[Canada] Canadian Politics Redux

[Josephus]

I once clicked "I agree" on a software install without reading it. 

but you usually know what you install.

'twas a joke. Everybody's been so touchy lately.

[Oexmelin]

'twas a joke. Everybody's been so touchy lately.

You have to understand: these people just won their elections.

[Neil]

Some jagoff wrote a column in the Edmonton Sun claiming that the only democratic thing to do would be to have Miss Dilettante step down and have real candidates duke it out in a byelection.  Although the Sun is easy to find lying around, and is thus the most accessible of the Edmonton papers, sometimes they print things that are so fucking stupid.

If you win the general election, you are automatically legitimate unless somebody can come up with evidence of ballot stuffing.

[Jacob]

Yeah it's pretty dumb.

She won. If she's such a horrible candidate, the people who lost to her should ask themselves how much more horrible they must be if they didn't win.

[viper37]

'twas a joke. Everybody's been so touchy lately.

You have to understand: these people just won their elections.

actually, I don't know that yet.  I have to wait the final countdown recount, I mean, to know that for sure.

[viper37]

Yeah it's pretty dumb.

She won. If she's such a horrible candidate, the people who lost to her should ask themselves how much more horrible they must be if they didn't win.

It's dumb because everything we know now about her... we knew it before the election, even before the anticipated vote.  Everyone knew she wasn't from there, she didn't speak French, she was a barmaid in Ottawa, she had never set a foot in the riding.  They knew all of that, yet they voted for her. 10 000 more than her nearest opponent, IIRC.

So be it. Live with your choices dudes, and dudettes.

[Jacob]

10 000 more votes for her than the nearest opponent? Pretty weak to contest it, then IMO.

[Neil]

Yeah it's pretty dumb.

She won. If she's such a horrible candidate, the people who lost to her should ask themselves how much more horrible they must be if they didn't win.

I wouldn't go that far.  If there's one thing that this election has taught us, it's that candidate quality matters very little in a modern election.  Party affiliation and targeted advertising matter more than the name on the ballot.  But even if she was the worst candidate imaginable, it was her name on the ballot and the NDP chose her.

[katmai]

So wait...you can run for a seat in area you don't live?

I mean i know the system is abused here, but by golly you at least have to have a residence in area you are trying to represent.

[Neil]

So wait...you can run for a seat in area you don't live?

I mean i know the system is abused here, but by golly you at least have to have a residence in area you are trying to represent.

Of course.  If you had to live in your riding, you'd end up with MPs in Toronto having to live in slums.

[Grey Fox]

Very few MPs live in their riding.

[katmai]

God such backwards people

[viper37]

10 000 more votes for her than the nearest opponent? Pretty weak to contest it, then IMO.

I went back and checked, and it's closer 6000 something.  anyway, it's a huge margin.

[viper37]

God such backwards people

British parliamentary system.  A Party leader can be elected in the riding he stands the most chance to win so he can be in chambers.  If he's defeated, an actual MP can resign and leave him his seat.  I am unsure if it requires a byelection for these cases... ?

Currently, Quebec Premiers lives in Montreal, but represents Sherbrooke.  When Jean Chrétien came back in politics, he first got elected in a secure riding in New Brunswick.  Once he bought enough votes, he moved back to his home riding near Trois-Rivières

[BuddhaRhubarb]

as does every province in Canada.

I dont think so.  Quebec has some fairly unique arrangments that would not be a priority for other provinces.

different, is not "not having". Quebec has a unique spin on any of those departments, obviously, but all provinces deal with those things. Most to a much lesser degree...