# The "Longest Election Campaign in Modern Canada" Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 2, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807 "2015-08-02T15:45:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/241 "2015-09-09T20:08:31Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s a rather honest and realistic assessment of the situation. If the Conservatives don’t win there is absolutely no hope whatsoever of them forming a coalition with the third place party. Why would he pretend otherwise? Well hey, if he doesn’t want the job, let someone else do it. I just can’t with people like him who says they want our votes and then acts like we’re doing HIM the favour. I get where he’s going south in the polls, but I wouldn’t say it’s a tipping point quite yet. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/242 "2015-09-09T20:20:07Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s a rather honest and realistic assessment of the situation. If the Conservatives don’t win there is absolutely no hope whatsoever of them forming a coalition with the third place party. If the Liberals and NDP can work together and potentially even form a coalition, but the Harper Conservatives can’t work with anyone, what does that tell us about the Harper Conservatives and their esteemed leader? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/243 "2015-09-09T21:07:06Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > Well hey, if he doesn’t want the job, let someone else do it. If he doesn’t win the election, then that’s exactly what will happen. I don’t understand why the statement “If my party loses the election I will not be the Prime Minister” is a problem. [QUOTE=wolfpup] If the Liberals and NDP can work together and potentially even form a coalition, but the Harper Conservatives can’t work with anyone, what does that tell us about the Harper Conservatives and their esteemed leader? [/QUOTE] I would not put it past the Liberals to form a coalition with the Conservatives. I don’t think they will, but another third place finish and you’d better believe the self-declared “natural governing party” will have some angry true believers demanding they do something to stay in power if a coalition with an NDP plurality doesn’t work out. After all, they happily propped up Harper’s crew from 2008 to 2011. Harper’s position, which seems reasonable to me, is that the plurality-winning party should get first crack at forming a government, as in fact his did in 2006 and 2008. That’s always been his position. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/244 "2015-09-09T21:07:19Z")
When is the last time we had a federal coalition government\* in Canada? We don’t really do coalition governments here. The party with the most seats always has the first shot at forming a government. \*(It was back in WWI.) ETA: I see RickJay beat me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/245 "2015-09-09T22:14:48Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Harper’s position, which seems reasonable to me, is that the plurality-winning party should get first crack at forming a government, as in fact his did in 2006 and 2008. That’s always been his position. I would agree with this - whichever party wins a plurality should get first crack at forming a government. The trick is, that government must have the confidence of the majority of the MP’s. If there is a weak minority CPC government, they will fall at the first confidence vote. (I don’t for a minute believe the Liberals will prop them up again) The question is … what then? Does the GG see if another Party can hold the confidence of the majority of MP’s in parliament? Or does he immediately call for a new election? I would say the former is what should (and will) happen. At any rate, I hope it does not come to this. Harper’s party is busy shooting themselves in the foot, and I think the wheels are really going to come off the campaign in the near future. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/246 "2015-09-09T23:21:13Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > After all, they happily propped up Harper’s crew from 2008 to 2011. If a minority government is making reasonable compromises then supporting it is the right thing to do. The alternative is complete dysfunction and a constant series of elections. The worst damage that this idiot has perpetrated on the nation has mostly been during his unconstrained majority tenure. Interesting two-part analysis here of how Harper may be the worst PM in Canadian history. A good point-by-point appears about halfway down the first part: > **[Is Harper the worst prime minister in history?](https://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/05/18/news/harper-worst-prime-minister-history)** > > Even conservatives can’t point to major achievements. Tom Flanagan says with the exception of some criminal justice reforms, Harper has not delivered on social conservative issues, such as abortion or gay marriage, and didn’t end things like... [http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/06/07/news/harper-worst-prime-minister-history-part-two](http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/06/07/news/harper-worst-prime-minister-history-part-two) ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/247 "2015-09-09T23:31:39Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > If a minority government is making reasonable compromises then supporting it is the right thing to do. The alternative is complete dysfunction and a constant series of elections. The worst damage that this idiot has perpetrated on the nation has mostly been during his unconstrained majority tenure. > > Interesting two-part analysis here of how Harper may be the