Sydney

Student Vote Ambassador and supporter of the LPC. Vancouver, BC.

[sydneythelib-blog]

Student Vote Day

Today was Student Vote Day. While I am so happy I got the chance to vote, I am somewhat disappointed in how lightly it was treated at my school. For the senior students, voting was optional. It was a pretty low-key situation that happened quickly during my Social Justice class. I would say about half the students in my class casted a vote, and they were all very passionate about who they were choosing, which was nice to see. I of course voted for Leon Jensen, the Liberal candidate in my riding, which I'm happy about. Supporting this party is important to me because I agree with almost everything their platform has proposed. Over all, I'm happy I had the opportunity to cast a Student vote. I'm also glad that students were given the chance, however, I hope my school takes it more seriously next time as I believe it's imperative that teenagers are more aware of their country's politics. After all, we are the future.

[persimmonlions]

Election Shenanigans

It’s important that we all know our rights when it comes to voting, and what we can do if something goes wrong.

In summary:

You do not need photo ID to vote.

If you do have a driver’s license or other government-issued ID with your name, address, and photo on it, that’s all you need to vote.

There are all sorts of documents you can use as identification on voting day.

If you don’t have anything with your current address on it, don’t despair! You can get someone to vouch for you.

Your voter identification card has no legal status, but you might want to bring it anyway.

Your sex, gender expression and the sex indicator on your ID and voter registration documents do not affect your right to vote.

Check your ballot!

You do not have to pre-register in order to vote.

More details

[fycanadianpolitics]

Canada Is 'Absolutely' A Racist Country: Joseph Boyden

"This is not a First Nations problem. I think that some politicians like to say it's their problem not ours, but this a Canadian problem."

The irony of this federal election campaign is that no matter who is elected on Oct. 19, many of the most pressing issues — energy, housing, health care — ultimately fall under provincial jurisdiction. There’s really only so much that the next government can do on its own.

Except for aboriginal issues, that is.

First Nations, Inuit, and Metis concerns all fall under federal jurisdiction, and yet those have been a minor part of the campaign. While Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair have promised an inquestinto the more than 1,200 missing and murdered indigenous women in Canada, Conservative Leader Stephen Harper has dismissed such calls, even claiming that “most of these murders, sad as they are, are in fact solved.”

Canada is one of the most advanced nations in the world and yet most aboriginal reservations don’t have clean drinking water. Many don’t have fire departments. Housing is substandard, and schools are worse. Inuit suicide rates are 40 times the national average. First Nations children make up about half of the foster care system — despite aboriginals being only four per cent of the population.