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Elections Canada

(Federal Government website)
Includes links to information about : Registration of Electors - Electoral Law and Policy - Electoral Financing - Electoral Districts - Past Elections - International Activities - Publications - General Information

- taking place January 23, 2006
- incl. Information for voters (where do I vote?, returning officer, candidates, map, employment during the election and more information about the electoral process - Information for candidates - more...

Registered Political Parties and Election Platforms

- from Elections Canada
- includes contact information (regular and e-mail addresses, website, telephone and fax numbers, etc.)

Below you'll find, for each of the federal political parties registered for the 2006 election:
- a link to the party's home page and platform
- web search and news search links (direct links to results pages of links, always current!)

...and information about the other registered parties and those that are deregistered or that didn't make the cut, e.g., the Absolutely Absurd Party...

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- incl. links to : How ECEC is positioned in the political parties' platforms - How social policy and advocacy groups position ECEC - News articles - Useful websites

What's New - from the - University of Toronto

Each week, the Childcare Resource and Research Unit disseminates its "e-mail news notifier", an e-mail message with a dozen or so links to new reports, studies and child care in the news (media articles) by the CRRU or another organization in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). What you see below is selected content from the most recent issue of the notifier.

20-Jan-06

Document from the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada demonstrates that the potential loss of the bilateral agreements would have "significant implications for children and families who need and want quality child care."

Press release from the Manitoba Child Care Association stresses the importance of federal funding to Manitoba’s child care system.

With election day fast approaching on January 23, Think Twice Canada, a coalition of social advocacy and citizens' organizations, has launched a website in order to encourage dialogue between concerned Canadians prior to the vote. The website features audio clips from the Coalition's press conference, held in Toronto last week. It provides a mechanism through which Canadians can take action by asking their friends and family to "Think Twice" about critical issues such as child care, women's reproductive rights, our environment, affordable housing, equality issues and many more before casting their ballot.

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FEDERAL ELECTION NEWS
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by Goar, Carol / Toronto Star, 20 Jan 06

by Russell, Jonathan / Charlottetown Guardian, 20 Jan 06

Letter to the editor
by Rodgers, Ann / Leader-Post, 20 Jan 06

Letter to the Editor
by MacGregor, Donna / Toronto Star, 20 Jan 06

Letter to the Editor
by Dick, Peter / Toronto Star, 20 Jan 06

Letter to the Editor
by Staff of Terrace Campus Child Care Centre / Terrace Standard, 18 Jan 06

by Austin, Janet, Turner, Denise & Kershaw, Paul / Vancouver Sun, 17 Jan 06

Letter to the Editor
by Hannon, Dorothy / Star-Phoenix [Saskatoon], 17 Jan 06

by Lazar, Eva / Toronto Star, 17 Jan 06

by Monsebraaten, Laurie / Toronto Star, 16 Jan 06

Maude Barlow’s Election Blog
Maclean’s Magazine, 15 Jan 06

Letter to the Editor
by Rogerson, Diana P. / Edmonton Journal, 15 Jan 06

by Binks, Georgie / CBC News, 13 Jan 06

by Sommerfeld, Lorraine / Hamilton Spectator, 13 Jan 06

by Westell, Anthony / CBC News – Viewpoint, 10 Jan 06

Source:

Links to Selected Non-Governmental Sites/Pages Focusing on the 2006 Federal Election

- links to election resources and 400+ links to daily news articles about the 2006 federal election, from April 2005 right up to January of this year.
Source:
- Toronto

"Progressive Bloggers is a group of Canadian bloggers who firmly believe that this great country needs to move forward, not backwards. Be they Liberal or liberal, New Democrats or democrats, Green voters or voters who want a green country, or even Red Tories searching for a home, these bloggers believe that Canadian politics should move in a progressive direction. On these blogs you will read about the importance of the environment, the need to preserve Canada’s social programs and its multicultural mosaic. You’ll see posts on why national unity is important and on why there are worse problems than letting two people who love each other marry. If you have a progressive blog, be sure to join this group. If you enjoy reading progressive blogs, then you’ve come to the right place."