worst PM in Canadian history. A good point-by-point appears about halfway down the first part: > [Is Harper the worst prime minister in history? | Canada's National Observer: Climate News](http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/05/18/news/harper-worst-prime-minister-history) > [http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/06/07/news/harper-worst-prime-minister-history-part-two](http://www.nationalobserver.com/2015/06/07/news/harper-worst-prime-minister-history-part-two) That’s the most outrageously biased piece of reporting I’ve seen in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/248 "2015-09-09T23:35:27Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > If he doesn’t win the election, then that’s exactly what will happen. I don’t understand why the statement “If my party loses the election I will not be the Prime Minister” is a problem. I get that he has a defeatist attitude because he has no inclination to work with anyone. Harpo’s been too extreme for so long to actually work with anyone. It’s all or nothing. the other parties are saying similar things about forming the government, they aren’t saying that they won’t be leading their party. Pierre Trudeau still lead his party after Joe Clark won the minority, lucky for Pierre there was enough of a coalition with Ed Broadbent’s party to bring Joe down at the first sniff of non-confidence. The problem with Harpo is he’s never wanted to work with the other parties, so that if this situation arises he just doesn’t have the opportunity to go back in power as Trudeau did. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/249 "2015-09-09T23:48:06Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Harper’s position, which seems reasonable to me, is that the plurality-winning party should get first crack at forming a government, as in fact his did in 2006 and 2008. That’s always been his position. In both cases, the BQ still existed as a millstone to government. That may not be the case this election. I see no reason to doubt that a majority NDP/Liberal government would not be able to strike a deal. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/250 "2015-09-09T23:51:29Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > That’s the most outrageously biased piece of reporting I’ve seen in my life. My goodness. Denigrating the Prime Minister. How horrible. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/251 "2015-09-10T01:02:13Z")
> [@Andiethewestie](#): > > I get that he has a defeatist attitude because he has no inclination to work with anyone. Oh, I think he’d work with anyone to remain on as PM. The central purpose of the Harper government is that Stephen Harper be the Prime Minister. They don’t seem to have any other particular policy of significance. Your characterization of Harper as “extreme” is bizarre, the sort of stuff people were saying in 2005 when he had the “secret agenda” of horrible things he would do and none of them happened. Remember when he was going to ban abortion, bring back the death penalty, cancel Medicare and declare martial law? Stephen Harper is the LEAST extreme Prime Minister that Canada has had in my lifetime. The Conservatives have done very little of actual significance. The lists of Harper horrors you read on Facebook are largely things they DON’T do, like support veterans, or are administrative things blown up into nightmares they aren’t, or are things like C-51 that are symbolically significant but don’t really do a lot, and that’s the Harper way of doing things. It’s like his unflinching support of Israel; it plays well to some people and poorly with others, but in the end it doesn’t mean anything, really. Support from Canada’s Prime Minister has about as much an effect on Israel’s security or the plight of Palestinian people as does tonight’s Blue Jays - Red Sox game. There’s no landmark thing you can say they’ve done, no attempt to really do anything even approaching extreme. Trudeau changed the Constitution, Mulroney brought in free trade, Chretien cut budgets and balanced books. What has Harper done? Well… I can’t really think of anything like that. The Conservatives just do little things and say stuff that plays to the voters. What the hell is their major policy initiative? The child tax credit? Beats me. > [@](#): > > Pierre Trudeau still lead his party after Joe Clark won the minority, lucky for Pierre there was enough of a coalition with Ed Broadbent’s party to bring Joe down at the first sniff of non-confidence. That’s not a “coalition.” Trudeau didn’t form a coalition government with the NDP. He just had his party vote in a confidence motion with them. You know who else did that? Stephen Harper. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/252 "2015-09-10T01:16:03Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > That’s the most outrageously biased piece of reporting I’ve seen in my life. In the case you also have to believe that the vast majority of Canadian media is also “outrageously biased”, from your perspective. Because the sordid history of the Harper government is factual and verifiable and has been widely reported in our major newspapers and news broadcasts, and commented on by respected and credible sources. For instance: Starting in 2010, Harper tabled a bill with 883 pages that included changes to Canada Post and environmental assessments. Since then, Harper has passed 10 more omnibus bills to circumvent debate in parliament, often making sweeping changes to laws and regulations. “All have been an abuse of process and shown contempt for Parliament by subverting its role,” editorialized _ **The Globe and Mail** _ last fall. “Major changes to policy and law that should have been examined by MPs have been pushed through