Election Day - polls open 9:00am to 9:00pm EDT

Party Leaders: Left top-Dalton McGuinty-Liberals
Right top-John Tory-Conservatives
Bottom left-Howard Hampton, New Democrats
Bottom right-Frank De Jong-Green



Last words from the Leaders:

Dalton McGuinty:We’re working with Toronto and cities across Ontario — fixing the problems created by the Harris Tory party. We have uploaded costing and responsibilities. We’ll keep working together, and we have asked the federal government to do its part too.

John Tory :Throughout this election, I strived to be straightforward, honest and accountable. I have not shied away from difficult issues or from real voters, and have willingly answered all of their questions.
My party has laid out a plan that is affordable, realistic and fair for every person in Ontario.

Howard Hampton:More and more people are coming to the New Democrats. They know we're the only party they can count on to stick up for them and fight for a fair deal for Toronto.
The NDP has run a positive campaign, speaking about issues that working families care about. We put forward a clear alternative – six practical, fully-costed and affordable commitment.

Frank De Jong:Ontarians should vote for the Green party because ours is the only party that's willing to say what needs to be said, and to do what needs to be done to ensure that our children and grandchildren have a future.
Our policies recognize that the health of our society, environment and economy are interdependent, and that any solution to current challenges must address that reality.

To read more of the last words from the four leaders, you may go to the Star forcomplete coverage

Reminders to all Voters: If you can not be able to vote before going to work, that by law each eligible voter is allowed a Three Hours window after the polls opening and before closing. That you should be off by 6:00pm or start after 9:00 up to 12:00 noon..inform your employer if you're going to vote... it is the Law...

9:50 am - just back home from 3 kms. walk to the polling place to cast my vote. all the way to the Public School Gym where the polls located there was not a single campaign poster along the way. There are few in some houses down our road and they are all small ones in a removable posts displayed on the lawn. clean up is done within two days after election day.

How we vote in the Provincial Election:
The voting process is as simple as it can get. Voter bring along a registration notice mailed at least two weeks before election day to the polling place where young clerks will direct the voter to the poll assigned. Present the registration card to the returning officer and he or she will jot down the voters name along with the registration number, cross out the voter's name in the list and the clerk will give out the ballots with his or her initials. An id (preferably driver's license or any valid photo id maybe asked for verification) then a voter will proceed to a table where a pair of two cardboard boxes with a pencil and mark X opposite the name of candidate of choice, only one candidate..Candidates are listed in alphabetical order and noted within the box under which party they are running for.

Takes less than a few seconds to do the X inside the small circle and this year there is a referendum proposed by the Citizen Assembly to give the voters a choice to change the election system to Mixed Members Proportional Representation or stay with the status quo First Past the Post system. also an X will indicate the choice.

After all the Xes done, bring back the ballots to the clerk folded with the clerk's initial showing. The returning officer will note in his logbook that voting is done. Ballots are returned back to the voter to drop in a ballot box where they will stay until the closing time, where they will be brought to a location for electronic counting.

Results will start pouring in the Media counts within 30 minutes and as long as everything is going fine, final tallying will be available by midnight, 3 hours after closing, unofficially, but usually the same as the official results. Ballots are kept in safe locations known only to the election officers and witnesses, and will be retrieved only under court order if there is any election protest or if automatic recount would not resolve the issue...Automatic recount is only done if the winning candidate margin is too narrow within the pre-established number.

If the party who win the election is in majority, the mandate is four years at a fixed date for the next election, unless the parliament is dissolve for any other reason. If it is a minority, election can be called anytime if the government loss the confidence of the Parliament...done my civic duty in about a minute...

I'LL POST THE OFFICIAL RESULTS BY 9:00AM TOMORROW:

Ontrario Vote Countdown -- Three more days to go...

Ontario Vote Countdown – Three more days to go...

Parties Platforms: start with governing party, the Liberals to Conservatives, the official opposition and the New Democrats, the other party in Government. The Green party, although has candidates in every riding is not included as it has to win a seat yet.

Liberal Party Platforms: * Continue levying health tax up to $900 per person.

Begins measuring emergency room wait times.

100 new medical school spaces.

Free PSA test for men and fertility test for women.

Electronic health records for every citizens by 2015.

Progressive Conservatives:
* Phase out Health tax over four years.

Electronic health care records by 2014.

