Election 42- Death of the NDP #Elxn42 #bcpoli #canpoli

Tom Mulcair and the NDP are toast!

This was the election that was the referendum on Stephen Harper.

It was dubbed as the Anybody but Harper campaign.

It ended badly for Mr.Harper we know that now.

The Conservatives, on the other hand will live another day.

The NDP might not be so fortunate.

Before the election was dubbed the “Anybody but Harper Campaign” the discussion centered around whether the left could exist as two bodies and defeat the Conservatives without splitting the vote.

That was put to the test in this election and from where I sat and watched only one survived.

As soon as Tom Mulcair said the NDP stood for balanced budgets they became Harper lite.

Justin Trudeau and the Liberals pounced and said they would run deficits creating a clear choice in the voting public’s mind. Would they vote for Harper and the Conservatives ( Which the NDP was now lumped) or would they vote for Liberal deficits and spending.

While the voters where mulling that over, Thomas Mulcair put what I think was the final nail in his and the NDP coffin.

It wasn’t the niqab ( although that didn’t help him ).

At the September 28 debate Thomes Mulcair shot him and his party squarely in the foot.

Mulcair invoked the death of Justin Trudeau’s father, Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

Trudeau made a passionate defense of his father as would I of mine.

Trudeau took full control from that moment on and made the voters choice easy, a compassionate party with a left leaning economic vision versus two balanced budget parties that were mean.

In my mind the election was over that night.

At the same time the Trudeau Liberals swallowed up the NDP and gave those progressive voters a home they could win on.

And win they did.

Next election the economy will still be the topic ( It always is) but the NDP wont have much to say in the outcome.

It will be tax and spend of the Liberals versus the Conservatives fiscal economic planning.

The Conservatives will have a new leader who will have gotten the message from last night.

There will be no Anybody But Harper Campaign. The fight will be for those new voters who came out this time.

The NDP? There is no longer room for them, they had their chance.

They blew it.

They will not recover.

Jack Layton must be rolling in his grave!

The Candidate Nomination Process Is Broken! #bcpoli #canpoli #election 2015

Is there anybody worth voting for?
Is there anybody worth voting for?

In a little less than a year another federal election will have happened and the results will have been sliced and diced well before now.
I can almost guarantee the topic once again will be the lousy over all voter turnout .
At some point during the election someone in the media will be shocked at the size of the advance turnout suggesting that change is in the air. ( It’s convenient for people to vote at advanced polls rather than just one certain day, when will the pundits figure that out?)
This theory will once again be kneecapped after election day itself when the pundits will be once again gob-smacked by the low overall turnout.

Why aren’t people voting they will cry? What can we do about it ?

Nothing of course until they address the flaws in the political nomination process.

Perception is everything because in the eyes of the public not only is the process flawed but it might even be corrupt.

It’s a simple process really.

It start’s with a questionnaire the prospective candidate fills out.

It is then sent on to a committee for review. They look to make sure everything is answered etc.

It is either approved or rejected,sent back to redo and then an interview is arranged.

The candidate is interviewed and then ultimate approval is given.

Should be simple enough.

But it’s not.

During the nomination process the prospective candidate has to sell more memberships than the other potential candidates and get them out to vote.

Cue the upcoming nomination battle in Surrey-Newton an Electoral district in the lower mainland of British Columbia.

Two so-called wily political adversaries selling memberships by using prepaid visa cards.

Obviously against the rules.

Or parties appoint candidates and disqualify others at the last-minute leaving their own appointed candidate looking like a wounded duck.

Or people cheat.

The end result is that people are disgusted and want no part of the process including voting on voting day.

To get people involved where they care,volunteer and vote at the ballot box all parties must stop appointing candidates.

They must evaluate potential candidates early in the process and remove them then not mere days before the vote. At present I believe the parties wait to the last-minute to allow input of extra membership money from the soon to be disposed of candidate.

If they opt to remove them closer to the big day than provide a reason publicly. The candidate should not be in politics if they can’t handle rejection and the reviewers should not be reviewers if they don’t have the moxie to toss a candidate and say why.

Above all the process should be open,accountable and transparent.

Right now it’s not and it’s disgusting, don’t you think?

Cloverdale-Langley Federal Conservative Eda-The Result Is in! #bcpoli #canpoli

Now the hard work begins!
Now the hard work begins!

Congratulations are in Order to Dean Drysdale who rode to Victory in today’s Federal Conservative Nomination contets.

Dean won the right to represent the Conservative EDA of Cloverdale Langley in the upcoming federal election in October 2015.

Dean is a great candidate who will represent the party well.

It is time for all area Conservatives to line up behind him, roll up your sleeves and begin the hard work of sending him to Ottawa.

Congratulations Dean, tonight is your night!

Tako van Popta to Run in Cloverdale-Langley City? #bcpoli #canpoli #Surreypoli

Will Tako van Popta’s entry into the Cloverdale-Langley City Conservative Eda wipe the smile off of Mike Garisto”s Face?

