The 41st federal election will take place on Monday May 2, 2011.
Candidates from the various political parties are now soliciting for your vote. Nowadays we all have to become more engaged in politics and pay close attention to what our politicians are saying versus what they are doing. It is very important for voters to get informed on where a political party and a candidate stand on issues of vital importance. These issues often have a real short- or long-term impact on our lives on a daily basis. Consider what matters most to you and your children and look at the party and candidate that best match your vision for the future.
We have a raft of issues that need to be addressed …. child care, increased poverty levels, pension reform, homelessness, women’s issues, Aboriginal issues, health care challenges, the environment, inflation and increase in cost of living, education system, countless instances of inequalities, lack of transparency in Ottawa, an economy that’s still a bit shaky and, last but not least… an adequate supply of affordable housing for our most vulnerable citizens. This encompasses a significant number of proud and loyal Canadians! Our politicians need to look beyond the wishes or demands of the most wealthy Canadians and political lobbyists and instead develop policies to ensure hard-working Canadians struggling to survive can live in dignity.
Finally, however challenging this might be to some, voters must also take a closer look at Canada’s role on the world stage now that we live in a globalized and extremely connected world. For example, we need to pay closer attention to our foreign policy agenda, and how decisions made on international issues by our politicians impact ordinary Canadians socially and economically.
For ideas about additional questions to pose to candidates you may check this link:
Canadian Federation of University Women/Fédération Canadienne des Femmes Diplômées des Universités
http://www.cfuw.org/doc/Election_Tool_Kit.pdf)
CANDIDATES RUNNING IN BEACHES-EAST YORK:
CONSERVATIVE – Bill Burrows – http://burrowsformp.ca/
GREEN PARTY – Aaron Cameron – http://greenparty.ca/campaign/35005
LIBERAL – Maria Minna (Incumbent) – http://mariaminna.liberal.ca/
NDP – Matthew Kellway – http://www.matthewkellway.ca/about.html
Elections Canada links on voting regulations, eligibility and important FAQs :
http://www.elections.ca/home.aspx
http://www.elections.ca/content.aspx?section=vot&dir=faq&document=faqvoting&lang=e#a1
NOTE – The East York Tenants Group maintains political neutrality and does not endorse or promote any of the candidates running in the 2011 federal election.
East York Tenants Group 
Did you watch the political debate tonight? I did – somewhat reluctantly, I admit!
I heard the same old lines and cliche’s from our trusted, or NOT, leaders! Nothing new and refreshing. No new visions. No real appeals, or even simple communication and engagement directed at our youth.
Once again I heard Harper paint a doom and gloom picture of a Minority government.
I, for one, do not buy that picture. I like better art that that!
Instead, I suggest that with more mature, sensible men and women leading our parties, true debates and co-operation in the interest of our great country at large should be possible. It is in other civilised countries! Why not here?
There is a real need for electoral reform in this country. As it is now, a vote for anyone but the Conservatives or the Liberals seem like a wasted vote — only because smaller parties don’t seem to have much of a chance to play a truly constructive role. Too bad! They do, after all, represent a significant part of Canadians who also deserve to be heard.
Perhaps it’s time to re-visit the true definition of “Democracy”? Democracy means “a system of government by the whole (note WHOLE) population, usually through elected representatives”
Under our current First Past The Post system too many votes are either purely strategically cast or simply wasted because they are votes for parties that don’t have a hope in h… to gain a seat in parliament anyway. What sort of incentives are they for voters to get involved and engaged?
Most undemocratic, I think, and definitely time for a change!
I truly hope and wish that our young people don’t lose hope and become permanently dis-interested in the future of our country. We have a democracy to defend and a right to expect trustworthy leadership. We deserve that much! And we should settle for nothng less.
Can’t wait see what will happen at tonight’s debate given the recent revelations about mindless spending for the G20 summit last year. There is very little disclosure and much distortion of facts. Why are those businesses that were vandalized and damaged not being compensated? They lost a lot of income during the summit.
I wonder where all that the taxpayers money went and who actually benefitted. Look how much was spent on that fake lake. As they say…. you have to follow the money!!! Bet there was lots of nepotism.
