While Harper has found his groove and Dion has lost his mojo, as noted in the recent Maclean’s issue, the Green Party has made a surprise appearance in the media. Elizabeth May has emerged as a leader capable of connecting with questions and speaking passionately for the need to fight climate change. Since the recent inclusion of May in the national television debates, the Green Party’s profile has significantly increased. Poll after poll shows public support for the Green Party of Canada rising steadily to between ten and 12 per cent nationally and up to 15 per cent here in BC.

This rise of the environment as an election issue is due to a number of factors, including greater public interest in environmental issues, such as climate change and the appearance of green politics at the federal level. The Green Party, which is grounded in pro-environment policies, has grown into an established political party in Canada. Especially consider the Green Party if you’re concerned with issues of ecology, conservation and environment, as well as ideas from the feminist and peace movements. In addition to democratic and ecological issues, green politics is concerned with civil liberties, social justice and nonviolence. The Green Party offers practical solutions: down-to-earth policies in addressing environmental issues with less emphasis upon economic implications compared to the other major national political parties.

The Green Party’s economic platform includes a carbon tax very similar to the Liberal “Green Shift” plan, although it is explained more articulately by May than Dion. This involves instituting a full range of “polluter pays” taxes, including a carbon tax designed to reduce the use of fossil fuels by making them more expensive to produce and burn. The Green Party claims that these taxes will be largely revenue neutral. The revenues generated will be offset by reduced taxes on personal income, payrolls and on green products and technologies. The new taxes will also be non-regressive, so the carbon tax will include a rebate program for low-income Canadians living in rural areas and other groups disproportionately affected.

A few other highlights of the Green platform include:
- A disciplined schedule to gradually pay off debt
- Reestablishing a federal minimum wage of $10 an hour under the Canada Labour Code
- Reverse the Conservative GST cut by raising it back to 6 per cent
- Improving Canada’s rail system
- Forgive 50 per cent of a student’s government student loan when they complete a degree or certificate program
- A withdrawal from NAFTA and a renegotiation of the world’s largest trading partnership
- Beginning the process of withdrawing Canadian NATO Forces from Afghanistan no later than February 2009.

Almost one year ago a reporter wrote in The Gazette that the Liberals “used to be one of the best political brands in the country, a name so synonymous with success it has been dubbed Canada’s Natural Governing Party.” However, since Jean Chrétien resigned from office the Liberals have not been doing very well. They have slowly lost their status as the Natural Governing Party of Canada and, according to the polls, have become a distant second to the Conservative Party. Surprisingly, this presents one of the reasons given for voting Liberal: keeping the Canadian system from becoming dominated by a single party.

The foundation of Liberals current campaign is known as the Green Shift. The purpose of this plan is to stimulate the economy while having a positive effect on the environment, accomplished by moving taxation away from the consumer and onto the polluting corporations. The tax will cost carbon-producing industries $50 for every ton of carbon dioxide they produce. The Liberals claim that this will be a revenue-neutral tax, made so by cutting personal and corporate taxes by billions of dollars per year.

How will this boost the Canadian economy? According to the plan, the switch to green technology will create jobs. Manufacturing will be needed to create the technologically advanced products that will lower businesses’ carbon footprint. Highly skilled Canadian workers will make these products.

Whatever the opposition may want you to believe, this is not the only plan that the Liberals have for Canada. They intend to increase the funding for the arts. In fact, on Sept. 20, Stéphane Dion promised that if he were elected to government, he would give $530 million dollars to bolster arts and culture in Canada.

The majority of the Liberals’ plan was kept under wraps through the first part of the campaign, but has now been revealed and is online. The tag-line of the plan is “Richer, Fairer, Greener.”

Their intent is no longer to win. They have encouraged plans like ABC (Anything But Conservatives) and other such desperate pleas to be heard by the Canadian people. It would seem that the Canadian people have not forgotten the sponsorship scandal.

For many people their distrust has expanded to all parties that might gain a majority in Parliament. The push towards the Liberals in this election does not seem to be because people particularly like their policies but because they are afraid of a Conservative majority. Perhaps things will change when the Liberals actually present Canada with a comprehensive plan on how they intend to change things.

Do you sympathize with the proletariat? Do you pay your union dues faithfully? Do you understand the burdens that your plumber and electrician face? If so, the New Democratic Party is for you. As the champions of the underdog, the NDP has a long history of campaigning for social justice and an end to practices that benefit the rich while slowing the advancement of the poor. Though one of Canada’s major parties, the NDP has never formed the government. However, various provincial wings of the party have held a number of premierships. In this election there is a chance that, for the first time, the NDP will gain the rank of official opposition.

