Federal Election 2011

Federal Election 2011

By RTH Staff
Published March 25, 2011

Now that a federal election is on its way, Raise the Hammer is reprising its elections website for local coverage of the federal candidates and issues that affect Hamilton.

What questions would you like the local candidates to answer? Please leave your suggestions in the comments, and vote for questions you like.

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By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted March 25, 2011 at 15:10:19

Sorry if this rambles a bit, but I mean it as an open-ended question: How much freedom does your party allow you to operate - do you expect to be whipped often, to have some weight in party decisions? If push came to shove and your party took a position you could not support, would you leave the party even as a sitting MP?

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By Downtown (anonymous) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 16:41:45

Let's start a website on electing government members for downtown Hamilton. Get rid of Christopherson and help the core.

Maybe the campaign can be called: "Do More For the Core" by electing a Tory or Liberal depending on what the polls show in the next little while.

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By TnT (registered) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 17:23:44

I will say I was not at impressed with Christophersons deafening silence during recent OCOF issues, or Horwath for that matter. Yet their core values fall in with mine, though I would like them questioned on Ivor Wynne Reno issues and urban renewal issues.

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By Vod_Kann (registered) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 23:21:17 in reply to Comment 61550

I beleive Horwath wrote an OpEd in the Spec in which she did not endorse the West Harbour stadium. I can't find the article but I beleive part of the rationale was that it would not work without an LRT gonig going directly by it.

Comment edited by Vod_Kann on 2011-03-25 23:21:37

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By GrapeApe (registered) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 18:08:04

Yeah I also question the silence from local ndp. Looking forward to reading the candidate replies!

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By bob lee (anonymous) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 18:27:36

local issue: would you support or oppose Vranich's efforts to get the preservation covenant off the Federal Building?

Just love these election sites by the way. Great stuff.

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By bob lee (anonymous) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 18:28:27

national issue: what is your opinion of first past the post? Do you support keeping it or replacing it with something else, and if so what?

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By Drunken Monkey (anonymous) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 19:10:33

Question: Does a dog have Buddha nature?

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By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted March 27, 2011 at 20:05:09 in reply to Comment 61560

I believe the answer is well-known: Mu.

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By Anonymous Francophone (anonymous) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 19:22:49

Will you call for a public inquiry into the 2010 G20? If no, why not?

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By arienc (registered) | Posted March 25, 2011 at 21:27:16

What's your / your party's recommendations for how our nation needs to prepare for the peak in global oil production and its impact on our economy?

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By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted March 30, 2011 at 12:07:58 in reply to Comment 61565

I'm particularly interested in hearing the NDP's opinion on this since it sounds like 90% of their platform is cutting expenses on fossil fuel products through tax breaks.

Yes, those taxes are regressive, but they also encourage conservation right where it needs to be done: at a nation-wide individual level.

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By Undustrial (registered) - website | Posted March 26, 2011 at 02:15:17

Do you plan on serving a full term in office?

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By Sour (anonymous) | Posted March 26, 2011 at 05:55:31

What is your position on anthropogenic climate change? And why?

Do you feel that members of a government found guilty of contempt should be banned for life from politics?

True or false. Sour is better than Sweet.

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By jason (registered) | Posted March 26, 2011 at 08:45:25

Do you feel another election that will see the identical results as the last 3 is a good use of taxpayer money?

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By Hamilton revival (anonymous) | Posted March 26, 2011 at 12:36:21

When will Canada get its own space lift capabilities?

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By rednic (registered) | Posted March 26, 2011 at 15:40:53

If as a nation we can spend (b?)millions cleaning up the Sidney tar ponds when will the feds start in on Randel's reef ? It would be good for the hammer in the long run and actually create jobs ... My thinking is there is only one party that would even think it necessary .. Lets hope RTH doesn't ignore them , and that they finally win a seat this time round ... For all the nay sayers look at Australia's last election ..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_...

we've given every else a chance and it is time for a real change !

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By Fred Street (anonymous) | Posted March 28, 2011 at 13:06:47 in reply to Comment 61594

The Randle Reef file has been active since at least 1997 – through Conservative and Liberal governments at both the provincial and federal levels. Both have pledged their portion of funds; it's municipal government at fault for the lack of movement.

http://www.raisethehammer.org/comment/60932
http://www.raisethehammer.org/comment/43449

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By GrapeApe (registered) | Posted March 26, 2011 at 16:44:45

Please explain how your platform will benefit manufacturing - specifically in Hamilton.