Send out Premier John Tory to the U.S. to lure more than 9000 Canadian Doctors working there. (Come home sis and bro-in-law).

Allow more Private Clinics but only if Ontarians would be able to pay for care with OHIP cards (our health care cards, all residents have one)

Allow private sectors to build more modern Health-Care facilities.

New Democrats:
*Reduce health tax for people earning less than $80 thousands and eliminate it under $48 thousands.

Raise price of cigarettes by 17% to encourage smokers to quit.
Resume health care coverage for optical care, physiotherapy and chiropractic care removed by the current Liberals.

Minimum of 3.5 hours of personal daily care of residents of nursing homes.

Note: the NDP platforms look so good, but chances of winning the government is quite dim.

On Education:

Liberals:
**Expand kindergarten to a full day.

Ban trans fat from school cafeterias and require healthy menus.

Introduce on line Homework help.

$300 “textbook and technology” grant for post secondary students.

$10 Millions to prepare school to deliver Autism Therapy (I like this one).

Review school funding by 2010.

Conservatives: **$400 millions to extend funding to all Faith based schools following the Ontario curriculum and hiring accredited Teachers.

Annual Review of school funding formula.

Frequent standardized testing of students.

Limit homework to TEN MINUTES per grade level each night.

$75 millions annually to expand Autism therapy into classrooms. (Even better).

New Democrats: **$800 million to expand kindergarten to a full day.

$100 million to improve services for children with autism. (much better than the Liberals).
Roll back and freeze University and College tuition to 2003 level.(University and College fees are not fully funded, but subsidized to up to 60 % and student loans are available to qualified post secondary students).


$75 Millions more for School supplies so Parents would no longer to have to hold Bake Sales (True: some parents do hold bake sale to supplement their children school supplies).


I just post the platforms for two of the most important issues in our society. To check the rest regarding the Environment, Poverty, Economy, and download to Municipalities and Cities you may check the complete list at this PDF files..Political Parties Election Campaign Platforms here...

My comments: The polls show that the Liberal is still leading three days going into the polls. Polls survey give the Liberal 43%, Conservative 32% and the New Democrats 18%. The rest are for the Green party and other independent candidates. You may check the complete polls surveys by several polling agencies,surveys here.

The Conservatives going into the Campaign as the favourite to unseat the Liberals. But their Trojan Horse that may bring back the Liberals is the Promise of Public Funding to all Faith based schools that the Public is not quite ready to embrace yet. Although party leader John Tory, did a “wee bit” of backtracking that if elected Premier, he will allow a Free Vote on the issue. Maybe a little too late, because the issue even caused fragmentation within the Party Caucus.

On Matter of Referendum..Note; the parties are not allowed by law to campaign on referendum issue:

The YES VOTE: Allowing Mixed Members Proportional(MMP) Representations in Provincial Parliament. Explanation: if carried, the Parliament will be adjusted to 129 members from l07 by 2012, 90 of which will be elected directly by voters in 90 ridings and the other 39 from the Party List in proportion to their Popular votes..

The NO VOTE: Maintain the Status Quo or First Past the Post ( or a simple majority votes).

My Prediction: the NO Vote will carry the day. Voters, minority of which would like to see other parties, like the Green or even Communist Party get representations in the Parliament, the Majority still prefer the old system where Members are Accountable to both their Parties and the Voters of every riding. Most voters feel comfortable meeting their representatives face to face and talk about the issues of the day and that is not possible for party list members that represent no riding and only accountable to their parties and the chance of representatives nominated by their parties not acceptable to the General Public...I will vote a Big NO.

For Ontarians of voting age, no matter how you vote, Please go out and Vote this Wednesday, October 10, 9:00am to 9:00pm. Plenty of time before and after work. Or make sure to remind your employer that a THREE HOURS window is in effect and it is the Law. And even if not registered go to your polling station, (the list is available from Election Ontario) and register right at the Polls. Bring at least two ids with photo. Do not let others speak out for you... Vote...

Election Hottest Issue: Public Funding for all Faith-Based Schools..

Hottest Issue of this Provincial Election Campaign: Public Funding for all Faith-Based Schools...

Aside from the Current Government Broken Promises, one that is still very
Fresh on every voter's mind was the Premier McGuinty last Election Campaign Promise not to Raise Taxes during its Mandate. But as soon as the Liberals took power, they imposed a Health Premium for those earning $20 thousands or more with the minimum of $300. That’s is not a Big Tax, but the issue is a Broken Promises.

