The Runner: Volume 8, Issue 3 by The Runner

VOL-08-ISS-03

OCT-06-2015

Assenting royally since 2009

Canada Votes

What you need to know about this election Battleground ridings

mou withdrawal

Nardwuar & The Hip Flip

find us online / runnermag.ca / @runnermag / facebook.com/runnerMAG / INSTAGRAM.com/RUNNERMAG

Table of Contents

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Feature |Intro to Canadian Politics 04

If you’re like most Canadians, you probably pay no attention to politics until three weeks before voting day. In fact, you might not even pay attention when there is an election. You might be new to this country and want to get a handle on things, or maybe this is the first year that you’re old enough to vote. Maybe POLI was full this year.

The Runner is student-owned and operated by Kwantlen Polytechnic University students, published under the Polytechnic Ink Publishing Society.

profiles | The parties and the leaders in brief 06

www.runnermag.ca Vol. 08, Issue no. 03 Oct 06, 2015 ISSN# 1916 8241

Arbutus 3710/3720 12666 72 Ave. Surrey, B.C, V3W 2M8 778.565.3801

We looked at what every party had to offer, and how experienced their leaders are.

The Runner recognises that our work, both in and out of the oﬃce, takes place on unceded Coast and Strait Salish territories, speciﬁcally the shared traditional territories of the Kwantlen, Katzie, Semiahmoo, Sto:lo and Tsawwassen First Nations. Our name is inspired by the hun’qumi’num meaning of Kwantlen, which is tireless hunters or tireless runners. Just as Kwantlen is adaptable and changing so is The Runner.

ridings| The electoral districts of 2015 examined 10 We looked at every riding with a KPU campus and then some.

comment | Quebec’s Precarious Place in Canadian Politics 23

CONTRIBUTORS Braden Klassen Chloe Smith Jonathan Fader Joseph Keller Kat Nekuryashchikh Kévin Paré

Louis MartaWidjaja Pifanida Renée McMillen Rosaura Ojeda Scott McLelland Torin Slik

Humour | Nardwuar and the history of the Hip Flip 26 You can know the history of every political party and the middle name of every prime minister. But you’re no true election junkie unless you know about the one factor that could decide it all—the Hip Flip.

COVER ARTIST

Scott Mclelland is a full-time art student at Emily Carr University but still sticks around at Kwantlen because he can’t be bothered to make any new friends. A long time contributor to The Runner, he dabbles mostly in drawing, illustration, and creating comics with Danielle George. Rumor has it, Scott is always so busy drawing that he didn’t even notice his apartment was burning down around him.

STAFF

Coordinating Editor

Managing Editor

Tristan Johnston editor@runnermag.ca

Connor Doyle managing@runnermag.ca

Executive Editor

Samantha Thompson deputy@runnermag.ca @sampthompson

Production Manager

Art Director

Web Editor

Charis Au art@runnermag.ca

Kenny Chui production@runnermag.ca

Staff Illustrator

Yaunna Sommersby web@runnermag.ca

Photo Editor

Geoﬀrey Nilson photo@runnermag.ca

Danielle George

Staff Writer

Kier-Christer Junos staﬀ@runnermag.ca @kierjunos

Operation Manager

Scott Boux oﬃce@runnermag.ca 778.565.3801

Editorial

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From the editor

News Briefs

Where did I put that? Oh.

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

Oct. 19 is voting day, and like many others on your Facebook feed, I am going to ask that you vote. I actually feel pretty patriotic when I go to the polls. Getting to change your government is something that many people immigrate to Canada for. In fact I feel extra patriotic, knowing that my riding of StevestonRichmond East is a swing riding. Too close to call. My riding could go either Liberal or Conservative, and there’s a possibility that if I, and a few of my friends, decide not to bother that day, we could cause the seat to go to a different party. If enough people decide not to bother, in sufficient numbers, entire seats can shift. Seniors show up to vote much, much more often than young people, and older folk are more likely to vote Conservative—if you consider this problematic, the only way to address this is to go out and vote.

Now, I don’t care who you vote for, I simply urge that you participate somehow in the process. I debated a staunch non-voting friend for several months in 2011 to do something. “Just walk in and draw a smiley face on your ballot. It will count as a spoil, but at least you showed the government that your demographic cares,” I would tell him. By the time he got into the booth, he told me that he had changed his mind and wound up voting for one of the top three parties.

I presume something similar might happen to many people who are less engaged, or someone new to KPU who’s just out of high school and of voting age. If you look at the various promises made by all political parties, there’s a clear weight from all parties towards seniors and people with families. The Conservatives highlight their plans for pensioners and homeowners. Both the Liberals and the NDP put emphasis on helping the middle class in the form of

tax cuts. Some parties are trying to capitalize on the potential of the youth vote. The Liberal party occasionally reiterates a promise to legalize marijuana, Colorado-style. The NDP talk about forgiving student debt over $10,000. The Greens want to move to a European-style tuition free model. In 2011 the overall turnout was 61.1 per cent, but only 38.8 per cent of voters aged 18-24 participated. By comparison, 75.1 per cent of voters aged 65-74 voted. If young people voted just as much as older folk, all of the party leaders would be visiting university campuses as often as they visited seniors’ homes. Their entire narrative and platform would shift completely in an attempt to sway the new youth voting block. If young people vote considerably more on Oct. 19, then the next federal election will witness a total change in the way politicians speak, and the places they visit in an attempt to sway you. So, we see ourselves in a catch-22 of sorts. Young people don’t vote because they feel like politicians don’t care about them, and politicians don’t care about demographic segments that don’t vote. This could be the year to change that. Danielle George

what’s up this week (oct 7 - oct 19)

with yaunna sommersby

wed, oct 7

WED, oct 7

wed, oct 7

Cloverdale-Langley City candidate debate

Delta candidate debate

Richmond Centre candidate debate

7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Langley Kwantlen Polytechnic University Campus auditorium. Free.

7 p.m. - 9 p.m., South Delta Secondary School – 750 53rd Street, Delta. Free.

6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Minoru Place Activity Centre – 7660 Minoru Gate, Richmond. Free.

thur, oct 8

tue, oct 13

Mon, oct 19

Langley-Aldergrove candidate debate

South Surrey-White Rock

Election day

7 p.m. - 9 p.m., Fraser River Presentation Theatre on the fourth ﬂoor of the Township of Langley Civic Facility – 20338 65 Avenue, Langley. Free.

7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., Southridge School – 2656 160th Street, Surrey. Free.

All day, your local voting station. Free.

If this is your riding, head to the Langley campus for an opportunity to watch this candidate debate and hear what they have to say.

Another Langley riding is hosting a debate for voters to find out more about their candidates.

The Delta riding is also having their debate this evening. Report back if anything spicy happens.

Did you miss the other Surrey riding debates? Why not give this one a go. Maybe you’ll learn something new.

Samatha Thomspon

Wednesdays must be a good day for debates. I wonder if all of the candidates will be wearing pink. Too bad it wasn’t October 3. Wait, no one else likes Mean Girls?

Go vote at your nearest polling station. The end. We survived the election. I repeat, GO VOTE.

Executive Editor

KPU withdraws from Kinder Morgan MOU Kwantlen Polytechnic University has withdrawn from the memorandum of understanding that the institution signed with Trans Mountain in June. The memorandum would have given KPU $300,000 towards student awards and partial operating funds for the university’s Environmental Protection Technical Lab. The financial contribution was contingent on the National Energy Board’s approval of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project under Kinder Morgan. The decision to withdraw follows a meeting on Oct. 2 between KPU president and vice-chancellor, Alan Davis, and the Kwantlen First Nation Council. On Sept. 23, the KFN spoke to KPU’s board of governors about their opposition to the MOU. They were joined by the Kwantlen Student Association, the Kwantlen Public Research Interest Group, anti-pipeline organization PIPE UP, and geography professor Bill Burgess. “The presentation by the KFN at the board meeting . . . it had an impact on people and I think everyone understood their concern about the MOU,” says Davis. “It’s very clear that it was to our mutual benefit to withdraw.” Davis noted that this was the first time KPU had been able to meet the leadership of the Kwantlen First Nation face-to-face, and that it didn’t take them long to realize why the issue was so important “not only to them, but to us, too. This MOU could be a problem, and we never intended it, of course, to be a problem.” Following the presentations, the board had an extensive discussion in-camera on whether or not they should continue with the MOU. They left it up to Davis to make a decision. Davis met with the KFN and decided to withdraw, citing both the KFN’s involvement in the National Energy Board review process for the pipeline, and KPU’s sharing of the name “Kwantlen” with the KFN. “We made a commitment to re-energize our relationship [with the KFN],” he says. “I think KPU needs to pay special attention to the Kwantlen First Nation . . . there is a particular relationship with the Kwantlen First Nation that needs a certain approach. I’m going to work with my colleagues to make sure we have that.” He also explains that Trans Mountain was understanding about KPU’s decision to withdraw, acknowledging that it was a situation unique to KPU because of their shared name.

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Introduction to Canadian Politics

Not sure how this whole thing works? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

PARLIAMENT

ELECTIONS As you read this paper, Canada finds itself in the midst of an election. Usually elections last 37 days, but this one is running for 78 days. Canadian Parliament has a maximum life of five years but an election can be called early by the ruling party, in this case the Conservative Party of Canada, which has a majority in parliament. In minority governments, the opposition parties can call a vote of nonconfidence, which would result in bringing Canada into a federal election. On voting day you’ll find that none of the leaders names are on your ballot, probably the name belongs to a person you’ve seen on signs around your neighbourhood. This is because, unlike the United States and some other countries, you vote for the party, not the leader. Even if the leader is in your

riding and he or she loses as Prime Minister, they still get to take a seat in parliament. This is where “First-Past-ThePost,” or “winner takes all” comes into play. Since you vote for a person who is running in your riding, the person that wins that riding gets a seat in parliament. If 60 per cent of voters in your riding elect a Conservative candidate, that means they get to sit in parliament, ideally to represent the interests of your riding. However, due to the nature of FPTP, the only requirement is that the candidate get the most votes. This means that if a candidate gets 40 per cent of the vote, but the two other candidates each get 30 per cent, the one with 40 gets a seat in parliament even though 60 per cent of the riding didn’t vote for that candidate. This is what we’re stuck with for now.

Majority Government

So Oct. 19 comes and goes, and a new parliament is called into session. Whomever you voted for in your riding gets to go to Ottawa and create laws that ought to benefit both your local riding and the country. The person you elected will be one of 338 members of parliament (MPs). It should be noted that the number of members elected has a profound impact on the type of governance we have. For the last four years, parliament has been controlled by a Conservative majority government; “majority” meaning the party controls more than half of the house. Assuming that party discipline is in full order, as it typically is in Canada, the Conservative party can pass anything it wants. There’s also a chance that this election could result in a minority government, as Canada experienced several of these between 2004 and 2011. This means that a party has the most seats numerically, but less than half of the total seats. meaning the ruling party needs support from one or more other parties to pass bills. As such,

parties need to work together to pass laws, which slows the process considerably. Minority governments—or “hung parliaments”—aren’t always unproductive, as they might have been between 2004 to 2011, with elections being called every few years. Universal healthcare was passed in the 1960s in a Liberal minority government that gave the NDP considerable influence. There are also coalition governments, one of which occurred in 1864 comprised of the Clear Grits, Parti Bleu, and Liberal-Conservative Party. They’re much more common in Europe, where countries are more likely to have more representative electoral systems which almost always results in minority governments. This means that getting things done can be difficult. As such, ideologically similar parties might join forces to pass laws acceptable to both. A coalition government was considered in 2008 between the Liberals and the NDP, but Canadians rejected it after a campaign by the Conservative government and a prorogation by Stephen Harper.

50 %

Minority Government

green PARTY OF CANADA

Liberal

Feature

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Parliament

SENATE AND BEYOND After a bill makes its way through parliament it arrives in the Senate, the thorn in the side of Canada’s republican democracy. In an ideal world, the Senate is meant to be the “chamber of sober second thoughts.” The Senate has 105 seats, with seats distributed among provinces and territories to give lower-population parts of Canada a fair say in government. Senators are appointed, not elected, and in order to be elected must be over the age of 30, own $4,000 of property and live in their home province. Senators would vote for the Senate version of a bill, after which it gets sent to the governor general for Royal Assent. So, why do so many people hate the Senate, including other politicians? Without getting into the Mike Duffy details, the Senate is thought to be undemocratic because senators are appointed. Every Canadian political party believes that the Senate, in its current form, needs to be abolished or reformed, but doing so would require the provinces to agree unanimously to whatever the change might be. For now, Canadian political parties are trying to remove the Senate from action, with Justin Trudeau announcing last year that all “Liberal” senators were no longer part of the Liberal

senate 105

Party, and should be regarded as independents. Currently, 22 seats in the Senate are vacant. Regardless, the House is where most business happens. Once a bill gets through the Senate it goes to the Governor General to be granted Royal Assent. The role of the Governor General is to act as a representative of the Queen. It is universally regarded that this role is essentially traditional and ceremonial; the Governor General is appointed by the Prime Minister. The Governor General is also the person who must drop the writs of election, or call an election. This will happen every four years, 37 days before an election day, or following a vote of non-confidence in Parliament. Perhaps compared to the American system, ours isn’t so complicated. We only vote for our parliament, and not our Senate or Governor General. Things get done very quickly whenever we have a majority government, and minority governments can still be productive, giving us things like an enviable healthcare system. In a few weeks, we’ll find out what our next system will look like, and it could be yet another minority. There’s where the people of Canada come in.

170

Governor General

queen

Profiles

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Your Guide to the Conservatives

Getting to know Steve Stephen Harper has been the leader of the Conservative party since 2004, and Canada’s Prime Minister since 2006. When he became the head of the Conservatives he was the party’s first leader after the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party merged together to form one rightwing political party in Canada. He has been the MP for Calgary Southwest since 2002, and was also the MP for Calgary West from 1993-97. Born on April 30, 1959 (he’s now 56), Stephen was the son of Margaret and Harris Harper, who was an accountant at Imperial Oil. He grew up in Toronto before moving to Edmonton just after high school graduation. In Edmonton he began working in the mailroom of Impe-

Samatha Thomspon

rial Oil, and eventually went to the University of Calgary where he completed both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics. In high school, Stephen was a member of the Reach for the Top team, a trivia show where students competed against other schools. Those who made it to the top then competed on the Knowledge Network. He was also a member of the Young Liberals, but left the party because he didn’t agree with Pierre Trudeau’s National Energy Plan. He married his wife, Laureen, in 1993. They now have two children, Benjamin and Rachel. Sometimes young people will attend Conservative rallies in an attempt to catch a glimpse of Stephen’s two children, and it appears a sort of

Executive Editor

fan club exists for them. The family owns two cats, Stanley and Gypsy, and the Harpers are well known supporters of the Ottawa Humane Society’s Foster programs. In his leisure time, Stephen enjoys playing the piano, curling, and hockey. He loves hockey so much that he’s written a book about it, called A Great Game: The Forgotten Leafs and the Rise of Professional Hockey. His favourite team is the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s also recently been seen supporting the Toronto Blue Jays. He’s six feet two inches tall, and has been involved in politics since approximately 1985. He speaks French, English, and is learning Spanish. He’s the first prime minister to employ a personal stylist.

What the Conservatives Stand For Front and Centre Protecting jobs, families, and economy, including 700,000 new homeowners and 1.3 million new jobs. Keeping the economy and Canada safe.

Economy

Women The Conservatives did not participate in the women’s debate.

Defence

Create 1.3-million jobs by 2020, invest $20-million into lobster industry, continue 15 per cent mineral exploration tax credit.

Establish RCMP human trafficking teams, add 665 personnel to Canada’s special operation forces by 2020, create a Canadian Forces reserve in the Yukon, and add 60,000 people to Canadian Forces reserves.