with almost no debate, sometimes with disastrous results.” In 2013, **the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada** (PIPSC), which represents 20,000 federal scientists, found that hundreds of their members said they had been asked to exclude or alter technical information in government documents for non-scientific reasons, and thousands said they had been prevented from responding to the media or the public. In 2012, the government launched an unprecedented assault on Canada’s environmental laws when it introduced Bill C-38, mentioned above – an omnibus bill that put a halt to automatic environmental assessments of projects under the federal government’s purview. All told, the Fisheries Act, Navigable Waters Protection Act and Canadian Environmental Assessment Act were either repealed or simply gutted, while the NEB was neutered. “So you can go through all the legislation that was changed… there’s a direct link to the long-standing requests of the oil industry to remove these environmental barriers to rapid resource development,” says Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence, a Toronto-based environmental group. And so on and so on … it’s possible to go on for pages. This wraps it up nicely: For many political observers, one of the most alarming changes Harper has ushered in is not even legislative: it’s the way in which political discourse is conducted. “They have a clear policy of dishonest spin on almost everything,” says [Duff] Conacher [founder of Democracy Watch]. “They’ve done that far more than any other government in the last 25 years, which is to lie and stick to the lie.” … Michael Harris agrees with Conacher, saying “(Harper) is a person who does not believe in the truth… For the prime minister of a country where he’s setting the entire agenda and putting the signature across a whole government and where words don’t mean much, we are in a lot of trouble… He is the first prime minister who is a marketer, an aluminum siding salesman. He is not a truth teller.” ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/253 "2015-09-10T01:19:05Z")
[Stephen Harper’s accomplishments](http://ktvharris.com/2015/05/21/stephen-harpers-accomplishments/): > [@](#): > > 1. GST cuts (from 7% to 5%) > 2. Numerous Free Trade agreements (especially with the EU) > 3. Concluding, signing or bringing into force 10 foreign investment promotion and protection agreements (FIPAs), including with Nigeria, Benin and Tanzania; more than any previous year. > 4. Concluding negotiations for new or expanded air transport agreements with 26 countries – a record number for one year – including with China, Japan, Senegal, Malaysia, Peru, Turkey, Pakistan and South Africa. > 5. Making progress on the Beyond the Border Action Plan, including by releasing the first ever joint Canada-United States Border Infrastructure Investment Plan, and launching Phase II of the Canada-U.S. Entry-Exit Initiative. > 6. Launching consultations on the Canada Job Grant, which will help ensure that Canadians are able to obtain the skills and qualifications they need to get jobs in high-demand fields. > 7. Reforming the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to ensure that Canadians are given the first chance at available jobs. > 8. Making significant infrastructure investments across the country to create jobs and growth, including through providing support for the revitalization of the Lévis ferry area and the redevelopment of Gilmour Hill in Quebec; the creation of a new Centre for Northern Innovation in Mining at Yukon College; the construction of the 140-kilometre Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway – the first all-weather road to the Arctic Coast; improvements to the public transit system in Toronto; and construction, repair and maintenance at core commercial fishing harbours across Canada. > 9. Announcing a new accelerated timeline for the construction of the new bridge for the St. Lawrence. > 10. Introducing the New Building Canada Plan to build roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories and municipalities. > 11. Supporting innovation by announcing the new Build in Canada Innovation Program to kick-start businesses and get their innovative products and services from the lab to the marketplace. > 12. Announcing the government’s Venture Capital Action Plan to improve access to venture capital financing by high-growth Canadian companies, so that they have the capital they need to create jobs and growth. > 13. Transforming the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) into an industry-focused research and technology organization. > 14. Renewing the Automotive Innovation Fund by providing $250 million over five years (2013-2018) to automotive companies in Canada in support of strategic, large-scale research and development projects. > 15. Launching the Growing Forward 2 policy framework (2013-2018) for Canada’s agricultural and agri-food sector to ensure that Canadian producers and processors have the tools and resources they need to continue to innovate and capitalize on emerging market opportunities. > 16. Launching the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program to support the protection, restoration and rebuilding of recreational fisheries habitat. > 17. Announcing new measures to further strengthen Canada’s pipeline safety record by adding new security and emergency management requirements. > 18. Re-introducing the Offshore Health and Safety Act (Bill C-5) to strengthen safety in Canada’s offshore oil and gas industry. > 19. Adopting the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act, No. 1 (Bill C-60) and the Economic Action Plan 2013 Act No. 2 (Bill C-4) to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 