Monthly Archives: September 2007
Ontario’s Election is Rapidly Approaching
| 9/30/2007 | Posted by Patti under Ontario Election |
In roughly 10 days Ontario will vote. We’ll either retain McGuinty for the Liberals as Premier or give someone like Tory for the Progressive Conservatives or Hampton of the NDP a shot at the helm. The polls at this point seem to be unsure if we’re looking at a majority or minority government.
The race for the main spot seems to be between McGuinty and Tory. If the province goes to a minority government, Hampton will have the balance of power, meaning that his support will be required to keep the government alive.
As in most elections, I have to make a choice between basing my voting choice on the local candidates or the leaders of their respective parties. This could change on election day if voters support a proposed electoral reform plan to bring in Mixed Member Proportional. I’ve already come out opposed to this proposal even though it would give me two votes, one for the local candidate of my choice and one for the leader. (more…)
Crackdown in Burma
| 9/28/2007 | Posted by Patti under General |
The world the last few days has been focusing some attention onto the protests going on in Burma (officially known as Myanmar). The protests started back in August after the military junta which rules the country excessively hiked gas prices. They gained momentum during the last two weeks as Buddhist monks have marched peacefully through the streets. The monks came out into the streets after security forces fired towards a group of monks and then refused to apologize.
As the monks turned out on the streets in growing numbers over several days civilians became emboldened and started to join them. The Economist has written an excellent backgrounder on the country and what has led up to the current situation. Inexplicably, security forces made no move in the early days of the monks marching to inhibit their movement. There is some speculation that parts of the military were sympathetic towards the monks.
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We Will Remember Him
| 9/25/2007 | Posted by Patti under Brave Canadians |
They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them
In memory of our fallen Canadian:
Cpl. Nathan Hornburg– Afghanistan September 24, 2007
Always Caring — Always Canadian — Never Defeated
Support Our Troops — Wear Red on Fridays
Tory Getting Rough Ride on School Funding
| 9/24/2007 | Posted by Patti under Ontario Election |
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is the latest group to come out against Provincial Conservative John Tory’s pledge to fully fund all religious schools if he is elected Premier on October 10th. The Association calls for an end to the funding of Catholic separate schools. The move, if any politician was brave enough to back it, would be gutsy but likely political suicide.
The United Nations has called the practise of providing funding for Catholic schools but no other religions discriminatory. Tory calls his pledge to fully fund all religious schools ‘fair’. I wonder if Tory has even thought about a definition of what constitutes ‘religion’. That is a term that has to be harder to define than the word ‘terrorist’. For some, the two words mean the same. (more…)
I Oppose Mixed Member Proportional Voting
| 9/21/2007 | Posted by Patti under Ontario Election |
On October 10th Ontarians will be asked not only to elect their government for the next four years but to vote on whether to change our current first past the post system of elections to one called mixed member proportional. We will have two votes that day, one for each.
I’ve spent some time reading a range of websites on the subject of the referendum. One of the frustrations I’ve had with the first past the post system has been that my one vote determines both local candidate and premier. In many cases the local is preferred but the leader isn’t or vice versa. Election day means determining which is my stronger preference.
In theory, the mixed member proportional (MMP), which Ontario is voting on, would provide me with separate votes for local candidate and the premier. So, why am I going to vote against the referendum?
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