Been a While

It's only been... oh, 3 months since I last posted here. I didn't think it was that long. In complete fairness though, I had an election to conduct folks and if you've ever done one, you would know it eats up plenty of your time, thus my absence. Look at me talking about my blog as if so many people read it...

Anyway, the issue now becomes what I do with this blog. Do I continue to post on here? I have a blog on my site and while in the past this was where I commented on political issues, I don't really feel the need as of now. All I seem to do now is talk politics to really anyone who is willing to listen, often for hours. Writing out posts seems to be more of a chore than anything these days. Perhaps this will change, but for now I don't feel the need to write up extraordinary posts.

I'll be back... maybe.

A Brief Note

If you're a voter and you're looking for Grant McLachlan's site to support his 2011 campaign, this isn't quite it. This is actually my personal blog that I started posting to in 2009. It mostly covers provincial and federal issues in our political world with a hint of international and municipal issues. If you're looking for my campaign site, you'll want to go to http://grantm.ca

For those that read this blog: the campaign will be distracting me away from this for quite some time so you'll have to wait a bit until I return. I'll see you on the other side.

The Waiting Game

Countdown to election - 81 days

Originally, I intended for these election updates to be posted more frequently, but until I announce my campaign there's only a certain amount I can disclose. I intended to do my third update about a week ago, but to be frank I had really nothing new to say. Basically, I was in the planning stage, and to be honest, I still am. With that said though, there is progress to report.

Starting from the beginning, the brochure has some gaps remaining, specifically photos of me in the community, remarks by my endorsers and the background design. With that said however, the brochures will be purchased by mid October so it is not one of my biggest worries about the election.

The day to day events have been figured out - specifically where I will canvass and when, along with other campaign event details. Staying with the completed tasks, the platform is done. Now it's a matter of figuring out what my keep points are during the election and how I will bring change, but I think I've found what political superiors would agree is the best route for victory. The only remaining aspect of the platform I must figure out is how to publicize it. I've got a few ideas regarding that. Finally, I've got a pretty good amount of volunteers for the election considering I've yet to go public. I could always use more though...

On the matters that still need work is social media. I've been on Facebook and Twitter for quite some time now and while my support levels there are nothing to be ashamed of considering my campaign is on the down low, I can't help but feel it should be higher. That's a shock, a candidate wanting more support! The drive for more social media supporters as a means of victory through psychology went better in July than in August but I'm assuming once the press release hits the doorsteps of voters that will shoot up immediately.

As for my mood, I'm worried but not so much about the election, yet. I'm more nervous about having everything in place for the announcement date. With just a little more work, everything will be ready.

That looks to be it for now ladies and gentlemen. I hope to be getting some photos of the campaign preparation and me out and about in Langford up within the next few days. Expanding and energizing my social media base will also be a focus. Besides that, there is little left to do. As for when I'll be updating you again on the campaign, it may just be after I announce what position I'm running for.

Jack Layton

Yesterday's news that Jack Layton has passed away after fighting cancer is shocking and saddening. Obviously, my thoughts and prayers are with Olivia Chow and Jack's family.

Jack was one of the principle figures that encouraged me to get involved in politics. It was his relentless fight for a fairer, better Canada that was so inspiring to so many Canadians as we have seen with spontaneous gatherings to mourn this national loss. He gave Canadians the hope that our best days were ahead of us, not behind us.

Jack was elected leader of the NDP in 2003, and through the successive elections of 2004, 2006 and 2008 raised our status to 18% and 37 seats in the House of Commons. As we can all clearly remember just a few months ago in the May federal election, we won 31% and 103 seats becoming Official Opposition for the first time in our history. Jack brought our cause to the status of a national movement from the brink of becoming a political fringe group.

Like most Canadians, I thought he was going to pull through this recent battle. Whether you were an ally or opponent of Jack, everyone recognized he was a tireless advocate for the Canadian people, and his death is a tremendous blow to our nation. I applaud Stephen Harper's move to hold a state funeral for him.

After shedding tears over our loss and coming to tears with the news, I read Jack Layton's final letter to Canadians. It was difficult to read - more tears came. Yet, between those tears, the words spoke to me. The letter did what it was supposed to do. It reaffirmed my commitment to social democracy. Jack's work must not falter now that he is gone. Social justice and equality must be at the forefront of our thoughts as we move forward.

If there is any consolation during this difficult time it is that Jack is no longer in pain. He is now with the angels, his family and even his hero Tommy Douglas. He can now ride his bike into the sunset for an eternity.

Rest in peace Jack. We will never forget you.

Saskatchewan '11: The Writs

Things are not looking good for the NDP in Saskatchewan. With a provincial election this fall, the party appears doomed to be handed an even smaller caucus from the populace as official opposition with their polling numbers dropping.

