blogger.

I try to never sneeze at logistics. I was just wondering if there were "fairness" arguments against it, or simply practical ones. As for the time - 22 hours open - it could be done for a shorter period as well I imagine, especially if polling places already close early out West (and open late back East).

[Jacob]

Allegations from Quebec about PMO malfeance regarding the Montreal Port Authority: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-stands-firm-in-face-of-calls-to-fire-his-top-spokesman/article1994586/

Over-stretched muckracking or something with actual substance? In either case, potentially damaging or just a soon-to-be-forgotten minor bump?

[crazy canuck]

What's the argument against having uniform voting times, but stretching them out - say everyone can vote when it's 7 AM in the Maritimes until it's 10 PM on the West Coast? Too much a pain logistically

Yep, it was logistics.  It takes a lot of volunteers to man all the polling booths around the Country.  It is considered unrealistic to make them work over such a long period of time.  You would be making polls stay open in NFLD until 2:30 am the next day and you would be making polls open in BC at 2:30 am of that morning.

[crazy canuck]

30 minutes is actually not so bad. I was under the impression it was longer, an hour at least. So that means polls close at 5:30 Pacific time in B.C.?

No polls close in BC at 7:00 local time and they close in Quebec and Ontario at 9:30 local time (6:30 BC time).

[Josephus]

What's the argument against having uniform voting times, but stretching them out - say everyone can vote when it's 7 AM in the Maritimes until it's 10 PM on the West Coast? Too much a pain logistically

Yep, it was logistics.  It takes a lot of volunteers to man all the polling booths around the Country. 

Volunteers? Aren't they paid? Quite reasonably?

[crazy canuck]

What's the argument against having uniform voting times, but stretching them out - say everyone can vote when it's 7 AM in the Maritimes until it's 10 PM on the West Coast? Too much a pain logistically

Yep, it was logistics.  It takes a lot of volunteers to man all the polling booths around the Country. 

Volunteers? Aren't they paid? Quite reasonably?

A lot of people you see there are volunteers.  Scrutineers etc are volunteers from the various political parties as an example.

[Neil]

Allegations from Quebec about PMO malfeance regarding the Montreal Port Authority: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-stands-firm-in-face-of-calls-to-fire-his-top-spokesman/article1994586/

Over-stretched muckracking or something with actual substance? In either case, potentially damaging or just a soon-to-be-forgotten minor bump?

I seem to remember hearing about this before.  It seems to me like this is an attempt to bring back a scandal they had tried before but had fizzled.

[Malthus]

Seems to me that the Cons are running a campaign filled with gaffes and mini-scandals, which hasn't changed their standing a bit. The Libs have not been able to capitalize on it. Oddly, the campaign that is really taking off is the NDP.

[Admiral Yi]

Scrutineers

This one is almost as funny as parkade.

[Malthus]

Scrutineers

This one is almost as funny as parkade.

You should see them wearing their Mickey Mouse ears ...

[viper37]

Allegations from Quebec about PMO malfeance regarding the Montreal Port Authority: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-stands-firm-in-face-of-calls-to-fire-his-top-spokesman/article1994586/

Over-stretched muckracking or something with actual substance? In either case, potentially damaging or just a soon-to-be-forgotten minor bump?

Potentially damaging & soon to be forgotten.
Worrying that someone close to the PM is talked about in such ways.

If the Bloc is worried though, they should ask the police to investigate.

[Barrister]

Yes you were breaking the law.  But don't worry, no complaint was ever made to Elections Canada.  That is required for an investigation to be triggered.  So even BB cant touch you now.

I'm no longer with the Feds, so I could care less about violations of the Elections Act.