Canadian Politics -- I hate myself

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist · Jun 20, 2004

Don't be too hard on yourself Adrienurse. You aren't going to be the only one in your little red canoe! The Liberals have been the government for 34 of the last 37 years and look where they've gotten us. Sad to say, politicians are all cut from the same cloth and make a ton of promises they have no intention of keeping. So we'll give someone else a try for awhile and see where it takes us. You voted. That puts you in the category of someone who gives a rip what happens to all of us. I'll be at the polling station the minute it opens on the 28th, then I may take meself off to Tim's for a large double-double and a muffin. Care to join me?

mattsmom81 · Jun 20, 2004

Sometimes it feels like voting IS deciding between the worst of two evils...LOL! I agree most politicians seem to be cut from the same cloth...and the goal is power.

Kudra · Jun 21, 2004

my biggest reservation about Stephen Harper is the fact that the latest configuration of the Conservatives is so new that they haven't even figured out what the heck they're doing yet... after the mangled merge of the Progressive Conservatives and the Reform Party into the Canadian Alliance, i'm curious (read: afraid) to see what's going to happen to the yet again reshuffled/renamed Conservative Party of Canada... until they sort out their internal politics and policies, they're really not going to have the vision or direction to sort out the Country's... can you say internal turmoil and dissention? Stephen Harper was only elected to leader of the party 3 or 4 months ago... i just don't think he has the where-with-all to properly unite that party...

of course, i'm a bleeding heart liberal who's voting NDP... i know they won't win, but i refuse to vote for the Conservatives or Liberals...

beth

Lys · Jun 22, 2004

I agree with all of you former posters...it IS voting for the lesser of two evils, or voting to keep someone out *shakes head* Sad state of affairs, no?

I hate to say it, and please don't throw tomatoes *lol* but I'm leaning Liberal. In my city, the Liberal candidate stands for much that I believe in, except that he voted 'no' for the gay-marriage thing. I'm *SCARED* of the conservatives at this point, cuz "my kind" are likely to be strung up in trees if they have their way *lol* ;-)

I laughed so hard during that "debate" which was actually men bickering! *lol* That was great... ;-)

So...why don't we form our own health-care and peacekeeping oriented party? *lol* I think we nurses could run a fairly successful country!!

LPN_of_BC · Jun 23, 2004

Hello everyone - the following came in from a friend - I like the logic of it.

Hello.

My name is Alan Robberstad

I am a Canadian.

One voter out of millions of Canadian voters.

Paul Martin is no friend of mine.

Liberal governments have not made my life any better.

Liberal governments have made the future worse for my children.

Jean Chretien and the Liberal Party became Prime Minister many years ago.

Guess who was the Liberal Finance Minister.....Paul Martin...LEST WEFORGET

Since 1993:

(1) My taxes have increased.

(2) My family's share of the national debt has increased.

(3) My personal expenses have increased.

(4) My waiting time to see a doctor has increased.

(5) My concerns for my family's safety have increased.

(6) My costs to educate my children have increased.

(7) Government interference in my life has increased.

(8) My personal debt has increased.

(9) My income has stayed more or less the same.

(10) My savings have decreased.

(11) The buying power of my dollar, in Canada, has decreased.

(12) The value of my dollar, in the U.S., has decreased.

(13) My trust of elected officials has decreased.

(14) My trust in the justice system has decreased.

(15 )My trust in the immigration system has decreased.

(16) My hope that a Liberal won't waste my tax dollars has decreased.

(17 )My dreams for a better future for my kids, in Canada, have disappeared.

That is my story since the Liberals came to power.

I am not voting for Paul Martin's Liberals.

I am voting against Paul Martin and his Liberal Party on June 28, 2004.

I am voting for Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party.

Do I like the Conservatives?

Not particularly......I don't really like Politics.

I am not political by nature.

I am not passionate about politics.

I am a middle age guy (48).

I live in a small house on a fairly quiet street in Edmonton.

I have a wife, Kathy, and two children (ages 19 and 17).

I have no pets.

I am a middle class man.

I don't usually say too much.

Until now.

Now I am going to say something!

In 35 of the past 37 years, Canada has been ruled by:

(1) Pierre Trudeau - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.

(2) Brian Mulroney - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.

(3) Jean Chretien - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec.

(4) And now we are going to vote for Paul Martin???? - a multi-millionaire lawyer from Quebec???

The leader of the Conservative party, Stephen Harper, is:

(1) Not a lawyer.

(2) Not a multi-millionaire.

(3) Not from Quebec.

Stephen Harper says that the Conservative party will:

(1) Reduce my taxes.

(2) Pay off the national debt as fast as they can.

(3) Shrink the size and influence of the federal government.

