Canadian federal election - 2015

[DL]

As a close watcher of Canadian politics, I'd say that I think Harper will play up the security card.  I think that's his best bet for winning a 4th term, actually.

Barring some sort of unimaginable September 11 style attack on Canada in the middle of the campaign - I think the Tories will have a very hard time making "security" a vote determining issues for anyone outside their base.

Well, I think they will run on that, his tone changed in the last weeks. I'm sure he planned to run on economy, but the events of the last months are preventing to do so (the economy isn't going well anymore!).

The Tories can try to "run" on whatever the hell they want - but that doesn't mean they will succeed in making it the ballot question.

[MaxQue]

Tories are really on a roll today. Now, we got James Lumney (Nanaimo-Alberni) denying evolution.

[Hash]

Marc-André Morin has lost renomination to Simon-Pierre Landry. I really like this idea of targeting your own deadwood, wish my party would do the same.

Name names?

Cheryl Gallant, which said today during the question period than Canada needed stronger laws against pedophilia, because of the new Ontario sex ed curriculum?

The idea isn't daft (who is against that?), but the reason she uses is.

She is also known for comparing Ignatieff to Gadhafi and for saying than protecting sexual orientation from hate propaganda would protect pedophiles.

Cheryl Gallant is a general lunatic and it's hardly a secret. I think she also believes Agenda 21 is an evil communist plot to steal my private property or something.

Royal Galipeau is indeed a good example of deadwood, pretty undeniably regardless of your views on his party, because he hasn't done anything substantive (quite literally) in 9 years as an MP and besides he's a very inactive constituency MP. Also doesn't seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed.

[King of Kensington]

Tories are really on a roll today. Now, we got James Lumney (Nanaimo-Alberni) denying evolution.

His riding isn't nearly as much of a "Bible Belt" as Chatham-Kent-Essex.  Only 14% of his riding is made up of Baptists, Pentecostals and "other Christians" (compared to 25% in Chatham).  In fact his riding has a majority reporting no religious affiliation (50.1%)

[Hatman 🍁]

Yeah, Nanaimo-Alberni isn't the kind of place you'd get a lot of fundies living. Just a lot of old people and hippies.

[136or142]

Upcoming nominations in B.C

NDP
1.North Vancouver, March 7
As far as I can tell the only candidate is Carleen Thomas, Tsleil-Waututh First Nation Manager of Intergovermental Relations, Former Band Council Member

2.Kootenay-Columbia, March 15
The only candidate is Wayne Stetski Cranbrook Mayor from 2011-2014 (badly defeated in 2014), Former B.C Ministry of Environment Kootenay Regional Manager, Briefly Chair of United Way of Cranbrook and Kimberley (left after being elected mayor), B.Sc-Teacher-Ecology Education

3.Vancouver East, March 22
A.Mable Elmore,45, M.L.A Vancouver-Kensington 2009- and Critic ICBC, Deputy Finance Critic, former Bus Driver and Union Coordinator, B.A-Physical Education

B.Jenny Kwan, 48, M.L.A Vancouver-Mount Pleasant 1996- and critic Community Living B.C, former Municipal Affairs Minister, former Vancouver City Councillor 1993-1996, Community Legal Advocate/former Actress, B.A-Criminology

C.Scott McLean, SFU Director of Media and Community Relations/Stand Up Comedian, Special Olympics Softball and Basketball Head Coach, BBA, MSc-Sports Administration

4.Kelowna-Lake Country March 28
The only candidate is Norah Bowman, English Literature Professor former Women's Studies Professor, B.A, M.A, Ph.D (extremely highly rated at rate my professor)

Liberals
Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, March 7
Maria Manna, Singer and Music Producer will be acclaimed
https://www.facebook.com/events/409259745918271/

Edited to add NDP candidate in Kelowna-Lake Country

[Hatman 🍁]

How did two sitting MLAs manage to run against each other for the Van East nomination? Strange. I'd imagine Kwan has the advantage?

[136or142]

How did two sitting MLAs manage to run against each other for the Van East nomination? Strange. I'd imagine Kwan has the advantage?

There are 85 provincial ridings and 42 federal ridings, so it's roughly two MLAs for each M.P.

That said, while I believe Jenny Kwan's provincial riding is entirely in the federal riding, I believe very little of Mable Elmore's riding is in Vancouver East.  I believe more of Shane Simpson's Vancouver-Hastings riding is the the Vancouver East riding.

Jenny Kwan is widely predicted to win, but don't count out Mable Elmore.  She is a star organizer who upset now Surrey North M.P Jinny Sims (and then past president of the B.C Teacher's Federation) for the nomination in Vancouver-Kensington in 2009 and was  a major force for Adrian Dix's leadership campaign likely especially in the Filipino community.

[Hatman 🍁]

My confusion comes from how rare it is for two sitting MLAs to run against each other for the NDP nomination in any one seat.

[RogueBeaver]

Grits lead 58/23/16 in NL.

[Vosem]

B.Jenny Kwan, 48, M.L.A Vancouver-Mount Pleasant 1996- and critic Community Living B.C, former Vancouver City Councillor 1993-1996, Community Legal Advocate/former Actress, B.A-Criminology

I did not realize Kwan is so young. Because of the 2001 wipeout, isn't she the longest-serving New Democrat in the BC legislature?

[MaxQue]

B.Jenny Kwan, 48, M.L.A Vancouver-Mount Pleasant 1996- and critic Community Living B.C, former Vancouver City Councillor 1993-1996, Community Legal Advocate/former Actress, B.A-Criminology

I did not realize Kwan is so young. Because of the 2001 wipeout, isn't she the longest-serving New Democrat in the BC legislature?

I would assume so. There was only 2 NDPers elected in 2001, and the other retired in 2005.