Now comes opposition leader John Tory of the Progressive Conservatives Party campaign program to extend Public Funding for all faith-based Schools same as Catholic Schools as long as they adapt the Ontario’s curriculum and hire the Province accredited teachers..Initial cost for the funding is around $400 millions for 53,000 students of Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and other faith-based schools. That represents approximately 3% of the total students. Catholic Schools have the enrollment of 600,000 students.

The Liberals and the New Democrats oppose the Conservative proposal, while the Green Party wants to have only one Secular Public School system with no funding for all religious schools, taking away funding fo Catholic Schools.. Public funding.

Other Campaign promises:
John Tory..Progressive Conservatives....More aid to Autistic Children.

Howard Hampton..New Democrats....Pay for delisted services, such as Physiotherapy, chiropractic and optometry services, once covered, but delisted by the Liberals. bring back delisted services..

While the Liberal Leader McGuinty, keep attacking the Tories comparing them to the Previous Government which his party defeated the last election..attack..

And the countdown continues..l4 days to go and counting...

Conservative Leader John Tory listens during a discussion on autism in London, Ont., yesterday as Leela Sharma and Madi, her 7-year-old autistic daughter, look on. Tory pledged more support for families dealing with autism.

Referendum Issue..same, same or Proportional Representations?

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, campaigning in one of the Ridings vowing to address the Energy Issues (fast-tracking of More Nuclear Plants) if he wins the Government this October 10 election...

Energy Issue is taking centre stage as the election campaign enters final stage...

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory vows that if he is elected Premier that he will fast-track building of more Nuclear Plants by any means possible, an apparent reversal of the stand he took a few months ago.

The stand in which earlier this year, Tory called for the resignation of Environment Minister for exempting the Liberal Nuclear Plan from Provincial Environment Assessment, as Minister Laurel Broten noted that The Environment Assessment for Nuclear plans is entirely Federal.

The pledge came yesterday as energy issues took centre stage in the campaign to the Oct. 10 provincial election, with NDP Leader Howard Hampton calling for lower electricity rates to help struggling Northern Ontario mills and Premier Dalton McGuinty rejecting the idea.

For more of the election issues you may want to check the Toronto Star coverage of the Election.
here

For this week Toronto Sun's sunshines..Sunshine Girls


Referendum Issue:
This coming provincial election, there is also a question regarding the reform of how the MPP (members of Provincial Parliament) would be elected.

At present we have a direct voting system known as First Past the Post or whichever candidate in a Riding, whether representing a Political party or independent, gets the most vote, will represent the Riding. This year there will be 107 Members, Four more than the last parliament. The Party who wins the most seats wins the Government and its leader will become the Premier.
That is regardless of the Popularity vote.

The referendum will ask the voters if Proportional Representation will be introduced by 2012. The Parliament membership in this proposed referendum will compose of 90 directly elected members and 39 from the parties in proportion to their popular votes. Thus, other parties with garnered some popular votes, but do not translate to winning any seat, will have representation in the Parliament out of the 39 remaining posts. The Green Party, which fields candidates in all ridings this election but may not win a single seat, will have a chance to have members appointed by the a Party to represent the total popularity votes out of the 39 reserved seats (the Green, according to the polls could cast 10% of the Popular votes).

This Proportional System, as some critiques would suggest would undermine the individual Accountability of the Member as he or she is only accountable to the party he or she represents, but not the constituents of any riding. While its supporters insist that is a fairer systems, a chance to have a non-seat winning party or even a Party whose share of popular votes does not translate to equal percentage of seats, voices heard in the Parliament, instead of just in the Media and in the Streets.

Well, in the End issue as important as this will be decided by the Ontarians. This system will be popular among the supporters of weaker Parties, such as the New Democrats, always the 3rd party among the 3 Mainstreams, (in the last provincial parliament, all members represent only these 3 major parties) who consistently gets 18 to 20 % of the Popular votes, but only wins 10% of the seats. But for the other Two main parties and their supporters , this system is foreign and my bet will soundly rejected.. And considering that the two main parties command somewhere in the 70% of the votes, the Chances of this Referendum issue to win the Yes vote is very dim indeed.

And by the Way, the Alimodiananon sa Canada, the association of town mates from the the town of Alimodian, Iloilo along with our town mates in the U.S.A. and all over the world, celebrated our Town Fiesta Yesterday, Saturday, September 22, in honor of St. Thomas of Villanova, the Patron of the Poor and also our town patron Saint.