The NDP is the party that looking out for the less fortunate. This recession is not over for so many of us. I have 2 young children that I am raising on my own after my husband left us. I am do not receive social assistance and very rarely receive anything from my husband for the kids. I have 2 part-time jobs that barely allow me to make ends meet.. no extras and thank heavens for the food bank. Harper and Ignatieff don’t really look out for ordinary working people. I will be voting and it will be NDP.
Living in a globalized and well-connected world might have advantages , mostly economic advantages for some. But the question of our nation’s sovreignty needs to be in the discussion. Who is running things in our globalized world? Guess? – It is the Corporations. And who controls the Corporations? The bankers and financial industry. Our leaders have very little power and must answer to their masters. As I see it, the revolutions of the type occurring in the Middle East is not an option for us to consider. Frankly I don’t know what the solution is nowadays. No wonder so many people focus on amassing wealth at any cost … By the way, I still intend to cast my vote and I embrace that last line of our anthem, passionately ….”O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.”
Great that you mentioned foreign policy agenda. Canada was reknowned around the world as a great peacekeeper but recently we have been hanging on to the coattails of those warmongers across the border and elsewhere. We are getting involved in all kinds of military conflicts and for what reason? And at such a great human cost!!! Too many of us are more comfortable with ‘corner store’ politics and are ignoring the ‘big picture’ politics at our peril. We have to look at what is best for Canada and Canadians.
Just want to say that I find both the DIsillusioned Voter and the Upcoming Federal Election pieces well written and of interest.
For me it’s all about keeping contact with ordinary people and setting sensible priorities.
Would I rather see my government spend billions of dollars on fighter jets than on healthcare and education? If (or perhaps since) our government cannot afford to spend money on everything, it must set priorities – just as every-day Canadians must! I also believe support of the arts is very important. Arts and creative expression of self healthy are very important as antidotes to ‘high finance’ and cold, calculating decision making.
Imagine, if you can, a world without art, be it music, books, paintings, or whatever inspires you. Imagine a Canada without the CBC?
I, for one, shudder at those prospects. While money matters, other values in life matter more. Proper priorities, common sense, an engaged electorate – just to mention a few.
So, I hope at least some voters will really look at what adds value to their lives and keep that in mind when they go to the polling station on May 2nd.
Politicians never cease to amaze me especially how they twist things around in their favour. They do not care about ordinary working people. Stephen Harper takes credit for getting Canada through this awful recession but ignore the fact that the previous administration under Paul Martin left a hefty surplus that the Conservatives were able to rely on … not to mention having a banking system that was a lot more sturdy than most G8 countries. Messrs. Harper and Flaherty did NOT do any ‘magic’. Harper and his lot were plain lucky. It is not a pleasant thought to contemplate what would have happened to Canada if Paul Martin had not managed Canada’s economy so well and left a decent surplus which has been frittered away by the Conservatives and given mostly to the corporations.
I hope you can publish this … I received this from a friend and I think it describes politics and our politicians accurately. Here goes….
Whether Conservative, Liberal or NDP , I think you’ll get a kick out of this!
A little boy goes to his dad and asks, ‘What is Politics?’
Dad says, ‘Well son, let me try to explain it this way: I am the head of the family, so call me The Prime Minister. Your mother is the administrator of the money, so we call her the Government. We are here to take care of your needs, so we will call you the People. The nanny, we will consider her the Working Class. And your baby brother, we will call him the Future. Now think about that and see if it makes sense.’
So the little boy goes off to bed thinking about what Dad has said.
Later that night, he hears his baby brother crying, so he gets up to check on him. He finds that the baby has severely soiled his nappy. So the little boy goes to his parent’s room and finds his mother asleep. Not wanting to wake her, he goes to the nanny’s room. Finding the door locked, he peeks in the keyhole and sees his father in bed with the nanny.. …He gives up and goes back to bed.
The next morning, the little boy say’s to his father, ‘Dad, I think I understand the concept of politics now.’
The father says, ‘Good, son, tell me in your own words what you think politics is all about.’
The little boy replies, ‘The Prime Minister is screwing the Working Class while the Government is sound asleep. The People are being ignored and the Future is in deep sh*t.’