[136or142]

Sue Hammell and Mike Farnworth both served non consecutively from 1991-2001 and then from 2005-

[136or142]

Couple more B.C candidates for nomination

NDP
1.Steveston-Richmond East, Scott Stewart (according to pundit's guide), Retired Police Investigator, 2013 provincial NDP nominee

Liberal
1.Langley Aldergrove, Leon Jensen, Retired Canadian Forces Colonel and British Columbia Regional Liason Officer and Former Artillery Officer (Captain) B.A (Hons) - Conflict Studies (oddly enough not obtained until AFTER retiring from the military),
from his linkedin page

Nomination Dates
Liberal
1.Vancouver Kingsway, March 12, Mary Pynenburg vs John Bolduc Arthur
2.Richmond Center, March 13 or March 15
From the Liberal Party website
(Richmond Center I believe has conflicting dates from the national party website and the Richmond Center local website)

EDIT: Neither Mary Pynenburg nor John Bolduc Arthur will be the Liberal nominee in Vancouver-Kingsway.  Apparently Arthur dropped out last summer while Pynenburg just dropped out, possibly under pressure, as slightly alleged by the local conspiracy paper The Georgia Straight (to be fair it's mainly just Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight who engages in conspiracy theories)  The Vancouver-Kingsway Liberals will instead acclaim Steven Kou as their nominee.

http://www.straight.com/news/402571/federal-liberals-will-acclaim-candidate-vancouver-kingsway

[136or142]

Attack ad I'd like to see:
"When terrorism struck, Harper hid in a closet."

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Attack ad I'd like to see:
"When terrorism struck, Harper hid in a closet."

Look, Harper is the pinata and the partygoers are people attacking him for doing the right thing.  Attacking him on that?  You're asking too much of PM Harper...

[Hatman 🍁]

Lawyer Phil Trotter won the NDP nomination in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, ON on the 2nd ballot. Running for the Liberals in that riding is lawyer Susan Watt and the Tories are running incumbent Bernard Trottier.

Akil Sadikali will be the NDP candidate in the new riding of Don Valley North, ON. He was the provincial candidate in Don Valley East last year. The Liberals are running chemist Geng Tan there, while Don Valley East MP Joe Daniel has decided to run in this riding instead for the Conservatives.

[lilTommy]

Farheen Khan – a Peel-based social worker, author and community activist – will be the NDP candidate from Mississauga Centre. Nomination will be Sunday. They mention a Special event, not sure what that means but the nomination falls on Int'l Women's day

http://www.mississauga.com/community-story/5461064-farheen-khan-to-get-ndp-nomination-for-mississauga-centre-race/?previewkey=EAAAAIzi2bF6tx0T7EO2D6%2bptLy05kKAn44S8aJI7vKwa%2bZM

[DL]

Lawyer Phil Trotter won the NDP nomination in Etobicoke-Lakeshore, ON on the 2nd ballot. Running for the Liberals in that riding is lawyer Susan Watt and the Tories are running incumbent Bernard Trottier.

That will be fun - Trottier vs Trotter!

[136or142]

Maria Manna was nominated by the Liberals today in Cowichan-Malahat-Langford.

Maria Manna, Jazz and Blues Singer/Music Producer, Franchise Owner 4Pillars Debt Restructuring, Former Owner Maria Manna Etiquette & Finishing School, BFA (Hons) - Music, Diploma (Hons) - Political Science. Diploma - Cosmetology

[adma]

Too bad Maria Minna isn't bidding to win back her old seat--Minna and Manna: what a combo...

[Hatman 🍁]

Weekend nomination roundup:

* Former MP Bernard Genereux will be the Conservative candidate in Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC.  The Liberal candidate will be financial security advisor Marie-Josée Normand. The NDP currently holds this seat.
* NDP MP Carol Hughes was acclaimed in Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing, ON. The Liberal candidate there is lodge owner Heather Wilson.
* Clarington councillor Corrina Traill won the Liberal nomination in Durham, ON. She'll be running against Tory incumbent Erin O'Toole and NDP candidate Derek A. Spence.
* Former Canadian Alliance candidate (Perth-Middlesex 2003 by-election) Marian Meinen-Gagne will be the Conservative candidate in the new riding of Kitchener South-Hespeler. The NDP is running their 2011 candidate from Kitchener-Conestoga, Lorne Bruce and the Greens are running their 2014 provincial candidate in that riding, David Weber.
* Cowichan-Malahat-Lanford (see Adam T's post)
* North Vancouver, BC: The NDP nominated band councillor Carleen Thomas. Businessman John Wilkinson is the Liberal candidate and incumbent MP Andrew Saxton will be running for re-election for the Conservatives.
* Ryan Young won on the second ballot for the NDP nomination in Lac-Saint-Louis, QC. He was the Green candidate in Pierrefonds-Dollard in 2008. He'll be running against Liberal incumbent Francis Scarpaleggia and Green candidate public servant Rohan Crichton.
* Vaughan city councillor Deb Schulte won the Liberal nomination in the new riding of King-Vaughan, ON. She'll be running against Conservative realtor Konstantin Toubis and Green candidate Ann Raney.
* Mississauga Centre, ON - see lilTommy's post.

[136or142]

Weekend nomination roundup:
* North Vancouver, BC: The NDP nominated band councillor Carleen Thomas. Businessman John Wilkinson is the Liberal candidate and incumbent MP Andrew Saxton will be running for re-election for the Conservatives.

Jonathan Wilkinson is a former president of the Saskatchewan Young New Democrats and was an advisor to Roy Romanow.

[Hatman 🍁]

Another turncoat,  great.

[DC Al Fine]

Another turncoat,  great.

To be fair, it was the Saskatchewan NDP. Who else is a Liberal going to work for That's almost like calling Mulcair a turncoat.