I’m just going to copy-paste what I wrote two years ago, with the necessary edits:
It’s October 21st, 2019 September 20th, 2021, which means Election Day is finally here. If you’re a Canadian citizen who is 18 or older, you get to go to the polls to vote for a Member of Parliament to represent your interests in the House of Commons. The Cabinet that can obtain the confidence of the House gets to govern. Typically, this means that the party that wins the most seats forms the government, but there have been many exceptions to this throughout Canadian history, especially when no party wins a majority of the seats. That’s the situation we seem to be headed for tonight, with the governing Liberals and the opposition Conservatives in a dead heat in popular vote intention. It’s going to be a long night, folks. Strap yourselves in.
If you don’t know where to vote, Elections Canada has you covered. Please remember to bring photo ID if you have it, or other acceptable documentation as per Elections Canada’s guidelines. Voting hours vary by time zone, so please plan your day accordingly.
Okay, with that out of the way, let’s talk about the major parties:
Conservative Party of Canada
Leader: Erin O’Toole
Ideology: Conservatism, liberalism
Platform: Link
Leader’s worst campaign decision: Flip-flopping on every issue imaginable, especially firearms
Liberal Party of Canada
Leader: Justin Trudeau [current prime minister]
Ideology: Centrism, liberalism
Platform: Link
Leader’s worst campaign decision: Calling this election in the first place
New Democratic Party
Leader: Jagmeet Singh
Ideology: Leftism, social democracy
Platform: Link
Leader’s worst campaign decision: Bizarrely accusing Justin Trudeau of personally profiting off student loans
Green Party of Canada
Leader: Annamie Paul
Ideology: Environmentalism, social democracy
Platform: Link
Leader’s worst campaign decision: Eschewing a national tour to campaign almost exclusively in her own riding
Bloc Québécois
Leader: Yves-François Blanchet
Ideology: Québec sovereignty, Québec nationalism
Platform: Link
Leader’s worst campaign decision: Comparing discrimination against francophones to the plight of the country’s indigenous peoples during a televised debate
People’s Party of Canada
Leader: Maxime Bernier
Ideology: Nationalist populism, libertarianism
Platform: Link
Leader’s worst campaign decision: Going all-in on anti-vax nonsense
Frequently Asked Questions
Wait, didn’t we have an election less than two years ago?
Yep.
Then why are we having another one now?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
So Justin Trudeau didn’t test the House’s confidence and lose?
Nope!
He just asked the governor general to dissolve parliament, and she acquiesced? He can do that?
Yep!
Anyway, whom should I vote for?
lol idk
Okay, but where do they stand on the important issues of the day?
Go read their platforms.
Thanks, you’ve been a big help.
You’re welcome!
I was being sarcastic.
I know.
To conclude, I will again copy-paste what I wrote two years ago, because it feels appropriate.
If you’ve already voted, feel free to use this thread to livechat about the results. Using this thread to cheer on your local Rhinoceros Party candidate is highly encouraged.
(Party logos taken from Wikipedia.)
