Canadian Federal Election: PLAY!

[Hash]

Time to play

For those who have handed in their sign-in form, this means all of you except Lewis and bullmoose, welcome to the play thread. Game play starts November 29, 2005. For this game, the time scale will be TWO GAME DAYS=ONE REAL DAY. So today is November 29 and 30. And so on.

In here, you will have the opportunity to post news-report like articles about your candidate's campaign progress- where were they, what did they do/visit, what did they talk about. Debates will take place in a seperate thread. Polls will be posted by me in here, most polls will include minor parties voting intentions. I will also post editorials about the campaign.

Debate dates will be announced later. Debates will be held for both major and minor parties. The Greens will participate in major party debates.

[Hatman 🍁]

Why are the Greens in the debates? They weren't in them in RL.

[Hash]

I believe the Greens have a right to be in the debate.

[Hatman 🍁]

I believe the Greens have a right to be in the debate.

That may be true, however you're not the media- and the media would never let the Greens into the debate unless they held a seat.

[Hash]

For the sake of this game, I'll let it be. Gameplay starts now by the way.

[Јas]

Absolutely Absurd Party Press Release

The AAP would like to praise the inclusion of the Green Party into the debates as this is clearly an absurd decision. The AAP hope that this tide of absurdity will continue throughout the campaign and result in a general state of sillyness.

[Hash]

Ipsos-Reid Poll, Released November 30, 2005

Liberals 33 (-1)
Conservative 31 (+1)
NDP 18 (+1)
Bloc 11 (-1)
Green 4 (-1)
Others 3 (+1)

[Colin]

Press Release from Green Party

Party leader Colin Wixted held rallies today in both Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. He met with party leaders and campaigned for Green Party candidates in several different ridings in the area. Later he gave a talk at the University of Victoria on the implementation of green taxes and using a mix of free market procedures and government intervention to create a Green Canada. Tomorrow Mr. Wixted will be flying to Ontario for a speech to the Sierra Club of Canada.

Press Release from the Green Party

The Green Party would like to applaud our inclusion in the upcoming major party debates. Party leader Colin Wixted stated that, "The full voice of Canada is finally going to be heard. While we may not have any seats we are the fifth largest party in Canada and we are on the way to cementing our position in Canadian politics. We have broken through the barriers that the major parties have used to keep us out of the political process and hopefully we will not stop there."

[Hash]

Next poll to be posted in around 24 hours.

[minionofmidas]

Busy travelling around the country's larger reserves. No time and money for press releases at the moment.

[Hatman 🍁]

NDP leader Pierre Ducasse would like to applaud the media by allowing the Green Party into the debates.

"We believe this is a step in the right direction for democracy. I think it is important for Canadians to listen to the debate over the environment. We believe this will be a great opportunity for Canadians to hear this, and I believe they will understand how committed we are to the environment in the NDP. I look forward to the opportunity to debate against the Green Party and to show Canadians how superior our environmental platform is to all the parties."

Ducasse launched his campaign from Sept-Iles, Quebec in his home riding. He will be touring Quebec and northern New Brunswick to begin the campaign.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Prime Minister Sibboleth launched his campaign this morning with a rally in western Toronto, during which he strongly criticised the record of his Liberal predecessors (Chrétien and Martin) and promised to campaign for a "fairer, more equal Canada".
He then spent several hours touring ridings in the Toronto metropolitan area, including Toronto-Danforth and Oshawa.

Tomorrow, Prime Minister Sibboleth will deliever a speech in Hamilton, Ontario in which he is expected to call for more powers for unions, while announcing measures aimed at propping up the ailing steel industry. Mr Sibboleth will attend another event on that day as well, although details and the location have not been told to the media.

[Hatman 🍁]

At a press conference in Montreal, reporters asked NDP leader Pierre Ducasse about the left turn the Liberals have taken:

"The Liberals are no strangers to campaigning on the left. They do it every election, they are just campaigning more on the left this time. However, we all know how the saying goes: the Liberals campaign on the left and govern on the right. I see no reason for this to be any different.

Where were the Liberals in the last 13 years when so many autoworkers were put out of work? Where were the Liberals when the unions really needed them? Only the NDP can truly deliver for workers like it has been for its entire history. While their leader may be acting pro-union now- any government formed by them will be inherently anti-union."

[bullmoose88]

Campaign Note

Conservative Leader Arage will kick off his campaign from his home riding of Newmarket-Aurora tomorrow.

[Colin]

Statement from Green Party Leader Wixted

"The Liberals always bring up some big idea for each of their campaigns only to delight in breaking their promises to the people. Prime Minister Sibboleth has now begun a new march to the left for the Liberals by stating a pro-union, pro-subsidy agenda but with the Liberals no matter what they campaign on they will always continue with the status quo. There will never be any real change to the political realities and government policies within Canada unless the steady partisan makeup is shaken up by a new and vital force. While the Liberals, Conservatives and NDP may change their tune around election time they will always give you the same policies, the same ideas, and the same status quo governments. If you, the Canadian people, want real change and a true difference in leadership then vote for those who are not part of the power elite, vote for the Greens and say no to the status quo."

