One would think this would be a major story. Talk of a coalition has been one of the major talking points since Day 1 of the campaign. All across the country we see the Conservative candidate campaigning hard every day. Lawn signs, door knocking, rallies, Conservative candidates are all out in public.
But what of the candidates for the opposition parties? Depending on the riding, you will most likely only see two candidates campaigning hard, the conservative and whichever opposition candidate has the best chance of winning the riding. Here in Ajax-Pickering, the NDP candidate did no campaigning, choosing to tan on a beach in the Caribbean instead. Sightings of NDP signs, or Green Party signs for that matter, number less than Bigfoot sightings.
Over in Oshawa, Liberals never even named a candidate till weeks after the campaign began. Again, while Conservative incumbent Colin Carrie is out campaigning hard, the only rival candidate seen is Dipper Chris Buckley. This riding is between the Conservatives and NDP.
There are reports of Quebec riding's where the same thing is going on. In some of these Quebec riding's, it appears that the non-compete agreement includes the Bloc. So why isn't this newsworthy? Why does the media not even make passing mention? Could it be the media themselves are complicit?
One could never prove it, but it looks painfully obvious that the coalition is alive and well, and that only a Conservative majority will put an end to it.
(if it appears there is a non-compete agreement in your riding, or you know of other riding's using a similar strategy, please leave info in comments, as I would like to do a future post on this with more riding's listed)
In my riding the Liberals are running a candidate that isn't old enough to shave. As far as I can tell, he's never lived in the riding --he went to school at Killarney Secondary in Vancouver, and is now a young Liberal out at UBC. Look at his facebook page:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Stewart-McGillivray/202933426408190#!/pages/Stewart-McGillivray/202933426408190?sk=info
I'm glad the Liberals devoted some democratic thought to selecting a candidate in my riding. It looks like they just went down to UBC and rounded up the young Libs and appointed them. Because, you know, we're not really worth much effort out west.
And they're doing it all over BC.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/04/11/from-liberal-student-society-to-federal-candidate/
Hopefully, SUN NEWS will pick thi sup, because goodness knows that CTV and CBC certainly will not.
ReplyDeleteI have not seen a single NDP sign in North York across all the ridings in the borough.
ReplyDeleteIn Nipissing-Timiskaming the NDP candidate missed the debate at the university, hasn't received her lawn signs yet, and won't have a campaign office.
ReplyDeleteYoshi
ReplyDeleteJust a token NDPer here in Aurora/Newmarket.
In Nipissing-Timiskaming the NDP candidate missed the debate at the university,
ReplyDeleteMildewski told iggy that Conservatives are missing debates with the excuse they are door knocking. The count ripped into that smear job this morning in Wpg.
Can't really blame them. after what happened in Mark Hollands riding. They use debates as a set up to attack, mis-report and haul out their Liberal MOBS as audiences.
I have not seen one CP sign in my area (Peter Stoffer's riding), gotten any literature in the mail or seen the CP candidate at the malls where I've seen the other two. Guess the Conservatives have given up on this part of the world.
ReplyDeleteSomething that I've noticed is that in many Calgary riding's, the Green Party signs have no candidate names, just "Green Party" and a website.
ReplyDeleteAs the 'Party' doesn't appear on the ballot (unless EC breaks that tradition too...sarc)what is their rationale?
Is this the case, elsewhere? Is this what is going on in Lizzie May's case or has she benefited from all of the Party $$$?
I find this a form of "Non-compete" too.
I would call them "Two Dollar " candidates and by my count Libs have 79 of them, not sure how many Two Dollar Dippers but don't think as many.
ReplyDeleteIts the side effect of having an election to garner income rather than seeking a mandate
Bec ... Lizzy is "running" in Saanich-Gulf Islands and from the look of the signs she has a good campaign going. I suspect she will be 1 or 2 in a battle with Gary Lunn of CPC. Of note, there are signs saying " make history-vote Green/May"; "Kids are Green" (hand painted!); all of her signs have a picture of her but the signs in greater Victoria just say Green (the ones I have seen)
ReplyDeleteI think you are right - most of the money has gone to her campaign.
Michael Harkov said...
ReplyDeleteHopefully, SUN NEWS will pick thi sup, because goodness knows that CTV and CBC certainly will not.
There is a growing uneasiness within our midst which is ordering the msm to do whatever it takes to avoid conservatives from regaining power.
To watch the media endorse a socialist who wants to put canada under: protectionism, moratorium, higher taxes, shutting down the oilsands and pipe lines, that would create lose of jobs etc.-
And Duceppe who is a marxist wants one thing take from the ROC to give Quebec so that he would down in Quebec history books as the man that stop the ROC to bail out quebec, is very scary indeed.
LPOC-well, they will continue from where they left off-continue stealing with tons of the same repetitives excuses.
No matter which way the liberals try to bail themselves out, ndp and the BLOC have them in a 'TRAP' to be used whenever it suited the ndp and the bloc.
Yeah, I mean, it certainly doesn't cost anything to register as a candidate, so naturally it's just a grab at the per-vote subsidy.
ReplyDeleteNot to worry May has as much chance of winning a seat as I do of becoming PM. In fact Garry Lunn will have a better time because some of the NDP/Lib vote will go green adding to the split.
ReplyDelete300 million reasons to have the election...
ReplyDeleteeach 1 comes with a $ next to it...
so the Liebral aren't just morally bankrupt but lietrally
ReplyDeleteIn my riding (Edmonton-Sherwood Park), the incumbent CPC candidate is facing a strong independent candidate who is campaigning on issues from a nomination meeting in 2006 (and mistruths of what actually happened). As for the opposition parties, the Liberals are running the same candidate they did in 2008, and who came in fourth behind the NDP, but the NDP have a different candidate this time. Most signs are between the CPC and the Independent cranky guy, but the Liberals have quite a few signs out (as do the Greens). I have yet to see a single NDP sign anywhere in the riding, and my commute to work takes me through most of the riding. I'm curious to know if the NDP candidate even shows up at tonight's forum he's been so quiet.
ReplyDeleteYou can add Vancouver Centre to your list of "non-compete ridings". There are LOTS of strong NDPers in Vancouver, so it is clear that they did not even try to field a viable candidate!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.straight.com/article-383562/vancouver/former-green-candidate-karen-shillington-seeks-ndp-nomination-vancouver-centre
The NDP ran a strong (and annoying Alberta hater professor) candidate last time who came 3rd, but is this year leaving the riding to Hedy Fry (groan - I am soooo embarrassed by my MP), competing with a solid Green candidate and our conservative, Jennifer Clarke http://vancouverconservative.com/, a solid but late choice.
I guess the extorted union dues $$$ helped the NDP fund their vapid dreams in the past. When will some one challenge the right of unions to collect dues from workers? This should not be allowed on freedom of association grounds!
Although I always disliked Chrétien, the one good thing he did was to take all the corporate and union money away from political parties. Of course, he did it for the wrong reason - because he hated Martin, for a lot of good reasons, I might add.
Now, if we can move, with our majority, to step two, taking away Chrétien's taxpayer $$$ for political parties, we will not have a fractious system that supports one-issue greenies and the BLOC, which is actually the real block to democracy. We need to have more Quebecers who are Canadians in cabinet again.
I agree withy anonny: May has no hope of winning, which is great for Canada. Note that there was NO serious move this year to have her whiney voice inserted into the debates.
ReplyDeletehttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vep-5sjC7GA/Ta2N6GDHcLI/AAAAAAAAEzo/23wUxzdxTj4/s1600/11-04-19+Ridings.PNG