# I'm running for Parliament!
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [October 6, 2000, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919 "2000-10-06T04:07:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/1 "2000-10-06T04:07:13Z")
Yep, it’s true.
The prime minister is expected to call an election in a few weeks, and I’m seeking the (uncontested) nomination to run for the [New Democratic Party](http://www.ndp.ca) in my home riding of Verdun-St. Henri.
I, Matthew McLauchlin, will be standing for federal election!
Isn’t that wild?
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### Author:  [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/2 "2000-10-06T04:19:22Z")
_blinks_ Whoa you mean I’ll have communicated with someone who will be joining the fed gov’t? ack! _runs screaming and starts to wash her hands neurotically_ 😉
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### Author:  [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/3 "2000-10-06T04:29:45Z")
All right, Matt! I’d vote for you! Of course, I can’t, not being a resident of the area, or the province, or heck, the country. I don’t suppose you need an headquarters in California, do you?
Good luck!
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### Author:  [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/4 "2000-10-06T04:30:57Z")
Cool! I’d vote for you, but seeing as how I’m an American citizen and all…
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### Author:  [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/5 "2000-10-06T04:33:19Z")
Damn simulposts… THAT WAS MY JOKE! Ijust type slow…☹
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### Author:  [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/6 "2000-10-06T04:35:30Z")
I don’t care what brand of cigarettes you’re chasing after!
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/7 "2000-10-06T05:05:34Z")
Well, I’ve just been doing some research in Hansard (the journal of the proceedings of Parliament), trying to figure out what positions my incumbent opponent has been taking that I can attack.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be taking any positions, period. I think during the entire time the search engine referenced he’s stood up in the House six times.
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### Author:  [@Lux\_Fiat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lux_Fiat)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/8 "2000-10-06T05:38:29Z")
Rock the hell on, matt. Talk about getting involved. Color me seven different kinds of impressed. Wish I could vote for you.
> [@](#):
>
> Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be taking any positions, period. I think during the entire time the search engine referenced he’s stood up in the House six times.
The do-nothing fat cat’s just sitting around collecting his paycheck! The people demand action! 🙂
I am actually interested to know what kinds of issues you’re planning to run on.
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### Author:  [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/9 "2000-10-06T06:01:01Z")
Just in case you need it handy, [here](http://www.georgetown.edu/pdba/Constitutions/Canada/canada1867.html) is your Constitution. Apparently, there is no age requirement for the House of Commons, which strikes me as odd. You’ve got about twelve more years before they’ll let you be a Senator, though.
And since Canada doesn’t, to the best of my knowledge, have anything resembling a libertarian party, I might as well root for you, since you’re smart and honest, even if I disagree with you about everything political.
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/10 "2000-10-06T06:07:49Z")
Lux:
-Health care. The Liberals cut billions from health care, trying to balance the budget by sheer chainsaw economics. It’s been devastating; emergency rooms are overcrowded and nurses have been striking. Alberta has been moving towards a two-tiered medicare system in defiance of the Canada Health Act, and Ottawa hasn’t had the balls to try and stop them. Canadians insist and insist that they are proud of their medicare system and want it to work for everyone, and successive governments hack it to shreds as though a sufficient period of mutilation will make the citizenry drop its commitment to it. The NDP is committed to universial socialized medicare and intends to fund it and defend it as it deserves.
-Unemployment. The Liberals trumpet the unemployment figures without noticing that a low jobless rate is useless if the quality of life hasn’t improved. Most of the jobs lost during the Mulroney years were full-time positions with benefits, and much of the jobs that have been created in response have been part-time jobs and unsecured positions without benefits, and self-employment. Nonetheless, they refuse to reinforce social structures to account for the social difficulties effected by this shift. The NDP will push for social and employment programs to ease the social strain created by these transitions.
-Taxation. Tax cuts are nice. However, everyone else seems to want tax cuts for the rich. They argue that the rich invest more and stimulate the economy. However, it is the lower and lower-middle-class who spend the most _locally_. A far greater percentage of low-income earners’ money goes to local businesses than that of high-income earners. If the intent is to stimulate the Canadian economy, the NDP believes that the focus of tax cuts must be on the poor, not the rich.
-Globalization. World markets are a reality, but there is no reason for us to put up with being forced to the lowest common denominator. We do not allow multinational corporations to sell crack in Canada; we are under no obligation to permit them to destroy our society in other ways. The NDP supports Canadian economic sovereignty and protection of social and environmental programs from those external economic forces which buffet them. In particular, we would like to see negotiations on a Tobin Tax (a minuscule tax designed to slow currency speculation)commence. We are opposed to entering the FTAA negotiations.
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### Author:  [@MysterEcks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysterEcks)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/11 "2000-10-06T07:13:02Z")
A question, Matt–how independent of the party are candidates and officeholders up there? As a candidate, are you pretty much obliged to follow the party line, or can you improvise?
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/12 "2000-10-06T07:45:08Z")
I’m quite free to improvise so long as I don’t directly go against party policy.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/13 "2000-10-06T08:18:22Z")
Congratulations, **matt\_mcl**!!! I’ll be able to say that I met you in the old days before you became famous… 🙂
Follow in the footsteps of Pierre, not Brian, please–although you may want to watch your step during October.
Soo… going to support federal investment in public transport? It’s really embarassing being bettered by the Usonanoj there.
When I was a kid, my mom did a lot of work for the NDP and we got to meet Ed Broadbent, who was MP for Oshawa-Whitby. I gather that he’s still around, at some institute in Montreal?
Looks like I’m going to have to dust off and update my political-party website. 🙂
BTW, did it cost anything to become a candidate?
Have you got/are you allowed to have a website for your candidacy?
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### Author:  [@fierra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fierra)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/14 "2000-10-06T11:33:18Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \*
> \*\*Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to be taking any positions, period. I think during the entire time the search engine referenced he’s stood up in the House six times. \*\*
Hell, that was just because he needed to go out to the toilet!
Good luck Matt!
Right, how long will it take to delete all trace of you from the board? You can’t let the electorate know that they’ll be getting a literate man who can write, is funny, intelligent and cares about things…
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### Author:  [@Sealemon88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sealemon88)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/15 "2000-10-06T12:54:09Z")
Wow, man! That is excellent!
Here’s hoping you make it to the primaries, nad even, maybe, get elected!
Too cool!
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### Author:  [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/16 "2000-10-06T13:10:00Z")
This is so cool!
-----🆒
—////\\
Congratulations! Are you going to have campaign signs, stickers and buttons? Will this interfere much with your classes?
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### Author:  [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/17 "2000-10-06T13:29:56Z")
Just point me towards a ballot box I can stuff. But, by god, if you forget about us little people, I’ll call my buddies over at The Company.
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### Author:  [@Gregor\_Samsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gregor_Samsa)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/18 "2000-10-06T13:31:39Z")
Good on ya, matt!
I didn’t think Quebeckers ever voted NDP, though. Or am I wrong?
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### Author:  [@JimmyNipples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimmyNipples)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/19 "2000-10-06T13:51:58Z")
Congrats Matt…a gay MP.
We have one of those in BC. Sven Robinson.
Federal NDP, I hope, isn’t as bad as Provincial NDP. BC Sucks. When the Maritimes are projected to do better than your home province, you know you suck bad.
Good luck Matt.
How seats does the NDP hold in Parliment?
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### Author:  [@JimmyNipples](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimmyNipples)
#### Post date: [October 6, 2000, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-running-for-parliament/35919/20 "2000-10-06T13:53:20Z")
oops…how **many** seats?
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