# 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:** 34
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/661 "2015-10-20T03:31:06Z")
Because there was such an large ‘anti monarchy’ issue in this election? Tell me again, what was Duffy’s qualifications for the senate? Brazeau? His name may have given him a leg up, but you don’t get a sweeping majority in this country if you don’t move Canadians to vote for you. Unlike Mr Trudeau, Duffy was never elected to any office by Canadians yet magically made it into the freaking senate! ---
**Author:** ![Andiethewestie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ba9def/32.png) [@Andiethewestie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andiethewestie)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/662 "2015-10-20T03:31:24Z")
I am thrilled the Liberals really spanked the Cons good. Stephen Lewis was thrilled Canadians overwhelmingly rejected Harper politics, even though the country went red instead of orange. I’m also amused that some are still eager to count out Justin, where by any measure this campaign was brilliant. He went from third place to first, and didn’t let Harper define him, even though he tried real hard with the relentless negative ads. I’m willing to see how he governs. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/663 "2015-10-20T03:55:08Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Because there was such an large ‘anti monarchy’ issue in this election? Tell me again, what was Duffy’s qualifications for the senate? Brazeau? Monarchy=power/wealth because of who your parents were, not who you are. It wasn’t about the monarchy, but hypocrisy and political dynasties. I didn’t figure what I said would have been misinterpreted. > [@](#): > > His name may have given him a leg up, but you don’t get a sweeping majority in this country if you don’t move Canadians to vote for you. Unlike Mr Trudeau, Duffy was never elected to any office by Canadians yet magically made it into the freaking senate! Ah, Duffy. Someone appointed to the Senate like every other PM in history has been doing since confederation? How many did PET appoint? 81 vs Harper’s 59. Were all PET’s appointments gems? Doubt it. Will Justin do anything different? What are you willing to bet he will? But you are correct. That alone would not have made the Liberals jump past everyone else. But, then I didn’t say that, did I? I said that it made him the liberal leader, which just happens to be now the PM of Canada. And if you think that his name wasn’t a factor, then you probably believe he gained the leadership of the Liberal party on his ability to teach children French. Because many of those same people who voted for him for that role voted in this election for the same reasons. So, the difference between a minority government and a majority governement based on the name? Think that’s a good reason for gaining power, do you? ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/664 "2015-10-20T03:58:52Z")
Do tell us, since confederation exactly how many senate appointees were never elected to any office by Canadians? ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/665 "2015-10-20T04:07:46Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > The issue is that the only reason this guy is leading the Liberal party is because of who his daddy was. I’ve not commented on any other ‘issue’, but in this one issue I am 100% accurate. Perhaps the man has leadership skills that you do not yet appreciate. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/666 "2015-10-20T04:10:44Z")
This is great news, but I still wish the left parties would combine in one party, so a scenario like 2011 could not happen again. In 2011 the Conservatives got 28.5 seats for every million popular votes cast for their party. The NDP got 14.9 seats for every million votes, the Liberals got 12.2 seats for every million votes, and the Greens 1.7 for every million. That sucks. I am the last member of the nuclear family I grew up in who is not Canadian, and I’m active in Democratic Party politics. We here in the States think we are screwed by Tom DeLay’s redistricting (plus the unfairness of California only having two senators, same as empty red states like Idaho and Wyoming), but what I described above is on a whole other level. Which is of course why they adopted this strategic voting plan, which seems to have worked, but I bet the numbers are still going to come down with the Conservatives getting more bang for their buck in terms of seats per million votes, and that remains a problem–which could be eliminated if the left parties just joined into one. ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/667 "2015-10-20T04:26:09Z")
I dunno. The odds were definitely not good with one party on the right and two parties in the left. But a majority win and a gain of over 150 seats really tells you what a come from behind victory this was. Joining with the NDP would have watered down the brand. This was a good hard-fought honest win. And JT is a Uniter, not a Divider. Harper is going to have a hell of a time living this down. But considering his shredding trucks were already busy on the weekend, he must have seen the writing on the wall. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/668 "2015-10-20T04:26:49Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Do tell us, since confederation exactly how many senate appointees were never elected to any office by Canadians? Is it a qualification? Didn’t think so. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/669 "2015-10-20T04:34:59Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Wow! CBC now officially projects a _majority_ Liberal government! Congratulations **wolfpup**! as I know you would appreciated it, Sou at Hotwhopper commented about Harper’s loss: > **[HotWhopper](https://blog.hotwhopper.com/)** > > Global warming & climate change. Eavesdropping on climate science deniers, their weird pseudo-science and crazy conspiracy theories. > [@](#): > > Harper toppled - another climate procrastinator bites the dust > > … > > Australia’s Antony Green is keeping everyone updated with tweets. He says that the polls underestimated the swing, that the larger than usual voter turnout is for Liberals, and that the Liberals have swept Winnipeg, along with the Atlantic provinces (which had the first results) and probably most other provinces. > > … > > Still, it’s a big win just to topple the Harper government, which was not just dragging its heels on mitigation, it was silencing scientists. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/670 "2015-10-20T04:36:33Z")