21, 2013, as well as other measures. > 20. Lowering the annual deficit in 2012-13 to $18.9 billion – down by more than one-quarter from the deficit of $26.3 billion in 2011-12. > 21. Reforming Public Sector Pensions by introducing a 50-50 cost sharing model for public service pension plan members, including Parliamentarians. The retirement age for new federal hires was also increased, effective January 1, 2013, from 60 to 65 years of age. Reforms will save Canadian taxpayers $2.6-billion over the next five years. > 22. Ceasing distribution of the Canadian penny, and phasing-out pennies in circulation, saving taxpayers an estimated $11 million a year. > 23. Investing $241 million over four years to help First Nation youth between the ages of 18 and 24 get personalized job and skills training. > 24. Finalizing the federal loan guarantee for Nalcor’s Lower Churchill projects. > 25. Supporting the development of innovative clean technologies, including by providing more than $82 million through Canada’s ecoENERGY Innovation Initiative for 55 projects aimed at producing and using energy in a cleaner, more efficient way; and announcing $76.5 million through Sustainable Development Technology Canada’s (SDTC) SD Tech FundTM for new investments supporting the development of innovative clean technologies. > 26. Committing to establish new mandatory reporting standards for Canadian extractive companies with a view to enhancing transparency on the payments they make to governments. > 27. Introducing the Northwest Territories Devolution Act, which will give Northerners greater control over their lands and resources, support economic growth and provide opportunities for Northerners. > 28. Passing the Northern Jobs and Growth Act (Bill C-47), which empowers the people of Nunavut to manage land and resource development to fuel strong, healthy, self-reliant communities. > 29. Providing support to the community of Lac-Mégantic following the tragic train derailment in July 2013, including by providing expert advice to first responders; setting up mobile outreach services to provide access to Government of Canada programs and services, including Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security; and allocating $60 million to support the response and recovery efforts, as well as up to $95 million for decontamination efforts. > 30. Consulting provinces and territories on the development of a National Disaster Mitigation Program to reduce the impacts of future natural disasters. > 31. Introducing the Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act (Bill C-13) to address criminal behaviour associated with cyberbullying. > 32. Releasing the Action Plan 2010-2015 for Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy. This action plan demonstrates the accomplishments to date under Canada’s Cyber Security Strategy and describes the government’s ongoing efforts to make cyberspace more secure for all Canadians. > 33. Announcing an intent to introduce legislation the Tougher Penalties for Child Predators Act; legislation that will better protect children against sexual exploitation. > 34. Providing more than $2.2 million in support for Child Advocacy Centres across the country, including in Winnipeg, Calgary, Simcoe/Muskoka and Montréal. > 35. Holding consultations across the country to discuss priorities on the development of a Canadian Victims’ Bill of Rights. > 36. Adopting the Not Criminally Responsible Reform Act (Bill C-14) in the House of Commons, to ensure that public safety comes first in the decision-making process with respect to accused persons found Not Criminally Responsible on Account of Mental Disorder (NCR). The new legislation would also create a new designation to protect the public from high-risk NCR offenders and promote greater victim involvement. > 37. Introducing the Safe Food for Canadians Action Plan to further improve Canada’s food safety system. > 38. Introducing new patient safety legislation (Bill C-17) to protect Canadians and ensure that no drug that is unsafe is left on store shelves. > 39. Launching the Plain Language Labelling Initiative, to make drug labels and packaging information easier to read and understand. > Working with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada to put in place Automated External Defibrillators and related training in community hockey arenas across the country to help save lives. > 40. Defending Canadian consumers by committing in the October 16, 2013 Speech From the Throne to: supporting greater competition in the wireless sector by addressing roaming costs on networks within Canada; providing Canadians with the opportunity to choose the combination of television channels they want by requiring that they be unbundled; and taking steps to address geographic price discrimination against Canadians. In 2013 the government introduced measures to promote more choice, lower prices and better service in Canada’s wireless market. > 41. Ensuring that Canadians living in rural areas benefit from greater access to high-speed Internet services. > 42. Introducing and advancing the Combating Counterfeit Products Act (Bill C-8), to protect Canadian consumers, Canadian manufacturers and retailers as well as the Canadian economy from the health and economic threats presented by counterfeit goods coming into Canada. > 43. Making significant investments to improve First Nation water and wastewater systems, including by investing $330.8 million over two years to sustain progress made to build and renovate water and wastewater infrastructure on reserves, and to support the development of a long-term strategy to improve water quality in First Nation communities. > 44. Promoting a better model of health service delivery for British Columbia