Canadian Candidates Debate

[Mustang Sally]

I watched the debate tonight hoping to gain some clarity on the issues and on the leaders themselves. What I got is more confusion. Yeah, I guess I should have expected that. I posted my support for Jean Chretien and the Liberals in bobtoad's Canadian election thread. Now this debate has thrown that into doubt. (Long post ahead.)

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While none of the five main party leaders made me want to vote for them, four of them did a pretty effective job of bashing Chretien, making him look like a power-hungry has-been. The poor guy was on the defensive for almost the whole two hours, scrambling for answers and not making clear statements.

Stockwell Day (of the Canadian Alliance, former Reform party) is very obviously an excellent speaker. He kept his cool and seemed in control at all times. He kept flashing that little sign: "No 2-tier health care" but I'm not sure I believe it. Chretien wasn't the only one questioning that point. As good old Joe said, "Nobody really knows what Mr. Day is all about." He put on a good face for the debate, but he was bombarded with quotes he denies making, saying he's been misunderstood. Ummm.. ok?

Conservative Joe Clark made some of the strongest points against Chretien, but didn't say much about his own party. "Mr. Chretien called the election for one reason: to keep Paul Martin from getting his job... He wants to keep the one minister who's made a difference out of office." (something Expertise pointed out on the other thread)

NDP Alexa McDonough just kept harping on the potential misuse of the $100 billion surplus. "Instead of cutting the number of children living in poverty, the 'tax cut trio' (Chretien, Clark and Day) wants to offer tax cuts to their rich friends."

And finally, Bloc Quebecois Gilles Duceppe spent most of his time attacking Chretien and talking about the constitution and really speaking only to the people of Quebec.
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Ok, so I'm no longer sure I want to support the Liberals. The big question is: Who can you trust??

 

[talk2024]

Debates...

Sure, you could watch the debates to try to gleen some info about the candidates but honestly, don't you already know enough about all of them to know which box they fit in. Sure the Liberals are arrogant but with good reason: there is no opposition, no viable choice for a realistic governing party.
First of all, the Bloc (obviously) but also the Alliance (a misnomer if ever there was one) are not Federalist parties. I don't know how you could ever craft such a law but it should be required that anyone running for Prime Minister should wish to serve all Canadians... not just the West, not Bay Street, not Quebec. Transfering more powers to the Provinces is a mistake (hello Walkerton and Third World Ontario, where all of our money is... including some $100 million dollars that the PQ has "invested" but should rather be spent on health care).
The Alliance wants tax cuts instead of reducing the deficit- that's short term, myopic thinking. Reducing the deficit is a permanent spending cut, no more money being drained away to lord knows where in interest payments.
Vote with your heart. Find an issue that you believe in and make a statement vote because the Liberals will be re-elected. All we can hope for is a minority government. I voted green last time. The environment is an important issue to most Canadians and yet all of the parties, and the media, ignore its importance. My mind is already made up... that's why I watched Drew Carey last night instead...
And don't miss the History of Canada series on CBC- it's fabulously interesting!!

 

[Canucklehead922]

Choices...

Sadly enough, our crop of politicians this year is rather lousy (same as previous years, now that I think of it--but this is the first election in which I'm allowed to vote). I'm not sure who I could vote for.

Not the CCRAP party, that's for sure. Day can't make up his mind, from the looks of it. Cripes, I was never a fan of the Reform Party, but at least Manning made it clear where he stood. Day just hangs to the centre, not talking 'bout his party's policies, in the hopes of getting elected. All we know is that he's a right-wing extremist...and he doesn't admit to this.

And Chrétien--I don't like him. I don't think him arrogant for calling an election only three years into his mandate. What pisses me off is that he left a lot of unfinished business.

I don't like Clark's plan to institute a forced policy concerning debt reduction (it would cause problems in future years), and the NDP is a bit unfocused. If it weren't for his hang-up with sovreignty, Duceppe would be a good choice--for premier of Québec, that is.

I say we ought to scrap the lot of 'em and start over.

Or, we could all vote for the Marijuana Party. No, that's a joke. Really.

Hey, about what you said 'bout watching debates, Talk2024, trust me, the Nov. 9 debate at least was worth watching solely for the crack Clark made 'bout Day wanting to get elected as a game show host, what with his little signpost and all.