Do your civic duty

[Groove Fetish]

thanks Ollie- I knew I heard about it at one point- albeit briefly!

[mark tonin]

A bit more info about the Supreme Court of Canada - I think this is how it works:

Although the Governor-General "appoints" the Supreme Court of Canada judges, it is really the Prime Minister who controls who is appointed. The Governor-General simply "rubber stamps" the prime minister's selection. Quebecers, by law, must hold three of the nine positions on the Supreme Court of Canada. In practice, the remaining six positions are divided in the following manner: three from Ontario, two from the Western Provinces and one from the Atlantic Provinces.

There is talk of having parliament play a larger role in the appointment of Supreme Court judges in the future, but I think that no matter what happens the Prime Minister will still have the biggest say in who becomes a Supreme Court judge.

Given the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Supreme Court of Canada has a huge amount of "law-making" power in Canada. It has the power to decide whether or not laws unfairly violate our rights, and it has the power to strike down laws that are unreasonable violations of individual rights. It has the power to decide whether legal and police procedures are reasonable or not.

And on a different note but one related to this thread, check out this interesting (and disturbing) quote I just read from an old copy of the Globe and Mail that I had kicking around:

"Women who become pregnant through rape or incest should not qualify for government-funded abortions unless their pregnancy is life-threatening, says Labor Minister Stockwell Day" Edmonton Journal, June 9, 1995

It's scary for me to think that a party such as the new Conservative party or the Alliance party or the Reform party or whatever the heck they are called, with beliefs such as the one quoted above, actually has a chance of forming the government, creating laws, and appointing judges that will decide whether those laws are reasonable.

Wow, time to get back to my school work, which includes supervising my law exam this afternoon.

Peace, Mark

[Groove Fetish]

that is what worries me the most during this election- thanks for expanding on that Mark.

what a major step backwards it would be for Canada to deny women access to abortions.

[MarcO]

Harper's shadow cabinet has Stockwell Day on Foreign Affairs.

Think about that for a second!

Let's not make that shadow cabinet the real deal!

[thatpatguy]

Harper's shadow cabinet has Stockwell Day on Foreign Affairs.

Think about that for a second!

Let's not make that shadow cabinet the real deal!

hmm.. I wonder what my barcode tatoo will look like.. or do you think they'll just go straight for the microchips and retnal scans?

[Hux]

....the other scary thing people aren't really talking up is that there I think it's, 9 former Mike Harris cabinet ministers running for the Conservatives in Ontario. Tony Clement, Harris's former Health Minister would likely become our federal health minister in a Harper gov't. So few of the already elected Alliance gang have any experience as Minister's so people like Clement, and Stockwell Day (former Alberta treasurer) are favourites to get into Cabinet.

[SevenSeasJim]

....the other scary thing people aren't really talking up is that there I think it's, 9 former Mike Harris cabinet ministers running for the Conservatives in Ontario. Tony Clement, Harris's former Health Minister would likely become our federal health minister in a Harper gov't. So few of the already elected Alliance gang have any experience as Minister's so people like Clement, and Stockwell Day (former Alberta treasurer) are favourites to get into Cabinet.

Man that's some good Liberal "Scare Tactics" going on Hux

P.S. Are you going to run some day?

[Hux]

Is it still a tactic if it's fact and really is scary IMO?

I am gonna run someday, yes....but if I end up making people in here think I'm trying to scare them into to voting Lib, I'll stop posting.

These are my opionions, I'm not a Liberal to line my pockets, I believe in the party, and if will gladly go down with the ship if that's what the country decides.

[Cosmic ChrisC]

For the first time in my life, I'll probably be voting liberal. Gotta make sure the conservatives don't win this. This time, it really feels like there is no choice. I don't want to vote liberal but I don't want the conservatives to win, so what else can I do? The liberals have screwed up a few times, but the fear of the unknown is worse...I don't wanna know what the conservatives could do.

Some people I know who've been voting liberals all their lives are undecided still. The 28th will be a scary, yet exciting day. It's gonna be close.

[SevenSeasJim]

Come on Hux didn't you see the wink? I know you're not trying to scare anybody here, but it just sounded like something coming directly from Paul Martin's mouth.

[MarcO]

This is a great thread, some real food for thought throughout!

I just wanted to say that regardless of who forms our next government, I hope that the dynamics of this campaign get more people thinking about what issues are important to them, what it means to vote, and that they exercise that right. Canada - in recent years at least - has suffered a shameful low voter turnout. I'm hoping it will rise this time around. It never hurts to think about these things, even if you don't fully understand the bigger picture, or begin to feel overwhelmed. Think about what these parties are saying, think about what is really important to you, think pragmatically (not necessarily staretegically) in a long-term fashion, and your choice will become clearer.

I was struck by the news footage last night of our Canadian troops in Afghanastan casting their ballots (they get an early vote so it can be sent back and processed in time). They're exercising their fundamental democratic right in a part of the world that has never seen such a thing. So think about that. Everyone can find 20 minutes or so on June 28th to vote. You have to. You just have to!

And - this is MarcO's opinion only, obviously - as maddening as the sponsorship scandal was (is), and the smell of arrogance that has been floating down off Parliament Hill for the last few years has been, realize that scandal and abuse of power is not the sole property of the Liberal party. Any governing party will sooner or later face some sort of scandalous situation involving broken promises and abuse of public monies. 'Twas ever thus, and so it shall ever be. So don't vote to punish, because every vote you ever make for the rest of your life could be a vote to punish. Vote for something, look for hope, and don't let petty vanities get in the way.

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!