Think Twice is a newly formed coalition of social advocacy and citizens' organizations wanting to express their concern about the implications for Canadian social programs and equality rights of a potential Conservative victory in the upcoming federal election. The Think Twice coalition is formed by representatives from numerous citizens' organizations, including: health care, environmental, human rights, women's rights, child care, arts, housing, aboriginal, trade union, disability, and minority advocacy groups.

"(...) privatization and deregulation, and more cuts to social programs, the end of the national child care programme, abandonment of the agreement just achieved with First Nations at the Aboriginal Summit, more greenhouse gas emissions, the end of the domestic Kyoto plan, a health care system based on commercialization, not patient needs...
We are standing up for Canada. We want a Canada with strong social programs, environmental protection, and fairness for everyone. Canadians need to think twice."

From the :

The CAFB believes that the key to achieving the long-term goal of eliminating hunger in Canada lies in public policy initiatives. That is why the CAFB is committed to working with governments and not-for-profit organization partners on developing public policy solutions to hunger. This includes engaging in non-partisan action campaigns to encourage food bank members and the public to take action and to increase the visibility of public policy issues related to hunger.

(PDF file - 59K, 8 pages)
- incl. CAFB Key Message Fact Sheets - Follow up letter template - Feedback Form

Google Web Search Results : ""
Google News search Results : "" [zero results from Canadian sources as at Jan. 15/06]
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:

from :

- issues include : Income security: Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) - Early learning and child care - Affordable housing - More good jobs at living wages - Post-secondary education

(PDF file - 106K, 7 pages)

(PDF file - 150K, 1 page)

Google Web Search Results : ""
Google News search Results : ""
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:

Disability and the 2006 Federal Election

Google Web Search Results : ""
Google News search Results : ""
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:

The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) asks that you "send an e-card today urging Federal Party Leaders and Candidates to sign the Pledge for Women's Equality!"

Source:

Google Web Search Results : ""
Google News search Results : ""
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:

From the of the :

(summaries)

Related Links:

" to let them know that you want them to commit to the creation of permanently affordable non-profit housing."

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From the :

January 4, 2006
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released its annual rental apartment survey earlier this month highlighting some stabilization in vacancy rates, but continued increases in rents in most metropolitan cities. The data identify only one part of the rental affordability issue – rent levels. The other critical element is how apartment rents compare to household incomes. One way to measure how affordable, or not, average market rents are is to determine the minimum hourly wage a worker must earn to afford a rental unit without spending more than the norm of 30 per cent typically used to measure housing affordability. The concept currently used in the US was adapted to Canada by Steve Pomeroy of Focus Consulting Inc. using the CMHC average market rent statistics released each fall.

(Word file - 56K, 5 pages)
January 2006
"In 15 cities more than 2 full time minimum wage earners are required [to reach the income level required for the cost of rent to equal 30% of total family income]. Alternatively, the household must earn well above average wage, spend far more than the norm of 30th of income for the rent, or crowd more people into the lower rent smaller units." [Excerpt, p.3]

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Google Web Search Results : ""
Google News search Results : ""
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:

- incl. links to CCCABC Election Materials - BC Parent Voices Election Materials - General election information - The political party platforms on child care and responses to the child care platforms - Questions for the candidates - Links to other websites - Media sites - Child Care News Articles from BC and from across the country.
Source:

CCAAC Election Resources include the usual political party and platform links, along with current news articles, links to other organizations and information about child care --- read what the main parties are saying about child care, and the CCAAC response to their platforms.
Source:

Related Links:

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From the :

(PDF file - 63K, 7 pages)
Ken Battle, January 2006
The Conservatives’ plan for a “Choice in Child Care Allowance” is seriously flawed. Because the new program will trigger reductions in federal and provincial/territorial income-tested benefits and increases in income taxes, most families will end up with less – for modest-income families in the $30,000-$40,000 range, much less - than the gross $1,200 annual payment for every child under 6. The Child Care Allowance also will favour one-earner couples over single parents and two-earner families. The proposed scheme is really a child benefit, not a child care program. Caledon contends that it would be better to invest in further increases to the existing Canada Child Tax Benefit, a modern and effective social program that suffers from none of the failings of the proposed Choice in Child Care Allowance.

