For the Economy AND Democracy: I’m Voting LIBERAL!
By Harvey Oberfeld
Saturday October 17th, 2015
Have to admit it: if I voted for just selfish reasons (low taxes, TFSA, new seniors deduction, low corporate taxes) I’d vote Harper/Tories.
But I see my Canada as MORE than just an opportunity for selfish aggrandisement: it also should be a country that practices and respects our freedoms, social justice, civil rights, environmental protection and, most of all, our RESPONSIBLE democratic intuitions and practices.
And could NOT support a leader/party stirring up anti-Muslim fears and prejudices, attacks unions and …don’t forget … appointed/rewarded Gordon Campbell as Canada’s High Commissioner to Britain.
That …. and a lot more …. means Harper/Tories are not for me in this election.
Mulcair scares me: he’s NO Jack Layton or Ed Broadbent. A total panderer to Quebec, anti resource development, anti TPP, would repeal the Clarity Act … his vision for Canada is just NOT a vision I share.
That … and a lot more … means Mulcair/NDP are not my choice in this election.
Trudeau … I have had my doubts and wrote some highly critical blogs about his lack of experience, etc … but I think the longer campaign has helped make me feel better about his vision of Canada.
There is no doubt … and anyone who travels in the UK, Europe or even the US … knows our infrastructure is well behind the times. When better to invest in Canada’s updating and economic support systems than when interest rates are so low, and tens of thousands of jobs could be created? Add to the deficit? We ALL do that when we buy into our own futures, with new car, a new home or renovate an older one … and enjoy the benefits, add to the economy …and pay it off over time. Doesn’t scare me …because I KNOW the Canadian economy and government revenues WILL improve as the global economy does too. (The Tories have run SIX deficits over the past seven years ..with NONE of those improvements.)
I admire Trudeau’s refusal to give in to or exploit the politics of fear; he WILL support the TPP; increase taxes on the wealthiest to provide tax breaks to the middle class; also take away “universal” tax breaks the wealthiest simply don’t need … and he’ll use the money instead to alleviate child poverty, and do more to respect and protect the environment than the current government has done.
Good ideas.
I do worry about what I see as his foreign policy weaknesses, his stance on fully legalizing marijuana (bet that won’t be a priority) and whether the Liberal scandal list will be any shorter over time than the Tories’.
So I will not vote enthusiastically …. but many of YOUR comments about the leaders, the parties, the campaign have helped me reach my decision.
But among the top three, Trudeau and the Liberals would be a BETTER CHOICE this time than Harper/Tories or Mulcair/NDP.
I’ll vote Liberal on Monday.
spot the typo: “government revenues WILL approve as the global economy does”
Every party has a bunch of half-baked ideas….Liberals just have the most….
Harv, Honestly, I can understand your logic, yet I believe you’re not seeing the entire picture. One of the reason why I say this is because Lord Conrad Black has now endorsed Justin Trudeau and LPC. Yikes, here’s one the Bilderbergers men endorsing their preferred party to manipulate, and they will, because that’s the globalist agenda to bring us into the New World Order. Hey, I too have plenty of beefs with Harper and the Conservative Party, but what is that old saying about the devil you know, rather than the one you don’t. Too many things concern me about Tom Mulcair, yet I would far prefer him and the New Democrats than Trudeau. Justin has matured during this long election campaign without a doubt, but you must understand, the man is puppet being instructed and directed all the way.
Harper has got to go. Good choice Harvey.
Yep it’s a lot of bs from all of them as to who is going to save you the most money. Lately it’s like watching a bad game show. That being said Harper’s best before date has long since past if there ever actually was one.
Huh? Bill C51 and TPP is the final clamp down on so called freedom as everything from internet to copyright, speech, et al will be controlled by corporations who can legally sue countries that don’t tow the line. When Corps sue, it’s the people that pay.
Bad choice Harv. Green would have been a better choice for you. Trudeau is his father in waiting. His father almost killed the country, and Justin will. He has NO work experience, other than a substitue teacher, never finished university. Was a bum at Whistler in the winter. It goes on and on. Sorry Harv … think again .. go Green. Me, I am still with the man that has held the country together: Harper. As for the NDP, am thinking they will be wiped out by the Liberals … a good thing.
Remember: Vote as you please, but VOTE on Monday.
seems like most of your comrades in the media are voting liberal too harvey, just by the way they’ve reported on the campaign.
