I Want A Coalition!

Although I support a coalition with the NDP in order to get rid of Harper. This belief of mine comes to a halt of the question is whether I support a coalition with the NDP to make Jack Layton the PM. I think the NDP have an okay platform, but some of there policies are too much. The NDP would want so many more government programs that it would not be sustainable unless you raise taxes by much more then they are currently saying. We clearly need a party that is fiscally responsible while still providing more programs. This party is the Liberals. But if we get 3rd place in parliament, and the NDP want a coalition to form a Government I would support it. Because I support having the NDP part of a Liberal Government, and I support having the Liberals part of a NDP government. Anything is better than Harper. Although I don't want us to sell out. We should support the NDP only as long as they compromise on parts of there platform and don't go off spending multiple billion of dollars without paying for it. Now if there was a Bloc party holding the balance of power I would support having them a part of the coalition, but just like the 2008 coalition deal they would have to set aside Quebec independence. What I hope does come out of a coalition is IRV or any other proportional representative voting methods. The NDP support some sort of proportional representation. I hope if we have a coalition that the NDP passes some sort of proportional representation. I think that no matter what happens on May 2nd all the political parties should look at eliminating Harper as the PM of Canada. But if the NDP don't compromise then any of my support for a coalition is out! A merger would be even worse, and shouldn't be discussed.

What Happen's May 2nd

Personly i am a little skeptical of the polls. But let's say for argument sake that the NDP get 27-30% of the vote come election day and the Liberals get there 22% (let's say). Current projection are a little shaky. At Threehudredandeight.com the projection still have the Liberals at 2nd place and the NDP at 47, but Ekos has the NDP at 98 seats! That leaves a heck of a lot of gray. The Liberal are projected to get 74 seats or as low 56 seats. This leaves a bit of a surprise on May 2nd. If the Liberals get the Threehudredandeight.com projections the House of Commons would be very similar. In fact the Conservative would get 143 seats exactly. Now I think Threehudredandeight.com is being a little to pesemistic on the projections. Ekos is a little to optomistic. So here are my projection provided that the polls stay the same. I think the Conservatives will get 140 about where they were last election maybe picking up a few seats in the Atlantic and Ontario, because of Newfoundland, but losing any gains in Quebec and BC. The NDP at 60 seats grabbing a lot in Quebec, British Columbia and Ontario with maybe a few grabs here and there in the other provinces. The Liberals will get 65 seats even though the Liberals will lose the vote they will still get more seats, because we still lead in Ontario, but it's not that the Liberals are doing better it is because I think the Bloc will hang on even with current polls to many of there seats, because the NDP will just spread there support throught the province that they will only grab a seats in the Ridings were last election the winner got 35% of the vote or less. The Bloc will get 40 seats No real suprise (polls have them at about 25%) they lost seats in the province, but they will still get the majority of the seats, Because NDP support will be devided throught the province that the Bloc will hold on to the majority. The Independents will get 2 one in Quebec in Potiac and one in Ontario with Helena Guergis (Although most projection have her losing I think that she will win, because there aren't any pols on her riding itself). The Greens may just beat the Bloc in the national vote according to polls they are either just ahead by a point or behind by 2%, but more important the Greens according to local polls will get there first seat in BC.

Harper Quotes: Too Late?

The Liberals have hit the jackpot; but has it come too late in the campaign?

The party has obtained a 500 page book on Harper's quotes. No, not the visionary, good ones, but the controversial ones. All compiled by the Tories back in 2003. My personal favourite is:

"It's [proportional representation] certainly an option. Electoral reform is an option is an option I would look at. Proportional representation probably wouldn't be my first choice, but it's something that I think the party should look at as an option and I think we should change the current system."

So, where is my rep-by-pop? Harper did not make one attempt to change the current system since he took power. With the rise of the NDP, the first-past-the post system now favours the Conservatives who can rule with a plurality in many ridings that they would not have under PR or at least Instant Run-Off. Stephen Harper was right: the FPTP vote is unfair. We must install a new, fairer method of election.

But, has this breakthrough came to late in the election campaign? We will only know on election night. With the Liberals looking pretty dim in the polls, we must hope that these quotes can help the "boot Harper out" cause.

You can download the book here.

Related articles

• How a Yes vote to AV could lead Britain to proportional representation (economist.com)
• Tory majority could hinge on where votes bleed to NDP in final week (theglobeandmail.com)

Way To Go Greens!

Every election 1993-2008 the Green party has been rowing in support, Reaching new heights in 2004 when they got 4.5% of the vote and in 2008 were they were just 15% behind of getting a seat in Central Nova. This election they may just get what they deserve. In Sannich Gulf Island the Green party released a poll showing that Elisabeth May is 7% above the Conservative Gary Lunn! This means that the Green party could get there very first seat in 2010. Although Polls have the Greens at around the same support they had last election this is probably because Elisabeth May strategy this election was to stay more in here own riding. I wish the Greens well in May 2nd in Sannich Gulf Island, but I hope that Green party supporters across the country understand that in some close riding's were Harper could get his majority it would be the best to vote for the Liberals. In 2008 Elisabeth May said on CBC that what she wanted in 2008 was a Liberal Minority government with some Green party members.  I think having Green party members in Ottawa will help push the focus to the environment and also a carbon tax. But the Best way to get rid of Harper May 2nd is to vote Liberal in some parts of the country and vote Green in Sannich Gulf Island. We must vote strategically to get rid of Harper splitting the left wing vote is what Harper wants.

Make Some Noise for Quiet Trains

High speed rail has not made much noise throughout this election campaign. It seems that parties are much more content to talk about the economy, health care, education and the usual instead of big infrastructure projects like bullet trains. Because apparently, Canadians are not concerned with fast transportation. They probably aren't, but high speed rail could provide many benefits to Canada and to parties that seek to talk more about it.

The economic benefits for Canada may not seem clear at first. Why would building a rail line spur permanent economic growth? Consider this: by making cities virtually closer together and therefore jobs much closer together, we will have a mobile workforce capable of getting from city centre to city centre much faster. This is in addition to the thousands of construction jobs created by the initial project and permanent jobs maintaining the rail line. Airplanes do not do this as airports are more frequently situated on city boundaries and not downtown like rail stations.

There are a few benefits I can think of for parties who seek to talk about high speed rail. Firstly, that party would be able to repeatedly show that as an example of their devotion to building a sustainable future for Canada. It would also show them as a party that will spur job creation and stimulate the economy. Finally, it would provide that party with that "vision" aspect that everyone wants. Supporting a project of this size to bring Canada closer together would surely benefit political parties.

So far, the only party that has talked at length about this issue is the Green Party. If others were to talk about it and commit to actually building high speed rail lines instead of study after study, they would, in my opinion garner more support.

While the idea of high-speed rail remains little more than a good idea along the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, it's a way of life in Japan. That country recently launched the "Huyabusa," a bullet train capable of speeds of 186 mph that's equipped with a businessclass carriage modelled on airliner cabins.

Read more at the Windsor Star.