From the :

January 5, 2006
:
Seeking Response by Friday, January 6
"I’m First Nations and My Vote Counts" says National Chief Phil Fontaine

Google Web Search Results : ""
Google News search Results : ""
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:

- from the
"The Better Choice campaign is a campaign for working people to use during this election to find out which of the political parties and who among the local candidates is truly on their side. That’s what Better Choice is all about – making a better choice now to get better results once the election is over. Visit betterchoice.ca everyday to read updates on the election, get the facts on the important issues to you and learn more about where each party stands on these."

From the :

The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent non-partisan policy research organization. We believe that a well informed citizenry is essential to a healthy democracy. It is in this spirit that the information and analysis on this page is provided.

Editorial
January 20, 2006
"Is minority government good for Canada? Former Conservative pollster Allan Gregg would have us believe in his Strategic Counsel poll this week that 55% of Canadians (and 64% of Quebecers) think a Harper majority would be good for the country. One wonders what Canadians’ response would have been if the question had been prefaced with the statement that a Harper majority would tear up a major international treaty obligation--the Kyoto Accord; or that it would put Canada’s support for George Bush’s Missile Defense program back on the table.

Press Release
January 5, 2006
"OTTAWA—Today the Alternative Federal Budget released a detailed report card on the achievements of the 2004-05 Minority Parliament and awarded the Martin Minority an overall C grade for “some progress.”"

Complete report:

- PDF File, 360K, 26 pages

by Armine Yalnizyan
December 9, 2005
A week after the CBC decided not to air a documentary on Tommy Douglas, which would inevitably discuss the birth of Medicare, "because it might be perceived as indulging in partisanship during a federal election", the same CBC aired a show on the Passionate Eye, “Medicare Schmedicare”, which dismissed Medicare and celebrated the glories of being able to pay directly for health care.
"The CBC owes Canadians better balance, and it can’t come soon enough. You have an obligation to reflect the public interest as it affects all citizens. That includes those who have fewer choices by virtue of their earning power, and who have so much to lose."

Beware of stumping politicians with poker faces and empty hands
by Armine Yalnizyan
December 9, 2005
"For the third election in a row, health care is the top of mind issue. And, for the third election in a row, every federal party leader pledges to protect health care. But beware the bluffer. Canadians have indicated consistently we want two things in health care: A publicly insured system that provides care and promotes health, there for people based on their need, not their ability to pay. And we don't want to waste a single penny. Question is: Which political leader holds the winning hand and is willing to reform, strengthen, and sustain our public health-care system?"

by Neil Brooks December 9, 2005
"I like paying taxes. Taxes allow us to pursue our aspirations collectively and thus they greatly enrich the quality of life for the average Canadian family. Taxes have brought us high quality public schools that remain our democratic treasure, low tuition at world class universities, freedom from fear of crippling health bills and excellent medical services, public parks and libraries, save streets and liveable cities. None of these things come cheaply. (...) Ultimately, what is at stake in the debate over taxes and government is the question of who will exercise power in our society. Will important sources of power in society be controlled by only a small number of people where it will be exercised through private markets, or will important sources of power remain to be controlled by the majority of Canadians where it will be exercised through democratically elected institutions?"

This Issue File will collect materials about ELCC within the 2006 federal election. It will provide: information about how ELCC is positioned in the political parties' platforms; what key social policy groups are calling for in the election; news clippings; and other resources about ELCC in the federal campaign.

From the :

From the :

- incl. links to : Election updates - Background information - Election quizzes - Campaign scorecards - How CUPE members can protect public services

- incl. links to : Election Backgrounders - Political Parties in Canada - Minority Governments - What is a Political Party? - How to Vote in the 2006 Federal Election - Links to More Information - Leader Profiles - Political Party Platforms - Election Features (Polling the Polls, Question of the Week, Viewers' Guide to Election Night, Campaign Website Reviews Top Five Elections in Canada, Election Report Card)
Source:
(University of Lethbridge, Alberta)

Site created and maintained by:
Gilles Séguin (This link takes you to my personal page)