Small victory for progressive forces in Ontario...:)

[Sephirstein]

In spite of losing 2 seats, not being able to upset the PCs in Oshawa, and facing a Green Party what won nearly 3% of the popular vote, the NDP increased it's popular vote from 12% to 15%.

Furthermore, in my riding (Stormont-Dundas-Charlottenburgh), the NDP candidate (whom I supported) and the Green Party candidate combined for nearly 10% of the popular vote.

The NDP finished slightly lower than last time (About 0.5% down to 4.26%), Matt Sumegi's team has nothing to be ashamed of, as there was another strong progessive voice in this riding that the NDP didn't have to deal with in 1999!

The Green Party had the 3rd best Green showing in Ontario in my riding (next to Guelph-Wellington and Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Gray)with 5.47% of the vote, as Manley was the most articulate and intelligent candidate, the least negative candidate, and the only fluently bilingual candidate. (I voted NDP because I also like Sumegi and because the Greens -- in spite of having a progressive platform for the most part -- suport school vouchers.)

Also of positive note is the results in Renfrew-Nippising-Pembroke! The Canadian Alliance easily won this riding in 2000 in spite of right-wing vote splitting with the PCs, yet the PCs struggled to beath a Liberal party that was vote splitting with a strong local NDP candidate.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

1. didn't cananda just buy Diebold and ES&S voting machines?

my friends in the Quebec Province...just told me that the PC party was weakening...and on their way out?...:shrug:

[Spazito]

2. Canada uses paper ballots...

and I haven't seen anything that has been put forward to change that. If anyone ever does, I sure as heck will use Bev's BBV to stop it!

The Progressive Conservatives and the Alliance are both marginal parties, thank goodness!

[glarius]

6. With our paper ballots there is NO PROBLEM!

The polls closed at 8 PM and it wasn't long after that the winner was declared....No disputing punch cards or voting machines etc....This is not meant as a knock at the USA system, but I just wonder why they don't forget all these expensive machines etc...and go back to paper ballots....Even our federal election was decided promptly without a problem....:shrug:

[MrPrax]

8. Not a fair comparison...

In canada it is one mark on a ballot...one would be surprised if they needed anymore than an hour to count them

In the US, their elections have numerous choices--electronic balloting does have some merits.
It is just the machines need to be better designed and scrutinized...
Personally I think in the US a non-partisan group should be established to design and distribute ONE OFFICIAL machine for all jurisdictions to use...
It can be done

[Sephirstein]

10. Watch it!

The PCs are so diverse that you literally have a different ideology for almost every member. I would have supported Charest in 1997 and I liked Clark, but I'd vote for Cheryl "Ask Your Boyfriend" Gallant of the Canadian Alliance before I ever thought of supporting Elsie Wayne...lol

(But then again, this is from somebody who just came up with a political ideology for Dr. Sun Yat-sen: Lincolnian Marxist.)

[glarius]

3. I would say a rather LARGE victory for Ontario !

WE GOT RID OF THE CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[David__77]

4. Why a Canadian Green Party?

If I were Canadian, I would support the NDP, unless I were in a province in which it was pretty non-existant. I cannot imagine why there is any need for Green Party there, except for single-issue voters. NDP is THE progressive party in Canada. Yes, there are good people in the Liberal Party as well, but I'm more of an NDP type personally. Canada needs the NDP voice, and it seems that the Greens detract from that.

[glarius]

5. The NDP has been the "conscience" party of Canada for many years

Their voice is necessary to keep the other two parties on their toes. They were voted in to power in Ontario a few years ago (before the last Conservative reign) but did not do a good job in power...I voted for them myself at that time....The new Libera government I have hopes for...I like what I hear from the leader Dalton McGinty....

[Sephirstein]

11. Not exactly...

The Ontario Green Party is more left-libertarian than progressive actually. You'd be hardpressed to find NDPers supporting school vouchers, but there is significant common ground nonetheless.

[Sephirstein]

17. Also of interest...

Is the fact that the Greens were very hit and miss with their candidates:

The candidate from Oshawa -- Karen Twaddle -- was viewed as the weakest candidate from any party in the province.

Tom Manley and Frank de Jong, on the other hand, were among the strongest.

Polls in my riding show that if Manley had run as a PC, a Liberal, or maybe even a New Democrat, he would have won easily.

[Lisa]

7. I've heard the new Premier intends to introduce electoral reforms ...

... including a switch away from the "first past the post" system?

Which, given the upswing in the popular vote for the NDP, would work on our side.

In previous years, I would have been upset by them going from 9 to 7 seats, but after watching how much of a fight Joy and Jenny put up in BC, even without official party status ... they can still make an impact.

[Sephirstein]

13. McGuinty?...lol

McGuinty will be so busy making up his mind that things will stay as they are. They won't get worse as they would have under Eves, but don't won't get better either...:-P

[glarius]

14. I don't agree....I like what he is saying

We'll have to wait and see but I have a good feeling about McGinty.

[Sephirstein]

15. We'll see...

I guess it's not bad. But I predicted a couple of days ago that if McGuinty were to become premier, he'd either be almost as bad as Harris-Eves, or the best we've done in decades.

[glarius]

16. I wish you hadn't mentioned Harris...I just ate my dinner and I don't

think my digestive system can handle it! Uuugghh...that bastard is the cause of everything that went wrong in this povince....

[Sephirstein]

18. Then don't read this message if you really don't want to be sick...lol

John Snobelen!!!

[MrPrax]

9. The New Dems got trashed...

They lost two seats--the Official Party agreement is lapsed--and Howard was predicting 30!!--count them 30 seats.
The discrepency is to ridiculous for words...

Not only that--without a bridgehead--Layton is going to have a hell of a job getting a federal seat...

But a nice 'half glass full' attempt

[Sephirstein]

12. Not as bad as you'd think...

They nearly upset the PCs in Oshawa and they were up over 2 points in the popular vote. And this was with a strong Green Party.

[MrPrax]

19. All roads lead to Buzz?

yeah Oshawa..THE fact is that the electorate was moving Left and the New Dems couldn't capitalize...LOST SEATS

Why dump on the Greens?

If the New Dems come up with a environmental program, as well as, everything else that might attract a quorum...all ears

And so the Ontario left Layton high and dry....find a civic seat or 'parachute'...