Rumor on the street today is that Tako van Popta is getting ready to announce he is adding his name to the growing list of candidates running in Cloverdale-Langley City Electoral District.

That would be interesting in that as recently as Thursday night it appeared to many eyes at a Surrey Fundraiser that van Popta was part of the Mike Garisto team.

For those that don’t know, Garisto is also a candidate running for the federal nomination in that very same riding.

Could this spell trouble in the Mike Garisto Camp?

Astute readers of Political Insider will recall I had discussed this possibility back in 2013

This is shaping up to be a very interesting nomination battle.

I wonder who might enter next?

John Ibbitson,Election 2015 and the polls! #bcpoli #canpoli #canada #election2015

Which Emery will give Trudeau the most Grief?

It’s the Economy Stupid!

Doesn’t matter what election or where; all elections are fought on the economy.

In 2015, assuming we have not had a visit from Mad Max by then, the Canadian federal election will be fought on the economy and as John Ibbitson quite rightly says world events will influence that election as never before.

What nobody can tell you today is what the world will look like in October 2015 and that includes pollsters.

I don’t recall a time, in my generation anyways, when the world was as close to boiling over and going to war as it seems they are now.

I remember reading about friend being pitted against friend in the referendums that were held in Quebec. That will be nothing compared to what will happen here if the middle east crisis worsens.You just need to scan Facebook for the stands that people are taking already.

The pollsters would have you think the coming Apocalypse is all about the death of the Conservative party,how they will be relegated to third place. The NDP will rise from the Ashes they say and lo and behold people are polling in favor of the Liberals not because they want Trudeau but because they want to be Liberal.

Pulease…

Between the coming Emery Circus,( you can choose which Emery will give Trudeau the most grief) the Trudeau memoirs and events on the world stage, how would any sane person know what is going to happen in 2015?

The Only pollster in my mind worth his salt is Dimitri Pantazopoulos who recently said “At this point, I won’t say who will win the next election. But only because the question is completely irrelevant.
Let’s see what the next 400 days hold in store for the government and opposition parties.”

I would add and lets see what is in store for the world.

What do you think?

Federal By-elections: Liberals and Conservatives each win two! #canpoli,#altapoli#election2015#onpoli #bcpoli

Happy Canada Day!

Four federal by-elections were held today , two in Ontario and two in Alberta.

What do the results mean for Canada ?

NOTHING

Nobody ( other than those who participated ) cares.

The mainstream media tried to make a story out of how close these were going to be.

Hardly.

Tonight and tomorrow they will try a paint this as a mortal wound to Thomas Mulcair and the NDP.

Hardly.

Nobody cares, it’s the Monday sandwiched in between the weekend and Canada Day.

I am surprised ( not) that anybody bothered to vote.

So go pour a beer or cut your grass ( Justin you can smoke yours) and Have a Happy Canada Day everybody!

Rumor Du Jour: Tom Gill where will he go? #bcpoli #canpoli #election2015 #surrey#itsrasodetime

Where will he go?

Election 2015 is a year away and the tug o war for federal candidates has already started.

It seems both the Liberals and the Conservatives think the seat in the EDA of Surrey-Newton is winnable over light weight MP Jinny Sims.

Rumor out of Surrey has both parties trying to persuade Surrey First City Councilor Tom Gill to jump municipal ship and enter the federal arena.

Rumor has it that Gill has had the opportunity before but turned it down due to having a young family.

This time I would expect Gill to make the jump as Surrey First will likely fall victim to the growing machine known as #itsrasodetime.

Which party do you think he will join?

Rumor Du Jour! Surrey Newton. #bcpoli #canpoli #surrey

Harprret to Run for the CPC in Surrey Newton?
Harpreet Singh to Run for the CPC in Surrey Newton?

Interesting rumor on the street today has broadcaster Harpreet Singh running for the CPC nomination in Surrey Newton.

Harpreet has always played a leadership role in the community!

If true that would be awesome!

Stay tuned!

Rumor Du Jour- Who Will run in Cloverdale-West Langley? #canpoli #bcpoli

Will She or Won’t She?

Already the landscape is cluttered in the new riding of West Langley-Cloverdale .

You have already heard that Gurmant Grewal,Dave Hayer,Paul Brar, Dean Drysadle and Mike Garisto have already thrown their respective hats ( I have never actually seen any of them wear hats) into the ring and declared they will rung for the federal Conservative Party of Canada nomination.

This is only October 2013 and the nominations has not even been declared open.

But now the rumor mills are working overtime and I am hearing that Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts is pondering a run for the roses.

A Watts entry into this race would make it very exciting with most likely most of the aforementioned candidates volunteers ( not Gurmant’s) bailing on their candidate to help pave the way for a Watts coronation.

In fact some of the candidates would likely bail on their volunteers ( not Gurmant)

Stay tuned this could be a lot of fun!