First Nations by transferring all health programs and services previously administered by Health Canada to the new British Columbia First Nations Health Authority. > 45. Delivering results to Aboriginal people and all Canadians by adopting key pieces of legislation, including: the First Nations Financial Transparency Act (Bill C-27), the Family Homes on Reserves and Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act (Bill S-2), the Safe Drinking Water for First Nations Act (Bill S-8), and the Yale First Nation Final Agreement Act (Bill C-62). > 46. Adopting the First Nations Elections Act (Bill C-9) in the House of Commons, to address longstanding issues with the current election system under the Indian Act by extending the terms of office for chiefs and councils; introducing a more robust nomination process; adding penalties for defined offences and fraudulent activities; and raising the possibility for common election days among several First Nations. > 47. Re-introducing the Respect for Communities Act (Bill C-2), which would require any potential applications for supervised drug consumption sites in Canada to meet clear criteria before such applications can be considered. > 48. Adopting the Nuclear Terrorism Act (Bill S-9), to better respond to the threat of nuclear terrorism. > 49. Adopting the Combating Terrorism Act (Bill S-7), to ensure that Canada has the tools it needs to anticipate and respond effectively to acts of terrorism. > 50. Adopting the Safer Witnesses Act (Bill C-51), to improve the federal Witness Protection Program, and to help combat terrorism and organized crime. > 51. Announcing a series of measures to enhance transportation safety, including an emergency directive to further enhance existing safe railway operations and the security of railway transportation; and, announcing a protective direction directing rail companies to share information with municipalities, to name a few. > 52. Announcing a number of measures toward the creation of a World-Class Tanker Safety System, including the implementation of eight tanker safety measures along with the re-introduction of the Safeguarding Canada’s Seas and Skies Act (Bill C-3), and the creation of a Tanker Safety Expert Panel to review Canada’s current tanker safety system and propose further measures to strengthen it. > 53. Bringing the provision of the Citizen’s Arrest and Self Defence Act (Bill C-26) into force, to expand the existing power to make a citizen’s arrest. > 54. Re-introducing and advancing the Tackling Contraband Tobacco Act (Bill C-10), to combat the trafficking and cross-border smuggling of contraband tobacco. > 55. Filing a submission with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf in the Atlantic Ocean, to obtain international recognition for the outer limits of our extended continental shelf, and announcing our plan to do the work required to file a submission incorporating the full extent of Canada’s extended continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean, which includes a claim to the North Pole. > 56. Supporting and strengthening the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), including by launching a major initiative – Defence Renewal – to reduce corporate overhead and inefficiencies, and to streamline business processes. The initiative is forecasted to generate between $750 million and $1.2 billion in savings per year by 2017-18, to be reinvested in Defence operational and front-line priorities. > 57. Further investing in front line CAF capabilities, including by awarding subcontracts for the Light Armoured Vehicle III Upgrade and acquiring a new fleet of 15 medium-to-heavy lift Chinook F-model helicopters. > 58. Continuing to make progress in the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Coast Guard Fleet Renewal. > 59. Continuing to defend our national sovereignty in the Arctic by opening a Canadian Armed Forces Arctic Training Centre. > 60. Keeping Prime Minister Harper’s 2007 commitment to expand and modernize the Canadian Rangers from 4,000 Rangers in 166 patrols to 5,000 Rangers. As of August 2013, there were more than 5,000 Rangers in 178 patrols, a 25 per cent increase since 2007. > 61. Supporting our veterans by: announcing changes that will deliver increased benefits to traditional veterans; creating partnerships to prevent homelessness among veterans; establishing a number of collaborative initiatives to help veterans find employment after their military career; and introducing the Priority Hiring for Injured Veterans Act (Bill C-11), to provide medically released veterans injured in service to Canada the top level of priority consideration for job openings in the public service. The government is also committed to supporting the comprehensive review of the New Veterans Charter, with a special focus placed on the most seriously injured, support for families and the delivery of programs. > 62. Announcing new measures to promote Canadian history, as we approach the 150th anniversary of Canada in 2017, including through support for Urbamania’s “Deux rives, une même musique,” a show featuring singers, musicians and artists commemorating the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain’s passage through the Ottawa region, his interaction with the first inhabitants of the country and the westward expansion of the French language. > 63. Continuing to educate Canadians about the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 through the commemoration of key battles to honour our military heritage, such as the Battle of York, the Battle of Crysler’s Farm and the Battle of Châteauguay. > 64. Signing a new agreement to keep the headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in Montréal. > 65. Launching the