Hmm..I don't really know how to start, but I feel like writing something about the 2011 Canada election. It would be interesting to see if my view has changed when the next election comes.
Canada is such a blessed places. We have CHOICES. 4-5 different choices for this election depending on where you live. Unlike in the US, where you only have 2 choices or in China, where having a choice is still a far away dream. Canadians should be happy about this fact. It shows we are a society that can accommodate different opinions.
Of course, choices can confuse people. I am still not very certain who I should vote for. I like certain elements from each party's platform. Wouldn't it be nice if I can just blend them together like ice cream flavors?
I will start with the Conservatives. I agree with their view on corporate taxes. People seem to think raising corporate taxes will solve inequalities in society. I disagree. Corporations are not accountable to voters, they are accountable to their shareholders. Raise their taxes, drops their profits, they will just either fire workers or raise the prices of services and goods. Everyone just get screwed in the end. Besides, corporations always have ways to avoid taxes.
I want to reward the Conservatives for what they did on telecommunication (Opening the door for more competitors) and reversing the CRTC UBB decision (Screw Bell!). However, their disappointing stand on copyright reform made me very annoyed. They also don't seem very friendly to scientists. I also don't like the way Conservative run their campaign. Limiting access and questions to the Prime Minister reminds me of China.
For the Liberals, I don't agree with their view on corporate taxes as stated above. Their platform seem to heavily targeted towards seniors, which is neutral to me. I think their education passport is a good idea, too bad I am almost finished with school. They also seem more friendly to people with advanced education. Liberal's platform on telecommunication and internet are very disappointing though. Both the Liberals and Conservatives make general meaningless statement on digital policy. I really think they are out of touch with the people of my age.
The NDP and the Greens are probably going to be in the opposition seat for quite a while. Which means they can be more "aggressive" in their platform. I think many of their ideas are great, I just don't think they can do it without raising sales tax or income tax. I really like their digital policy though. They both put meaningful statements on their platform regarding telecommunication, internet and copyright. I really doubt they can achieve their environmental goal without seriously changing our economy, which can be a good and a bad thing.
Then there is the Bloc Quebecois...what can I say about them..I am pretty sure I won't vote for them because they want to separate Quebec from Canada.
It should never need to be a surprise
Finally it is so disappointing to see a lot of people at my age, including my friends, don't plan on voting. People are blaming it on the politician, but I think people are just getting lazy. People just don't realize how lucky it is to have the opportunity to be heard.