Education

Veterans

Increase the government contribution when families who are low and middleincome invest in education savings plans.

Social Programs Increase Canada Disability Savings Grant, create an endowment fund for museums, and create a tax break on membership fees for organizations like the Royal Canadian Legion and the Lions Club.

Environment Commit $5-million annually towards sustaining bird, moose, and turkey habitats, allow crossbows for hunting birds, create a family bird-hunting permit, and extend partnership with Pacific Salmon Foundation to restore B.C. estuaries.

Tourism $9-million over three years towards a tourism program for American recreational anglers, hunters, and snowmobiles.

Aboriginal They’ve committed $215-million for skills development and training, $200-million for First Nations education, $567-million over five years to build “stronger communities,” $500-million toward building and renovating schools on reserves, and to review the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Issue veterans cards as formal proof of service.

Immigration Impose travel bans against people who have already been sanctioned by the Canadian government, $40-million over five years that offers financial support to new Canadians, and bring 10,000 additional refugees from Syria and Iraq.

Terrorism Give $10-million over five years to Kanishka Project, which researches ways to prevent violent extremism.

Crime Implement Life-for-Life policy, which means that criminals who have taken a life are sentenced to life without parole. They also want to toughen penalties for drunk drivers, and plan to increase the funding for an RCMP team that cracks down on illegal drug labs and grow-ops to $4.5-million. The Conservatives also want to make it a crime for Canadians to fight alongside groups identified by the federal government as a terrorist organization, making some locations no-fly zones for Canadians.

Profiles

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Your Guide to the Liberals

Getting to know Justin Justin Trudeau has been the leader of the Liberal party since 2011 and has been the MP for Papineau since 2008. He’s been involved in politics since 1988 and has served as the Liberal Party’s critic for Youth and Multiculturalism, Citizenship and Immigration, and Post-Secondary Education, Youth, and Amateur Sport. He was born on December 25, 1971 (he’s now 43), to Pierre and Margaret Trudeau. Pierre Trudeau is a former prime minister of Canada. Justin was born in Ottawa and was the second child in Canada’s history to be born while one of his parents was prime minister. His parents separated when he was six years old and he spent a portion of his childhood growing up in Montreal with his father.

What the liberals Stand For Front and Centre The Liberals are advocating Real Change, largely focusing on the middle class.

Economy Invest $1.3-billion over three years to create jobs for young Canadians, reduce trade barriers particularly in North America, triple federal investment in public transit infrastructure, invest in social infrastructure, and cancel tax breaks for the wealthy and increase them for the middle class. They’re proponents of running a temporary deficit in order to finance their various platform commitments.

Education

Government

He holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from McGill and a bachelor’s in education from UBC. He’s worked as a teacher at West Point Grey Academy and Churchill Secondary School. Trudeau spent some time studying engineering at Universite de Montreal and environmental geography also at McGill. He paused his environmental geography education in order to seek public office. In 2005 he married his wife, Sophie, and together they have three children: Xavier James, Hadrien, and Ella-Grace Margaret. He speaks English and French and in his leisure time he enjoys outdoor activities (camping, boating, hiking, etc.) and wrestling. He supports the Montreal Canadiens. In 2014 he released his memoir, Com-

Executive Editor

mon Ground. He has advocated for various causes including safety in winter sports after his brother was killed in a snowboarding accident. He also spoke out against a zinc mine in the Northwest Territories and was a stark proponent of the national youth program Katimavik when it was terminated by the Conservatives in 2012. The program was started by his father’s government. Justin has stated that he would form a pro-choice Liberal government, and that any potential candidates would not be greenlighted unless they agreed to vote pro-choice on abortion bills. Outside of politics Justin has starred in a CBC miniseries called The Great War. He has a tattoo on his left shoulder of the earth surrounded by a Haida raven.

Liberal

Environment Protect marine and coastal areas, invest in ocean science, protect the marine environment from oil spills, phase out subsidies for the fossil fuel industry, make changes to Canada’s environmental assessment bodies to increase credibility, increase low-cost access to National Parks and programs that educate people in how to camp, investment in clean technologies, and make government science available to the public.

Aboriginal Provide funding to support Indigenous communities in preserving and promoting their cultures and languages, invest in First Nations education and $500-million into education infrastructure, invest in postsecondary education for Indigenous students, and launch a public inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

Liberal

Create a Prime Minister’s Youth Advisory Council, implement the Teacher and Early Childhood Educator School Supply Tax Benefit, educate youth on voting.

Increase access to government information, introduce a Prime Minister’s question period, end propagation of parliament and the use of omnibus bills, reform the electoral system away from first-past-the-post, end partisanship in the Senate, bring back longform census, and make StatsCan independent.

Social Programs

Return eligibility for retirement to 65, enhance the Canada Pension Plan, implement monthly Canada Child Benefit, create a National Early Learning and Child Care Framework to increase access to childcare, invest $150-million in annual funding for the CBC, improve access to mental health care and reduce the cost of prescriptions, bring back home delivery mail service, make changes to the Employment Insurance program, and prioritize investment in affordable housing and seniors programs.

Samatha Thomspon

Women

Ensure an equal number of men and women in the Liberal cabinet and implement genderbased analysis in policy-making. Trudeau has also stated that his Liberal MPs must commit to voting pro-choice on abortion bills, and has identified himself as a feminist.

Veterans

Invest $100-million annually in support for veterans’ families, invest $25-million to expand Permanent Impairment Alliance, invest $80-million per year towards Veterans Education Benefit, and increase overall financial support to veterans.

Immigration

Bring in 25,000 refugees from Syria, invest $100-million to increase refugee processing, and give a $100-million contribution to the U.N. High Commission for Refugees, doubling the budget for family-class immigration processing, increase family unification in immigration, repeal parts of Bill C-24 that create two-tier citizenship, and lift the Mexican visa requirement.

Profiles

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Your Guide to the NDP

Samatha Thomspon

Getting to know Tom Tom Mulcair was born in Ottawa on Oct. 24, 1954 (he’s now 60). He was raised in Gatineau and Laval, which contributed to his fluent bilingualism, and has been involved in politics since approximately 1983. From 1994 to 2007 he was a provincial member of the national assembly of Quebec in a Liberal Party of Quebec seat. He was the minister of sustainable development, environment, and parks, supporting the Kyoto protocol and drafting a bill to amend the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms to include the right to live in a healthy environment, which

passed. He has been the NDP MP of Outremont since 2007 and the leader of the NDP since 2012. He was also the first NDP MP to be elected in Quebec during a federal election. He has degrees in both common and civil law from McGill. He started law school at 18 and paid his way through by working construction jobs, tarring and graveling roofs. He’s also taught law and in 1985 started a private law practice. He grew up as the second oldest of nine siblings. His parents are Jeanne, a teacher, and Harry Donnelly Mulcair, who worked in in-

Executive Editor

surance. He has been married to his wife Catherine since 1976 and they have two children, Matt and Greg. Matt has two children himself, with his wife Jasmyne. Tom and Catherine met at a wedding when they were teenagers and married just a few years later at the age of 21. Tom supports the Montreal Canadiens and has written a book called Strength of Conviction. He has both French and Canadian citizenship. Last year for Halloween he dressed up as an Angry Bird, likely playing up the “Angry Tom” rhetoric.

What the ndp StandS For Front and Centre

Environment

The NDP’s slogan is Ready For Change and they’re looking to get Canada on track by helping families and strengthening the middle class, growing the economy, and protecting the environment.

Provide funding for energy efficient home renovations, stop the muzzling of scientists, establish a cap-and-trade system that sets emission limits on polluters, invest in renewable energy production, and increase legislation to protect lakes and rivers.

Economy

Tourism

Expand promotion of Canadian wood products to new markets, support forestry research and development, create up to 900,000 training and work transition opportunities, increase manufacturing jobs, reduce small business taxes from 11 per cent to nine per cent, invest $1.3-billion a year over the next 20 years in transit, create opportunities for 40,000 young people, build and repair jobs, create 54,000 jobs, and build 10,000 affordable housing units.

Aboriginal

Education Immediately phase out interest on federal student loans and increase available grants for students who need them.

Social Programs Protect EI premiums, make prescription drugs more affordable, improve mental health care services for young Canadians, increase access to family doctors, provide $15 a day child care, strengthen Pension Plan, return retirement age to 65, lift 200,000 seniors out of poverty, hire 7,000 family doctors, nurses, and healthcare professionals, and launch a national alzheimer’s and dementia strategy.

Bring more American tourists north, invest in destination Canada.

Call an inquiry into murdered and missing Indigenous women within 100 days of being in office, begin to act on recommendations made by Truth and Reconciliation Commission, create a committee to make sure federal decisions respect treaty rights.

Women Restore shelter enhancement program and help women fleeing violence find a new home. The NDP cabinet will be pro-choice.

Veterans Better access to treatment for PTSD, improve long-term care options, and increase survivors’ pensions.

Immigration Resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees and increase by 9,000 each year for the next four years.

Profiles

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Your Guide to the Green Party

Getting to know Elizabeth Elizabeth May was born on June 9, 1954 (she’s now 61) to Stephanie (sculptor, pianist and writer) and John Middleton May (accountant). Both of her parents were activists. Elizabeth was born in Hartford Connecticut and has a younger brother named Geoffrey. In 1972 her family moved to Margaree Harbour on Cape Breton Island, where they purchased and restored a land-locked schooner that played host to a restaurant and gift shop. The boat was called the Marion Elizabeth. In 2010 she moved to Sidney B.C., and was elected as the leader of the Green Party in 2011. In 2012 she was elected as the MP for Saanich-Gulf Islands and became the first candidate to be elected federally as an MP from the Green Party.

Prior to moving to B.C. she briefly enrolled at St. Francis Xavier university, but dropped out in 1974. Returning to Margaree, she took distance classes in restaurant management before attending Dalhousie Law School in 1980. In 1985 she moved to Ottawa and worked with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre and helped to found the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund. She also studied theology at Saint Paul University. She has a daughter, Victoria Cate, whose father is climate change scientist is Ian Burton. He and Elizabeth never married, although they did cohabitate briefly. Victoria’s godfather is Canadian author Farley Mowat, and Elizabeth counts him, Margaret Atwood, and David Suzuki amongst her

What the green party Stands For The Green Party advocates for a lot of environmental initiatives and a Canada that works together.

Economy Implement legislation to enhance opportunities for small and local businesses to thrive, fund community supported agriculture, invest in convenient and safe public transport. The Greens oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement.

Green MPs will not heckle in the House of Commons, will restore the longform census, create a council of Canadian governments, implement proportional representation, end the use of omnibus bills, work to end attack politics, slash the budget of the Prime Minister’s Office by 50 per cent, and publish their expenses online.

Social Programs

friends. Bill Clinton is a family friend. Elizabeth has a long history of being an environmentalist, author, activist, and lawyer. From 1989 to 2006 she was the executive director of the Sierra Club. She has also written eight books, most recently Who We Are: Reﬂections on My Life and Canada in 2014. In 2001 she held a 17-day hunger strike on Parliament Hill to raise awareness of high cancer rates near Cape Breton’s Sydney tar ponds. She has been involved in the environmental movement since 1970 and has previously been a member of the NDP and, briefly, the Liberals. In 2005 she was named an Officer of the Order of Canada and in 2010 was named “one of the world’s most influential women” by Newsweek.

green PARTY OF CANADA

Establish a Canadian Sustainable Generations Fund that will invest in skills-training, education, energy efficiency, etc., a Sustainable Jobs Plan, create a $1-billion per year Green Technology Commercialization Grants program, return to evidence-based policy-making, improve freedom of scientists to research and make sure the public has access to their research, oppose new pipelines and oil tanker projects, and implement a climate change and energy strategy.

Aboriginal Partner with First Nations for responsible resource development, implement findings of Truth and Reconciliation Commission, recognize indigenous rights and title, negotiate in good faith to settle land claims, establish treaties and self-government arrangements, pose a national inquiry into missing and murdered indigenous women, and defend languages and cultures.

green

Abolish tuition fees for students without adequate financial means by 2020, and in the meantime implement a debt-forgiveness program that will eliminate any existing or future student debt above $10,000. They will also abolish charging interest on student loans and increase bursaries.

Government

Executive Editor

Environment

Front and Centre

Education

Samatha Thomspon

Renew Health Accord, increase coverage of prescription medication, public dental coverage for low-income youth, expand CPP, implement a national seniors strategy that includes a housing plan, liveable income, national dementia strategy and pension protection, eliminate poverty, implement affordable childcare, reverse CBC funding cuts, and restore door-to-door mail delivery

Women

Fight gender-based discrimination in the workplace and eliminate the gender wage gap. May has identified herself as a feminist.

defence

Prioritizing roles and missions for Canadian forces that focus on peacekeeping or defensive missions with Canada’s allied countries. Invest in search and rescue missions and park patrols. Improve disaster preparedness capacity. Shift funding away from NATO and towards the United Nations. The Greens will not purchase the F-35 stealth fighter jets.

PARTY OF CANADA

Veterans Secure pensions, reopen Veterans Affairs offices across Canada, and reverse the $200-million cut. Increase access to service dogs to assist in victims of PTSD.

Immigration Will reverse two-tier citizenship system and renovate the immigration and refugee protection system to “welcome and integrate new Canadians over the long term.”

Terrorism Will repeal Bill C-51, the “anti-terror” bill.

Ridings

Torin Slik Contributor

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

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Kenny Chiu Kenny Chiu is a recent board of education trustee for the Richmond School district, and served as a commentator on Chinese-language Fairchild Radio. He graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in the 1980s, and markets himself as a software engineer and a member of Richmond’s community.

Yaunna Sommersby Web Editor

Steveston-Richmond East

Joe Peschisolido Joe Peschisolido received his bachelor of political science from the University of Toronto. In addition, he received his law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School. Peschisolido worked at the Canadian head office for Bing Han Enterprises as Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs. He is also the founder of his own business, Peschisolido & Company, which is a law firm that specializes in corporate, commercial, real estate, and immigration law. Peschisolido is a past Member of Parliament for the Richmond area. During this time he served as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs as well as secretary to the president of the Privy Council. Peschisolido also served as vice-chair for the standing committee for both the Status of Persons with Disabilities and Human Resources Development. He was a member of the Standing Committees on Fisheries and Oceans, Citizenship and Immigration, and Finance.

Steveston-Richmond East

Scott Stewart Scott Stewart served with the New Westminster Police for 25 years and earned several commendations for his work in the field. In addition, Stewart is a veteran of 40 years with the Canadian Forces Reserves. He has served overseas in places such as Germany and Bosnia. Some of Stewart’s work in the police force dealt with creating policies and province-wide training programs. He has served on several committees assisting the provincial government. He also was a full-time instructor at the Justice Institute of British Columbia for two years. Laura-Leah Shaw Laura-Leah Shaw is a Vancouver native with a passion for animal rights, sustainable farming and community service. A single mother with a background in real estate, Shaw hopes to be able to work with fellow Canadians to bring positive changes to our government. She achieved Medallion Club status for her work in real estate and was awarded the Realtors Care Award three times for her community service. Shaw was previously engaged in municipal politics and joined the Green party to become more active in Canadian government.

22.82%

18.60%

4.14%

Lawrence Woo Lawrence Woo received his bachelor of science from the University of British Columbia. Woo practiced accounting with his own firm for 26 years, after which he became the vicepresident of KAP Management Ltd. Woo was one of the founding members and also a former chair of the SUCCESS Foundation. He served on the Council of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia and as the former president of the Rotary Club of Vancouver Chinatown. Woo has received two notable awards during his career so far. He was gifted with the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his work in his community. He also received the Community Service Award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia.