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By GrapeApe (registered) | Posted March 26, 2011 at 16:47:02

Please explain how you party will improve the foriegn investment act and how those improvements will provide canadians protection against foriegn ownership that does not keep its promises.

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By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted March 27, 2011 at 20:10:05

Obviously the last decade or so has demonstrated some.... oddities in the Canadian parliamentary system. Prorogues, minority governments, coalitions, and a united Right beating down a divided Left despite having the support of only 37% of voters. And as always, the non-elected Senate.

Are there any things you'd change in how our government is constructed? Ideas? Daydreams? Concrete plans?

Comment edited by Pxtl on 2011-03-27 20:10:39

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By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted March 27, 2011 at 20:12:25

What's your social insurance number? Do you play croquet? Does anybody?

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By Desmond (anonymous) | Posted March 28, 2011 at 10:08:22

Why do turkeys like Brad Clark get to hold onto their City Councillor position as a fallback if they do not win in the federal election?

If you want to run for another position you should have to resign your current spot.

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By Pxtl (registered) - website | Posted March 28, 2011 at 11:18:09 in reply to Comment 61687

If voters don't like him trying for higher office while he's in council, they're free to boot him out in the next municipal election.

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By nodamnprinciples (anonymous) | Posted March 28, 2011 at 20:13:14

And they will. But my taxes shouldn't fund his ego.

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By Quit screwing us over (anonymous) | Posted March 29, 2011 at 16:49:46

Why do people keep voting for the two main parties, when they keep screwing us over. They both lie, steal our money, yet people, a small minority keep voting, well the majority do not and are lost as to who should get power.

I traditionally have voted NDP, however, I do not know if I would vote for them this time.

People are afraid to ask the really hard questions and continue to prop up a system that has clearly failed many of us.

If we truly did live in a democratic system, then we would hear all party platforms, not just the ones funded by corporate dollars.

As someone asked the other day, Who really is in charge. Think and wake up people!

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By pppspe (anonymous) | Posted April 01, 2011 at 12:27:43

the election hamilton centre need a new mp not the ndp they have done nothing for the riding or the conservatives when sheila was here thing was done we need a real canadidate i meet anne tennier and she impress me even if it the liberal party but still im voting for her

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By sour (anonymous) | Posted April 02, 2011 at 21:22:21

do a wiki search on david Sweet. quite revealing while why not to vote for this man. (If harper's contempt wasn't enough).

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By mb (registered) | Posted April 03, 2011 at 00:00:27

Let me preface by saying that I enjoy elections and politics in general (yes, you read that correctly). Let me also say that at some point in my life, I have voted for all 3 main political parties. My biggest beef with Canadian voters: pigeonholing themselves into only voting for one party and one party only.

Whenever I hear someone say "I only vote _______", I always ask them why. The answers will astound you. The main 3 reasons always seem to be:

1) "I was raised to vote for the ________________ party". (Are you kidding me? You only vote that way because that's how you're parents always voted? Very scary)

2) "I really liked (insert old PM here i.e.Trudeau)" or "I really hated (insert old PM here i.e. Mulroney)". Okay, it's a bit better than reason #1. But just because you liked Trudeau, doesn't mean that Iggy will be anything like him. Likewise, just because you hated Mulroney, doesn't mean Harper is anything like him.

3)"Their political ideology most resembles mine". A much better reason than #1 or #2, and a reason that I can actually respect. However, this does not particularly guarantee that they will actually pay attention to the election and study the platforms.

I encourage all Canadians to think outside their comfort zone and study each parties platforms. If in the end, your mind hasn't changed, then vote the way you originally intended. Too many people get pigeonholed into voting for a certain party, and it's a hard hole to get out of. Remember, it's our country's fate that's in our hands!

We can do it!

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By banned user (anonymous) | Posted April 03, 2011 at 10:23:50

comment from banned user deleted

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By pace80ss (anonymous) | Posted April 03, 2011 at 16:03:03

@mb have heard that myself even been expected to follow suit with parents who both vote for different parties, which I doubt they realized that made it very difficult. I stick with my grandparents whomever serves humanity the best! Probably, no one would like my questions, which I have quite a few of.They would be on subsides safety crime housing/homelessness education employment etc.

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By Scurr (anonymous) | Posted April 20, 2011 at 18:13:12

I will vote for the candidate, whose party expresses a goal to bring the cost of gasoline under some control. Gas prices might be a provincial matter in the past, but it is now a national issue, so the federal government should be the entity to do something about it.

We need a national fix to this issue.

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