That said, Canadians can thank the NDP for some significant policies, such as the national healthcare system that we enjoy. Traditionally, the NDP has been a bastion of policies and people that look to benefit the working class and young families. The NDP has also looked to the environmental movement as a natural ally, though this is changing due to the advancement of the Green Party and the increasing conflict between support for the governmental creation of jobs and environmental protectionism.

At the same time, the NDP’s environmental policies and rapport are still strong. NDP leader Jack Layton promises to “make big polluters pay” through significant “cap-and-trade” systems which would limit the amount of new carbon emissions released into the atmosphere. Perhaps the biggest plank of the NDP platform for the environment is the expansion of public transit, which would kill two birds with one stone: it would create high-wage jobs for public sector workers and, at the same time, reduce the environmental burden of commuting. Though not as sophisticated as the Liberal or the Green Party’s plans for the environment, Jack Layton still advocates for major action to avert man-made global warming, something the Conservative Party seems resistant to do.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the NDP’s platform is their economic policy, which attempts to stimulate creation of high-paying jobs for Canadian workers. Most importantly, they plan to limit trade negotiations significantly and actively pursue raises in corporate taxes to fund the vast social programs that they would pursue. Layton’s rationale behind this move is that companies that don’t have to cover the health and welfare expenses of their employees’ dependents will be able to spend more time developing contacts and making money. Layton has strong sympathies with the downtrodden and by pursuing higher tax revenue he hopes to expand services significantly. If you sympathize with Robin Hood, Jack Layton is the candidate for you.

On the war in the Middle East, the NDP is hoping to bring home the troops from Afghanistan before 2011. In other areas of foreign policy, the NDP supports increased immigration as well as increasing Canada’s aid budget to at least 0.7 per cent of GDP. Jack Layton has also claimed in the past that he would expand Canada’s peacekeeping role under the banner of the UN (Canada currently has about 60 peacekeepers serving under the UN, which is down from several thousand over the past 20 years). New funding for these ideas would come from the increased tax revenue given by a rise in the GST, increased corporate earnings and increased economic growth.

It is certainly possible that Canada’s third national party could gain a significant role in parliament this time around, with the Liberals and the NDP in an increasingly close race for second place. While unlikely to form the government, the NDP is a potent force in some areas of the country and may well become the official opposition party.

The world of Canadian politics can be murky. Here are features that separate the Conservative Party of Canada from the other major parties:

In theory, at least, the Conservatives adhere to conservative principles understood in the modern sense. (Every major party in Canada would now be considered classical liberals). What are conservative principles? One of the most consistent has been a belief that individuals know their own interests best, and that the best thing that governments can do is stay out of peoples’ lives. This generally means that conservatives support smaller governments: less taxation, less social programs, and less government interference and regulation in society and in the economy. This is for two reasons: conservatives tend to distrust governments and bureaucracies, arguing that they tend to become larger and larger, and government agencies aren’t very good at micromanaging people’s lives.

Conservatives do, however, support strong government in some areas, mostly for the police and the military. There is a general skepticism about human nature; they tend to view human nature as fallen, although not necessarily in the religious sense. Thus, for a conservative, the government’s main job is to protect people’s ability to live safely and without fear. For this reason, on issues like crime, conservatives tend to focus upon protecting citizens from criminals and holding individuals responsible for their actions.

Conservatives also tend to be more socially conservative than the members of other political philosophies. While change is not seen as something threatening, conservatives tend to avoid rushing into swift changes and usually see more value in the traditional perspective.

In light of these principles of modern conservatism, these are some of the policies being put forward by the Conservative Party in this campaign:

A promise to make any further crime bills a matter of confidence
In the last two and a half years, the other parties have often opposed the Conservatives’ efforts to get tough on crime (one example being tougher laws to crack down on impaired driving). If all crime bills become a matter of confidence, other parties wouldn’t be able to vote against them without triggering another election. Although specifics have yet to be mentioned, the Prime Minister has stated his determination to crack down on youth crime.

Reduced taxes for seniors
The Conservatives have promised to lower taxes for seniors, boosting from $12,627 to $17,673 the amount of income that a senior can earn tax-free, hopefully helping seniors make ends meet.

Tax benefits for families taking care of disabled family members
The Conservatives have promised income tax splitting for families where one spouse is unable to work to take care of a disabled family member (income tax splitting reduces the amount of income tax that a couple pays), as well as making it easier for a disabled person to access the Registered Disability Savings Program.