Nice try Mark. Vancouver Sun among other papers have endorsed The Supreme Leader.
By the way I find it laughable that somehow Harper is the person to manage the economy. Have you been out lately, read the papers , watched the news? Yep, sure feels like another Recession. Harper’s second. Of course to staunch right wingers it has nothing to do with the current government but world markets and events, blah blah blah. Yet when everything is going along nicely it’s all because of the government. Crazy how that works , eh?
You talk about experience, Harper has basically been a life long politician. He apparently worked as an accountant for awhile but basically it has all been politics.
It should be a very interesting night tomorrow. I make no predictions and because of past polls like BC’s last election we could very well see another Conservative Majority.
Harper might have to reward Rob Ford for his support and maybe appoint him Deputy Prime Minister. We all know how good Harper is at making appointments, names like Duffy and Wallin come to mind. Sorry, had to get in that one last shot 🙂
Vote early and vote often, everybody!
Hoping that the Canadian people are awake and tomorrow send a srong message to both the PC’s and the Liberals.
They have similar platforms and both voted for police state Bill C-51 that will bring us ever closer to the NWO (New World Order).
An “order” where only the 0.01% elite, Psychopathic Oligarchs own everything and we will all be slaves to their criminal systems of banking and government.
The TPP is part of that process unfolding before our very eyes. Crimes against the people.
Both the NDP and the Greens have told us that they will repeal this Orwellian piece of legislation.
Lets hope they keep their word, but most politicians are power hungry Sociopaths without empathy or a conscience.
Otherwise it’s up to us to raise some collective hell.
I’ve supported Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party leading up to him becoming PM.
I realize Bill C51 is nothing but a revised bill which the Liberals under Jean Chretian passed after 9/11, What infuriates me was Stephen Harpers comments saying marijuana is worse than tobacco! How insulting, if not totally offensive for any clear thinking mind to digest. I find his comment not only ignorant, but totally out of touch with Canadians. We’re not even talking about the medicinal values which brought me to the realization and understanding Stephen Harper and the Conservative government are in bed with PHARMA! But my friends, the Liberals have also been long time friends and associates with PHARMA…. I wish there was a Libertarian candidate running in my riding……
Harvey please get a new hobby.
So, should we vote for the party who will form the govt. or the best candidate in each riding ?
In the riding that I happen to live in, the Liberals don’t have a hope in hell of winning. No one has ever voted a Liberal to Ottawa in the last 30 years, where I live.
The female Liberal candidate, the NDP candidate and the Green Party candidate are all “good Canadians,” as the incumbent points out.
I think that people need to look at their current member of parliament and figure out what type of job that they have done as your representative.
Are they honest, effective, and dependable ?
In my case, the Conservative member that I deal with is a decent man. When I call him, he answers my emails and messages.
Many people don’t answer their email or calls? Not just politicians, but everybody.
I ask him tough questions and he answers all of my questions.
I don’t really like the Conservative party, actually, but I do trust the local M.P.
Bottom line ?
In this election, go with the “devil” that you know !
The devil you know…. is better than the devil that you do not know ?
-TRD
I agree with anon, Harvey needs to get a new hobby! PSR enough of his post please! It’s getting to the point I don’t want to come here anymore because of all his drama and negativity!
Harvey can vote Liberal if he wants, but I’m not. I’m not voting NDP or Green either, so that leaves just one choice, based on observing more than just the mainstream media (think Rebel).
Drama and negativity because he’s not voting for Harper? Give me a break.
Just so long as you don`t vote NDP.
Living in Saanich-Gulf Islands, my decision was easy—Lizzie May. Despite her awkward/drunken rant at the Press Gallery shindig earlier this year, she
is a worthy parliamentarian who also has juggled her constituency duties with running the fourth-place Green party.
Otherwise, Harv, I also would have voted Liberal. Look at it this way: the Grits have a pretty deep bench of cabinet material in ex-ministers like Goodale and up-and-comers such as Freeland, Adam Vaughan and Bill Blair.
I trusted Mulcair, but not his party–too many radicals and untested one-termers.
So, now that Trudeau junior is head honcho, how many of you are willing to eat crow !
Not me, especially considering that many of those who voted last week were young first-time voters, and most of them voted for Mr. GQ (Trudeau) – and of those first-timers who voted for him, odds are they voted for him based solely on either his looks or his name, without bothering to look further into the issues he pushed during the campaign.