> [@Biffster](#): > > Perhaps the man has leadership skills that you do not yet appreciate. Could be. Sometimes kids are better than their fathers. Hopefully, his math teaching skills will help him as he manages the economy and navigating the world political stage. (Hopefully, he’s smart enough to populate his staff with competent people who can help him, which if he does, will make him a good leader). ---
**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/671 "2015-10-20T05:00:48Z")
Looks like the Liberals have an almost complete lock on the National Capital area. They took two ridings from long-time NDP stalwarts and fell just short of turfing the much-despised Pierre Poilievre. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/672 "2015-10-20T05:39:35Z")
Winner: Libs and Nanos. Losers: NDP and Cons Live to fight another day: Green and Bloc Night folks ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/673 "2015-10-20T05:41:07Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Tomorrow, no matter who wins (and I suspect we may not exactly know for sure who will, in fact, be the next PM for a little while as a prop-up deal is worked out) the sun will rise in the East and people will go about their business and babies will be born and Canada will work just fine. “The sun will rise in the East and people will go about their business and babies will be born,” is a _very_ low standard for “just fine.” ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/674 "2015-10-20T06:11:05Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > (And props to those who voted in ski masks, hockey masks, even a guy I with a pumpkin over his head.! I love this country!) It wasn’t that cold in London this weekend, was it? 😕 > [@SlackerInc](#): > > Which is of course why they adopted this strategic voting plan, which seems to have worked, but I bet the numbers are still going to come down with the Conservatives getting more bang for their buck in terms of seats per million votes, and that remains a problem–which could be eliminated if the left parties just joined into one. Rather, Canada is a textbook case of a polity which is poorly represented by “first past the post” plurality elections. The Tories are of the right, and the NDP of the left, but the Grits appear to be of the _centre._ And the Greens are something else again, I guess. I’m coming to realize that, by contrast, Greece’s “reinforced proportionality” is actually very clever. There’s still a huge advantage to winning a plurality of support, but it doesn’t insist on sorting everyone into two camps just to win. (And it pushes the crackpot nationalists into their own party off to the side!) ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/675 "2015-10-20T06:19:48Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > This is great news, but I still wish the left parties would combine in one party, so a scenario like 2011 could not happen again. The Liberals aren’t left-wing, unless they’re compared to the radical right-wing Tories. These Tories are to the right of every previous Tory government (and provincial Social Credit parties) in the history of Canada. _Every_ party is left-wing in comparison to Harper’s Conservative Party. It is so right-wing that even Harper cabinet ministers jumped ship and the mayor of Calgary, of all places, denounced it. It is so right-wing that it fosters hate groups. It is so right-wing it wants a hotline so Canadians can inform on their neighbours, just as the late, unlamented East German Stasi secret police had. It is so right-wing it would dictate the clothing women should wear. It is so right-wing it created second-class Canadian citizens so it could deport them at will — with no appeal — and that means Jews who immigrated to Canada and Jews born in Canada as well as Muslims who immigrated and Muslims born in Canada, Muslims to whom it’s second-class-citizenship legislation purportedly is aimed because they’re all terrorists, hence the terrorist hotline — but Muslims only at first. Since Israel declares all Jews everywhere in the world citizens of Israel, any Jew it would deport would be to Israel because that person would not be stateless. So Muslims _and_ Jews and everyone else it care to deport whom _it_ claims isn’t stateless. Remember, no appeal. Harper is so right-wing he had the typical dictators’ contempt of Parliament and constantly short-circuited it and even shuttered it before a parliamentary vote would have tossed his government out. The Liberals aren’t left-wing. The NDP is left-wing; it’s always left wing. Liberals are shape-shifters. They are right-wing when they decide it would help keep them in power. They are middle-of-the-road when they decide _that_ would keep them in power. They are left of centre when they decide _that_ would keep them in power — and promising in an election campaign to run deficits to help the middle class is only the latest example. Shape-shifting helps keep the Tories _and_ the NDP at bay, until the shape-shifters become so corrupt Canadians have a belly full, as they had with Jean Chretien and Paul Martin. Just as they have with The Harper Government™. But whatever the Liberal Party’s shape is, it’s always only temporary and it generally keeps itself in power for that reason. Not for nothing is it called Canada’s natural-governing party. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/676 "2015-10-20T07:10:21Z")