A mass was said by a visiting Priest from General Santos and after we had a buffet of all kinds of Filipino dishes including the always omnipresent Pizza for the kids, who always would scream Pizza, and also the olds..
To view the pictures taken by our resident professional photagraphers inday Lyn and dol Noel with his Canon SLR go to Alimodian.net gallery ..here and enjoy

Election Ontario Countdown..Leaders Making Hay with Farmers..

Update: 9:00pm The First Televised Leaders Debate is now History. For the Media anylysis of the Leaders' Debate check the account from the Toronto Star...leaders' debate



Today's September 20, 10:00am update:


First Leaders Debate, sans Green Party, of the 2007 election campaign starting at 6:30pm and last for 90 minutes.

And from the Toronto Sun Daily here are the personal vitae of the Three Leaders:

JOHN TORY Conservative

- Age: 53

- Training: Lawyer

- Best round: Almost knocked out lefty David Miller in 2003 Toronto mayor's race, with 38.5% of the vote to 43.5%.

- Win streak: Party leader since 2004, he easily won his seat, Dufferin-Peel-Wellington-Grey, in a 2005 byelection.

- Party cred: Shrewd political backroomer, under the spotlight for first time, he's run campaigns for many others.

- Ring style: A former Rogers Cable exec and CFL boss, he's not afraid to tackle but has never fought such a title bout.

- TV election debates: None, the rookie in the ring.

DALTON MCGUINTY Liberal

- Age: 52

- Training: Lawyer

- Best round: Took down front-runner Gerard Kennedy for the Grit leadership in 1996, in a gruelling, five-ballot win.

- Win streak: Four straight election wins since 1990 on his Ottawa home turf, filling the shoes of his late MPP father.

- Party cred: The only rookie Liberal elected in the NDP's 1990 rout of the ruling Grits, he led them back to power in 2003.

- Ring style: Raised in a family of 10, he can scrap with the best but quiet, persistent jabs are often his best weapon.

- TV election debates: Two under his belt, 1999 and 2003.

HOWARD HAMPTON New Democrat

- Age: 55

- Training: Lawyer

- Best round: Cracked Bob Rae's first cabinet lineup in 1990 in an all-important role, as Ontario's attorney-general.

- Win streak: Five straight election wins dating back to 1987 on his Fort Frances home turf, in a vast northern riding.

- Party cred: Took its helm in 1996 after the Rae government was booted, keeping the NDP pulse alive at Queen's Park.

- Ring style: Ivy League-educated, on a hockey scholarship, he can punch with logic or union-hall verbal barrages.

- TV election debates: Two under his belt, 1999 and 2003.

My bet-Howard Hampton can easily wins the debate, but the election, Nah!! Ontario voters one time gave the New Democrats (socialists) during the Leadership of Bob Rae a crack at Government, but Tommy Douglas Bob Rae wasn't...

the toronto sun



New Democrats Leader Howard Hampton, the Best with the Tractor, 3rd in the Opinion Polls...


Party Leaders Make Hay with Farmers: Election Ontario Countdown..

Crosby, Ontario International Plowing Match, Sept. 18..

He maybe No. 3 in Opinion Polls (last among the mainstreams) but he is number on the Tractor.
New Democrats Leader Howard Hampton easily beat the other two leader by plowing the Straightest furrow at the Fastest Time. But will it translate into votes this October 10 election, remain to be seen.

Dressed in their country-best jeans and checked shirts, Premier Dalton McGuinty and Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory joined Hampton and a number of eastern Ontario candidates at the match on a farm north of Kingston. The event is an annual ritual but takes on added significance in an election year.
Politicians were eager to make their case before the agricultural community, with McGuinty on the defensive over his record with farmers and Hampton and Tory on the attack.
"It influences the rural vote to some degree," said Bruce McCready of the Ontario Ploughman's Association. "You can't change that many people's politics, but it all helps."
And Here’s what the Champion Plower has to say about the Government or Premier McGuinty, the Liberal Leader:

“The Liberals haven't done enough for farmers who face hard times with the rising dollar, foreign subsidies and low prices for some commodities. They see the $40,000 pay raise for Dalton McGuinty while many of them are having to subsidize their farm by working off the farm."