[ilikeverin]

Who is Randia Jones?
Randia Jones was born on January 5, 1965, in the town of Double Springs, Alabama, to Ezekiel and Letitia Jones.  She was the 5th of 12 children, and took her responsibilities as 5th child to heart, teaching her younger siblings the art of the accordion.  She's a descendant of the notable perennial Socialist candidate for President, Randy Jones.

However, Randia soon stood out from the rest of her siblings with her boisterous, dangerous attitude.  For instance, upon spotting a small chipmunk eating some of the lettuce that had been growing in the Jones's fields, instead of shooting it like any good 'ol decent Jones folk, she adopted it and named it "Sunbeam", keeping it for 5 years until it was run over by the Jones family pontoon boat.  She also developed the annoying habit of forcing anyone around her to call her "Moonshine Starflower" instead of her proper name.  Still, she was mostly an obedient girl, and distinguished herself every year in the annual Jones Family Reunion, where she would always win the Varmint Identification contest.

However, when, one day at the dinner table, she came out with the shocking revelation that she "might possibly maybe support abortion if the fetus is trying to consume its mother's uterus?", her family disowned her "except for family occasions and the family reunion and such".  Lost and dispirited, she eventually made her way to UC Berkeley, where she finally found her niche.  She immediately enrolled, and graduated Magna Cum Laude in the class of 1987, with a double major in Varmint Studies and Principal-ness.  Feeling unsatisfied with her life in the United States, however, she decided to move to Canada.  After throwing a dart at a map of Canada, she decided that Chibougamau, Quebec was the place to be (the dart had landed in the Hudson Bay, but she decided job opportunities were not very good underwater), so she moved there and took up the family profession as high school principal.

It was in Chibougamau that she met her future husband, Adrien Alphonse Édouard Marc Jean-Baptiste Guillaume Simon Jean-Claude Gagnon, who also happened to be her French teacher.  Randia soon fell hopelessly in love with this dashing Frenchman (she could not tell his Quebecois accent apart from a Parisian one), and they went off to get married in the summer of 1989... never mind that he was Catholic and she was Southern Baptist!  They have a very happy marriage, and have had 8 children together: Randy A., Randia, Randy P., Randé, Excité, Jean-Claude-Auguste-Claude-Guillaume, Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte, and Randy X. Gagnon-Jones.

Continued tomorrow...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Part of a press conference, Oshawa:

...you know, I don't really care what the New Yuppycratic Party thinks about me or how I've changed the Liberals, but I do take offense to the assertion that I agreed with the Tory economic policies recent Liberal governments inflicted on Canada, Paul Martin still hasn't endorsed me or the Liberal party in general by the way, while the idea that I, a union member of several decades and a former paid union official... am somehow "anti-union" is absurd, paranoid and demonstrates, once again, quite how out of touch the NDP is with ordinary working people... I mean they are basically a environmentalist party these days...

Yes, I realise that convincing people that the Liberal Party has changed is going to be hard. But, for the sake of ordinary people, it's got to be done. The NDP are not the alternative to the Liberals, the Tories are. We all know that. Apparently the NDP don't.

...any more questions?

...no, no... I don't actually care what the Greenies think...

[Hatman 🍁]

Campaign event in Quebec City



"The Liberals are scared! They have once again stolen our ideas and our policies and are bashing us at the same time. 

If the Liberals want to go around praising unions so be it.  Unions and Canadian workers know the NDP is the right choice for them and have always been that choice. The Liberals have done nothing for unions.

The Liberals can not be trusted on the issue of the environment either. They have called us an "environmentalist party" as if it's an insult! Well, Mr. Sibboleth, this can't be further from the truth! We take pride in being Canada's true party of the environment! If you think supporting the environment is an insult, then you're telling Canadians the Liberals are not the right party for the environment. Canadians deserve cleaner air and cleaner water and healthier lives. That's why we're committed to reaching Canada's Kyoto obligations as well as investment in renewable energy sources and stricter environmental regulations. A vote for the NDP is a vote for a better life! A vote for the Liberals is a vote for corruption, arrogance, and a vote for empty promises.

[CultureKing]

Statement from the Canadian Heritage Party Leader Peter Vander Zaag:
"While we are dissapointed at not being included in the major-party debates it is our position that none-the-less the Canadian Heritage Party will with the help of god above still rise to victory. With the Lord's help we will fight hard to include the morals of Christianity in the government of Canada to the benifit of all. God Bless Canada!"

[Hash]

Ipsos-Reid Poll December 1 05

L 32 (-1)
C 29 (-2)
NDP 20 (+2)
BQ 10 (-1)
GRN 6 (+2)
OTH 3 (=)

[bullmoose88]

Conservative Party Leader Arage in Newmarket Aurora

"First, I'd like to welcome everyone who came out today to watch the kick off of our campaign. Over the course of the next few days and weeks you'll hear more indepth about our party's plan for Canada, its specific proposals to better our great country.

Right now I wish to talk about vision. Our vision for Canada and its government.