Richmond Centre

Jack Trovato Jack Trovato received a bachelor’s of art and master’s of education degree from Simon Fraser University as well as a bachelor’s of education degree from the University of British Columbia. Trovato is a public high school teacher and has worked in the Burnaby School District for 16 years. He has spent the past 10 years as the head of Byrne Creek Secondary School’s visual and performing arts department. He has been awarded with the Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in the 2002 and 2003 school years.

Redistributed results from the 2011 Federal Election

* Information based on Elections Canada

53.92%

Alice Wong AliceWong immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in 1980, and became a citizen in 1983. She holds a Ph.D in instruction and curriculum from the University of British Columbia, and taught ESL and entrepreneurial courses at Vancouver Community College. She has also served on community boards such as Rosewood Manor and the Rotary Club of Richmond. She has a connection to KPU, having worked as faculty and Manager of International Programs until 2006. She has served as a member of parliament since 2008 for the Conservative party, and was appointed Minister of State for Seniors by Stephen Harper. She is also the first Chinese-Canadian to serve as an MP.

Richmond Centre

58.36%

Redistributed results from the 2011 Federal Election

18.66%

18.27% 4.72%

Vincent Chiu Vincent Chiu is a Richmond native who has been heavily involved in his local and student communities. Chiu has earned recognition from the Board of Education of the Richmond School District for being involved as a tri-subcommittee chair of Richmond’s Student Leadership Council. Chiu also received the U-Roc award for Leadership from the City of Richmond. He is passionate about scientists having the right to speak freely about their research and wants to ensure this right is maintained. He also realizes the importance of collaboration within government. Finally, Chiu believes in freedom, respect, and diversity, and wants to improve sustainable practices within Canada.

Ridings

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Harpreet Singh Before Harpreet Singh immigrated to Canada in 2002, he worked as a stringer for various news agencies such as BBC, Reuters, Time and others. He also worked with newspapers such as the Hindustan Times and Indian Express. He operated a television show in Vancouver called JoyTV, which focuses on South Asian issues in the community.

Surrey-Newton

Sukh Dhaliwal Sukh Dhaliwal is a professional Engineer and British Columbia Land Surveyor. He was a former Liberal Member of Parliament for Newton-North Delta from 2006 to 2011, in which he held the role of Official Opposition Critic for the Asia Pacific Gateway and Western Economic Diversification. Dhaliwal received his bachelor of science in surveying engineering from the University of Calgary. Shortly after that, he started his own business called Dhaliwal and Associates Land Surveying Inc. Dhaliwal was an active spokesperson for small business and he used his position as a former member of the Surrey Board of Trade to help him do this. He was on the board of directors for Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society. He was also a member of the City of Surrey Parks and Community Services committee. Finally, he volunteered with Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Emergency Centre Campaign.

SurreyNewton

Jinny Sims Jinny Sims received her bachelor’s of education at the University of Victoria in Manchester. Sims is the past-president of the Nanaimo District Teachers’ Association. She also served as director, vice-president, and president of the British Columbia Teachers Federation. She was elected as the MP for Newton-North Delta in 2011. As MP, Sims has served as the Official Opposition critic for many different organizations including consular affairs; international cooperation; citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism; foreign affairs; and employment and social development.

Redistributed results from the 2011 Federal Election

35.29%

34.08%

27.42%

2.60%

Pamela Sangha Pamela Sangha is a Surrey native who has a passion for politics and the environment. Sangha graduated from the University of Victoria in 2011 with a Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Social Justice studies. Sangha got involved with the Green party during Lynne Quarmby’s campaign and was later invited to apply for candidacy. With a strong focus on community improvement, Sangha hopes to build a community that gives back to each other and the environment. Accessible post-secondary education is an important issue for Sangha as she saw how hard her parent worked to put her and her younger sisters through university. Eventually, she also hopes to see an economic model that will hold companies accountable for their environmental footprint.

Sucha Thind Sucha Thind immigrated to Canada in his early 20’s after finishing university in India. After some time of figuring out what he wanted to do, he eventually found his niche, starting a successful aluminium business in Surrey.

Randeep Sarai Randeep Sarai is both a strong entrepreneur and lawyer. Sarai received his bachelor of arts from the University of British Columbia and his bachelor of law at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He has always had a passion for helping the less fortunate and as such, has often provided pro-bono legal services for those who cannot afford it, especially to non-profit organizations. Sarai’s background is in real estate development. Sarai has a hand in creating the South Asian Community Coalition Against Youth Violence. This group in turn helped to form the Integrated Gang Task Force. Sarai himself founded Virsa—Supporting Youth Strengthening Families Society, and he served as its director. He is an active volunteer for the CORSA Foundation and is a director of Healthy, Happy, and Holy Organization.

Surrey Centre

Jasbir Sandhu Jasbir Sandhu was elected the Member of Parliament for Surrey North in 2011. He got his master’s degree in business administration from Royal Roads University. Sandhu worked at the Justice Institute of British Columbia for over 15 years as a program manager. He owns his own small business in Surrey and was a board member of the Vancity Community Foundation, as well as a spokesperson for the Professor Mohan Singh Memorial Foundation. He has also volunteered for the United Way. Sandhu has been a business analyst, a customs officer, a truck driver, and taxi driver. He has been a factory worker and self-employed contractor. As MP, Sandhu introduced legislation to both put federal protection of Bear Creek in place and provided funding for youth gang prevention programs. Jeremiah Deneault Jeremiah Deneault was the first member of his family to graduate high school and is currently a student at Simon Fraser University. Learning the value of hard work for his single Redistributed results from the 2011 Federal Election mom, Deneault is passionate about human rights and environmental sustainability. Deneault became involved with the Green party as he believes in economic and environmental sustainability, government transparency, and freedom of speech. 40.03% 35.66%

17.76

3.64%

* Information based on Elections Canada

Ridings

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Diane Watts Diane Watts is well known in Surrey, having been the mayor from 2005 to 2014, elected as the first female mayor of the city. She’s also a second-generation Canadian, with roots in the Ukraine and Yugoslavia. Prior to her mayorship, Watts had been involved in Surrey City Council since 1996. She won her mayorship on a platform that promised to address homelessness, drugs, and crime. She proved to be popular, winning re-elections, including one in 2011 with 80 per cent of votes cast. Her slate, Surrey First, won every seat on Surrey City Council.

South Surrey-White Rock

Judy Higginbothom Judy Higginbothom has been a part of the Surrey city council for 25 years. She has served on many committees and received both the Business Woman of the Year and the Solicitor General’s Crime Prevention Award. Higginbothom received her bachelor of education at the University of British Columbia.

Pixie Hobby Pixie Hobby launched her own private law practice in the year of 2014. Hobby is an environmental lawyer with more than 30 years of experience with the federal government. Throughout her career she has gained experience working with central agencies, First Nations, provincial governments, and municipalities. She is the author of the 1997 book The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act: an Annotated Guide. This book was published by Canada Law Book, and she updates it every year. Hobby also has experience in the courtroom when she joined the Department of Justice. She has worked on various issues such as climate change and toxic substances.

Larry Colero Larry Colero is a professional facilitator and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC) with an MBA in the Management of Technology. Colero has taught Business Ethics at both the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. A second-time candidate for this riding, he wants to defend the Semiahmoo Bay coastline and promote a sustainable economy. He joined the Green party because he agreed with the policies and felt it was a consistent and fiscally responsible party. Colero also wants a greater focus on democratic reform, sustainability, and social justice.

South Surrey-White Rock

2011 Election Results:

52.88%

Fleetwood-Port Kells

19.19%

19.09%

5.86% other

Nina Grewal Nina Grewal has successfully ran as a Conservative in her riding since 2004. She has had much experience, living in various places around the world. She was born in Japan, educated with a B.A. from India, and was involved with a business in Liberia. However, a civil war in Liberia ended her stay there, and the experience ignited a strong interest in democracy and politics. She eventually came to Canada and started a business selling RESP’s. Grewal, along with her husband, Gurmant, were the first married pair of MP’s to serve in parliament, with her husband representing Newton-North Delta. Ken Hardie Ken Hardie is both a senior public affairs manager and a broadcaster. His career has been focused on connecting people. Whether it be the use of information, resources, or services, Hardie uses his skills to help people in their communities to engage and be better informed. Hardie graduated from the executive management development program at Simon Fraser University. He also studied economics at the University of British Columbia. Hardie has been affiliated with various radio and television initiatives across Western Canada. His job positions include freelance print media reporter, commentator, interviewer, and announcer. He has also worked with both the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia and TransLink. Hardie has been a key component in creating massive social media campaigns which have enabled the dialogue that helped inform major provincial and regional policies. Garry Begg Garry Begg worked as a police officer, rising up to District Commander and RCMP Inspector, for 38 years. Begg has received various RCMP awards during his career and is also the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is a dedicated member of his community and regularly volunteers. He has been an active contributor in Surrey on the Healthier Communities and Public Safety committees. He has also served on the board of an alcohol and drug agency.

2011 Election Results:

47.83%

* Information based on Elections Canada

33.06%

15.66% 2.56% other

Richard Hosein Richard Hosein is a Surrey native and a policy student at Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Hosein is heavily involved in the Kwantlen community, a founder of the Kwantlen Public Interest Research Group (KPIRG), a former Kwantlen Student Association director and a member of the KPU Board of Governors. Hosein believes businesses and government need to work together to enact policies that encourage sustainability and protect resources. Joining the Green party in 2011, Hosein later ran in the Surrey-Green Timbers in 2013. Improving policies involving housing, poverty crime, and immigration is important to Hosein. Concerned about both Bill C-24 and Bill C-51, Hosein wants to work towards amending and repealing this legislation.

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Dean Drysdale Dean Drysdale might be known to some at KPU, having taught business classes for over 20 years, including organizational behaviour. He also has many educational certificates, such as a B.A. from Bishops University in Quebec, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in organizational behaviour from Cass Business School in London, U.K. Drysdale also has military experience, currently holding the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, and participated in the Persian Gulf War as a journalist attached to the Egyptian Army.

Cloverdale-Langley City

John Aldag John Aldag worked for Parks Canada for 31 years. During that time he focused on protecting natural and cultural resources throughout Canada’s various national parks, historical sites, and marine conservation areas. For the past nine years Aldag has been living in the Fraser Valley. Aldag has a bachelor of business administration from B.C.’s Open University, an MBA from Royal Roads University, and a diploma in public sector management from the University of Victoria. He is currently the president of Flip City Gymnastics. Some of his past positions include the chair of Fort Langley Business Improvement Association and the chair of Tourism Langley. He was also a former board member of the Vancouver Coast and Mountains Regional Destination Marketing Organization. Finally, he was a former treasurer of the Fort Langley Child Care society. Rebecca Smith Rebecca Smith earned her bachelor of arts from the University of Victoria. She has also completed her certificate in public relations from Langara College. Currently she is in the process of completing her master’s of business administration. Smith has owned Valshiva Consulting for 18 years. This firm provides management consulting services to both corporate and nonprofit clients. Smith served as executive director of the British Columbia Psychological Association for over five years. She is a founding member as well as president of BullyFree BC. She has also been the director for the Canadian Mental Health Association in both the North and West Vancouver branches.

Cloverdale-Langley City

2011 Election Results:

57.37%

24.68%

11.80%

4.61%

Scott Anderson Scott Anderson was born and raised in the Lower Mainland and is the youngest of four. He has worked with Bosa Construction since 1998 and has worked up to becoming a construction manager. Anderson became concerned at a young age when he started to learn more about the negative impact humans were having on the environment. Since working with Bosa, he has enacted practices to help reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Anderson is also a strong promoter of sustainable living practices. He joined the Green party hoping to make a difference.

Mark Warawa Mark Warawa was a city councilor in Abbotsford, from 1990 to 2004, and MP of Langley since 2004 as a Conservative.

Langley-Aldergrove

Leon Jensen Leon Jensen was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for more than 40 years. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Jensen is a former director of the Military Liaison Teams to British Columbia’s Disaster Management Program as well as the former director of the Land Force Reserve Restructure Project. He has also received several military awards such as the Order of Military Merit and the Canadian Peacekeeping Service medal. Jensen plans on finishing his bachelor of arts in conflict studies. He’s doing this at Saint Paul University. Margot Sangster Margot Sangster has three different important areas. They are job development, good governance, and public health. Sangster has worked in Afghanistan in order to help in various ways. She was a technical advisor for supporting technical managers, employers, and Afghan women and men job-seekers. Sangster has served Vancouver Coastal health since 2005. She has run staff training in mental health issues as well as cross-cultural issues. She is a fully trained psychotherapist and offered counseling for people facing criminal charges as well as facilitated addiction treatment. She was a career counsellor and program manager focusing in youth.

Simmi Dhillon Simmi Dhillon believes in the need for climate action and has a deep connection to the environment. Dhillon is also concerned with creating a government that provides support of Veterans, acts on the problem of the missing and murdered indigenous women, and 2011 Election Results: secures pensions for seniors. Dhillon wanted to run for public office because of her drive to defend and protect our environment. Finally, she also supports her party’s decision to work towards more afford65.82% able and accessible post-secondary education.

Langley-Aldergrove

19.35%

8.98% 5.26%

* Information based on Elections Canada

Getting To Know The Parties

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Liberal Candidates Visit the Grassroots

Opportunities for youth a major priority for party, according to candidates.

Torin Slik Contributor

Five Liberal candidates spoke to

Kwantlen Polytechnic University students at the Grassroots Café on Sept. 22 about their ideas for a better government. Questions from the students were received and the candidates touched on a myriad of topics in their answers. One of the questions centred on a major change the Liberals want to implement if they get voted in, which is the furthering of the government’s role in helping students and youth. Sukh Dhaliwal, the Liberal MP candidate for the Surrey-Newton area, was very concerned about the lack of opportunities for youth graduating from university. “We see the unemployment rate among our youth is the highest

right now,” he said. The Liberal candidates explained that one of the biggest hindrances in job prospects for students was the lack of experience in their field. They claim the reason for the lack of experience is the very few opportunities for co-operative education. “The first thing you’re going to notice when you get out of university is that everybody’s going to ask you, ‘Do you have experience?’” said Randeep Sarai, the Liberal MP candidate for Surrey Central. “And that’s the biggest impediment for getting a job.” The value of co-operative education was pointed out multiple times during the event. Not only do co-operative opportunities allow students to gain experience in their chosen field, they also provide students with valuable connections.

“You know what happens when you get a co-op position is that, once you work for a company for two or three months and they train you, they don’t want to let you go unless you really screw up,” said Sarai. “Then the ball goes in your court, and you actually have a ticket to a great job.” John Aldag, the Liberal MP candidate for the Cloverdale-Langley area, told his own personal story of co-operative education. In his first summer of school, he found a job posting at the student employment centre at his university for Parks Canada. He applied for the job, thinking it would be a good way to fund his next year of education. The second summer, he worked at the same job again. Before he went back for his third year, he was offered full-time employment, which he took instead of going

back to school. Aldag’s point was to highlight the connections you get while studying in co-op. He also pointed out how few opportunities there are for student employment compared to earlier decades. “Your generation and my kids’ generation are the first ones who are likely going to have less opportunities than your parents did,” he said. “And to me, that’s very concerning.” Sarai said the Liberals are going to take action for students if they get elected. “We’re going to create thousands and thousands of more co-op positions.” Aldag also reassured the those in attendance that the Liberals were ready to get behind students. “Things like education, accessible education, are very important to me,” he said. “I really believe

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that the Liberals can offer opportunities for [students] as [they] enter the work world in the future.” While the increase of co-operative education will be a benefit to students, it’s not the only issue. Carla Qualtrough, the Liberal MP candidate for Delta, said the Liberals are going to focus on listening to the people from their ridings. “All our communities across Canada deserve better representations in Ottawa. We are tired, as a country, having people come back to our communities as messengers from Ottawa toeing a party line that was determined by one person who’s not interested, quite frankly, in the views of most Canadians,” she said. “I think the job of an MP . . . is to be the voice of a community in Ottawa, not the other way around.”