And the other Opposition Leader, Conservative John Tory has also something to say, of course this is the campaign period and if the Farmers really listen to them, or maybe they do...

Tory noted 650,000 Ontario jobs depend on a healthy agriculture industry and said he's talked to "far too many farmers who are in doubt ... whether they can tell their sons and daughters whether there's a future for them at all in farming."

For More of What the Farmers had to say and the spectators about the Leaders and the Promises and Election Programs and about the Local Candidates and Also the VIDEO of the PLOWING Competition and comments (or Judging) go to: (copy and paste)
http://www.thestar.com/OntarioElection/article/258095

Election Ontario-Election Day...October 10---the countdown begins..

Premier Dalton McGuinty and Wife Terri

Today's Issue: September 18, Tuesday Morning 9:00am Eastern Daylight...Today’s Issue: Should public funding extended to all faith- based schools?

The current Liberal Government is against the idea and would not even consider calling a referendum on the issue.

The opposition Conservative proposed the issue and will start the initiative of implementing public funding to the approximately 53,000 students of other faith- based schools (about 3% of the total) if it wins the government this coming election.

The other two parties, the New Democrat is against and the Green would like to revert back to Secularism.

At present the Catholic Schools get the same public funding as the Public Schools. Together both School Boards serve 95% of the students from Junior kin to Senior High (grade 12). While 2% are students of purely private or others, and 3 % of other religious based schools, e.g. Muslims, Hindus, Jewish, etc...

According to the Surveys done by two different pollsters, the results were entirely the opposite:

A CTV News-Strategic Counsel poll released last night found 71 per cent of 850 people surveyed oppose the funding of "private, faith-based schools," with just 26 per cent in favour. The poll, conducted last Thursday to Sunday, is accurate to within 3.4 percentage points.
An Environics poll last week showed dramatically different results, with 48 per cent supporting the extension of funding to schools of all religious denomination, 44 per cent opposed and 8 per cent undecided.
At the moment, I belong to the undecided..for now, I would continue the policy of giving tax credit (percentage) for the fees to the faith-based school to the amount not more than of that of public funding. Or go with Green Party Leader Frank de Jong pledged to eliminate all funding of faith-based schools and ensure world religion classes are taught in one secular public system.



September 16, 5:00am eastern daylight...

Election Update (provincial): Today, the New Democrats announced the Party Policy towards Intensive Behavioural Intervention (BPI)-a very expensive one-in-one treatment in a classroom for all autistic children, while the Governing Liberal insists that the issue go beyond funding, but the lack of trained support providers in the province which it said the govt. already started addressing by hiring more specialists and expand college training for more therapists. The Conservatives also pledge to address the issue, but no specific yet... It's about time the Autistic Children will get all the attention and intervention needed, spare no expense, we will foot the bill.

Promises

And from our 'USELESS BUT AMUSING SKILLS' file: when asked to recite a couple of lines from the poem they know by heart, the campaign front runners (party leaders) cheerfully obliged:
Read it Here

MORE ON ELECTION UPDATE Sept 17, 5am: this site will be updating and concentrate on Election Ontario issues for the next few weeks until election day of October 10. Election results will be available hours after official polls closing.

The first Party Leaders televised weekly debates will be on Thursday Evening. The issues and subjects of the debates are not published yet, but it will touch on the two main issues, medical care and education and also the crimes. Not sure if the Green Party leader, which do not represent any seat in the legislature will be represented in the debates, but the environment is also one of the forefront among the issues: Election Ontario

Is this a dirty campaign or not? Health Minister Smitherman said that candidate Klees of the opposition Tories, mused during one of the debates among local candidates that patients should be charged User Fees every time they visit Emergency rooms for non-emergency cases to avoid abuse of the privileges and clogging up emergency rooms, but not mentioning that the Party Leadership do not support such policy as it against the rule of the Federal Law to charge any patient for Medical care. This idea had been floated around just like calling for 911 and ambulance and fire for non emergency cases, but it is kind of hard to judge which are emergencies before the facts...and to punish people without malicious intents is against the spirit of the fair and honest democracy, which this country was founded upon... come on, let not indulge in dirty campaign without disclosing the party's stand.
Patient's user fee

The Chief versus the Prime Minister

Veiled


And the argument is about something that is a non-issue, but now becomes the main issue. The subject, the Muslim Women and a very few minority who wears Burgas and Veils who do not object at all for uncovering their faces if required and even their own community who insist that wearing them are for Cultural and Social Reasons and nothing to do with Muslim Faith, has now become the centre which the Parliament would have to clarify or may have to re-examine the recently passed law that requires visual verification for Federal Elections.

