Post by Rose on Dec 5, 2005 14:20:03 GMT -5
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_federal_election,_2006
A Canadian federal election (more formally, the 39th general election) will occur on January 23, 2006. This unusual winter election was prompted by a motion of no confidence passed by the Canadian House of Commons on November 28, 2005. The following morning, Prime Minister Paul Martin met with Governor General Michaëlle Jean, who agreed to dissolve parliament. The campaign will be the longest in two decades, in order to allow for downtime over the Christmas and New Year holidays. The election will return members to the House of Commons, and will indirectly determine the Prime Minister and cabinet as a government is formed by the party that can best enjoy confidence of the new House.
Recent political events, most notably testimony to the Gomery Commission investigating the sponsorship scandal, were perceived to have weakened the Liberals (who, under Martin, formed a minority government) by alleging serious and criminal corruption in the party. Although the next election was not legally required until 2009, the opposition had enough votes to force the dissolution of Parliament earlier. While Prime Minister Martin had committed in April 2005 to dissolve Parliament within a month of the tabling of the second Gomery Report (now scheduled for February 1, 2006), all three opposition parties—the Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, and New Democratic Party (NDP)—decided not to wait, and their motion of non-confidence passed 171-133.
Most observers expect only the Liberals and Conservatives to be capable of forming a government given the current political climate, although Canadian political history is not without examples of wholly unexpected outcomes, such as Ontario's provincial election in 1990. The predominant tone of pundits at the start of the campaign has been that the status quo—another Liberal minority—is the most likely outcome.
Liberal Party, Prime Minister Paul Martin
Prime Minister Martin's Liberals ((born August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario)hope to recapture their majority, although this appears unlikely at this point; it will require holding back Bloc pressure in Quebec plus picking up some new seats there while also gaining seats in English Canada, most likely in rural Ontario and southwestern British Columbia.
The Right Honourable Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC, MP, BA, LLB (born August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario) is the Prime Minister of Canada. He is the twenty-first prime minister, having succeeded Jean Chrétien on December 12, 2003. Martin is leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and was elected in his own right with a minority government on June 28, 2004 — the first minority government in twenty-four years. The Liberals won 135 of 308 seats in the Canadian House of Commons. They lost the confidence of the Commons on November 29, 2005, and face an election January 23, 2006.
Conservative Party, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper's Conservatives hope to become only the third party to form a federal government in Canada. While continuing weaknesses in Quebec and urban areas prompt most observers to consider a Conservative majority government to be mathematically difficult to achieve, Harper's stated goal is to achieve one nonetheless. Additional gains in rural and suburban Ontario will be necessary to at least form a minority government.
The Honourable Stephen Joseph Harper, PC, MP, MA (born April 20, 1959, in Toronto, Ontario) is leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and (34th ) Leader of the Official Opposition. First Term in Office – May 21, 2002 – Jan. 8, 2004, Second Term in Office, Mar. 20, 2004 to present. As one of the founding members of the Reform Party, he served as an MP from 1993 to 1997 before leaving to head the National Citizens Coalition. After the ouster of leader Stockwell Day in 2002, Harper became leader of the Canadian Alliance. In 2003, he successfully reached an agreement with Tory leader Peter MacKay to merge the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservatives. In March 2004, Harper was elected leader of the new Conservative Party.
NDP, Hon. Jack Layton, PC, MP, Ph.D,
The Honourable John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC , MP , Ph.D (born July 18, 1950, Hudson, Quebec) is a social democratic Canadian politician, a former Toronto, Ontario city councillor, deputy mayor, and the current leader of Canada's New Democratic Party. On June 28, 2004, he was elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of Toronto—Danforth.
The NDP has claimed that last minute tactical voting cost them several seats last time, as left-of-centre voters moved to the Liberals to prevent a Harper-led government. Layton has thus far avoided stating his party's goal is to win the election outright, instead calling for enough New Democrats to be elected to hold the balance of power in a Liberal or Conservative minority government. Political commentators have long held that the NDP's main medium-term goal is to serve as junior partners to the Liberals in Canada's first-ever true coalition government.
The Bloc Québécois had a very successful result in the 2004 election, with the Liberals reduced to the core areas of federalist support in portions of Montreal and Gatineau. Oddly enough, this means there are comparatively few winnable Bloc seats left—perhaps eight or so—for the party to target. With provincial allies the Parti Québécois widely tipped to regain power in 2007, a large sovereigntist contingent in the House could play a major role in reopening the matter of Quebec independence.
In addition to the four sitting parties (three of whom run nationally), the Green Party of Canada intends again to run candidates in all 308 federal ridings. Though no Green candidate has yet been elected in Canada, the party has occasionally polled as high as 19% in British Columbia and 10% nationwide.