KPU students hear NDP party platforms at meet-and-greet Candidates talk climate change, aboriginal issues, mental health and more.

// The

Kier-Christer Junos Staff Writer

meet-and-greet

the

Grassroots on Sept. 29 featured a revolving door of NDP candidates coming in and out for meetings, but KPU students still got to hear and ask about the NDP platform. The event was the second of the candidate meet-and-greet series organized by the KSA, with the Liberals in just the week before. Incumbent Jasbir Sandhu of Surrey Centre/Surrey North, Rebecca Smith for Cloverdale-Langley City and Jeremy Leveque for Delta started the event. All three candidates are Kwantlen alumni, back in the college days of the university. Sandhu talked about the leaky portable he studied in at the time, wherein he was still able to gain some critical thinking skills.

“I had a job at a custom broker’s place when I graduated from Simon Fraser, I worked at the justice institute and I’m a politician now,” says Sandhu. “But the base in there, the education base that was built through universities, the college here—that base allows me to filter information, see what’s important.” Smith didn’t talk much during question period, but she made clear her reasons for why she was running with the NDP. For one, she talked about the NDP’s belief in child care, how it should be affordable so that parents are, “Not paying a second mortgage to have your kid in a place so that you can go make a living that barely pays for them to be taken care of while you’re doing it.” Before Surrey-Newton MP Jinny Sims and Gary Begg for Fleetwood-Port Kells came along later in the event, Leveque fielded

the majority of the questions during question period. He started at Kwantlen in criminology, later studying philosophy and economics. Now he’s a PhD candidate. Aboriginal students’ representative Justin Bige asked him about the NDP’s stance on Aboriginal issues. Leveque says there would be an inquiry into the cases of the missing and murdered indigenous women of Canada. He adds that they would adopt a “nation-to-nation approach,” and ask the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) and Assembly of First Nations (AFN) for recommendations on Aboriginal priorities. The NDP criticizes Stephen Harper and the Conservatives for not having a serious commitment to climate change, yet the NDP is still open to building pipelines. Leveque says that a “credible, rigorous, science-based” environ-

mental review process would be created first, and that if a pipeline project was presented to that process and failed, “It doesn’t pass. That’s how it works.” “We’re against Northern Gateway, full stop. We’re also against Keystone,” says Leveque. “The only project that we are in favour of in terms of pipelines is the west to east energy pipeline.” Later on, Gary Begg entered the Grassroots and made his introduction during question period. The former RCMP inspector spoke to marijuana enforcement, saying that the law hasn’t been enforced by officers for many years. “Reality is that the possession of small amounts of marijuana have been basically legal for a long, long time,” says Begg. “As a policeman, I can’t remember the last time I charged a person with possession for a small amount. In

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reality, the law that exists has not been enforced by the RCMP for probably 20 years.” He also spoke about mental health care, which he argues is virtually non-funded and should be more aligned with corporeal health care. There are criticisms of the NDP moving towards more centrist policies, potentially alienating older NDP voters and even Palestinian voters because of the party’s stance on Israel. Leveque, who joined the party at 16, still believes the NDP is the same in principles despite saying that criticisms are “fair.” Then, despite the reports of NDP candidates being forced to resign because of anti-Israeli statements (Google former candidates Morgan Wheeldon or Jerry Natanine), MP Jinny Sims says she still feels like she’s entitled to her full opinion in her NDP caucus.

Getting To Know The Parties

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A Run-Down of the Green Party

Not just a one-issue party, according to candidates.

Yaunna Sommersby Web Editor

Founded in 1983, the Green Party of Canada is one of the newer parties on Parliament Hill. For this election campaign the Greens are focused on building “A Canada that works. Together.” Here is a look at how the party hopes to do just that. “The Greens really want to bring their ideas forward to the Canadian public. When surveys are done, most people, if not the majority of people, agree with Green party principles and policies. The problem is getting the word out and getting the information out that the Green party candidates are carefully selected and we are com-

petent,” explains Fleetwood-Port Kells candidate and KPU policy student Richard Hosein. A common misconception about the party is that their platform solely involves policies concerning environmental regulation and protection. The Green party also has policies concerning poverty reduction, post-secondary funding, healthcare, and much more. “We do care about environmental regulation and protection, there’s no doubt about that. We have very robust policies on that, but we’re not a one-issue party,” Hosein clarifies. Candidates are not only focused on Canada as a whole, they are focused on improving their communities. “I specifically would want to bring back more community pro-

grams in elementary schools and high schools, get back to community and have kids be kids, and focus on play and mentorship,” explains Surrey-Newton candidate and UVIC political science graduate Pamela Sangha. Surrey is known for having an increased crime rate, gang violence, and shootings. Sangha realizes, “this is happening for a reason and I think that’s what really needs to be looked at. I think that if we have community heroes, mentorship programs, and have things for kids to do after school and keep busy, I think that would probably leave the community better off.” As students, we have to deal with the stress of tuition, debt and finding a job after graduation. These issues are impacted by po-

litical decisions, and students have a voice which can enact a positive change. Hosein notes, “If you realized what happened in Alberta with the last election, the reason why we were shocked with an NDP win was because the students and young people went out to vote. It was really a revolutionary thing.” South Surrey-White Rock candidate Larry Colero recognizes students have an important role to play in politics. “I think the most important thing is for students not to just vote, but to do the research beforehand so that they gain a better understanding of why politics is so relevant to their lives and the communities that they live in.” At the beginning of September, party leader Elizabeth May announced that her party would

work to abolish post-secondary tuition by 2020 and forgive any student debt over $10,000. Colero believes abolishing tuition would “provide an equitable opportunity for qualified students to gain the education that they need without coming out at the end with a gigantic debt to pay off and the difficulty in finding work that could help them pay off that debt.” Sangha feels Canadians should support this proposal. “If they look at our budget,” she says, “we’ve managed to actually have a transparent budget that is available for anybody to look at and that actually balances.” Several European countries have managed to abolish tuition fees and in turn saw economic growth. Maybe this makes sense for Canada too.

The Conservatives won’t talk Why we have no interviews with Conservative MPs.

markwarawa.com

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

On Monday Sept. 28, I sent out emails requesting interviews with Conservative MPs of eight major “KPU” ridings. As you can tell, I wasn’t very successful. The day after I sent my requests I got a phone call from the Mark Warawa office—the Conservative incumbent for LangleyAldergrove. On the other end was a staffer who explained to me that Warawa wouldn’t be available to talk during the times I described, times which included “any time on Thursday,” even for a simple 10 minute talk. I asked the staffer, “What about next week?” Apparently he couldn’t do that either.

I also got an email, that same day, from the Diane Watts office— the Conservative MP for South Surrey-White Rock. The staffer said she’d find out and get back to me, which hasn’t happened as of print time. None of my other emails have been answered. I thought for some time, “it’s because I write for a small-time student newspaper.” However, Richmond News attempted to interview Kenny Chiu, the Conservative MP for my riding, Steveston-Richmond East, but didn’t get a response from him in time for their Sept. 28th MP profile. This stunned me, considering Richmond News is the only newspaper in Richmond at the moment, and serves the 200,000 people who live here. How the hell are these MPs supposed to represent the people

of their riding if they won’t even communicate with the newspapers that they need to speak to. I was at a town hall meeting last week, on Sept. 30, which had all eight candidates for the two Richmond electoral districts in attendance. Two Liberals, two NDPs, two Greens and two Conservatives. The event, moderated by Richmond News, also allowed for questions from the audience, one of which was “The Conservative candidates have been absent from many debates in Richmond. Why?” Alice Wong replied, saying “I’m here!” which elicited laughter from the audience. “I’ve been attending quite a few debates, and I think the best debates is to go to the doors, listen to the people, door knocking, door knocking, door knocking. Until probably the day of Oct. 19,

listening to their concerns.” Whether that answers the question is up to you. While Wong, a serving member of parliament since 2008, did in fact show up to this grueling two-hour town hall meeting, this hasn’t been the case in other ridings. At the new Calgary-Skyview riding, incumbent Conservative MP Devinder Shory didn’t show up, while Green, Liberal, and NDP candidates did. This also happened in Ottawa, with none of the Conservative candidates replying to debate invitations, with the exception of Walter Pamic, who replied “no.” Like Wong, they also cited “door knocking” and other commitments as reasons not to come by. It seems rather suspect that so many Conservative candidates would rather knock on a few doors than get in

front of a camera to defend their party. Another example would be Toronto, where an LGBT-themed debate was held—but as you might expect, only three out of four potential candidates showed up. This is most obviously seen at the leadership level. While Harper did show up to three English language debates—Munk, McLean’s, and Globe and Mail—he declined the traditional CBC debate, which in 2011 had over five million Canadians tuning in. The other debates were streamed online, but only got viewerships of roughly 60,000 each. I brought this up with Lawrence Woo, the Liberal candidate for Richmond Centre. “If you just stay behind and keep your mouth shut, if you do that, and people still elect you, then there’s something wrong with our system.”

Comment

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Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau visits Richmond B.C. Richmond Liberal MPs promise jobs, debt solutions.

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

Justin Trudeau was in Richmond

on Sept. 30 at the Liberal campaign office, a 10 minute walk from KPU’s Richmond campus. The event was very crowded, with what seemed to be at least 300 people trying to cram themselves into the small office building on Westminster, a few steps from 3 Road. Predictably, everyone at the event was either a fervorous Liberal supporter or a member of the media. “It’s great to be back in Richmond, it’s great to be back home in Vancouver, great to see so many people out tonight to support our great Richmond candidates Lawrence Woo and Joe Peschisolido,” Trudeau said at the event, receiving enthusiastic cheers from the crowd of supporters. Trudeau continued for about eight minutes, reiterating his campaign promises and highlighting the Liberal’s focus on the middle class. He was also critical of the Conservative party and the NDP, and told the crowd that the Liber-

als would invest in public transportation. “That means we’ll help Richmond invest in an expanded Canada Line, and new train cars to ease congestion and make your commutes easier. We will invest to build this country again. We’ll raise taxes on the wealthiest one per cent, so we can cut them for the middle class.” Trudeau wasn’t available for comment, rushing out as quickly as he came in. However, two Liberal MPs for Richmond were available for an interview. “Student debt is a big problem nowadays. When students graduate they’re loaded with debt and they’re faced with a situation where they can’t get down payments and so on,” says Lawrence Woo, candidate for Richmond Centre, regarding student debt. “It is a big problem that we need to resolve. So, unless we can find funds to alleviate this problem, our younger generation is going to be saddled with all kinds of debts after they graduate, and that’s not very good because we’re pulling them back when they first want to start out.”

Woo considers the situation to be unacceptable, and wants the federal government to work closer with provinces and universities. “I’m not talking about the forgiveness of debt, but we have to work something out very, very quickly.” The Liberal plan for student debt contrasts with the NDP and Green plans, which involves making loans interest free and moving to a tuition-free model, respectively. “It’s provincial jurisdiction— however, what the Harper government has done is for nine years they cut back transfer payments,” says Joe Peschisolido, MP for Steveston-Richmond East. “Unfortunately, Prime Minister Harper has completely abdicated everything. He’s basically saying ‘Okay, it’s the provinces’ responsibility and we’ll cut back in funding in these two areas: education and healthcare.’” Like Woo, Peschisolido also believes that more provincial cooperation is needed. “I think Justin Trudeau is taking the correct approach, by saying ‘Look, we want to have a collaborative type of federalism where we work with the

provinces.’ So for example, here in B.C. we would reinstate meetings between the Prime Minster of Canada, hopefully Justin Trudeau, and

Tristan Johnston

Christy Clark to talk about these issues.”

Richmond-area candidates gather for public debate Even the Conservatives showed up.

Tristan Johnston

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

On Sept. 30, eight Richmondarea candidates gathered to take questions from a room full of voters. The venue chosen was the Richmond Country Club, right next to the Buddhist Temple along Steveston Highway. In attendance were candidates for Richmond Center and Steveston-Richmond East, with all Conservative, Liberal, NDP, and Green candidates showing up to take questions. The venue itself was packed, with a few in attendance standing. There was a projector to the left of the room with questions that were asked by the crowd via an app called “Pigeonhole.” The crowd seemed to have a slight majority of seniors and a diverse mix of backgrounds.

Later in the debate, several MP candidates were asked about what they believed to be the greatest issues facing Richmond today. Lawrence Woo, Liberal candidate for Richmond Center, said that racial harmony might be his concern, likely brought up due to recent controversies on Chinese-language signage. He also brought up poverty. “To have someone who can’t afford to live in a place like Richmond is a shame. Poverty is also a big issue. Because we don’t have a skid row in Richmond, I don’t know whether that’s a blessing in disguise or a curse, because rich people don’t think poverty exists in Richmond, but it does,” said Woo. In tune with their party, both Green Party candidates highlighted the Fraser River and various parks that need to be protected. “The Green party believes in rapid transit, getting cars off the

road, reducing our carbon footprint—so they would be putting money into mass transit and green technologies,” said Laura-Leah Shaw, Green party candidate for Steveston-Richmond East. “I was on Westminster highway the other day and it was a nightmare.” “A congestion levy would have been an easy way out, just tax the people,” said Kenny Chiu, Conservative candidate for the same riding. “It would be perpetual, it would be instantaneous . . . And that is why I think it was the wrong choice for us, and I don’t believe that government should actually solve the problem that it has already given the resource to solve.” Chiu also said that the Conservative government distributed billions of dollars with the Economic Action Plan, and that it’s still going. One question came up, asking the Conservative government why they removed protection

from various waterways with the Navigation Protection Act. “This act was in the parliament, debated thoroughly, and passed. One of the things we didn’t include was a little river in front of my own home. So I think they’re over-doing it, they’re trying to do the opposite, and mask the true important things about the waterways. How we can make sure, including the Fraser River of course, the waterways are open, and making sure they’re protecting the environment at the same time. So we’re doing it due diligently, and that is the role of the federal government.” The crowd responded to this answer negatively, with a few in the crowd yelling “shame.” Aboriginal rights were also brought up in the form of a question from the crowd directed to all candidates, asking what each party would do about coming to true reconciliation.

“It is our Conservative government which has apologized to the Chinese for the head tax,” said Wong. “It’s also our Conservative government which has also looked at the problems of residential schools. And I think we have also worked very hard to make sure that these injustices will never happen again.” “Poverty, underfunded schools, unsafe water, poor housing, violence, these are just a few of the things that have plagued our indigenous communities for far too long, and Stephen Harper has had a decade to [change] some of these things but has chosen not to,” said Jack Trovato, NDP candidate for Richmond Centre. “Also, we’re going to look into the 1,200 murdered and missing First Nations women,” said Trovato, before being interrupted by applause. “And we will do so within 100 days of forming government.”

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Which way will the vote swing? Riding dynamics explained, through last election.

Kier-Christer Junos Staff Writer

Surrey, Richmond, and Langley have all voted, historically, in a mostly Tory-blue hue that’s visible from outer space. No really, Google Maps-it. But that’s not saying there aren’t some splashes of orange and red. The KPU Surrey campus, for example, happens to be in a riding which was a paragon of non-Conservative votes in the 2011 federal election. Then, while some 2011 Liberal votes successfully shot-it-up around our charming bit of Newton, the NDP’s orange crush bubbled down even to the mouth of Tory-voting Delta and the Fraser River. It’s orange, that bit of the Fraser that wraps beneath the belly of the Pattullo. Will it stay that way?