And here is the Argument on the side of the Chief. The PM has said much of his piece in my previous post (scroll down to Breaking News), but knowing the young PM, he's hot blooded and sometimes his step is a little too fast for him.

He also said that all parties participated in a conference call on July 26, in which the veiled-vote issue had arisen, and they were all informed of the way Elections Canada was planning to interpret the law.

The chief said he is just following the law by allowing some Muslim Women to vote with their faces covered. The law state that if challenged the voter should identify self by presenting two ids and the Chief said if the voter refuse to show his or her face, a sworn statement is acceptable. He also added that visual verification is not required for those who votes by Mail and Proxy and said last election there were 80 thousands who voted by mail.

He is throwing back the Controversy at the lap of the PM and other politicians - arguing that they have all ample chance to make clear that people need to show their faces at the voting booth.

Chief Marc Mayrand replaced JP Kingsley who resigned the post last February after 17 years of service. Of course he was appointed by the current Government of PM Harper, but that doesn’t mean that his Independence is somehow affected.

Election Canada is an Independent Agency responsible for Federal Elections and Referendums and Reports to Parliament. The Chief is Appointed by the Governor General at the Recommendation of the Government of the Day and has the tenure of up to 65 years of age or resigned and can only be fired with cause by the Majority vote of the Parliament, the Senate and the House of Commons.

For Ontario Voters this coming October 10 election, don’t worry, Election Ontario doesn’t care if you wear a golie mask or paper bag over your head, it loves you to come and cast your vote, just show your voter’s Election Notice or your ID and do your civic duty.

The Muslim Canadian Congress says Elections Ontario should require everyone to show their face when casting a ballot.
A spokesman for the group says veils and burkas are worn for cultural and social reasons and have nothing to do with the Muslim faith.

the argument

Not a big deal... sure the parliament will thresh out this issue and make it very clear with election canada the intention of the law. Nobody wants this matter up to the court to decide.

Drama at City Hall...Staged or Real??

Today's Toronto Sunday Sun's Sunshine Girl. A daily must see for those who appreciate the Sun..

Nothing to do with Today's Entry...but the weatherman said today's weather going to be little colder 24C high and cloudy (intermittent showers) and here's Angelic Angela to put a little warm on everyone's Sunday..For more of Sun's Sunshine Girls visit this site:
Sunshine


Toronto City Hall



Tempers and Insults flew at The City Council Meeting as the First days of the Cut of Services come into effect starting Today. The cuts were announced by Mayor David Miller few weeks ago after the Council defeated the new measures of "taxation" proposed by the Mayor to cover the shortfall. Now, they are blaming each others.
http://truenorthandme.blogspot.com/2007/08/get-ready-city-about-to-cut-quality-of.html

The cut that causes most concern, especially among the Seniors and Parents of Young Children is the closing of 130 Community Centres on Mondays and to the lesser extent of 16 Public Libraries on Sundays, until the city puts its house back in Order...

To read the council members throwing insults at one another check the Council Chamber...

Toronto Star


And also from the people who are directly affected by the cuts, the Seniors, the Parents of Young Children and the workers. Never mind the Politicians, they’re all full of hot air and they could had done something before these matters come to this point. The Provincial Government and even the Federals are ignoring their cries anyways. But just like anywhere, try to give themselves a raise and quietly and softly they become friends again..hehehe...might even see them having lunch together...

September 10, 5:00am current temp. 14 today's high 20 low 14...

Breaking News: PM Steven Harper threatened legal action against Election Canada if it doesn’t back off its decision of allowing Muslim women to vote covering their faces. Election Canada is an Independent Agency responsible for conducting elections and referendums and reports to the Parliament.

Last spring the Parliament passed Bill C-31, a law designed to have visual identification of voters and Election Canada is supposed to implement the law, not to make its own.

Today, Election Canada is holding a news conference to address the issue and to also address the Protests even from the Muslim Communities that do not agree with its decision. All political parties are solid in their opposition to the electoral body decision. Where’s JP Kingsley in times like this?

Toronto Star

Something Political...

PM Harper with other G-8 Leaders during the

Last summit.