A Canadian federal election (more formally, the 39th general election) will occur on January 23, 2006. This unusual winter election was prompted by a motion of no confidence passed by the Canadian House of Commons on November 28, 2005. The following morning, Prime Minister Paul Martin met with Governor General Michaëlle Jean, who agreed to dissolve parliament. The campaign will be the longest in two decades, in order to allow for downtime over the Christmas and New Year holidays. The election will return members to the House of Commons, and will indirectly determine the Prime Minister and cabinet as a government is formed by the party that can best enjoy confidence of the new House.
Recent political events, most notably testimony to the Gomery Commission investigating the sponsorship scandal, were perceived to have weakened the Liberals (who, under Martin, formed a minority government) by alleging serious and criminal corruption in the party. Although the next election was not legally required until 2009, the opposition had enough votes to force the dissolution of Parliament earlier. While Prime Minister Martin had committed in April 2005 to dissolve Parliament within a month of the tabling of the second Gomery Report (now scheduled for February 1, 2006), all three opposition parties—the Conservatives, Bloc Québécois, and New Democratic Party (NDP)—decided not to wait, and their motion of non-confidence passed 171-133.
Most observers expect only the Liberals and Conservatives to be capable of forming a government given the current political climate, although Canadian political history is not without examples of wholly unexpected outcomes, such as Ontario's provincial election in 1990. The predominant tone of pundits at the start of the campaign has been that the status quo—another Liberal minority—is the most likely outcome.
Liberal Party, Prime Minister Paul Martin
Prime Minister Martin's Liberals ((born August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario)hope to recapture their majority, although this appears unlikely at this point; it will require holding back Bloc pressure in Quebec plus picking up some new seats there while also gaining seats in English Canada, most likely in rural Ontario and southwestern British Columbia.
The Right Honourable Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC, MP, BA, LLB (born August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario) is the Prime Minister of Canada. He is the twenty-first prime minister, having succeeded Jean Chrétien on December 12, 2003. Martin is leader of the Liberal Party of Canada and was elected in his own right with a minority government on June 28, 2004 — the first minority government in twenty-four years. The Liberals won 135 of 308 seats in the Canadian House of Commons. They lost the confidence of the Commons on November 29, 2005, and face an election January 23, 2006.
Conservative Party, Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper's Conservatives hope to become only the third party to form a federal government in Canada. While continuing weaknesses in Quebec and urban areas prompt most observers to consider a Conservative majority government to be mathematically difficult to achieve, Harper's stated goal is to achieve one nonetheless. Additional gains in rural and suburban Ontario will be necessary to at least form a minority government.
The Honourable Stephen Joseph Harper, PC, MP, MA (born April 20, 1959, in Toronto, Ontario) is leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, and (34th ) Leader of the Official Opposition. First Term in Office – May 21, 2002 – Jan. 8, 2004, Second Term in Office, Mar. 20, 2004 to present. As one of the founding members of the Reform Party, he served as an MP from 1993 to 1997 before leaving to head the National Citizens Coalition. After the ouster of leader Stockwell Day in 2002, Harper became leader of the Canadian Alliance. In 2003, he successfully reached an agreement with Tory leader Peter MacKay to merge the Canadian Alliance with the Progressive Conservatives. In March 2004, Harper was elected leader of the new Conservative Party.
NDP, Hon. Jack Layton, PC, MP, Ph.D,
The Honourable John Gilbert "Jack" Layton, PC , MP , Ph.D (born July 18, 1950, Hudson, Quebec) is a social democratic Canadian politician, a former Toronto, Ontario city councillor, deputy mayor, and the current leader of Canada's New Democratic Party. On June 28, 2004, he was elected Member of Parliament for the constituency of Toronto—Danforth.
The NDP has claimed that last minute tactical voting cost them several seats last time, as left-of-centre voters moved to the Liberals to prevent a Harper-led government. Layton has thus far avoided stating his party's goal is to win the election outright, instead calling for enough New Democrats to be elected to hold the balance of power in a Liberal or Conservative minority government. Political commentators have long held that the NDP's main medium-term goal is to serve as junior partners to the Liberals in Canada's first-ever true coalition government.
The Bloc Québécois had a very successful result in the 2004 election, with the Liberals reduced to the core areas of federalist support in portions of Montreal and Gatineau. Oddly enough, this means there are comparatively few winnable Bloc seats left—perhaps eight or so—for the party to target. With provincial allies the Parti Québécois widely tipped to regain power in 2007, a large sovereigntist contingent in the House could play a major role in reopening the matter of Quebec independence.
In addition to the four sitting parties (three of whom run nationally), the Green Party of Canada intends again to run candidates in all 308 federal ridings. Though no Green candidate has yet been elected in Canada, the party has occasionally polled as high as 19% in British Columbia and 10% nationwide.