Lots and lots of news! And most of it fucking sucks these days!
On the topic of Shit Harper Did: These elections have resulted in some pretty skeezy moves the Conservative Party and highlights how important it is that we get them the fuck out of office!
One of the biggest issues: On Thursday April 14th, Students at the University of Guelph were lining up to vote at the special ballot station on the UofGuelph campus when Conservative party members stormed onto the scene questioning the legality of the voting station. One Conservative even tried to grab the ballot box, which is completely illegal. As such, there was a huge issue on whether or not Elections Canada would count the 700 votes placed by UofGuelph students. They've ruled that they will count the votes, but fell to Conservative pressure and have now stated that NO special ballot voting stations are to be placed on University campuses despite that they were legal before. This is a DIRECT blow to student voters and I hope its enough for my peers to realise how important this election is. Harper is systematically trying to dismantle democracy in this country, by discouraging young Canadians from voting; a vote that would almost certainly unseat him since only 21% of Canadians voted for Harper in the last elections and they were largely over 40 years of age, many organised into voting by leaders in Canada's religious right.
Many Canadians between the ages of 18-30 are often politically apathetic. And even Canadians in their 30s don't go out and vote as often as those over 40. These age groups are very often, albeit apathetic, supporters of Liberal and Left-leaning parties, moreso than their older counterparts (though that isn't to say there aren't those over 40 that support the Left...otherwise we might not have had a minority, but a majority)...they make up a chunk of the 50% of Canadians that didn't vote last election. So to I'll expand that 18-30 to 18-39...GET OUT AND VOTE!
I highly recommend that everyone vote
strategically in their area.
http://catch22campaign.ca/notes is a website that has detailed most/all uncertain ridings. If you live in one of these ridings under threat of a Conservative seat, then I'd encourage you to vote for the Liberal/NDP/Green leader who is closest to unseating the Conservative in your riding.
Ignatieff made an excellent speech yesterday in Sudbury telling Canadians that this is no longer about party politics, about who you vote for, but about ending the threat to democracy that Harper represents. He told Canadians to "Rise Up!" and that has quickly become the Anti-Harper slogan. So help secure your riding from the Conservatives!
In other news, the Jewish Defence League protested outside of the Toronto Pride office yesterday, throwing around homophobic slurs at mostly silent lgbt counterprotestors. Boo on them, and screw that idjiot Rob Ford...at least he has no excuse to cancel Toronto Pride funding without revealing himself even more as the bigot he is.
http://www.xtra.ca/public/Toronto/Je...nto-10031.aspx