2011 Canadian Election Thread

[IliketoPuck]

Just call the NDP platform the return of the NEP for Western Canada.

I'm all for maintaining our standard of living throughout Canada, but it goes both ways. I think it is BS that Eastern Canada can have the ability to severely cripple our standard of living through shortsited promises that the vast majority of the voting public completely do not understand.

All the platforms of the NDP and Liberal parties amount to is a transfer of wealth from the West to the East, at the extreme detriment of the West.

I hope voters in Calgary and western Canada understand that voting for the NDP or the Liberals could very well cost you, someone in your family, or someone you know their job, lifestyle and standard of living if the election goes NDP/Liberal.

It isn't so much about what platform you agree or disgaree with. You have to look at the cold reality of it. If the NDP or the Liberals get to a position of power, it will directly, NEGATIVELY, impact your standard of living and everything you take for granted by living in the West.

Come the 2nd I'm voting CPC, I strongly suggest you do as well.

[HotHotHeat]

Jack Layton: Making money grow on trees since 1950.

If the NDP take power, there will be a Western separatist movement almost immediately. No joke.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Pretty much what I think, aside from the good financial advice. I wonder how the provincial government would react to an NDP PM.

Ironically enough this is the best thing for the PC party locally. They would now have a new external enemy to pretend to fight. They can look like the 'good guys fighting the good fight.' Whereas the real enemy is their own ineptitude. Jacking royalties, and expropriating land and rights they already sold is doing enough damage for investment to this province.

[old-fart]

I wouldn't be too surprised if the NDP take second place, but I would be stunned if they end up with more than 70 seats. All this talk of 100+ seats for the NDP is crazy talk.

I still expect (hope) for a slim Conservative majority, with either a rejuvenated NDP opposition, or a weakened Liberal one. Any declines by the BQ are most excellent.

Oh, and I expect the Greenies and May to remain completely irrelevant.

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by old-fart

I wouldn't be too surprised if the NDP take second place, but I would be stunned if they end up with more than 70 seats. All this talk of 100+ seats for the NDP is crazy talk.

I still expect (hope) for a slim Conservative majority, with either a rejuvenated NDP opposition, or a weakened Liberal one. Any declines by the BQ are most excellent.

Oh, and I expect the Greenies and May to remain completely irrelevant.

I wish I shared the same optimism. I'm currently plotting how to Layton-proof my investments and when I'll have to make the trades.

[edn88]

If Canadians vote in an NDP government, then we pretty much deserve to have our country go down the toilet.

I'd be on board for separating from Canada at that point! If not, I would have to consider liquidating my holdings in Canada in preparation for a move to another county.

[Table 5]

Boy, I can't wait till all you guys liquidate your assets, so people like me can come in and buy them up cheap for the inevitable pendulum swing a few years later. Do people really think the NDP would be in power forever?

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by Cowboy89

I wish I shared the same optimism. I'm currently plotting how to Layton-proof my investments and when I'll have to make the trades.

I'm not overly excited about investing in the States either though, given the rumblings from S&P that they may downgrade their debt rating.....

Gold/silver could be a good place to go if Jack actually gets some power, that or infrastructure companies. I think pipeline/electricity/etc may be a somewhat safe bet.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Boy, I can't wait till all you guys liquidate your assets, so people like me can come in and buy them up cheap for the inevitable pendulum swing a few years later. Do people really think the NDP would be in power forever?

Long enough to completely #### many of us. I'm sitting here wondering if I'll have a job in a year or two.

[Tinordi]

Laugh so much baseless fear mongering going on right now.

[IliketoPuck]

Can you really blame us?

The Liberals brought in the NEP, can you even comprehend what the NDP would do?

[SebC]

Originally Posted by crazy_eoj

That's patently untrue. A green voter gets to vote, the same as every other franchised Canadian. Their vote is counted with every other vote, and along with those votes is how the parliament is set. Each vote is equal to every other vote.