The governing Saskatchewan Party now holds the support of 58% of the electorate which should give them approximately 49 of 58 seats, an increase of eleven. The NDP meanwhile has dropped six points from their 2007 performance to 31% meaning they should win the remaining nine seats. The Liberals support has shrunk by half and the Greens support has tripled, but polling like this will not result in a third party entering the legislature.

Hope for the NDP must remain strong. With a strong federal election result just a few months before, and our support concentrated in urban areas, along with probable inaccurate polls (one poll every nine months can't be that accurate) must harden our resolve. Keep fighting for a victory Saskatchewan NDP.

Newfoundland & Labrador '11: The Writs

I won't lie to you, the election in Newfoundland and Labrador later this fall isn't going to be the most exhilarating thing in our lives, at least it appears it'll be that way. As Harold Wilson once said, a week is a long time in politics.

Despite a large upswing for the New Democratic Party which is now sitting at 21% support among the electorate, it appears that won't translate into any new seats. The primary beneficiary of the new found left-wing support will be the Liberals. However, even then it will only mean one new seat. At 57% support (which is down 13 points from 70% in 2007), the Progressive Conservatives stand to win 42 of 48 seats this October. The Liberals at 22%, unchanged since the last cycle stand to win 5 seats. The NDP as mentioned earlier will win the only remaining seat for their leader.

Preliminary projections like this are quite disheartening for anyone seeking to oust the Tories. The only hope for at the least a stronger opposition would be for similar voter trends to those in the 2011 federal election, wherein left-wing Liberals abandoned the party to vote for the NDP. Unless that occurs, it looks were doomed for another four years.

One Hundred

Countdown to election - 100 days

I remember when that number was at 500, oh by gone days...

Wondering how the election is going? Well to be honest, no portion of the campaign is faltering these days. Specifically, the brochure is being given a make over from its June incarnation to a much more professional and appealing appearance. Having now pinpointed how many brochures and signs we want and where from, we should be collecting our key materials relatively soon. The campaign account will soon be opened, and most of my questions about advertising have been answered. The website will also soon be in development and be ready for the launch date. The press release is nearly finished and waiting for observation by those in my immediate circle. Finally, four points have been selected as my main platform. Hopefully, they'll appeal to a large swath of the electorate.

As of this posting, one of the few things I am waiting for are the nomination papers. Unfortunately, they won't be out until September. I guess planning for months towards this election has helped me have this small grace period where I'm not too stressed, and there is little left to do. There's a reason I'm feeling more confident too.

With just 100 days remaining until voting day, I feel as if I have learned quite about our electoral process, and how to get a campaign up and running from the ground up. While there have been times of great doubt, I am looking forward to the experience of campaigning from door to door and advocating sensible, progressive policies for our community. It'll be a fun, new challenge, and quite frankly I can't wait to hit the pavement. I can't help but my smile for following my dreams.

In the words of the fighter, Jack Layton - "Together we can do this!"

Prince Edward Island '11: The Writs

Well we haven't heard this in a while: the Liberals are going to win an election. No, you do not misread that sentence. The Liberals should win the fall provincial election in Prince Edward Island easily. The governing party should win 26 of 27 seats with the sole remaining electoral district being represented by the leader of the official opposition, Olive Crane of the Progressive Conservatives.

Since 2007, polling hasn't changed much for the top two parties. The Liberals have hovered around the upper fifties and lower sixties for nearly the entire Parliament. The Progressive Conservatives are sticking between the upper twenties and mid thirties. The only significant difference in polling is between the Green Party and the NDP. The social democratic party has gone from a disappointing fourth party finish last election cycle to now their highest level of support in history. It isn't good news though for the Greens - their support has nearly completely evaporated to 1% among the electorate.

Well there you have it - the least exciting provincial election of the year's projections done. Realize that polling numbers will change, and as a result seats may change hands but these projections should be relatively accurate. I'm doing the projections now because when I would normally do them (October) I will be tied up with an election. Until we see the results on October 3rd, I'm out for Prince Edward Island.

Peace of Mind

Countdown to election – 107 days

It’s been just over a year since I decided I would run in the election. It was at this time last year I had a long discussion with my dad over some archery in Wii Sports Resort about being a candidate. He was very supportive as was my mom. I didn’t know what position I was going to run for at the time – it took me until November to decide on that. Since then, the platform has changed dramatically, the number of supporters has exploded and I’ve begun to explore election costs. I’ve come a long way from my origins in politics back in 2009.

During this July, I was really stressed about the election. While I had secured endorsements, I still had a lot more to figure out. Eventually, I looked for help from political superiors and they’ve been excellent in calming my fears. I now have a date for my public announcement, and my list of things to do until voting day is shrinking day by day. Most of what’s remaining can be accomplished in an afternoon. The campaign has really come together as of late. It blows me away some times.

