History of the vote in Canada.
Registered Political Parties
- Animal Alliance Environment Voters Party of Canada
- Bloc Québécois
- Canadian Action Party
- Christian Heritage Party of Canada
- Communist Party of Canada
- Conservative Party of Canada
- First Peoples National Party of Canada
- Green Party of Canada
- Liberal Party of Canada
- Libertarian Party of Canada
- Marijuana Party
- Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada
- neorhino.ca
- New Democratic Party
- Progressive Canadian Party
- Western Block Party
Elections Canada On-Line | Political Parties, Candidates and Others
Bob
tildeb
darkfabric
sextus
sob1989
taersker
andrewtree
paulsayward
chosism
8 responses so far ↓
lauramarino // March 15, 2008 at 5:24 PM |
It is a very interesting and painful story: so much racism and discrimination, but also people’s triumphs. But sometimes I wonder why is it that Canada is not really one and it maintains the confederation structure. Who benefits? If a professional wants to move to a different province, it means getting a new license and writing new exams, paying fees, etc. Health insurance, driving license, is all province dependant. It is kind of frustrating, isn’t it?
tildeb // March 16, 2008 at 4:35 PM |
Although no one really knows what the difference is between a federation and a confederation, surely you jest when you ask about why Canada isn’t really one. I thought that everyone in the world knew that the Crown needed a secure base somewhere near those fickle yanks busy fomenting rebellion. The only way to achieve any meaningful peace between the les Canadiennes and the recently victorious English was to grant the vanquished protection under the law by allowing the language, religion, and civil law to remain French and Catholic in what was then called Lower Canada. Although Lower Canada didn’t join in the rebellion, to this day the Quebecois rarely rally around for Queen and Country except whenever the Americans invade anywhere near La Belle Province. Upper Canada took in all those disgruntled colonialists and loyal English who made Toronto the centre of the known universe (and also were the first Snowbirds to head south… at first to burn down the White House and later to take over Florida every winter) so provincial rather than federal power remains and integral part of confederation. That, and the (almost defunct) railway on Vancouver Island.
As far as moving to a different province, the frustration of having qualifications recognized is only matched by the additional fees and taxes one must pay even to be considered.
lauramarino // March 16, 2008 at 5:14 PM |
Excellent ~b, that was a ‘to the point history of the confederation.’ So I understand why it has to exist to maintain French and English together. But it still makes me question why provinces to the west could not have a common government. I think what is most relevant for people is this ridiculous thing about having to get new licences and pay fees and bureaucracy, exams blah blah, all because you want to move within you own country?
tildeb // March 16, 2008 at 8:31 PM |
Well, L, the BC and Alberta governments have negotiated common standards and greatly improved the flow of people to where their professional skills can be employed. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come so that other provinces don’t find themselves bidding to attract people; rather, people can go and work where they can use their own criteria on where to live.
As far as provincial governments go, there has to be some framework for political responsibility. One of the areas that I think has too little emphasis is on urban centres, which tend to be the engines of economics. Granted, hinterlands of resources is an important consideration and that includes people, but the political representation is out of kilter. Major urban centres require far more autonomy for taxation, I think, than do either the provincial or federal governments. That doesn’t mean more seats in the provincial or federal legislature/parliament; it means a single and seperate representative legislature altogether, with taxation powers removed from federal and provincial governments in compensation.
Just my two cents worth.
sob1989 // March 17, 2008 at 6:43 AM |
Canada is a country in North America. It is positioned just above the United States and takes up most of the northern position in North America. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and by the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its Southern border touches the United States, as does its Northwest border that touches Alaska. To the North, the country is bordered by the Arctic Ocean. In the 1400s, parts of Canada were settled by the British and the French. However, France relinquished its hold on Canada in 1763, following the Seven Years War, when it pulled out of most of its North American colonies. In the late 1860s, the country became a federal dominion, a status that resulted from the combining of three British colonies. However, Canada was not done with change, and in 1982, it grabbed hold of independence, issuing the Canada Act 1982.
Canada’s largest city is Toronto and its capital is Ottawa. The country spans about 3,854,085 square miles (9,984,670 square kilometers). It has two official languages: French and English. Its government is considered a parliamentary democracy and includes a monarch, governor general, and a prime minister. The country takes its name from an Iroquoian word that means village.
There are ten Canadian provinces and a total of three territories. Each of these is grouped into regions. Though provinces are under the umbrella of the country’s federal government, they enjoy a certain level of self-government. Territories enjoy some autonomy as well, but to a lesser extent.
Generally, provinces have the responsibility of providing for health care and education for the country’s residents. They handle the country’s welfare program as well. The federal government does have the right to create national policies in the provinces, but it cannot strictly impose them. However, though the provinces have the option of refusing national policies, they usually do not refuse.
Some years it snows and snows and snows in parts of Canada. Buildings collapse under the weight of the snow. Some Canadians live on Vancouver Island and rarely see snow except on televison news reports.
lauramarino // March 17, 2008 at 10:38 AM |
Wow, sob1989, how many words do the Eskimos have for snow?
No more taxes for the cities please. Then everybody will come to places like Vancouver Island where they would be spared from the snow and then it will all turn into a city.
tildeb // March 17, 2008 at 12:29 PM |
how many words do the Eskimos have for snow?
Far fewer than most of us if you add the descriptors (and expletives).
Bob // March 18, 2008 at 6:04 AM |
Let’s do what we can to keep Vancouver Island a secret!