A child doesn't get any input into the makeup of our parliament.

If you don't beleive it, don't vote. But pretending votes aren't counted doesn't mean that they are not counted.

They are counted, they just don't count in that they don't get represented in parliament. For many Canadians, they can vote their conscience, but their vote doesn't matter (except that it provides $2 to the party you vote for).

I have already voted, but I am under no delusions that it wasn't a symbolic gesture with no real impact.

Every vote is not equal: a voter in a swing riding is far more important than a voter in a safe riding. In rep-by-pop, every vote is equal.

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Laugh so much baseless fear mongering going on right now.

I watched the rug get pulled a couple years ago when the economy tanked. Its hardly baseless when you've seen it happen before and people are running a campaign based on screwing us.

[The Goon]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

Come the 2nd I'm voting CPC, I strongly suggest you do as well.

Wait, you're in Calgary, and you're voting Conservative?

The room is spinning...whoa...hold me...

(Not making fun of you specifically, just the fact that it's really pointless to have a debate amongst Albertans as a minimum 26 of 28 seats are going Conservative, regardless of any discussion that's taken place in this thread.)

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Table 5

Boy, I can't wait till all you guys liquidate your assets, so people like me can come in and buy them up cheap for the inevitable pendulum swing a few years later. Do people really think the NDP would be in power forever?

Liquidate is the wrong word. If you work in Oil and gas you can almost be certain that if you have options that expire within the next 2-3 years that they won't be worth more over their lifetime in a Jack Layton run Canada (Heck even a 10-15% price drop would erase all of the value of some peoples stock option plans). Might be a good time to take profit from those things. Also if you own a lot of junior oil and gas stocks, they might not make it in a cap and trade world. Even larger companies like CNQ have heavily built in cash flow multiples that are likely to tumble more than companies like IMO.

I would characterize it more as a shifting of assets in the portfolio before the price shocks that will ensue from a non-confidence vote, a cap and trade proposal et al. There will be a time to move back into those stocks after they have plunged in value.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by burn_this_city

Long enough to completely #### many of us. I'm sitting here wondering if I'll have a job in a year or two.

Most of you oil guys make extremely good money when things are going well, so hopefully you save some of it for the rough times. I hope people don't really expect things to be in over-drive all the time and base financial decisions on it being so.

But honestly, I just don't see the situation where the NDP gets in power to totally rips apart the oil industry. It's too much of a cash-cow for the country.....there would be a non confidence vote with a year.

[IliketoPuck]

Originally Posted by The Goon

Wait, you're in Calgary, and you're voting Conservative?

The room is spinning...whoa...hold me...

(Not making fun of you specifically, just the fact that it's really pointless to have a debate amongst Albertans as a minimum 26 of 28 seats are going Conservative, regardless of any discussion that's taken place in this thread.)

As it should, because the CPC best represent me continuing my standard of living.

[Muta]

I'm voting NDP just to see the reaction on this board when they win. That will be the most epic day in CP history.

Then, I'll quietly pack my bags and move back to the South Pacific. I have no clue about all this oil 'n' gas stock / equity / whatever the hell it is talk going on that some of you are discussing, but I'm guessing it's not good. Thank god I'm not in that industry! See you all on the beaches!

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

Laugh so much baseless fear mongering going on right now.

From many different prespectives an NDP Canada doesn't look so bad. If you're a student, how could one argue tuition caps and higher student tax exemptions. If you're already living hand to mouth, how can you argue with more hands feeding your mouth. If you work for government or government derived work, how can you argue with more job opportunities.

But if you make a good living in the private sector, have some assets and generally are doing well, this is not a good thing. Where you end up after the NDP is through might still look reasonable to those in the above categories, it will still look terrible based on how things are now. Being scared means you have something to lose.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by HotHotHeat

If the NDP take power, there will be a Western separatist movement almost immediately. No joke.

Yes it would be a joke.