Surrey Centre & Surrey North

Surrey-Newton

The Pattullo bridge is the tip of the Surrey Centre riding and goes as far south as Nordell avenue. The population in this riding is 111,468, the last time Statistics Canada checked. This is a riding that had NDP and Conservative MPs de-seating each other every consecutive election after 2005, and we could probably count on the vote going either way this year partly because of that transient margin. In 2011, the NDP got 40 per cent of the vote compared to the 36 per cent that the Conservatives won. Jasbir Sandhu currently has the seat. The workforce in this riding mostly consists of tradespeople, transporters, and equipment operators, and the families have on average 3.5 children to take care of. The NDP being at its roots a labour party might contribute to the votes they’ve accumulated in this riding way back when.

It’s in this riding that the Liberal party would most likely paint-it-red if they can win it from the NDP. Here it’s a chess game between those two parties. The difference between their votes last election was merely 393 votes—an upset, for sure, and I’d suggest something similar will happen after everyone casts their ballots. NDP MP Jinny Sims has the seat for now. Oh, if you’ve been keeping up with the news, or simply have been kept up by the sound of gunshots, it’s obvious that public safety is a big issue in this riding and a lot of Surrey. All the candidates in the area can’t disagree with that.

South Surrey-White Rock

Fleetwood-Port Kells

Likewise, candidates in South Surrey-White Rock are actually feeling quite united on the issues, according to the Peace Arch News’s riding debate coverage earlier in September. Well, at least the non-Tory candidates felt united—no Conservative candidate showed up to that debate. Because why waste your breath when you won the riding with 53 per cent of the vote last time? And the last time? And if all the candidates, as reported by the Peace Arch News, were happy to take shots at you? Tory MP Russ Hiebert has been the incumbent since 2004 and it will probably go that way this year. The average family income in this riding is $101,790 according to StatsCan, and the propensity to vote for a party with tax policies that reward that income will surely will be higher. This riding also includes some votes from Fleetwood-Port Kells, which is also a historically Conservative-voting bastion. And it’s a large riding.

Again, Fleetwood-Port Kells is a large riding which spans a little more than the Surrey Centre and Newton ridings combined. According to Global News’s riding maps, the divisions within the riding are enormous and Conservative. It would take a lot of effort for the NDP or Liberals to win over enough people in one of those larger divisions. Then consider that the highly successful Conservative MP Nina Grewal has been sitting in this riding since 2004. It will be difficult to dethrone her. According to a report by the Redistribution of Federal Electoral Districts, this riding’s boundaries were slightly redrawn, too, with no great disadvantages given to Grewal. It actually gains areas of Surrey North and South Surrey-White Rock-Cloverdale, the latter being a large Conservative base. NDP and Liberal efforts have encroached on this area, and the NDP were the most successful in the last election with 5000 votes short of the Conservatives. You know, they actually could beat the Tories, but I suggest it would require basically all the votes in the riding taken away from the Liberals.

Delta

Steveston-Richmond East & Richmond Centre

Meanwhile, in Delta proper, the Conservatives won 48 per cent of the vote in 2011 and placed Kerry-Lynne D. Findlay as the riding’s MP. This riding is probably eight times bigger than Fleetwood—Port Kells, but the population density is mainly focused in three areas: the area around Delta secondary, the Canadian side of Point Roberts and the boundary between East Delta and Newton, where most NDP votes in Delta are shored. Everything else is, uh, farmland. The NDP won 28 per cent of the vote here last time, and can probably take the riding marginally should they win more of East Delta and a substantial portion of even one of the other two suburban sprawls. Findlay was elected only in the last election, so she’s up for review against a formidable NDP candidate named Jeremy Leveque, who taught university economics, studied political science, and is now a PhD candidate. This is a riding to watch.

These ridings will probably vote Conservative even considering the newer Steveston-Richmond East riding. The issues in Richmond Centre, for one, include those affecting seniors. According to StatsCan over 60 per cent of the population are first generation Canadians, and people of this generation will most likely vote Conservative. Here the party received 58 per cent of the votes in 2011. Richmond in general is fairly wealthy, with an average family income of $84,477, so it’s no surprise that the population probably likes to keep their taxes low. Also of note is that the incumbent Conservatives are running two Asian candidates, the Liberals and Greens running one each, and the NDP are running none. This is likely to increase their electability among the high immigrant population in the riding. According to Statistics Canada, around 40 per cent of Richmondites can speak Chinese, whether it be Mandarin or Cantonese, as a first language.

Cloverdale-Langley This riding and the adjacent Langley-Aldergrove riding and essentially all the ridings until the Okanagan are overwhelmingly Conservative. Conservative MP Mark Warawa of this riding has successfully held onto his seat since 2004. It includes some of Fleetwood-Port Kells and that only bolsters Warawa’s advantages. He would have to literally urinate in thousands of teacups to piss this election away.

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The Parties on Immigration

From refugees to temporary foreign workers, here’s what the big four are promising.

Josh Zakary / Flickr

Joseph Keller Contributor

With the ongoing crises of

refugees coming in from war torn Syria, controversy about the role of temporary foreign workers in our workforce, and fears of threats to our national security coming from abroad, now more than ever it seems immigration is a complex and often intensely controversial issue. This election has been full of talk about how Canada should receive newcomers from around the globe. Here’s how each of the major parties have promised to handle the issue.

Conservative

Liberal

NDP

Green

Harper’s Conservatives faced intense criticism for their response to the Syrian refugee crisis. The party’s response has been to streamline the refugee screening process, but the Tories have not waned from their opposition to raising the number of refugees being taken in, arguing that doing so poses a risk to national security. The Conservative approach to immigration is one that focuses on economic benefit rather than humanitarianism. The Cons have campaigned heavily on policies that bring in skilled workers and those with money to spend in Canada. They hope to accomplish this with things like better recognition of foreign work credentials in Canadian industry and a more robust immigrant settlement program. Harper has also promised to continue and expand the temporary foreign worker program.

Justin Trudeau has made a more humanitarian approach to immigration policy a big part of his campaign in an attempt to contrast Harper’s approach, which has been seen as pragmatic but cold. To that end, the Liberal leader promised early on to repeal the controversial Bill C-24 which gives the government power to revoke citizenship from dual citizens charged with terrorism. During last week’s Munk debate, Trudeau announced plans to make it easier for immigrants to reunite with family members in Canada, and to lower requirements for asylum status, particularly for migrants coming from Mexico. The Liberal’s have criticized the Conservative’s response to the Syrian refugee crisis and pledged to take in more refugees. Also promised are stricter regulation on the temporary foreign worker program to combat abuse of these workers.

Like the Liberal Party, the NDP has stressed the importance of a humanitarian response to the ongoing refugee crises. The party has prioritized the reunification of families separated by migrancy as their main priority to immigration policy, while also pledging to raise the number of accepted immigrants and abolish application and landing fees. The NDP has also promised to fast-track the process of sponsoring refugee families. As for temporary foreign workers, the NDP intends to roll the controversial program back in favour of a greater emphasis on permanent immigration. Like the Liberals, the NDP will repeal C-24.

The Green party’s goals include the complete elimination of temporary foreign worker programs, which the party sees as exploitative of migrant workers. They have also discussed plans to create a new class of “environmental refugees” to accommodate victims of future ecological disasters, and have placed an emphasis on integration for new arrivals from a multicultural perspective. The Greens have spoken of the need for a program that would work with undocumented people in the country, with a goal of securing landed immigrant status for these people. Like the Liberals and the NDP, Elizabeth May’s Green Party has heavily criticized the government’s response to the refugee crises and has called for a significant raise to the number of refugees taken in.

Bill C-24 Claims Its First Victim

Divisive bill doesn’t ﬁght terror, it weakens our democracy.

Louis Marta-Widjaja

Bill C-24, also known as the

Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act, has recently revoked the citizenship of Zakaria Amara, a member of the Toronto 18 that took part in a plot to bomb the Toronto stock exchange. The plot is described as a “9/11 style attack,” which is defined as an attack aiming to not only kill people but also to inflict massive damage upon the economy. Two more bomb trucks were planned to be detonated, one outside of Canada’s spy agency and another outside a military base. As frightening as it is that our Canadian government has revoked a citizenship for the first time in history, it is hard to ignore the malice and hatred towards The West that exudes from this particular case. Amara has also admitted to leading a training camp in northern

Toronto where recruits were given combat training and indoctrination to jihadist extremism. This is a man who urges people he holds influence over to wage war upon The West, despite living here as a citizen with a wife and family. Would we not be acting in their best interest by making them leave if they hate us so much? The ramifications of this act go far beyond terrorism, treason, or espionage. There is a significant area within the law that can affect innocent citizens, especially if they had previously come from a country that has less freedoms and liberties than we do. There are many people that depart to Europe or North America to escape the injustices and corruption in their home countries, some of them could be asylum-seekers that might have been falsely labelled as terrorists, spies, or traitors by a corrupt power figure. A large reason for concern over

Bill C-24 is that the decision to revoke citizenship is made by the government, not a court of law (there is no right for an oral hearing for those revoked from citizenship). Two legal advocacy groups are starting a constitutional challenge to the bill in federal court. Toronto lawyer, and one of the litigators in the case, Lorne Waldman, says, “This citizenship-stripping law is unjust, legally unsound, and violates the core values of equality enshrined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.” Why is there not a court of law in a trial which could easily change a person’s life drastically? It’s absurd that such an essential procedure is deliberately left out. The qualifications needed to be a citizen of a nation vary from complex governmental procedures to simply being married to a national. In this regard, Bill C-24’s parameters are too exclusive in identifying what it means to be a Canadian that

owns an irrevocable citizenship— specially, that one must not own or qualify for citizenship in another nation. Understandably, this bill is not well accepted by a large portion of Canadians, some who might not even be aware of holding dual citizenship status. The government can put effort into guaranteeing that Canadians will be kept safe and terrorists will be punished sufficiently, but to simply label a large portion of immigrants as secondclass citizens goes against a lot of what we believe in as a country. Lester B. Pearson once said “We live together … strong in the conviction that the destiny of Canada is to unite, not divide; sharing in cooperation, not in separation or in conflict; respecting our past and welcoming our future.” What kind of example will we show if we start to abandon our core values and principles now? Though the world may be plagued by a rise in extremism, isn’t it considered “letting the

terrorists win” by North American standards if your liberty, freedom, and values are compromised through fear? In light of the 2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, which occurred only two days after the Saint-Jeansur-Richelieu ramming attack, it is no surprise that there is an increasing paranoia of extremism within Canada. The Conservative party recently polled the nation to find if they agree with stripping citizenship from terrorists who are found guilty of committing acts of terrorism against Canadians, with a large majority of people agreeing—51 per cent from the minimum demographic, people in Quebec, and 85 per cent at the maximum, those who identify as conservative. There is a lot that anti-terrorism measures can do to benefit Canadians, but it should never be at the cost or at the risk of dividing the people amongst themselves with second-class citizenships.

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The Importance of the Economy in the 2015 Election

Going Global

Canada’s Geopolitical Strategy.

When we vote, we decide what kind of country Canada is.

Geoffrey Nilson Photo Editor

One of the first questions to

Danielle George

Tristan Johnston Columnist

It isn’t often that I feel patriotic about being Canadian. To me, patriotism is taking credit for things you didn’t do, in a grand sense. While one of my passports asserts that I am Canadian, I rarely feel a strong connection to the country of my birth. Though I’ve never served in any military, I confess to feeling patriotic when I read about past Canadian military engagements, particularly the ones we’ve done with U.N. involvement, ones in which Canadian forces would stay between two opposing armies, trying their best to maintain peace. It was this period between World War II, and the Kosovo War in 1999 that Canada’s military deployments had been strictly U.N. approved. Peacekeeping and Canada have typically been connected ideas—after all, peacekeeping as we know it was proposed in 1956 by soon-to-be Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson in response to the Suez Crisis. It’s why he won a Nobel Peace Prize the following year. Though lightly armed, peacekeepers are not an offensive military unit. They act more as a security force in former war zones. Peacekeepers will enter a former conflict zone to ensure that warfare

doesn’t reignite. U.N. Peacekeepers also provide services such as fair election monitoring, police training and landmine disposal. They will also work with countries to rebuild institutions such as courts and military. However, peacekeeping is in the past. Now the Canadian government is more likely to deploy our military in cooperation with NATO and the United States. This didn’t start with the Conservatives, but it has certainly accelerated. Canada started to move away from U.N. sanctioned missions when we provided air support in the War of Kosovo in 1999, which was a NATO mission. Cooperation with the United States has been consistent for decades, but it was recently reported by CBC News that two generals met with each other to explore the option of creating a unified task force. More recently, part of Harper’s election campaign has been to characterize Justin Trudeau as being weak towards Putin, while Harper himself has taken every opportunity to be critical of Russian involvement in the Ukraine. The Canadian military has made other moves under the Conservatives that would have been uncharacteristic 15 years ago. Harper, in a move to be much more hawkish than his previous Liberal counterparts, moved 250 troops to Poland,

a frigate vessel to the Ukraine, and began bombing missions in Syria. While they’ve only sent a few C/F-18s, bombing Syria seems to be “in” among a few countries, the U.S. included. Bombing missions alone, however, are extremely problematic. This is what politicians do when there’s no option available to them. The best option is actually to do nothing, but the politicians need to appear to be acting. No war has ever been won by air superiority alone. ISIS adapts to these strategies by spreading out in a larger area and finding better cover when possible. The best option for the ISIS problem is to leave, and let the affected countries to solve the problem on their own, but that’s a topic for another day. I am willing to bet that the Canada of 2003 wouldn’t be interested in getting involved in today’s Middle East, at least not as a belligerent. The current government’s move towards airstrikes contrasts drastically with Jean Chretien’s move in 2003 to keep Canada out of Iraq. At the time, he said that Canada wouldn’t participate without a U.N. mandate, as they had done in Kuwait in 1990. Since then, Canada has been engaging in more and more missions with NATO and the United States, and fewer with the U.N., a trend that seems likely to continue.

come up when discussing politics is usually something along the lines of “What is your number one issue?” How a person responds to that question says a lot about what kind of country they want Canada to be. The person who answers terrorism has very different priorities than the person who answers education. But most Canadians, when asked to identify their number one election issue, answer the economy. This is not surprising. The economy is the circuit board of Canadian society, a network of revenue streams that work to fund the social systems we value most, the foundations of our modern welfare state like universal health care, social assistance, old age pensions, public education, and employment insurance. These programs are fundamental parts of what most Canadians view as our country’s logical, compassionate, and socially conscious way of life. Canada has a choice in how the economy successfully funds our social-democratic society which voters have supported consistently since the 1960s. Historically Canada has been a resource economy, and to this day the bulk of the country’s gross domestic product is generated through forms of resource extraction. From forestry and fishing, to mining and fossil fuels, our economy is squarely focused on the export of resources to worldwide markets. But that resource economy

is a choice. Canada existed, during the colonial years, purely to supply raw materials to the British Empire’s manufacturing industry, be they skins for beaver hats, coal for factory boilers, or timber for naval shipyards. Since that time, though the Canadian economy has diversified substantially, voters have elected governments who reinforce an economic structure of resource extraction at the detriment of other industries, such as manufacturing ventures that have the potential for innovation and long-term economic growth. The government has a responsibility to ensure Canada’s economic stability, and one of the ways this is done is by creating jobs. Again, this is about choices. The Conservatives under Stephen Harper choose to push a continued economic regime of resource extraction, hoping to stimulate new jobs and growth through boutique tax credits for mining and the continued support of subsidies for the oil and gas sector. In contrast, the Liberals choose economic stimulus in the form of domestic infrastructure, investing billions in the development of local Canadian communities, a move that mirrors the influx of capital after World War II which fueled a golden age of Canadian prosperity. So when thinking about the election, remember that the economy, like any of Canada’s other political structures, is what we make it. Citizens have a choice in what kind of economy our government supports. There is more than one route to economic success. After a decade of stagnant growth with our economy intrinsically linked to the rollercoaster market price of crude oil, it’s about time we started looking for some new ideas.