That's good enough for me.

I'm going to give the Conservative party a chance with my vote.

But wait!

Paul Martinis now saying the same thing.

My mother told me forty years ago:

"Fool me once - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me!"

The Liberals have had 34 years to be financially responsible.

Remember, Jean Chretien was Trudeau's Finance Minister.

Remember also, Paul Martin was Jean Chretien's Finance Minister.

These people have been raising my taxes for thirty four years.

They have been mis-spending my tax dollars for 34 years.

34 years!

And now Paul Martin says he'll stop taxing and spending.

No way.

Thank you for reading my story so far!

I have probably written this e-mail too late.

As I said I am not politically adroit.

I feel like Peter Finch, in the 1976 movie "Network", when he shouted: "I'm

mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore!"

My best wishes to you.

My best wishes to Canadians everywhere.

My thanks to David Stokes from Toronto

He actually wrote this just (5) days before the last federal election in 2000.

Fool me once - shame on you Fool me twice - shame on me!"

Alan Robberstad

Edmonton, Alberta

June 10, 2004@ 3:00 p.m.

jncRN · Jun 24, 2004

Hi there,

Here in Nova Scotia, I'm not sure who to vote for, either.

Looking at it from a local perspective, my MP candidates are as follows:

Liberal: The son of a former premier who was convicted a few years ago of sexually assaulting former coworkers (the premier, not the son who is running now).

NDP: A popular local comedian, who has never worked in any business or government, whose experience consists of stand-up comedy and emceeing weddings and such.

Conservative/Reform/Whatever they are calling themselves now: A guy who knocked on doors in my neighbourhood to talk to people about his campaign, and who commented to my husband that, "There seem to be an awful lot of 'foreigners' in this neighbourhood -- does that affect our property value?" :uhoh21:

So you can see that we are not in a good situation here, at least locally!

I feel I need to vote, that it is my responsibility as a Canadian; but I just feel like there aren't many viable choices. I am kind of leaning towards NDP, not because I think they'd actually get voted into power, but because I think they'd make a good opposition party, with their social agendas. The Conservative/Reform party scares the heck out of me -- Stephen Harper is proposing to further privatize health care, taking us back 50 years and making it so only rich people can afford to go to the doctor. The Liberals...well, as a previous poster said, they have been in power the majority of the past 37 years and haven't exactly done a great job.

I don't know...I like the previous poster's suggestion of us forming a nurse-led party. :)

z's playa · Jun 24, 2004

I went and did it. I voted in advanced polls today cause I'll be out of town on election day. I voted Conservative. I can't believe myself. They are so against my personal politics. But I made a decision on the night of the English debate that Stephen Harper seemed the only one with integrety and therefore would get my vote. Martin's agruments (or lack there of) were completely transperant and totally evasive.
There you have it.

:bluecry1: You did WHAAAAT??? It's my personal belief that the NDP need their time in court...they believe in student grants as opposed to OSAP and life long debt.

z's playa · Jun 24, 2004

Sometimes it feels like voting IS deciding between the worst of two evils...LOL! I agree most politicians seem to be cut from the same cloth...and the goal is power.

In this case its 4 evils.....n'est pas? :chuckle

RNonsense · Jun 26, 2004

This is the first time in my life that I am torn on who to vote for. It will NOT be Liberal though!!!!!

Jay-Jay, RN · Jun 26, 2004

Just a reminder to members that solicitation and advertising are strictly forbidden on this board. Therefore, I have had to edit Jaycee's post.

Discussing the pros/cons of the different parties is okay. Saying who you plan to vote for, and why, ditto.

Telling OTHER people to vote a certain way, sorry, nope! That falls under the heading of 'political advertising'.

Okay, folks?

Me, I'm not at ALL in favour of the privatization of medicare, therefore I won't be voting for Harper. When I read the parties' statements on health care, the Liberals seem to have the best thought-out approach. And, being a homecare nurse, I really liked Martin's promise to revamp and strengthen the homecare system. Still, in the wake of the sponsorship scandal, I'm trying to remember that old joke about 'the lesser of the two weevils'!

I am also not in favour of same-sex marriage, and I like Martin's approach to solving this very contoversial question. I define 'marriage' as the union of one man and one woman. No, I am NOT against gays forming partnerships, and these unions are already recognized under (I believe) the same laws that govern common-law heterosexual unions. I am all in favour of gays doing this, and having full spousal benefits. But, please, could we save the term 'marriage' for straight couples?

Paprikat · Jun 28, 2004

I am from B.C., an LPN who has lost 11% of my wages thanks to Gordon Campbell and his Liberals. I will not support the Liberals ever again, federal or provincial. I have lost faith in politicians. I still am undecided....most likely vote NDP.