Help for first-time homebuyers
The Conservatives have promised an annual $200 million program to help first time homebuyers afford to purchase homes. It offers a tax credit of $5,000 to first time homebuyers to help with the closing costs on a new home. This should help make life a little bit more affordable for young, hard-working families.

Whether you realize or not, politics affects everything. It affects all education. If you’re in the sciences, it affects what studies are supported. If you are in humanities, it affects how things you study are portrayed. If you’re in the fine arts it affects your funding. Perhaps most importantly, politics shapes the ethics that inform our society. Politics affects us all, whether we want a part in it or not. Thus, we are faced with a choice: either we can take a fatalistic viewpoint and allow our society to go morally bankrupt, or we can take charge and decide what is going to affect our lives. For Christians, it is especially important to understand and get involved in politics, even if that simply means casting a vote on Election Day.

Christians need to be aware of the philosophical underpinnings of our political systems to avoid unwittingly engaging in politics that are opposed to the gospel or to biblical norms. If we are to engage and shape the world we live in as Christians, it is essential that we take time to understand and appreciate what we are dealing with in the political landscape.

Politics is a constant struggle of ideas and values. We must be aware of the current ideas that shape society, so that we are in a better place to debate and shape them. The more we understand, the more we are able to influence politics for the Kingdom.

Involvement in politics is part of a Christian mandate. When God created humanity, He commanded us to govern the world we live in. Thus, we have a responsibility to get involved in politics, because this is what shapes the world He created. While being a Christian does mean waiting for the Kingdom, it does not give us an excuse to ignore the temporal world we live in. It is our duty to help God in His redemption of this world. This includes redeeming the political and governmental structures of the world. We are to be salt and light not just in our neighbourhoods, but also in the places of governmental power. We are still in need of a temporal, moral order to govern this life. All humankind can benefit from the temporal peace and temporal justice that good governance in this temporal reality can bring.

Before Election Day, take half an hour to find out what the parties represent. Find the party that speaks to you and represents your moral beliefs. On Election Day take a stand for your ethical beliefs and vote. As Christians, we have a responsibility to care for what God created, and we can choose to stop the moral decline of our society by getting involved in the political realm.

All three of these scenarios present themselves in the sphere of public voting. The public elected former Member of Parliament Chuck Cadman regardless of his party affiliation. Cadman was elected as a member of the Reform Party in 2000, re-elected under the Canadian Alliance in 2002, and ran as an independent in 2004, winning with nearly double the votes of his closest opponent. Cadman was the only candidate elected who was not affiliated with a party in the Liberal minority government of 2004.

On the other hand, in a poll conducted of 1,000 Canadians this August, 50 per cent viewed Stephen Harper as the best leader. Candidates capitalize on Harper’s name by emphasizing their being part of “Harper’s Team.” If voters based their ballot on leadership, Harper would single-handedly win. However, polls predict that he will lead another minority government, with the chance of a slight majority.

According to recent polls, 69 per cent of Ontarians have an unfavourable view of Stéphane Dion. Despite this, the Liberal party is only behind the Conservative party by four per cent in voter intentions in polls of Ontario. Therefore, either individual candidates are extremely popular, or voters are looking past Dion and voting for the party.

When I ask people whether they vote for the leader, the policies or the candidate, most reply, “I don’t know.” Ivy Chau, who said she is aware of party platforms and takes voting seriously, cannot decide who to vote for. She said that your representative will have greater power if the leader forms government.

Basing your vote locally also has merits. It’s true that a regional member of parliament is the person that voters should hold accountable and approach for assistance; hence, it is understandable for voters to desire candidates they are comfortable with. Ideally, you can support your candidate, the leader and the party.

The way that people base their votes affects the way they respond to events. An incident like Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz’s private-made-public jokes could have any sort of effect, from local to nationwide. Perhaps he will lose his riding if his electorate bases their vote on him specifically, or nation-wide voting for Harper and his party may decrease because of him. If Ritz’s electorate votes based on the party, then this media-frenzied occurrence may have no effect at all.

Whether you vote for the leader of the party or the candidate in your riding, the most important is that you cast your ballot thoughtfully. Voting shouldn’t be done idly, but as an expression of your ideal vision for your country. Whether you want a national representative, a local representative or the policies of your supported party to prevail: know what your vote signifies. Every Canadian citizen has the right to vote, but statistics show that fewer than 25 per cent of young voters turn out at the polls. As a democratic nation, our government is meant to stand for the citizens of Canada. As voter turnout dwindles in both Canada and the United States, so too does the accuracy of representation. Stop, look and listen as you vote and uphold democracy.