Rosaura Ojeda

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Our MPs should be more representative The Case for Strategic Voting The one aspect of U.S. politics I envy.

A united right creates a dilemma for divided left-of-centre voters.

Joseph Keller Contributor

Election day is fast approaching

Danielle George

Tristan Johnston Coordinating Editor

I have never been a fan of party discipline in Canada. In the United States, men and women who serve in the house of representatives seem much more likely to faithfully represent their local voting district than their parliamentary counterparts in Canada. I struggle to remember the name of my MP, and I know nothing of what she’s done for me other than vote along party lines. In the United States, you can be a Republican and say that you were totally against the invasion of Iraq, have the voting record to prove it, and get re-elected year over year. In Canada, whenever an M.P. does something similar, they get booted, as seen in pro-Palestinian and antipipeline NDP members getting removed from the roster. For a long time in the US you had Republican Representative Ron Paul. While he had an “R” in front of his name, Paul voted contrary to his party several times but was still allowed to serve for 22 years in the House of Representatives, which holds elections every

two years. Paul voted against the war in Iraq and happens to believe the military should be strictly for self-defense, and his voting record shows it. He also votes against bills that he believes are a threat to personal liberty, and has always voted against bills that increase police powers. He was also one of a few Republicans to oppose the war on drugs. On the other side you have Democrats who need to be cajoled by Obama to vote for his Affordable Care Act. While the Republicans were united in their opposition, there were several Democrats who voted against it, resulting in the bill passing by a narrow 219 to 212. Now, I must acknowledge that there are some exceptions to this rule in Canada. I have heard much of Libby Davies, who recently retired from serving the Vancouver East riding as an NDP MP. Davies has an entire webpage dedicated to herself, instead of a copypaste from the normal NDP website. I’ve been told that people voted for her more because of who she is, instead of the party name she runs under. Another exception to the norm was Surrey’s own Chuck Cadman,

who ran in the Surrey North riding—and won—under two different political parties before eventually going independent. He won as a Reform MP in 1997, again as an Alliance MP in 2000, and again as an independent in 2004. While standing out by showing up to parliament in blue jeans, he also had the advantage of going to parliament and voting for what he thought was right, and to vote for the riding he represented. In the United States, members of congress need to be whipped to vote for legislation, even from within their own party. In Canada, anything Harper wants to pass will pass, so long as the Canadian public doesn’t strongly oppose it. I will concede that there might be some good things about having trained seals. In the United States the Affordable Care Act, something “socialist” for the Americans, is still much too corporate to Canadians who are used to our own system. President Obama needed to sell the bill to his own party and make big changes to get some democrats to vote for it. In Canada, almost every bill presented by a majority government will become law in due time.

and for those of us on the left, we may have a problem. A quick look at the polls still shows a three-wayrace with no clear winner. Looking at this dead heat, (with the Cons slightly in the lead according to most sources) one can’t help but dwell on the clear disadvantage for us leftwing voters. Ever since the 2003 merger of the two major right wing parties in Canada to create the current Conservative Party, we’ve had an electoral system weighted heavily towards the Cons due to the simple fact that the left is divided into several groups while voters on the right have but a single place to go. This wouldn’t be such a problem if our votes counted proportionately but in our riding-by-riding, winner-take-all horse race we find an unfortunate reality for anyone who wants to see Harper removed from office, which, according to the latest Nanos result, represents a significant majority of decided voters . So what’s a leftie to do? The left may be divided but a growing number of voters have opted to put aside partisanship for simple shared mantra, Anyone But Conservative. The concept of strategic voting is a simple one. If you’re an NDP supporter in a riding where a Liberal candidate has the best shot at unseating your local Harperbot then it’s better to swallow one’s pride and cast one for a red team rather than contribute to your party’s local lost cause. This also goes for Liberals in ridings that are looking Orange and Greens in, well, most ridings. In a first-pastthe-post system there’s no points for second (or third) place. Granted, the two major left of centre parties are of course not interchangeable. It’s hard to fault an NDP supporter for having issues about Justin Trudeau after he put his party’s weight behind the Con’s draconian spying bill C-51 (despite heavy reservations) and a die-hard Liberal will have understandable concerns about the NDP’s un-

proven economic record. Here’s the thing though—Trudeau’s vow to eliminate the bill’s most offending aspects beats the hell out of Harper’s insistence on keeping this Orwellian legislation as is. In a similar vein, the NDP may be untested on the economic front but to most non-Conservatives taking a chance on the NDP should sound better than sticking with a Harper that government sells itself on balanced budgets despite never presenting a legitimate one and has the worst job creation record since the Second World War. As for the Greens, strategic voting represents the best chance for this alternative party to gain a seat or two in the select ridings where it has a shot, all while minimizing the risk of further vote splitting in the ones where—and I’m just being realistic here—it does not. One area where the NDP, Greens, and Liberals do in fact speak with one voice is on what may just be the single most important issue of this election. All three of these parties have promised to reform our badly broken electoral system. First-past-the-post worked just fine in an era where Canada had a balanced political spectrum, but today we find ourself with a system where a party can pander to a minority segment of Canadians yet somehow win the majority of seats in parliament. We have a system where this party can make decisions virtually unchecked by the parties representing the other twothirds of Canadians. The proportional representation system promised by three of the four parties will ensure adequate representation for all Canadian voters, which means that by the next election we on the left can safely return to our partisan bickering. For those of us who, above all else, want to reverse the regrettable political course that this country has shifted to over Harper’s nearly 10 years in office, using our votes strategically is simply the best option. Doing so might involve making an ethical compromise but that compromise is worth it. We’ve seen the alternative.

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It’s not apathy, it’s not boredom, it’s politics. Weeks before the election and I’m already checking out.

Chloe Smith

Sometimes I think the election season feels like the run up to the Stanley Cup. There are people who have been following all the players, who know all the stats and scandals, and have a nuanced understanding about the stakes if their team loses. I dislike sports, mostly because I feel I could never make watching hockey games more than mildly diverting. However, there’s an element of peer pressure causing me to feel like I should care more because hockey is a big part of our Canadian identity. This is how I imagine most people feel about federal politics. It affects all of us in some way, but it’s difficult to get invested. Even as someone who is possibly more interested in the goings on of party campaigns and key debate moments, I can find politics to be boring. Acknowledging the boredom of politics to me is connected with this idea that my generation is apathetic to the process. But the reality is that politics bores me when I don’t feel represented, and now the numbers seem to show that the un-

der-30 generation are not politically apathetic—they just don’t vote. In 2011, according to Elections Canada, 38.8 per cent of voters between 18 and 24 voted in the federal election. Does that mean that m o r e

than half just didn’t care? According to a study released by the political research firm Samara Canada, Canadian youth are more politically involved than their parents or grandparents, performing activates such as online petitioning and commu-

nity organizing. However, when it came to volunteering for political campaigns, youth participated in roughly the same numbers as older

generations. The policy platforms which parties and candidates use during an election are developed well before the election is called. Without

feedback from younger Canadians, either by lack of response from them or lack of effort from the political machine, the cycle will continue with younger voters being disenfranchised, disengaged, and disregarded.

B u t what about the political players in all this? Is it just that we lack an eyecatching figure to charm the mob into voting? I don’t think it would be unfair to say that some moderate liberals in this country have been wonder-

ing where our Obama has been hiding. Nor would it be unsound to suggest that there was some faint hope that Justin Trudeau may have inherited the skill to ignite another political firestorm not seen in this country since his father ran for office. The desire for another Trudeaumania or a surge like we saw for Obama in 2008, while valid, raises questions for me. Specifically, at what point do we conflate likeability with good policy? Politicians are constantly redesigning themselves to be more marketable to potential voters, something of which we should be more critical. Politicswatchers like myself can laugh at Stephen Harper’s new positive ad claiming that he’s “not perfect,” but this could be an effective strategy for someone who is on the fence about him. My concern is that we get distracted by the window dressing when we should be asking how to make politics for captivating. Not entertaining, but stimulating. There are ways to change this. Again, Millennials are working hard in political life, regardless if they’re voters or not. So if the talking heads begging for our votes aren’t talking about things we care about, then we should make them.

Pick-and-Pay Politics

Voters shouldn’t have to buy their politicians wholesale.

Braden Klassen

On March 19, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced that instead of selling cable packages in bundles of hundreds of channels, Canadian cable companies would now be required to offer a basic and cheaper cable package that will consist of a handful of mandatory and local stations. In addition, the companies would have to offer consumers a selection of “pick-and-pay” channels that could be individually added to the basic bundle. This means that consumers will be able to tailor their own selection of channels, and pay accordingly, instead of having to subscribe to hundreds of channels that they seldom ever watch. This change in policy drastically increases the amount of consumer choice when it comes to cable provision, which ultimately benefits both the providers and their cus-

tomers. Wouldn’t it be nice if our political system were just as comprehensive? When it gets down to it, there isn’t really a huge conceptual difference between the national electorate and the Canadian consumer base. As voters we are essentially “buying” federal policies using our vote as currency and then afterward we “consume” the dominant party’s policies over the next four years. But like the now obsolete allinclusive cable packages, we the voter/consumers are forced into paying for a litany of public policies with just one single precious vote, without the option to negotiate the specifics of what we pay for. What if I want to mix-and-match different policies offered by multiple parties? How cool would it be if we were able to cherry pick the policies we wanted, regardless of which party is offering them? What if I was able to combine the NDP’s corporate tax hike with the Green Party’s focus

on environmental regulations, all while keeping the Conservatives’ income splitting policy? We live in an age where supermarkets offer hundreds of versions of the same product, where the average buyer can purchase virtually anything they want just with the click of a mouse button. Our internet activity is tracked by online marketing companies so that ad agencies can selectively target and cater to our specific interests. Yet our politicians rely on door-to-door canvassing and phone surveys to gather small samples of the electorate’s opinion. Why is it that as Canadians, we are afforded the right to individually select which channels we can watch on tv, but when it comes to choosing which federal policies we want, we have to do it en-masse? Are Canadians really that much more interested in picking sports channels than having more choice in the political decisions that shape this country’s future? Maybe. As the adage goes,

“money talks.” According to Bell Canada’s 2014 fiscal report, there were 21.2-million total subscribers to their services, and 2.6 of these subscriptions were for television. Bell paid $929-million in income taxes, yet still managed to net a total revenue of $2.9-billion. This means that the income tax from one single company accounts for over half of the Conservatives proudly flaunted $1.7-billion surplus. And technically speaking, this also means that in the year 2014 Bell made more in profit than the entire government of Canada did. Not only was that great news for their shareholders, it’s an eye-opening reminder of just how precariously balanced the federal budget really is. But comparing the two is like comparing apples and oranges, right? After all, the Canadian government exists to serve the people and the country, not turn a profit for its shareholders like a privatized corporation—though in today’s political climate, that might

be a little less true than it was a decade or two ago. With all the party leaders focused on the future of the economy, and constant discussions about keeping taxes low, it seems like the government is starting to think that its primary function is to put money back into Canadian pockets. “You too can reap the future benefits of our country’s robust economy!” If you vote for the right party, of course—keeping in mind that in doing so you are pledging your unequivocal support to the party’s ideology and the rest of their policies, whether you want to or not. It’s easy to see how this country can have a problem with voter apathy and low turnouts when our businesses and corporations are more capable and willing to accommodate the choices of Canadians than their government is. At least we can all rest assured knowing that unlike politics, when you subscribe to a cable service in 2016, you’ll get what you paid for.

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A Conservative on a Liberal Campus A stranger in a strange land.

Jonathan Fader

In a university setting, the

C-word is one of the most offensive words you can use. Students seem to especially be appalled when this word is used to describe another student. Not because they are being labelled a C-word but because they are admitting to being one. The word I am talking about is “conservative,” and I’m referencing what it means to be a conservative on today’s much more liberal, if not socialist campuses. Despite being educated and supposedly more informed, the average student on campus has an almost warped and definitely negative view of what it means to politically identify as conservative. A quick search defines the word, when used as an adjective, as “holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.” What stands out is that a conservative is cautious about change. This does not mean they are against it—just cautious.

Or as recently told by a friend, a conservative is a liberal who has been mugged. Meaning that while some may have liberal views, we take a more apprehensive approach to various topics. And yet it seems the media has skewed the idea of what it means to be a conservative for the younger generation. For the record, I am openly conservative in Canada— but if I was in America I would

not be voting republican, which really means that I am actually a bi-partisan voter. Remember, one country’s conservative might be another’s liberal. Despite the fact that I am proequal rights, pro-choice, pro-gay marriage and pro-legalization, I still vote conservative. Not because I agree with all their policies, but because I see change as something that must be well-thought-out

and not reactionary or based on whatever today’s current trend is. But the moment my conservative views come out I am often met with cringes or insults. Some students have even gone as far to say that I am an ignorant racist because I vote conservative, though of course exercising my right to vote for whomever I like in a democratic country is not the basis for being racist. The irony of

Danielle George

these accusations, to me, is that I thought that those who are left of centre on the political scale were supposed to be more open minded than those on the conservative side. I find myself constantly being insulted simply because I choose to be more cautious in how I want my country governed. To me this does not make much sense, because if you really understand politics you will understand the difference between someone who votes conservative for their preference of governance and someone who votes conservative because they are ignorant or actually racist. Last time I checked, most of my friends who vote conservative fell in the former category. Before you go pointing fingers at examples of conservatives who did X or Y, remember—I guarantee I can find the same amount of people on the opposite side of the spectrum who are just as ridiculous. So if you as an educated, intellectual, open-minded student actually find yourself talking to someone who votes conservative, try to understand what it means first, prior to jumping to any meanspirited conclusions.

The NDP’s Divisive Move Towards Centre

Some of Mulcair’s policy shifts are minor, but others are more troubling.

Kier-Christer Junos

Critics

Staff Writer perceive

the

NDP’s

movement towards centrist policies as disillusioning or unsettling for older left-leaning party supporters. Depending on which issues you’re looking at, the NDP is still mostly founded in its socialist, labour-driven ethos. Unfortunately for the NDP, some of their newer stances tend to be very polarizing. As a brief note, I really dislike talking about politics in this absurdly polarizing way—left this, right that—but reducing it to this at least helps classify a party’s policy alignment in a shotgun effort. In relation to this federal campaign, some news outlets suggested in 2014 that NDP leader Thomas Mulcair was following in the footsteps of Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath by aligning the federal party’s policies towards the centre. Some even

perceived Horwath’s revamping of party policies as a push somewhere right of centre, which suggests that a longtime NDP voter would feel disillusioned that their homestay party is at best compromising, and at worst abandoning, their traditional ideals. But in Mulcair’s mind, the party is simply reaching for the best of both worlds. Regarding a topic like the environment,

Mulcair told Global News back in 2014 that the NDP had adopted policies which ensure “sustainable development like polluter pay” while still reflecting “the importance of our extractive industries.” Speaking of those industries, some expectations of the NDP in the past include the hope of a ban on pipeline creation, and we all know how polarizing that issue is among Canadians. Mulcair is open to building pipelines given better regulations, but at the same time criticizes Stephen

Harper for not having a serious commitment to climate change. You’d think a serious commitment might mean a yes or no answer on this issue, especially when Mulcair is so keenly intending to show up at the Kyoto follow-up in Paris this December. Possibly even more polarizing on a global level is the NDP’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, where the NDP’s stance is increasingly pro-Israeli while a detached NDP socialist caucus have called for them to go the other way. The NDP’s stance has gotten to a point where some NDP politicians expressing pro-Palestine sentiments h a v e been

forced to resign their posts. And while that has obviously created some dissent, it’s not a novel change that came along simply when Mulcair came around. Plenty of NDP leaders in the past have expressed their support for Israel. Mulcair is possibly more proactive in maintaining that support by tailoring the voices of his party. Economically, the NDP’s policies still look pretty damn socialist and true to their labourparty roots. Even if it meant taking their policy book down from their website. All criticisms aside, they aim to finance their spending by increasing corporate taxes by two per cent if elected. They still aim to reduce small business taxes, since they make up 98 per cent of all Canadian employer businesses according to a CBC report. They recently promised to put $200-million towards youth employment and they have policies and petitions against corporate tax havens. But surely the vote isn’t all about what a party does economically.

