Vote conservative, not Tory!

[laconic]

Considering that there is not a FPO (Freedom Party) candidate in my riding, I will probably be voting FCP.

I'm torn. The PC candidate is a good one. Tough decision this election.

I only have 3 candidates in my riding right now: Liberal, PC, NDP - and all are bad candidates. I almost ran myself except I lacked the money, so I am likely going to spoil my ballot...

Much of the discussion around MMP involves the idea that if the candidate you vote for doesn't win, or your favored party doesn't win your vote is wasted.

The only way a vote is wasted is if you don't vote or spoil your ballot. Both of these actions result in your vote not being counted and therefore wasted. A spoiled ballot could simply be the result of incompetence, illiteracy or lack of language skills etc. so spoiled ballats are not considered to be a valid statement of political intent. Spoiling a ballot is the same as not showing up to vote.

Better to DECLINE YOUR BALLOT, (the MMP ballot can also be declined, though I hope most will vote no)

Step by step;

Go to the polling station, accept your ballot(s), take the ballot, unmarked and undamaged, to the returning officer (the person guarding the ballot box, not sure what their proper designation is) and tell that person you are declining your ballot. Your ballot will be registered and counted as a declined ballot.

Not quite as good as an actual spot on the ballot to vote - none of the above -, but almost as good.

[nickjbor]

one thing about the MMP ballot, is that unlike the candidate ballot which is white-on-black, the MMP one is white-on-black, leaving lots of room to spoil your vote

[justanothervoice]

The religious school funding idea is NOT a social conservative proposal, conservative_1. It is merely a ruse to get religious schools under provincial control, and religious school supporters should be fighting it tooth and nail.

If all religious schools were being run great, I would agree, but they are not.
There are some schools out there that are using non licenced Teachers and where the Kids cannot pass grade level tests.
Testing may sound intrusive, but its a must if we are to insure that all schools are giving a quality education.
Religious schools should be free to have religious classes and teach all other classes from a religious point of view if they wish.
That does not mean the Kids in those schools should not have the same basic knowledge base.

If the government is going to fund one religion, then they must fund the others or stop funding the Catholic system.
If Catholic Parents don't see that this is a fairness issue and support religious school funding, then they should not complain later if they lose Catholic funding.

This country is always saying its a muticultural country, but if we only recognize one religion when it comes time to fund schools what are we telling people.
Would this stand up to a court challenge?
How could funding just one religion in a multicultural country be justified?
The Catholic funding came about in a different time when Canada was largely Christian, but this country has changed and we are more diverse in 2007.

It really is time for a voucher system, that would give all Parents a choice in where to send their Kids to school and where they were given fair value for their education taxes.
Even if Tory does not win this election, I'm glad he brought this issue out front and center.

[nickjbor]

are you going to re-tool this for the federal election?

[Connie Fournier]

are you going to re-tool this for the federal election?

No, that's not the plan.

[Felix Culpa]

There are some schools out there that are using non licenced Teachers and where the Kids cannot pass grade level tests.

Where are those "some schools" where this is happening? I followed alternative education and private schools pretty closely in the early 1980s and I didn't see any schools out there where the parents would be happy to carry on paying tuition only to see their kids not learning anything!!! I doubt it would be any different 25 years later.

Oh, and whether or not the teachers are licensed is irrelevant----University Profs are not "licensed" teachers, after all.