Start-Up Visa program to provide sought-after entrepreneurs with permanent residency and access to a wide range of business partners. > 66. Introducing the new Federal Skilled Trades Program to target workers abroad in skilled trades occupations in high demand. The program addresses serious labour shortages that some regions of the country are facing, and will help grow Canada’s economy. > 67. Strengthening the integrity of Canada’s immigration system by adopting the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act (Bill C-43). > 68. Unveiling the Canadian High Arctic Research Station’s Science and Technology Plan for 2014 to 2019, which outlines the priority areas on which our cutting-edge High Arctic science and technology program will initially focus. > 69. Taking decisive action to provide emergency relief to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, including by: providing more than $20 million towards emergency relief activities; deploying more than 300 members of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART); and creating a matching fund by which the government will contribute a dollar for each eligible dollar donated by individual Canadians to registered Canadian charities until December 23, 2013. > 70. Providing an additional $180 million in humanitarian, development, and security assistance in response to the crisis in Syria in 2013, and also contributing $15 million in humanitarian assistance in response to the crisis in Mali. > 71. Continuing to protect Canada’s national interests at home and on the world stage, including by deploying Canadian Armed Forces members to assist with flood relief efforts in Alberta; working with partners and allies for peace and security in the maritime environment of the greater Middle East region; and providing logistical support to France during their counter-terrorism operations in Mali. The government is also beginning to mark the end of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan, with the last group of CAF personnel slated to return to Canada in March 2014. > 72. Consistent with our Muskoka Initiative commitments, making significant contributions to improve maternal, newborn and child health in developing countries, including by: allocating $250 million between 2013 and 2018 to support the global goal of eradicating polio; committing $650 million over three years to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; committing $250 million for 28 new projects that will help save the lives of mothers, infants and children in Haiti, Africa and Asia; and committing $145.8 million for nine new initiatives that will strengthen the capacity of countries to address under-nutrition, particularly among mothers and children. > 73. Establishing the Office of Religious Freedom, to encourage the protection of religious communities under threat around the world and to promote Canadian values of pluralism and tolerance. > 74. Following the passing of Nelson Mandela, announcing the creation of the African Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarships Fund, in partnership with The MasterCard Foundation, as well as the Canada Graduate Scholarships to Honour Nelson Mandela. These scholarships will allow gifted Canadian students and early career public sector professionals from Africa to pursue further studies in Canada. > 75. Within the G-8 context, initiating partnerships with Peru and Tanzania to further strengthen transparency in their extractive industries. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/254 "2015-09-10T01:22:30Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > In the case you also have to believe that the vast majority of Canadian media is also “outrageously biased”, … In fact I DO believe that. That’s exactly what I believe. ETA: The Sun newspapers are the only right-leaning papers that support the Conservatives. And, no, they’re not Fox news. They have a very decent editorial team and opinion writers. And, facts are readily verifiable. (The National Post is a close second.) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/255 "2015-09-10T01:55:56Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Your characterization of Harper as “extreme” is bizarre, the sort of stuff people were saying in 2005 when he had the “secret agenda” of horrible things he would do and none of them happened. Remember when he was going to ban abortion, bring back the death penalty, cancel Medicare and declare martial law? The things that didn’t happen were things that would have been political suicide, though that didn’t stop Harper’s lunatic backbenchers – the fundies and evolution deniers that were inherited from the Reform Party – from clamoring for them. But I mentioned in the previous post some of that things that _ **did** _ happen, and the previously cited articles present a much more complete list. Many of them, like the trashing of environmental regulations, the contempt for science and the silencing of scientists, are unprecedented in Canadian history. Harper isn’t extreme? This is the guy who, as head of the Canadian Alliance, [wrote a fundraising letter in 2002](http://www.thestar.com/news/2007/01/30/harper_letter_called_kyoto_socialist_scheme.html) which was essentially a barely coherent rant against climate change and the Kyoto Accord: “ **Kyoto is essentially a socialist scheme to suck money out of wealth-producing nations** ,” says the letter, signed by Harper. “Implementing Kyoto will cripple the oil and gas industry, which is essential to the economies of Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia . . . … He also blasted the treaty for targeting carbon dioxide — which he said is “essential to life” — and **played down the science of climate change as “tentative