Rosaura Ojrda

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Explainer: Quebec’s Precarious Place in Canadian Politics The Bloc’s continued survival is less about Independence, more about levying power.

Kévin Pare

I have lived 22 years in Québec, from the failure of Meech Lake accords to just after the Bouchard-Taylor commission. I have witnessed so many questions related to identity politics that I began to feel annoyed with them. Then I come to B.C. just in time to see the HST referendum, which was a bit of a culture shock. You got a referendum on that? If the HST referendum is strange to me, the referenda on the independence of Québec are strange to many others. It is not surprising to me that, in my role as the token “Québecois of French ancestry and of French-Canadian expression” (to quote El-

vis Gratton), many people ask me about Québec nationalism and the sovereignty movement. Québec nationalists, however, are not so easily explained. To begin with, the Québec nationalists’ demands are so contradictory that I believe the best explanation comes from one of the greatest, if not the greatest, comedian from Quebec: Yvon Deschamp. “The real Québecois knows what he wants and what he wants is an independent Quebec within a strong Canada,” he said. Now, not every Québec nationalist supports sovereignty—in fact, a rule of thumb is that about one-third of Québecois are still supportive of a separation of Québec from Canada at any given time, about one-third of Québecois are federalist, and the remaining one-third is floating between these two positions, depending on the situation. In all this, 80 per cent of Québecois support the idea that Canada should recognize Québec as a nation, somehow. These parametres result in situations were Québec voted for Pierre Elliotte Trudeau and René Lévesque in the same year. Hence

Deschamp’s joke. This situation explains why the referendum questions in Québec were so complex. Both René Levesque and Jacques Parizeau, the leaders during the 1980 and 1995 referenda, were trying to mitigate the impact of a potential “yes” vote to increase support for independence. Simply put, the wording of the questions indicates a lack of full commitment, where voters could agree to the question without necessarily thinking of the ramifications of an independent Quebec. Linguists call that kind of rhetorical device “hedging” and politician are known to abuse such hedge to avoid answering questions. But conversely, this time they were using it as a means to ask questions. Considering that about twothirds of the population is not that interested in having an independent Québec state, the separation was more like a threat that nobody wanted to follow through. It was a bluff. Because the bluff became old, and even annoying to many Québecois, any major politicians supporting a new referendum in Québec right now might as well kiss their seat goodbye.

Case in point, Gilles Duceppe and his Bloc Québecois. Many Québecois now see the Bloc as dinosaurs because they still support a referendum on independence. It is a zombie political party for most, yet is still relevant to a certain part of Québec’s population. One of the reasons why the Bloc exist is that by taking a hard line, they create opportunities to get more out of negotiations. For instance, in the Francophone leader’s debate, Duceppe was saying that “he would like” every party to agree that the federal government must take 25 per cent of the healthcare costs away from the provinces, an increase from the 18 per cent we have right now. This is possibly hundreds of millions of dollars, and some negotiations are assumed—otherwise there might be consequences. The main consequences are political, as the Bloc’s existence allows a safe haven for the nationalists in case of scandals. For instance, when the sponsorship scandal happened, many Québecois went back to vote for the Bloc, bringing it back from the grave. This helped to create a few minority governments in the

2000s. In particular, the Liberals paid a great price, becoming ultimately the second opposition. However, a softer line to Québec nationalism, one that is much more conciliatory, does exist. It is more popular now, save for a few moments where people think they are a laughing stock. For instance, Québec has shown support to both the Action démocratique du Québec and the Coalition Avenir Québec since 2007. Around the same time, they showed strong support to the NDP. This was not accidental. The ADQ and the CAQ prove that Québec should be a part of Canada, but should have more powers and greater autonomy from Ottawa in their policy making. Even the Québec liberals share a somewhat similar position to that of the CAQ lately, though theirs is toned down. The NDP have shown that they are open to the provinces having a more power, with some provinces having more autonomy than others, and it’s worked out for them. It is as if some of these nationalists decided to stop trying to be a nation-state and instead hope to redefine what is a province. Is this Meech Lake all over again?

Swearing An Oath to the Queen is an Outdated Practice Canada still recognizes a monarch, but why?

Reneé McMillen Contributor

In all the realms in which she is recognized, Queen Elizabeth II is a symbol of authority, unity and allegiance—and more than that, she is the living personification of the state. This means that if you’ve ever wondered what the physical embodiment of Canada looks like, just take out your wallet. She’s right there on the twenty. In her historic reign—as of September she is the longest reigning monarch in history—the world has changed immeasurably. Yet even though her place in Canadian affairs is entirely a symbolic one, any immigrant hoping to become a Canadian citizen must take the oath, “I swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Queen of Canada, her heirs and successors,

and that I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.” If that rubs you the wrong way, you’re not alone. In a 2013 case thrown out by Ontario’s Court of Appeal, a group of permanent residents led by former Toronto Star journalist, Michael McAteer, refused citizenship over giving the oath because they felt it violated their political or religious beliefs. McAteer’s group launched a constitutional challenge arguing that the oath violates the protections for free speech and freedom of religion in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The court ultimately ruled that, “the reference to the Queen is symbolic of our form of government and the unwritten constitutional principle of democracy.” McAteer never did swear the oath and thus never became a Canadian citizen, saying, “It was an insult on my integrity to take an oath that I don’t believe a word of.” In September of that year, Supreme Court Judge Edward Morgan ruled that, while the oath appeared to infringe on the rights of free speech, it did so within a “reasonable limit” in the Parliament’s objective to have new citizens swear allegiance to the country’s constitutional structure. It’s surprising to think that free speech has “reasonable limits.” Canada is in fact a constitu-

tional monarchy, meaning we recognize Elizabeth as our queen but also recognize that she is not the ideal person to run our government. So why, then, does swearing allegiance to the Queen mean swearing allegiance to the structure of liberty under the law in which Canadians govern themselves? Those are two perfectly removed entities and ideologies, yet permanent residents must conflate them when taking an oath to become Canadian citizens. Emer O’Toole, an assistant professor at Concordia, is a non-Canadian citizen. Why? You guessed it. On refusing to take the oath O’Toole said, in an article he wrote for The Guardian, “Why not offer a literal oath in lieu of a symbolic one? If the answer is that the Queen is an integral a n d

indispensable part of Canada’s form of government, then the oath is clearly not symbolic at all, but literal.” It’s not an unfair argument. Although the Queen does not take part in any Canadian affairs, instead leaving it to her Canadian viceroy in the form of our Governor General, she has personal involvements in many Canadian charities and public organizations. She retains the title Colonel-in-Chief of our Royal Canadian Armed Forces, amongst many other titles and responsibilities—all for what seems like the sake of tradition. In a country that has greatly evolved during Elizabeth’s 63-years-and-counting reign as Queen of Canada, it feels we’re long overdue in recognizing said growth with traditions more appropriate to our status and position in the world. Whoever wins the upcoming election will still report to the Monarch of Canada, and anyone wishing to call themselves Canadian must swear fealty to her even though, to a lot of us who already are Canadians, that’s beginning to feel more than a little archaic.

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Why Some People Choose Not To Vote Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a lecture.

Pifanida

Connor Doyle Managing Editor

Want to shock someone? Tell them you’re not going to vote. It seems you can land pretty much anywhere on the political spectrum, so long as you compulsively exercise your duty to engage in our electoral system. Yet millions of registered Canadians regularly elect not to participate in an election. Why is that? Beyond the throwaway excuses of ignorance and laziness, why do people choose to do nothing with their ballot when everyone else makes such a monumental deal out of the act of voting? We should begin with a group that’s often overlooked in this discussion. Many First Nations people eschew the right to vote citing the greater right to self-determination, meaning they have the right to choose for themselves how they relate to the Canadian state. Hundreds of First Nations governments currently hold independent elections, wishing in no way to take part in the Canadian federal system, as they would not want Canadians to interfere with their system. After confederation, First Nations peoples were granted the right to vote only if they were willing to give up their Indian status. That was changed nearly a hundred years later in 1960 by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker—however, the change was implemented without considerable input from First Nations groups, and many saw it as a further attempt at assimilating Canada’s first people. Today there is significant criticism levied against every major

political party for their lack of representation, and for their history of ignoring First Nations issues. In 1996 the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples found that they largely considered Canada’s electoral system “inherently ineffective,” a concept reflected by the fact that, in our last federal election, 56.2 percent of people living on reserves did not vote. Writers and critics across Canada’s First Nations argue that Aboriginal rights come more from state-to-state lobbying of the Canadian government than they ever have, or will, from First Nations people taking part in elections. But what about people who don’t identify as First Nations? It’s seems difficult to imagine anyone else having nearly as good of a reason to avoid voting in a federal election, especially one as critical as this October’s. From the moment the election was called, and even for a few weeks in anticipation of it, people have been flooding social media with calls upon their fellow Canadian citizens to get out there and vote. Many come with the disclaimer “I don’t care who you vote for, just vote,” and a few will even urge the ambivalent elector to “destroy their ballot” by drawing a smiley face or voting for South Park instead of one of the eligible candidates. These seem to be good-faith offerings, where people just want to see one another engage in the system and possibly even take part in affecting governmental change. And sometimes, that’s just what they are. The majority of the time, however, when someone tells you to vote they are really telling you to vote for their party. Whether explic-

itly or not, they are trying to make their vote matter more by convincing you to vote with them. Consider the Kwantlen Student Association’s “Get Out The Vote” campaign, one of many similar campaigns run by student governments all across the country. Their ads encourage students to vote in the election without ever stipulating which party they want you to vote for—but that doesn’t mean they are without a political agenda. The KSA know that students predominantly vote left, and are therefore more likely to support the Liberals or the NDP. Implicit in their campaign is the hope that, in achieving a higher youth turnout for the election, Stephen Harper will be voted out of office. This is not meant to denigrate their work or accuse the KSA of being inherently partisan, as their efforts are genuinely helpful to Kwantlen students. And in fact they are in part counterbalancing an attempt by the right to game the system as well. Last year the Conservative government stripped Elections Canada of its authority to inform Canadians of their “democratic right to vote.” Why? Because the Conservatives know that right-aligned governments are traditionally more likely to be voted into power when national turnout is low. Both sides of the spectrum want to achieve power and will persuade, or downright manipulate, large swaths of the population in order to do so. When politicians hit the campaign trail and begin talking about why they deserve your vote, they are not so much interested in winning over undecided voters as they

are in rallying their political base. When Stephen Harper makes an issue out of ISIS, he’s not trying to convince reasonable moderates that they should vote for him because of his strong stance on defence, he’s attempting to put the fear of terrorism into conservative-leaning Canadians who weren’t sure if they would bother to vote this time around. He’s telling them, “If you don’t vote [for me], this country won’t be safe anymore.” Some people choose not to vote simply to avoid this forced dichotomy, to reject being manipulated by the left or right. Many Canadians hold beliefs or ideologies that don’t easily conform to the present system, and see no political party that represents them. By not voting, some people hope to subvert a system that they believe offers only the perception of choice. Many who decide not to vote see the three major parties in Canada as slight variations of each other, and don’t want to validate a system which leaves them disenfranchised. Some who don’t vote resent the government for forcing its will on the populace, while others reject the money in politics which they believe corrupts politicians and leads to exploitive policies. These people feel that, by voting for any party, they are telling politicians, “What you’re doing is okay, keep doing it,” and are ultimately perpetuating a system which rewards politicians who do and say popular things instead of good things. This is, of course, only a brief overview of the arguments at play, and it doesn’t address voting alternatives like fringe parties that cater to niche ideologies, such as

the libertarian party or the communist party. But with the current Canadian electoral system, these parties are already designated to the sidelines. First-Past-The-Post means that these parties can never achieve success, never capitalize on their few, ardent supporters. Voting for them, by every tangible matrix, is equivalent to throwing your vote away. Then there’s the argument that voting is more about having your voice heard as a political entity than endorsing a candidate, that even by “spoiling the ballot” you force politicians to identify your demographic. This is an important factor to consider for anyone who doesn’t think voting can do anything for them, and will hopefully increase political recognition for historically forgotten groups. But it’s still fundamentally a choice that operates within our entrenched, problematic system. There’s no amount of ballot spoiling that will result in politicians dismantling a flawed institution which gives them relatively easy access to power. I want to be clear that this article does not condone ignoring an election. There are a thousand and one good reasons to vote and only a handful of reasons not to. If you chose to stay home on Oct. 19 I hope it’s because you are engaged in other ways, advocating for change and empowerment outside the electoral system. Remember, when people tell you about how important your right to vote is, they’re not wrong. And it’s true that people have fought and died for that right. But it is, inherently, a right to vote. Not an obligation.

Humour

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Top Six Fails of Election 2015

These are the battles that determine the war.

1) CPC vs. Spelling

Twitter has not been kind to the Conservative Party of Canada during the election. The laundry list of deleted tweets is long, but as Cat Stevens wrote, “the first cut is the deepest,” and the best of the Twitter fails from the CPC is an oldie but a goodie. Following the Maclean’s debate, Tory staffers rushed to pronounce their leader the winner, but forgot the most important part—to check their spelling: “Prime Minster Stephen Harper Wins First Debate!”

Geoffrey Nilson Photo Editor

2) LPC & NDP vs. Whitesplaining

Both Liberal Cheryl Thomas and New Democrat Stefan Jonasson were burned by comments they made on Facebook. Jonasson likened Orthodox Jews to the Taliban, and Thomas wrote that mosques were used as “brainwashing stations.” The real fail came after these comments were made public, as the two candidates tried to explain to everyone who would listen that their clearly racist rhetoric was anything but. Fail Rating: 3.5/5

Fail Rating: 2/5

3) Chris Alexander vs. CBC

When the pictures of dead Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi began circulating, the images highlighted an ongoing crisis in the worst and most visual way possible. Minister of Immigration Chris Alexander, when appearing on the CBC’s Power & Politics, tried to dodge questions about why the Harper government hasn’t acted faster to aid Syrian refugees. Host Rosemary Barton wasn’t having it and took the Minister to task for avoiding the question, in the process making him look out of touch with his own file. The moral of the story—don’t mess with Rosemary.

4) NDP Vs. History

Hamilton school trustee and NDP candidate Alex Johnstone had one really bad week. When caught making crude jokes on Facebook about a picture of the electric fence at Auschwitz, Johnstone said she “didn’t know what Auschwitz was.” Ok, Ms. Johnstone, you don’t know the fundamental symbol of Nazi brutality in World War II? Okay, if you say so. You’re not stupid, you’re lying. Fail Rating: 3/5

Fail Rating: 4.5/5

5) LPC vs. Truth

Every once in a while, you’ll be at a party talking to someone you’ve just met and the new person, sensing a captive audience, will throw a wrench into the conversation by saying “Did you know 9/11 was an inside job?” This is the stuff nightmares are made of. That nightmare is Liberal Maria Manna, who was forced to answer for truther comments from her past. The electoral equivalent of someone you know posting that copyright disclaimer on Facebook. Nothing but #facepalm. Fail Rating: 2/5

6) Angry Old White Man Vs. The Media

The media hounded Stephen Harper at every turn early in the campaign about the Mike Duffy trial, specifically the testimony of his former employees and key witnesses Nigel Wright and Benjamin Perrin. After a particularly unruly event where Harper supporters heckled reporters trying to ask questions, the (not so) mythic Angry Old White Man made his appearance, walking right up to a scrum of press and launching into an anti-media tirade complete with his now infamous tagline: “You lying pieces of shit!” In that moment one thousand Internet memes were born. And you thought young people had bad language. Fail Rating: 3/5

Bonus: Jerry Bance vs. His Own Bladder There are no words to describe the kind of election fail that spawns a hashtag like #peegate. Fail Rating: 5/5

Nardwuar and the history of the Hip Flip

The Hasbro game that can swing a Canadian federal election.