It is because of this improved position in the pre-campaign period, that I feel more confident about my chances come election day. That’s not to say that I’m overconfident about my chances of victory. There is a constant cycle of confidence and a lack thereof as each week passes. It doesn’t help either when I talk to some friends of mine (not all mind you) about my future plans and they give me the look of “Grant, you’re doomed to failure.” They disguise their fears by telling me I need a back-up plan. It’s really what I need to hear as I begin arguably the most difficult thing yet in my life. I’ll be honest – I don’t have a back-up plan. Regardless of my chances and regardless of what some teachers, friends and political colleagues think about my prospects, I am running in this election. I feel a moral obligation to fight for a society built on equality and social justice, and nothing will stop me from doing that.

In either sense, with a few more bumps to go through on this road, we will soon be ready to hit the campaign trail. Let the good times roll.

Change of Direction

There was a time when I would rant about politics very frequently. 2010, specifically in the summer appears to be magnum opus. For many reasons, I have fallen behind and failed to publish new posts. The most pressing is frankly, a lack of drive to comment on issues. I still hold social democratic viewpoints on the issues of today. I'm upset about David Hahn's pension, Conservative prison expansion despite dropping crime levels and even the issue that started this outpost of thought - the Harmonized Sales Tax. I hold opinions on these issues, but at this stage of my life I feel unable to express them through a three or four paragraph post. I've tried many times, and failed.

At the same time, I am entering a new period of my life. It will be far different than my schedule since 1998 - that is school. If the people permit it, I will begin my career. Perhaps it is my focus on the looming election that has distracted me from provincial and federal issues. In either sense, what I am doing now is not working. The time has come for a change of direction - a fresh start if you will. I'm not ending the blog, but as opposed to solely commenting on political issues perhaps it is time we transition to a more personal experience in politics, my life.

I'm not ending the blog, but there is going to be a change. The design has been altered. In previous posts when I deliberately avoided frequent use of the word "I" to encourage your own political thoughts, now will become more commonplace. Why if you stick around long enough you may even see my personal thoughts from the campaign trail. All the worries, hopes and everything in between - all here.

The fun's just about to begin - it's time you become a part of it.

Quebec, Are You Feeling Alright?

It's safe to say that 2011 has been the toughest year yet for Quebec separatism. Sure they didn't lose a referendum, but their political strength in the House of Commons and the National Assembly of Quebec has been severely cut down.

First there was that historic federal election on May 2nd which brought the Bloc down to four seats from 48. With that result, they lost official party status and therefore the privilege to participate in Question Period. Since then, they have dropped even further (at one point to 3%) in opinion polling. A leadership election is unscheduled and frankly the party is in disarray.

Meanwhile, provincially, the Parti Quebecois, which is supposed to be the "government-in-waiting" (read: official opposition) lost five members to resignations after a controversal whipped vote. Now, the party nearly everyone (including myself) suspected would win in the next election, looks like it might be doomed to the left side of the chamber for a few more years. Jean Charest is one happy man.

While the movement is hitting some severe roadblocks, don't think Quebec separatism is finished. The Bloc does still hold a lot of support among Quebeckers, and while the PQ isn't looking so hot these days the Quebec solidaire, a sepearatist political party, is experiencing their highest levels of support ever. Even the now independent MNAs who left the PQ are expected to form a new separatist political party this fall. The movement isn't out, it's just down. Although a good old vote split would keep the separatist out of power for probably many years to come. Happy times!

Postal Kerfuffle

The House of Commons has been arguing for nearly a day now against the proposed back to work legislation for Canada Post employees. It's been so long, that they're now bound to break an already established parliamentary record of 27.5 hours of continued debate against a bill.
There really is no better definition of a filibuster. As the speeches continue from the left side of the chamber, it's important we look at the shit (because that's really what it is) emerging from the government.

Stephen Harper and his Conservatives hacks have no right to interfere in union negotiations. Yet to then propose a wage hike that was even less than the demands, that is just barbaric. Worse still, there are no provisions to address the growing number of injuries at the workplace. In short the legislation enshrines exactly what the Conservatives are all about - poor wages for the worker, democratic infringement of basic rights, poor parliamentary standards, and arrogance towards true issues of safety.

The NDP has pledged to continue its filibuster against this dreadful legislation, and could if they used all of their available tools, stretch this fight out until next weekend. Meanwhile the Conservatives are now blaming the world's problems on us, and Bob Rae is attempting to make himself sound relevant. The beauty of this battle though is that for the first time in well, about five years, there actually is an opposition to Stephen Harper, not a yelling match that ends with the reds voting en masse with the blues.

Frankly, this is great. This should happen more often. Let's bring the government to its knees. It's important Stephen understands that a majority is not an excuse for him to do whatever he so pleases. He does not have the mandate of a monarch in feudal times, he has an opposition to listen to, and a real opposition too. This is also a great example to the people of the NDP's commitment to unions, and to fight for all working people.