The Federal Election Campaign is Officially Underway
Canadians in for a long campaign leading up to October 19th federal election
Prince George, B.C. – With federal funding announcements dropping from one coast to the other like overripe fruit from the branch or vine, Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as was widely expected, has paid a visit to the Governor-general of Canada, David Johnston, asking him to dissolve parliament.
Being the model of decorum and accommodation that he is, G-G Johnston has granted the request and, accordingly the country’s Chief Electoral Officer has issued a writ of election for a new parliament.
And, with a fixed election date of October 19th, thus begins the longest federal election campaign in Canada since 1872, running a marathon of 11 weeks.
Don’t think for moment that there isn’t some serious political strategy involved in Harper triggering a campaign of such length. It sets in motion a little-known clause which was put in place when the Conservative leader affected a massive overhaul of the election laws with his Fair Elections Act in 2014.
The provision allows parties and candidates to spend more than twice the limits of $25 million for party and $100,000 per candidate that would have been in force in a 37-day campaign, which is the minimum duration permitted by law.
There is no limit on the maximum number of days it can run. And that favors the party with the largest war chest, the biggest chunk of change with which to attempt to sway voters to vote for its candidates. Right now the Conservatives have the biggest bank account, followed by the NDP and then the Liberals.
The feeling of the pundits is that the Conservatives wanted a longer campaign in order to eventually run their opponents dry in the stretch run to election day on Oct 19th.
Conservative Leader Harper is expected to attend a party campaign rally in Montreal today; NDP Leader Tom Mulcair launches his party’s campaign in Gatineau, Quebec; and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is in Vancouver for the Pride parade in that city.
Comments
…..and away we go!
This is depressing. I’m not enthusiastic about any party – there’s something wrong with all of them.
So do they use some sort of acid to dissolve Parliament? I hope there is not too much damage to the building.
So now we have to watch the pea under the 3 or even four thimbles. Is it under this one, or that one. The mouth is going to be faster than the eye.
“there’s something wrong with all of them”
Always has been, always will be. And there is also something wrong with the voters. we find that they always pick the wrong party since every single one of them ends up getting tossed. It is the parliamentary life and death cycle.
“With federal funding announcements dropping from one coast to the other like overripe fruit from the branch or vine” I haven’t been following the news much so can anyone tell me what PG got?
Hartly2…
“In seven days, the Conservative MP (Zimmer) has made 17 infrastructure announcements across Northern BC, totalling over $104.2 million. Averaged out, Zimmer has announced roughly $14.8 million a day over the last week.”
Prince George-$50,000 Seniors access upgrde
Other than the half million to the Williams Lake swimming pool, I haven’t heard anything from Dick or wanna be Dick.
Sunday, August 2, 10:12 AM by Hartly 2 asked,
I haven’t been following the news much so can anyone tell me what PG got?
…………………..
Elizabeth May and Heady Fry
A $15 million fed share towards a PAC
Oh, goody, I get to work on election day! They are very long days-12-14 hours.
Let’s get ready for lies and misleading facts and figures..
Unbelievable the amount of campaign signs up for the Cons already.. Just shows how must waste of money they do to buy an election… Do we really need a sign every 15′ on ospika blvd?
So now the grass on the boulevards won’t be cut until next year. Thanks Steve.
I guess we should be glad the NDP and Liberals have no candidate yet – we only have to put up with one type of sign for now. Kind of a summer buzzkill to have the landscape littered with that garbage.
This is democracy in action. So quit your bitching and sit back and enjoy the show.
I nodded my head as I read the whole article and thought to myself here is the evidence that the Harper Government made the changes to Canada’s Election Act for the sole purpose of getting re-elected. I agree completely with the article’s contents.
“thus begins the longest federal election campaign in Canada since 1872”
In 1872 PG and many other places in Canada were not yet on the map. It stands to reason that if you want to meet everyone in the country thse days, it will take much longer.
That is the reasons why the USA is in perpetual election mode.
1872 ? In 1872 Palopu was celebrating the narrow victory of MacDonalds Conservative Party. Shortly after, Palopu organized a petition against building the C.P.R.
Well this announcement should get the Liberals and NDP’s to get their nominations done. Also time for any independents that are thinking of running to make themselves known.
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