As I understand it, Harper’s law on dual citizens covers anyone who would have a citizenship elsewhere if their Canadian citizenship were removed–even if they don’t actually have a personal claim on it yet? So a Canadian of Irish or Italian descent in the last three generations could be exiled, because Ireland or Italy would take them in theory? Do I understand that right? ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/677 "2015-10-20T08:02:36Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > As I understand it, Harper’s law on dual citizens covers anyone who would have a citizenship elsewhere if their Canadian citizenship were removed–even if they don’t actually have a personal claim on it yet? > > So a Canadian of Irish or Italian descent in the last three generations could be exiled, because Ireland or Italy would take them in theory? Do I understand that right? Yes. Toronto lawyer Rocco Galati says [**in this June 2014 story**](http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/06/09/rocco_galati_plans_legal_challenge_to_citizenship_act_changes.html) that it could go back five generations. > [@](#): > > Several countries, he said, such as Egypt and Iran, recognize citizenship through several generations — up to five generations abroad, in some instances — meaning a descendant born in Canada could be considered a citizen of Egypt or Iran if a great-grandfather was born there. [**This story**](http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/02/07/canadas_new_citizenship_bill_a_trojan_horse_walkom.html) says > [@](#): > > . . . In all cases, the only caveat is that the person could not be left stateless. . . . > > . . . Government press releases say the new revocation measures would apply only to dual citizens — that is, to Canadians who are also citizens of another country. Technically, this is true. > > What the press releases don’t say is that thousands of Canadians born in this country may be dual citizens without realizing the fact. > > That’s because, as the government’s own foreign affairs department points out on its website, many countries automatically treat the children — and even the grandchildren — of their nationals as citizens, regardless of birthplace. > > Egypt, for instance, generally regards any children of Egyptian-born fathers as citizens of Egypt, no matter where they are born. . . . ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/678 "2015-10-20T08:03:17Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > _Every_ party is left-wing in comparison to Harper’s Conservative Party. It is so right-wing that even Harper cabinet ministers jumped ship and the mayor of Calgary, of all places, denounced it. It is so right-wing that it fosters hate groups. It is so right-wing it wants a hotline so Canadians can inform on their neighbours, just as the late, unlamented East German Stasi secret police had. It is so right-wing it would dictate the clothing women should wear. It is so right-wing it created second-class Canadian citizens so it could deport them at will — with no appeal — and that means Jews who immigrated to Canada and Jews born in Canada as well as Muslims who immigrated and Muslims born in Canada, Muslims to whom it’s second-class-citizenship legislation purportedly is aimed because they’re all terrorists, hence the terrorist hotline — but Muslims only at first. Since Israel declares all Jews everywhere in the world citizens of Israel, any Jew it would deport would be to Israel because that person would not be stateless. So Muslims _and_ Jews and everyone else it care to deport whom _it_ claims isn’t stateless. Remember, no appeal. Almost all true. (I don’t think it’s right wing to say that women should not have their face covered during a citizenship ceremony.). And my sister, who also still has US citizenship, was especially concerned about the second-class citizen law. But this right wing party won a majority of the seats in Parliament in 2011 with less than 40% of the vote. If that were possible in the US, the Republicans could be even more right wing than they are, and could take over the House, the Senate, and the presidency. Better to have one center/left party as a bulwark against this, if you ask me. (ETA: “Centre/left”, that is.) ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/679 "2015-10-20T08:11:44Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Almost all true. (I don’t think it’s right wing to say that women should not have their face covered during a citizenship ceremony.). But the women would prove their identities before the ceremony by removing the veil in the presence of another woman. This isn’t enough for the bigots. They want to make it as difficult as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2015, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807/680 "2015-10-20T08:22:20Z")
> [@Kenm](#): > > But the women would prove their identities before the ceremony by removing the veil in the presence of another woman. > > This isn’t enough for the bigots. They want to make it as difficult as possible. Sorry, confused on who the bigot is? The one who wants people to proudly declare allegiance to their new country or the person who automatically distrusts half of their new fellow citizens? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807.md?page=33) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-longest-election-campaign-in-modern-canada-thread/726807.md?page=35)