and contradictory**.” Harper went on to promise a “battle of Kyoto” in hope of defeating the Chrétien Liberals’ efforts to implement the treaty legislation in the House of Commons. > [@Leaffan](#): > > In fact I DO believe that. That’s exactly what I believe. American Tea Party types and other fringe right-wing extremists believe the same thing about their media, too. Apparently the only dependable media for the far right are Fox News and Rush Limbaugh. > [@Leaffan](#): > > ETA: The Sun newspapers are the only right-leaning papers that support the Conservatives. And, no, they’re not Fox news. They have a very decent editorial team and opinion writers. And, facts are readily verifiable. Sure. That’s why Sun TV was so successful that they went off the air after one or two astoundingly embarrassing years. They were unable to obtain must-carry status as a news channel because they weren’t a news channel, they were widely regarded as a right-wing joke. They featured raving lunatics like Ezra Levant and a few other raving dipshits whose names I don’t recall. It was like Fox News done by third-graders with severe ADD. The Sun newspapers are part of the same organization. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/256 "2015-09-10T02:07:34Z")
I think it was censorship to not allow Sun TV to be part of the basic channel package of TV providers. This is why they couldn’t make a go of it. Did I agree with them on everything? No, I didn’t. But what’s fundamentally wrong with having an alternate view on politics? The CRTC has no business censoring what political party people support. How is this even possible in Canada? A news channel that presents itself as right-wing isn’t even allowed to be included with the CBC, CTV, Global News, etc. as an alternative? These other news channels get to be included but not Sun TV? I don’t support that decision at all. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/257 "2015-09-10T03:36:04Z")
“Censorship”? That’s just extremely silly. No one was censoring Sun TV. They were free to blather on and froth at the mouth all they liked. The CRTC decision was to deny them the special privilege accorded legitimate news organizations in the public interest, because news – accurate, objective, honest news – is essential to a functional democracy. You can’t just set up shop as an opinionated broadcaster of politically motivated drivel and call yourself a “news channel”, and expect to be granted all the privileges of a legitimate news organization just because you say so. The special provisions of the must-carry privileges are not with respect to political opinions but with respect to actual **news** – the word has a specific meaning. The CRTC acted responsibly and in the public interest. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/258 "2015-09-10T03:49:55Z")
I disagree. And I have a right to disagree. The CRTC should not have had a right to disagree with a news channel presenting an alternate view. Again, I’m not frothing at the mouth over this, and some things Ezra Levant said are downright embarrassing, however I think in a democratic society we should be, need to be, presented with alternate opinions. Brian Lilly was quite good and informative. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/259 "2015-09-10T04:09:12Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > The things that didn’t happen were things that would have been political suicide, though that didn’t stop Harper’s lunatic backbenchers – the fundies and evolution deniers that were inherited from the Reform Party – from clamoring for them. But I mentioned in the previous post some of that things that _ **did** _ happen, and the previously cited articles present a much more complete list. Many of them, like the trashing of environmental regulations, the contempt for science and the silencing of scientists, are unprecedented in Canadian history. The “trashing of environmental regulations” is the sort of thing I mean by administrative matters blown up into nightmares. Canada’s network of environmental regulations is in fact basically the same, and if anything stronger, than it was in 2006. There isn’t more pollution belching into the sky or pouring into the rivers. This isn’t a dirtier country than it was then. Harper’s letter about Kyoto is what it is, but 1. I stated Harper was not an extreme PRIME MINISTER. What he wrote before he was Prime Minister is irrelevant, and 2. Perhaps you do not remember the Kyoto Protocol (not “accord”) and how all that went, but it was a sad joke that no reasonable person ever thought would accomplish anything, and the man most responsible for killing any chance of Canada contributing to its success was Jean Chrétien. His government signed it and then cheerfully ignored its existence as it withered, which, in fairness, is exactly what most of its signatories did, too. He did a fine PR job of pretending his government cared while it did nothing to achieve Canada’s targets. The Harper government didn’t kill Kyoto. They buried the corpse. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/260 "2015-09-10T05:16:05Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I disagree. And I have a right to disagree. The CRTC should not have had a right to disagree with a news channel presenting an alternate view. > > Again, I’m not frothing at the mouth over this, and some things Ezra Levant said are downright embarrassing, however I think in a democratic society we should be, need to be, presented with alternate opinions. Again, “opinion” is not news. The privileged carriage of news channels is intended to ensure public access to **news** , not the inane chattering of opinionated lunatics. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807.md?page=14)