Thursday, January 8, 2015

Uh Oh. Mr. Harper Will Not Like This



There are many ways in which the 'Fair' Elections Act makes it more difficult for Canadians to exercise their voting rights; a group especially hard hit are aboriginals, not known for their support of the Conservative Party of Canada.
Previous federal elections have allowed a second person to vouch for the identity of a voter who lacks documents that contain an address. But last year’s controversial Fair Elections Act essentially ended the practice after the Harper government said it was open to abuse.
The act substitutes a new procedure — called “attestation” — which makes it more difficult and complicated for a second voter to declare that a prospective voter resides in a riding.
Critics of the Fair Elections Act warned the elimination of vouching would particularly hurt First Nations communities, where ID with addresses is hard to obtain.
In response, Elections Canada has budgeted up to $1 million to try to reduce the damage done to First nations people by this odious act.

How do they hope to accomplish this? Elections Canada
is planning a series of outreach projects, including through the Assembly of First Nations, to spread the message that people without ID at polling stations “don’t have to give up and go away”.
The contract with the AFN includes an effort to hire more indigenous people for election work, and a post-mortem after the vote, now scheduled for October.
While the efforts by Elections Canada are commendable, it faces an uphill battle, given the traditionally poor participation in elections by aboriginals, who bear an historic alienation from the democratic process.

Nonetheless, one can be certain that the Harper braintrust, which looks upon any opposition, however legitimate, with deep animus, is at this moment plotting ways to circumvent this modest effort by Elections Canada to engage First Nations people.

6 comments:

  1. It's all about suppressing turnout, Lorne. They know that's the only way they'll win.

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    1. They have become quite adept in that field, haven't they, Owen?

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  2. Love the final graphic Lorne, it simply says it all!

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    1. As they used to say in the old American Exrpess ads, Rural, "Membership has its privileges."

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  3. .. humor me .. & take a gander at this link
    http://serialpodcast.org/season-one/1/the-alibi
    and scroll down to 'Stragglers' Dec 18

    Of interest is the many dead ends.. missing computers, logs .. its the rabbit hole ..
    And ask yourself why 'Serial' is the runaway podcast leader on iTunes

    In the same way as 'Serial' I look to examine, unearth.. illuminate.. wonder
    What on earth happened to Canada and Canadians in 2011 ?
    Who hates our environment & species.. truth, openness and transparency..
    and perhaps even more important.. what is headed our way in 2015 ! ?

    What sort of Election Abomination .. completed with millions of tax $$$$$$
    will explode like a cluster f__king bomb this spring, or November or never?
    (Right.. Pierre Poilievre that great defender of fair elections and voting is on the case... and so is Arthur Hamilton & Ken Morgan off in faraway Kuwait - incommunicado

    This next, critical election will define Canada and Canadians as none before..
    It will not be defined by the churlish and secretive.. the mealy Harper evangels
    the resource strippers, RoboCallers, 'Justice Lawyers' liars deniers
    petty pimping pollsters, reform donors, trolls.. or the current government
    with its jobs, economy, trust Stevie and Ray Novak thrust or bust duplicity

    It will be defined by open, curious, concerned glowing hearts & informed voters
    and it will not take millions of attack ad dollars or last minute promises
    shuffling the walking dead ministers of Stephen Harper, leveraging Laureen
    or pedantic dogma of shallow MPs & captured mainstream media

    I am seeking alarmed Canadians of any age to contribute to.. and enhance
    a dramatic representation of what happened in 2011 & Election Fraud
    and all the ensuing failures of what was once known as the Government of Canada
    & is now called the Harper Government

    Last I looked.. & I've seen plenty.. in 60 + years
    this is Canada.. not Harperland
    and the kind of serial podcasts I have in mind..
    should make that clear


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    1. Thank you, Salamander, for both your ideas and your passion for Canada. I shall check out the link, as I will the previous ones you provided me with. I haven't yet had a chance to set aside a block of time to do so, as things have been kind of hectic around here.

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