Tag Archives: Federal Election 2008

Stephane Dion stepping down. Not yet!

While driving away in the heavy downpour Vancouverites are accustomed too, I heard that Stephane Dion will not be stepping down until the Liberals choose a new leader.

“I have informed the president of the Liberal Party of Canada and the president of the national caucus that I will stay as leader until a new leader is chosen at a leadership convention that I have asked to be organized,” Dion said at a much anticipated press conference in Ottawa.

Resentment resonated in his comments.

“I want to see that the next leader is not as vulnerable to the low propaganda that was directed against me.”

Dion’s Green Shift Carbon Emissions plan took a direct hit.

He was also well aware of it. Dion admits that the plan was “misrepresented.” He said most Canadians believed that it was just a carbon tax, something that concerned them as the economy worsened.

The plan just fell prey to bad timing. As our Southern neighbour, the United States of America was reeling from the effects of markets crashing and deficits, carbon emissions plan seemed distant almost transitory to Canadians.

Yet, Dion defended his plan, calling it the, “vanguard of environmental policy.” However, this Liberal leader did not say whether or not he will run in the next federal election.

“One step at a time,” he said.

Baby steps….slowly but surely.

Faiza Zia Khan

The Conservatives did it again. 40th Canadian Federal Election (2008)

So the Conservatives did it again…

Or rather Stephen Harper has proved the Canadians are not yet ready for too much change. Stephane Dion is again officially the opposition. So what happened…?

It was interesting to see how the parties fared as the results came in. The irony that 2008 historically recorded the lowest voter turn out had not much to do with the election results. Harper seemed to be the winner in all regards. He managed to create a Conservative government with panache.

Today, at the Liu Institute for Global Issues at University of British Columbia experts analyzed the results of the Canadian Federal Election 2008. The speakers included Professors. Gerald Baier, Fred Cutler and Allan Tupper from the UBC Department of Political Science and Miro Cernetig, Vancouver Sun and Canwest professor at the Graduate School of Journalism.

I was there along with other colleagues from SOJ. The CBC and Fairchild covered the event. Yet the focus somehow remained on media’s failure on conveying the true Canadian spirit of the elections.

But lets look towards the future. What needs to be seen is the results of the Provincial elections coming soon….

Check out the final Federal election results at http://enr.elections.ca/National_e.aspx

The Initiation

As I write my first blog a few days before the Canadian Federal election. I have been thinking about the voting process hearing all the candidates speak and present the parties position.

The four Vancouver center candidates: Liberal incumbent Hedy Fry, NDP’s Michael Byers, Green Party’s Adriane Carr and Conservative Lorne Mayencourt were present at the UBC Graduate School of Journalism for a debate.

It was interesting to see the four interacting with Byers and Fry skirmishing about Liberal’s housing policy.

Who will win…the future is still unseen but seeing a political debate so close to home. Right in the comfort of our own School.