The reasons to vote are many, from having control in your country’s administration, to respecting history; the truth is, you are much more influential than you believe. As a democracy the government is the people – and the people means you. Being a member of the government then, your every idea, opinion and agenda is important and will be listened to should you choose to voice it. Yet for some reason, on Election Day the most energetic and lively part of the population only represented around 25 per cent (2000) and 37 per cent (2004) compared to over 60 per cent of the general population. With the ideas and the capability, there is no reason why you should not be voting.

An important motivation for you to register this year is that without knowing what your opinions are, those who are powerful enough to do anything about it won’t know how to represent you. So while you may know exactly what would work best to lower gas emissions – whether it’s carbon taxes or no carbon taxes – that’s of little use to your country and even to you if you do not represent your views through your votes. In other words, why complain on a small scale? Vote and your friends won’t be the only victims.

Being involved politically, even in the simple action of voting, is another way to keep your government clean of corruption. Consider communism, fascism, and various corrupted governments both in history and today – the downfalls of these authoritative positions could be prevented if more people were involved in the issues and actions that the leaders and rulers were dealing with. A democratic government is founded upon that basic tenet. However, if people are not showing a sufficient presence to embody their group in the population, then the administration of our country can hardly be called a democracy. The entire country depends on you to participate – and you, and you, and you!

The essentials of democracy also show that it is your right to vote, as a woman, a man, a free citizen, independent of race or class. Consider the Suffragettes in Canada and the United States, and countries where people are dying to have the freedom to vote. To honour the people that have fought for those rights, and to respect the country in which you safely reside, the act of voting is an act of freedom, privilege and even veneration.

The issue of money is an important one, especially for us students; this is an excellent incentive to vote, since our government has control over a very large portion of our money. Depending on your interests, the candidate you vote for may plan to put more money toward youth programs, the environment, HIV/AIDS, breast cancer research and various other causes. Find out, and make your concerns their concerns.

And finally, there are fun reasons to vote, like canceling out someone else’s vote – your mom, your friend, your professor – and to break the stereotype that “young people are lazy and don’t vote.”

Really, every vote counts. There have been many close calls in elections and your vote could truly be the tiebreaker. Consider that since the 1800s in the US alone, one vote has been the tiebreaker in twenty-one elections. So do our country and yourself a favour: vote this year.

Don’t know how to vote? We can tell you how here .

To avoid a lack of knowledge preventing you from having your say, here are the guidelines for voting in a Canadian federal election.

Election Date: Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008

Are you eligible to vote?
To be eligible to vote you must be:
- a Canadian citizen
- at least 18 years old on Election Day

Are you registered to vote?
Everyone who is a registered elector will receive an information card in the mail from Elections Canada. It will be sent to the address that Elections Canada has on file as your permanent residence. If, however, you have recently moved or turned 18 years old you may not be on the list of electors.

To find out if you are registered go to elections.ca and follow the “Am I on the list of electors?” link for instructions.

Finding your electoral district
Each voter must fill out a ballot specific to their electoral district. If you are unsure which riding you belong to, enter the postal code of your ordinary residence into the “Voter Information Service” search on the Elections Canada homepage. The search will provide the name of your electoral district and where the polling stations are for your area.

Voting in person
You are able to vote in person if you can get to a polling station in your electoral district on Election Day or on one of the advance voting dates:

Friday, Oct. 3
Saturday, Oct. 4
Monday, Oct. 6

A list of polling stations for your electoral district are listed on the registered voters information card.

Proving your identity
In order to receive a ballot, you must prove your identity and address. There are three ways to do so:
1. Provide one piece of government-issued photo ID that includes your name and address
2. Provide two pieces of ID authorized by the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada; both must include your name and at least one must include your address. For a list of what qualifies, go to the “Voter Identification at the Polls” link on the Elections Canada homepage.
3. Be vouched for by a registered voter from your electoral district who is able to provide acceptable ID; both persons will be required to swear an oath

Voting by mail
If you cannot be in your electoral district on Election Day or any of the advance polling dates, you can vote by special ballot through the mail.

Follow the “I’m Mailing my Vote!” link on the Elections Canada homepage for complete instructions.

Important Note: Your application for the special ballot must arrive in Ottawa by 6 p.m. EST on Oct. 7, 2008, or you may bring it to any Elections Canada office by 6 p.m. of that day. Your completed ballot must arrive in Ottawa by 6 p.m. EST on Oct. 14, 2008.

For more information visit elections.ca.