Kier-Christer Junos Staff Writer

You can know the history of every political party and the middle name of every prime minister. But you’re no true election junkie unless you know about the one factor that could decide it all—the Hip Flip. So believes the Vancouver celebrity interviewer Nardwuar the Human Serviette. Nardwuar has interviewed everyone from Snoop Dogg to Mikhael Gorbachev. He has, in every federal election since 2004, coerced PM candidates to put their hips to a bar with his while gyrating in unison to flip a piece of plastic over that bar—much like a playground swing-seat doing the full 360. Michael Ignatieff, the late Jack Layton, Jean Chrétien and Paul Martin have all done the Hip Flip. This election, Justin Trudeau and Tom Mulcair have both done the Hip Flip. And despite his efforts in now five federal elections, Nardwuar doesn’t think they

always see him coming. “It’s every couple of years, so I don’t think people know who I am, or what’s going on,” he says. “A few remember. The guy who said ‘I remember the Hip Flip,’ was a camera operator.” Some media members, however, do see him coming and try to out him to party security. He attempts to get candidates to do the Hip Flip usually by infiltrating election press conferences or ambushing candidates as they try and get back to their tour bus, like he tried with Stephen Harper in 2004. Harper didn’t do the Hip Flip, and Nardwuar was very literally carried away by security. None of that feet-dragging, though—he lifted his legs up for a tiny crowdsurf. This election season, Nardwuar tried again to get Harper to do the Hip Flip at a press conference inside a North Vancouver hockey arena. “Mr. Harper does NOT do Hip Flips,” said a pre-emptive Conservative staffer, telling him off. “Mr. Harper does NOT do

comedy.” Nardwuar even tried to land a regular interview about some hockey records he brought to show the PM—Harper wrote a book about hockey at some point—but Nardwuar was informed that Harper was occupied with some senior citizens. When he was trying to get to Justin Trudeau in Vancouver some weeks ago, Trudeau promised to attempt a Hip Flip it after the “more serious questions,” and he was a man of his word. But Nardwuar says that security had been careful to ensure that the Hip Flip was done behind a glass door where the other media couldn’t see. The other members of the press whined about this. “Actually, what they were saying is that it was almost a Conservative move to do that,” says Nardwuar. “They were saying, ‘Well when we filmed Hip Flips before we weren’t set up!’ This is amazing—this is hilarious. But I was not going to turn down an opportunity to do it afterwards.” A YouTuber, who is ridiculously

YouTube

named MrMcfiddleedee, commented on a Hip Flip video compilation of Nardwaur’s saying that the Hip Flip, “Should be mandatory for every candidate because it shows a lot of trust/ dignity for the common man.” Now, I think he’s reading too far into this, but actually, Nardwuar says he’d like to see this game go even further. “I would love to take it deeper, take the Hip Flip deeper into the American election, you know, with Bernie Sanders to see what happens with him, or Trump,” says Nardwuar. “Yes, I think there is something about it, it’s incredible.” “What was interesting is that in 2004, the person that did the

Hip Flip won the election,” says Nardwuar. “Paul Martin did the Hip Flip and won the election. Now, in 2006, Jack Layton did the Hip Flip and did not win the election, but I do think it has an interesting influence, because as a leader he did very well didn’t he? So I think that the people who do the Hip Flip win, in some way.” Perhaps it’s the sweat of politicians’ pasts caked on the thing. It was when Nardwuar was taking his seat as president of the Hillside Secondary School student congress, that the outgoing president, Charlie, bequeathed the Hip Flip upon him. “Nardwuar,” said Charlie, “One day you’ll need this.”

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Humour

Ten Songs To Play While Waiting for Oct. 19 We’ve got Spotify beat.

Connor Doyle Managing Editor

There are plenty of things you should do before you vote in the upcoming federal election. Familiarize yourself with the party platforms, read up on the various criticisms of the party leaders, watch the debates, learn about the issues in your riding, and ultimately ask yourself what you believe in and where your ideologies lie. Or you could just listen to these 10 songs and cast your ballot based on which one you end up humming to yourself in the voting booth.

Harping on Harper

YouTube

Harperman (2015) Tony Turner and “An Impromptu Choir”

The Harper Song (Steve It’s Time to Leave) (2011) John Roby

One of the strangest stories this election cycle was the the suspension of folk singer and environmental scientist Tony Turner for writing and performing “Harperman”, a protest song against the Prime Minister that is well on its way to garnering one million views on YouTube. In August, nearly two months after the song’s release, Turner was put on leave from his job by Environment Canada, presumably because, as a public servant, Turner is supposed to remain non-partisan. Whatever the reason, the suspension has made “Harperman” the subject of quite a bit of infamy, guaranteeing people all around the country hum along to, “Harperman it’s time for you to go.”

Channeling the dulcet tones of Randy Newman, John Roby wrote “The Harper Song” for our last election in 2011, and while it wasn’t successful then in removing the PM from office, many of the points raised in the song still hold true this time around. Unlike a lot of protest songs, “The Harper Song” isn’t particularly angry—in fact, it’s practically easy-listening music. Just Roby and a piano, and the unbending insistence that, “Steve, it’s time to leave.”

What Up Steve? (2013) The Caravan

Stephen Harper Hates Me (2015) Cathy Cook

An artist’s disdain for Harper crosses all known musical genres. Halifax-born rapper The Caravan wrote “What Up Steve?” for his self-titled record in 2013, largely in response to the Conservatives’ cutting of funding to the CBC. In this track, The Caravan lays down what are probably the sickest burns one can imagine levied against a Canadian politician. Or any human being for that matter: “You’re taking what we need while you listen to Creed / And you romance your wife but she listens to me.” Ouch! I mean, I’ve heard some shit before but—insinuating that he listens to Creed? That’s cold.

I tried to find pro-Harper songs for this list, I really did. But musicians just don’t seem to be drawn to endorsing the man. They’re much more likely to point out his flaws, as in this bluesy number by Cathy Cook which addresses Harper’s policies towards aboriginal women, environmentalists, and veterans. Accompanied by a standup base, a slick backing guitar, and a relaxed keyboard, Cook’s vocals remain cool and collected, even while she’s taking him to task for not calling an inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women.

Justin Time The Justin Trudeau Song (2012) Canadian Beaver Band

Put Your Trust In Justin (2014) Bowser and Blue

“He’s adorable, he’s cute as a button / He seems kinda normal but the girls all love him,” sing the Canadian Beaver Band, sounding as if they’ve had a couple before recording “The Justin Trudeau Song”. This track never really delves into the man’s policies or his political track record like the songs about Harper do—it mostly sticks to mocking Trudeau as a sex icon and as the son of “the old fuddle-duddle.” It’s not exactly pro-Trudeau, but it does seem pretty mesmerized by him, going so far as to imply that he’s a rather adept cunnilinguist. If that’s not enough to get you into 24 Sussex Drive, I don’t know what is.

Famed comedy music duo Bowser and Blue also address Trudeau’s raw animal sex appeal in “Put Your Trust in Justin,” which both supports and satirizes the Liberal leader. Taking almost as many shots at Trudeau Sr. as they do Justin himself, their bluegrass tune feels sort of like a “Ballad of Davy Crockett” throwback, making Trudeau into a quasi-mythical figure who’s always wooing ladies and smoking weed. Too bad the real Justin Trudeau isn’t nearly as cool as the Bowser and Blue version.

NDP(lease) Stickin’ With the NDP (2008) Stumpin Tom The fact that this is easily the corniest song on the list does nothing to make it less enjoyable. A pseudo-parody of Stompin’ Connors’s “The Ketchup Song”, this jaunty little tune is an outright love song to the New Democratic Party. While it’s a little outdated—since its release in 2008 the NDP have twice failed to form the government—its hopeless optimism that one day the orange crush will come echoes well into this election cycle.

May(be) Tonight?

Probably NDP (2015) Geoff Berner In contrast to the last singer, Vancouver singer-songwriter and accordionist extraordinaire Geoff Berner certainly isn’t endorsing the NDP when he sings “So I don’t fool myself on no Thomas Mulcair, he / sure ain’t no revolutionary,” but he is saying they’re infinitely preferable to the most likely alternative. Berner’s song captures the spirit of most NDP supporters in this election, which seems to be “Eh, they’ll do.” It also features a pretty sick Adam Cohen burn out of nowhere, which is always cool. And lest you think the singer ever ventures too far into the orange party’s favour, Berner includes the line “After they pass proportional representation you can go ahead and vote your Green.”

I Mean, That’s All Well and Good, But What Does Raffi Think?

Love Song for Elizabeth May (2011) Josh Rachlis

I Want My Canada Back (2015) Raffi

Speaking of the Green party, they’re not forgotten on this list (unlike in the Maclean’s debate). In fact, Josh Rachlis seems to take special exception to May being left off the debate ticket, singing, “I’ll debate you in the evening till my green face turns to blue / but there’s no debating that I love you.” This tune is equally infatuated with the Green’s progressive stance on the environment as it is with May’s charm, making for an informative, and slightly creepy, track.

You guys, Raffi wrote a song about this election. The fact that it only clocks in at around 30 seconds does nothing to lesson the thrill that Raffi wrote a song about the election! Now, it doesn’t explicitly condone voting for any one party, but it’s pretty clear Raffi is unhappy with how Harper’s government has been running things. So on Oct. 19, if you’re wondering how you can best please Raffi, get on out to the voting station to get his (and your) Canada back.

Procrastination

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Horoscopes Sagittarius Nov. 23 - Dec 21

Capricorn Dec. 22 - Jan 20

Don’t like First Past The Post? Fine, first one to reach 24 Sussex Drive gets to form the government! *takes off running*

Whatever happens, wake up early on the morning of Oct. 20, stare into the mirror a long time and whisper to yourself, “People still want to fuck you.”

Our Canadians are only made from the finest, oldest, most xenophobic stock.

Pisces Feb 20 - Mar 20

Aries Mar 21 - Apr 19

Taurus Apr 20 - May 20

Just close your eyes and think of the queen.

Take some time this week to “poll” your “electorate,” if you “know” “what” “I” “““““mean.”””””

You’ll always be Prime Minster in your dreams.

SUDOKU No. 129

Tough

3 4

Previous solution - Medium

6 3 4 8 5 7 9 1 2

6 8 9 8 9 6 5

1 6 4 5 7 8 3 9 9 7 2 1 6 3 1 7 2

2 7 1 3 4 9 8 6 5

8 5 9 2 6 1 7 4 3

3 9 5 1 7 8 6 2 4

4 2 7 5 9 6 1 3 8

1 8 6 4 2 3 5 7 9

7 4 2 9 1 5 3 8 6

5 1 8 6 3 4 2 9 7

9 6 3 7 8 2 4 5 1

Gemini May 21 - Jun 20

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely. For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Sudoku you’ll really like ‘Str8ts’ and our other puzzles, Apps and books. Visit www.str8ts.com

CROSSWORD 1.1. Busy place Busy place 5.5. Dick and Jane’s dog dog Dick and Jane's 9. Gillette brand 9. Gillette brand 13. Predictive sign 13. Predictive sign 14. Destiny 14. Destiny 15. Golda of Israel 15. Golda of Israel 16. Bust maker 16. Bust maker 17. Encore! 18. Dresden denial 17. Encore! 19. Symbol 18. Dresden denial 21. Pay stub abbr. 19. Symbol 22. “___ quam videri” (North 21. Pay stub abbr. Carolina’s motto) 22. "___ quam videri" (North 23. “My fault!” Carolina's 25. Hardens motto) 23. "My dish fault!" 27. Greek 31. Fingerless 25. Hardenshand cover 35. Novel ending 27. Greek dish 36. Bell-shaped 31. Fingerlessflower hand cover 38. Checking out 35. Novel ending 39. Frat letter 36. Bell-shaped flower 40. ___ once 38. Checking out 42. Shooting marble 39. Fratquartet letter instrument 43. String 46. Currency of Turkey, and 40. ___ once formerly of Italy marble 42. Shooting 47. Ornamental fabricinstrument 43. String quartet 48. Ring of color 46. Currency of Turkey, and 50. Pregnant formerly Italy 52. Concertof halls 47. Ornamental 54. WWII battle site fabric 48. Ring of color 55. Prepare a stamp 58. Monopoly quartet: Abbr. 50. Pregnant 60. Complete 52. Concert halls 64. How sweet ___!site 54. WWII battle 65. Old French expression 55. Prepare a stamp meaning “goodbye” 58. Monopoly quartet: Abbr. 67. Actress McClurg 60. Complete 68. Evening, informally 64. How line sweet ___! 69. Bottom 70. Close forceexpression 65. Old with French 71. Child support? meaning "goodbye" 72. Formerly, 67. Actressformerly McClurg 73. Big rig

68. Evening, informally 69. Bottom line 70. Close with force Down 71. Child support? 1. Fine-tune Formerly, 2.72. Muslim leader formerly Bigword rig 3.73. Action 4. Shut in 5. Droop, sink 6.1. Ask for divine guidance Fine-tune 7. Leaves out 8. Bicycle built for two 9. Pardon

Down

23 27

51 54

60 66

63. Prefix with sphere 66. Chow down

2. 10.Muslim Driving leader aids 11.Action Reformer Jacob 3. word 12.Shut “Judith” 4. in composer 14.Droop, Capitalsink of Uganda 5. 20. Goddess of dawn in Greek 6. Ask for divine guidance mythology 7. out 24.Leaves Dexterity 8. for two 26.Bicycle No-win built situation 9. 27.Pardon Birthplace of Muhammad 28. Alternate 10. Driving aids 29. Functional 11. Reformer Jacob 30. Kate & ___ 12. "Judith" composer 32. Saturn’s largest moon 14. Capital of Uganda 33. Put into law 20. Goddessunit of dawn in Greek 34. Monetary of Zambia mythology 37. Tall tales 24. Dexterity 41. Diplomatic 44. Quick visual inspection 26. No-win situation 45. Ancient 27. Birthplace of Muhammad 47. Pride woman 28. Alternate 49. Add fizz 29. Functional 51. Actor Wallach 30. Kate & ___ 53. Zeal 32. Saturn's largest moon 55. Chain piece 33. Put into 56. Pack ___law (quit) 57. Quote 34. Monetary unit of Zambia 59. Poses 37. Tall tales 61. Twiddling one’s thumbs 41. Diplomatic 62. Former name of Thailand 44. Quick visual inspection

47 50

22 25

Cancer Jun 21 - Jul 23

45. Ancient 47. Pride woman 49. Add fizz 51. Actor Wallach 53. Zeal 55. Chain piece 56. Pack ___ (quit) 57. Quote 59. Poses 61. Twiddling one's thumbs 62. Former name of Thailand 63. Prefix with sphere 66. Chow down

Leo Jul 24 - Aug 23

Time to indulge in some freaky politics. Declare war with Uzbekistan. Outlaw Saskatchewan. Why not? It’s not like you’ll ever be Prime Minister.

There was the dead groundhog you found behind the swings in second grade that you hid in a shoebox under your bed until you were fourteen..

Sometimes you piss into the mug and sometimes the mug pisses into you.

Virgo Aug 24 - Sept 23

Libra Sept 24 - Oct 23

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 22

Attention all Virgos: Vote for “Paul Don’t blame me, I voted for Kodos Flanagan” this election. Let’s give that son of a bitch a job!

The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

Across Across

Aquarius Jan 21 - Feb 19

Really try to cultivate that “disappointed father” aesthetic this year. Young voters totally dig that.