I'll be the first to admit, despite the great deal of success that occurred under previous conservative governments, that mistakes were made. We've spent more than a decade in the political wilderness due to these mistakes and internal division.

We have learned from these mistakes. In government, we will strive to be honest, open, and fair. This is precisely what our liberal friends have failed to do. Even though that party is under new leadership, it merely is a new driver of a broken down bus. Need I remind you friends, that the last liberal driver had to steal some conservative parts to stay afloat earlier this last parliament. My own opponent, Ms. Stronach ran as a conservative, and when the going got tough and when a shiny new portfolio opened up on the liberal bench, she left us to hitch a ride. I think its time to tell her to pay up for the trip.

The Conservative Party is a broad tent welcoming of various viewpoints. I should know, they elected me to be leader. While we do have a general predisposition on the issues, we will not hesitate to give meritorious ideas a close look and to support them when they are the best solution.

I wish to thank you for coming out today and I hope to see you again.

[Hatman 🍁]

Ipsos-Reid Poll December 1 05

L 32 (-1)
C 29 (-2)
NDP 20 (+2)
BQ 10 (-1)
GRN 6 (+2)
OTH 3 (=)

What are the numbers in Quebec?

[Јas]

Absolutley Absurd Party Press Release
The AAP is proud to announce a number of very special candidates whom we shall be fielding in the upcoming elections. These people clearly embody the core priciple of the AAP, i.e. absurdity.

First up, in the riding of Fundy Royal, New Brunswick, we've got one of the most fundy royals in the business - King Mswati III of Swaziland.

King Mswati rules by absolute decree, a policy we hope to extend to the people of the riding of Fundy Royal when they elect him as their next MP. King Mswati will also be importing from his native kingdom such policies as not being allowed to point at the King's hut on penalty of a fine of one cow. The AAP, shall endeavour to pass laws, banning pointing entirely and will implement a suitable livestock penalty system when in power.

Our second announcement, is the candidateship in Oxford, Ontario of Mr. Boris Johnson.

Boris is a good friend of the AAP and has been promoting absurdity for many years. Though his Canadian profile may be low, we are sure that over the course of the campaign, the natives of Oxford, Ontario shall come to adore him as much as his constituents in Oxford, England. When we approached Boris and asked him whether there was any reason he wouldn't run for us, he replied, "There may be a reason I can't think of but the problem with that reason is that I can't think of it now". So, that was good enough for us.

Our final constituency announcemnt today is for Langley, British Columbia. We knew we'd have to field someone special to do a Mission Impossible in Langley - and I think we've got out man.

Tom Cruise, of course, isn't an absurd character at all unfortunately - perfectly sane, no hint of any weirdness about him. Nonetheless, we in the AAP are firm believers in the triumph of hope over expectation and we certainly hope that Mr. Cruise's absurd side will come out over the course of the campaign. The decision of Mr. Cruise to join our campaign is in no way related to the fact that we in the AAP now favour establishing scientology as the official religion of Canada - we did that purely because we're sure it's a vote winner.

[Hatman 🍁]

Pierre Ducasse was in the Montreal riding of Mount Royal to talk with the jewish community about the importance of small businesses in Canada.

"It is unfortunate that the Jewish community of Canada has traditionally supported the Liberal Party of Canada. This is one stereotype we wish to dispel this election season.  One stereotype about the Jewish community that we do not with to dispel is that the Jewish community is known as being hard working businessmen and women.  This is why it is my privelege to be here in the riding with the most Jewish Canadians living in it to discuss the NDP's new platform on small business.

Recently the Liberals have taken a hard turn to the left. Does this mean the Liberals are no longer the party of hard working business men and women? It is our goal in the NDP to support all hard working Canadians, be they small businessmen and women and be they the working class.

Small businesses are what makes Canada the best country in the world. It is our plan to give tax breaks to small businesses because they are the first line to promote a more friendly form of capitalism. Without small businesses, monopolies grow and capitalism as a result suffers. We must invest in our small businesses so they remain competitive with the big retail chains that dominate our society. We must do this so all Canadians benefit and our economy benefits."

[Filuwaúrdjan]

At an even in Hamilton, Prime Minister Sibboleth announced that, if the Liberals win the election, the troubled steel industry will be propped up by government subsidies. He also announced that if elected he will introduce something that he calls the "Worker Freedom Bill", which will make it easier for workers to organise themselves into Unions, will ban the use of strikebreakers and will make Unions themselves more democratic. Mr Sibboleth then made a tour of Hamilton area ridings.

Later he flew to Sydney, NS where he unveiled a package of measures designed to boost the struggling economy of Atlantic Canada. Mr Sibboleth said that the federal government has been "inherently, shamefully and utterly biased against our nation's poorest region for too long" and promised that, if elected, he would make sure that a "fair share" of federal money would flow to the Atlantic provinces. He made a point of claiming that Quebec recieves "more than it deserves" from the federal government.
Mr Sibboleth also pledged to "actually do something about the Sydney Tar Ponds" and to reverse earlier reforms and cuts to Employment Insurance.