Today received an email from the Conservative Party, after a conversation with volunteer fundraiser that we could have an Election before the year’s end. Being a long-time Card-Carrying Party Member, we are, along with other parties members, the voters and the General Public, time to again participate in our democratic duty of electing our next Government if an election is called.

Since our election campaign expense now has to come from only two sources; from individual contribution of citizens, subject to limits and from the Government, it is imperative that we support the process. But donating to a Candidate or to a Party or to a Party Association, an individual is not only doing his or her share in making Democracy works, but get back part of his contribution from the Government in the form of Tax Refunds of Reduction of Tax Payable..

And here is the formula for Tax Credit of political Contributions.

The refund (or reduction in tax payable) depends only on the amount donated and not on taxable income. One only needs to file a tax return in order to receive it. The 2005 tax credit formula is:

for contributions between 0 and $400, you will get back 75%;
for contributions between $400 and $750, you will get back $300 plus 50% of the amount over $400;
for contributions over $750, you will get back $475 plus 33 1/3% of the amount over $750 up to a maximum of $650 annually.

Maximum individual Limits including Candidates... $5400 annually...

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION!

Dear Mr. Vic ... .....

Thank you for your generous contribution of $( amount) when we spoke to you on the phone on Saturday, July 28, 2007.

THANK YOU!

Stéphane Dion and his "new" team are confused, divided and for themselves: they will not get things done for families and taxpayers.

It seems all but inevitable that unwanted and unnecessary election will be forced on Canadians in 2007. Your generous gift is helping us be prepared to stop Stéphane Dion.

As a minority government, we can't prevent an unwanted election. But we can prepare for victory.

Thank you once again for your generous contribution and your on-going support of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Sincerely,
The Fundraising Department
http://www.conservative.ca/

Political Scandals, We Too Have them...

Premier McGuinty, Left, with Citizenship Minister Mike Colle during happy days.

Provincial Minister of Citizenship Resigned Amid Scandal!!!

The Provincial Election is set for October 10 and the Government of Premier McGuinty (Liberal Party) just lost its First Cabinet Minister due to Scandal.

Citizenship Minister Mike Colle resigned after Auditor General Jim McCarter slammed spending Controls on the Grants to Multicultural Groups as "among the worst that we’ve seen" after finding out that Grants were doled out without proper Paper Works and in some instances Much More than what the Groups were asking for. And the Election Campaign will Start in a little more than six weeks from now.

Colle's resignation comes despite earlier attempts by the government to defuse the controversy over the grants in the face of a series of Toronto Star revelations and opposition party attacks.
But the Government could find a little comfort as the Auditor ruled out favouritism in awarding Grants to community Groups.

A very interesting case the Auditor highlighted, the Ontario Cricket Association asked for a grant of $150,000 and instead got a $ 1 million and more than half of the Money still sitting on the bank. And the Auditor General added, "they clearly did not need a Million Bucks, this isn’t Cricket".

He suggested the furor over the grants, made in the last two years with no formal application process or criteria, was a case of the government shooting itself in the foot.

"We found no evidence that any organization received a grant because it had political ties. However, in some cases those ties did exist, and, when this is combined with a process lacking openness and most of the normal accountability controls, it can create the perception of favouritism if the organization ends up obtaining a grant," McCarter wrote.

Both the Progressive Conservatives and New Democrats vowed to remind voters about the Liberal imbroglio as the election approaches

.
Premier McGuinty quickly apologized to the People of Ontario and this what he had to say:

The lax oversight was "clearly not in keeping with the respect our government must have for every dollar taxpayers send us," McGuinty said yesterday.

"I want to apologize to the people of Ontario for not living up to the high standards that we have set for ourselves and that they are entitled to expect from us. I want Ontarians to know we are implementing all of the auditor's recommendations."

Judgement Day will Come October 10 if the "voters of Ontario" will accept the Premier’s Apology or Not.

For this voter it is not an issue, because I belong to the opposition party. And the Premier was very slow in acting about this issue that has been lingering for a while after it was Revealed by the Media and the Oppositions.

Read more here:
http://www.thestar.com/News/Ontario/article/240471

For star editorial:

http://www.thestar.com/article/240319

Something Good: A 64 years old Senior, 5'7" took down two robbers, both over 6 feet tall and young at a pharmacy, after he stumbled into Crime in Progress as he was filling up his Prescription. Roy to the Rescue... check this link...

http://www.torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2007/07/28/4374963-sun.html