Political Platform – Where I Stand

Positioning

A lot of people have asked me what party I identify with, and I find that rather puzzling in our ever-evolving world. How people can tie themselves inextricably to any one political party is beyond me.

You see, the world continues to change all around us, every single day, and our wants and needs as people will change, or should change accordingly. I typically identify myself as being 'centrist' in my thinking, but that's just a fancier word for being a fence-sitter. I don't identify with any party in particular, and I have views that range from the far left to the far right on the political spectrum, depending on which issue I'm being asked about. When it comes to economics I trend towards a more conservative position, but my views on social programs are much more liberal. It makes for some interesting discussions within my family, who are all vehemently allied with one party or another, which tends to result with me being at-odds with almost everyone… All the time.

Nevertheless, I'll hold to my "independent" identity, as no political party perfectly represents my needs. Until such a time as someone creates the "Joshua Taylor Party of Canada" I'll just have to continue voting as I've voted in the past… On a candidate-by-candidate basis.

Major Issues

Now I've said that I vote on a candidate-by-candidate basis, but what does that mean exactly? It means that I do my best to ignore the colour of the candidate's road signs and television commercials, and focus on their individual stances on the issues that mean the most to me. However it's one thing to say that I vote based on a select set of issues, and another to understand them and know which candidate supports or opposes them. So, without further ado… My core political issues:

Electoral Reform

If there's one thing that Canada has failed at throughout its history, it's been conducting fair and accurate elections.

"But Josh! We live in Canada! CANADA! One of the best examples of parliamentary democracy in the world" you cry! Unfortunately dear reader, you would be wrong. We live in a nation, still clinging to the First Past The Post system which disenfranchises voters faster than you can say "something needs to change". You see, First Past The Post (FPTP) has a number of flaws, but none greater than what's known at "the spoiler effect". No, this isn't another terrible Ashton Kutcher movie, this is the single greatest roadblock between Canadians and a true, multiple-party, democratic system.

The best way to illustrate the spoiler effect in Canada is to reference the main three parties and their positioning on the political spectrum. If you're Canadian, and you've paid any attention to politics whatsoever, you'll know that the Conservative Party holds a right-wing stance, while the Liberal and New Democrat Parties both lean to the left. This means that there is only one right wing party in Canada, with the Liberals and NDP sharing the left-wing voter base, in a system where the party with more votes than any other individual party is declared the winner…

If numbers help you visualize things, imagine Canada having a 50/50 split of left and right wing voters. In this case, if the NDP or Liberals get so much as a single vote, the Conservatives win because they're dividing up the left-wing voters, while the Conservatives don't have to share a voter base with anyone. This prevents smaller parties from getting involved, as a vote for them is nothing but a vote stolen from the next-closest party to that voter's ideology.

My explanation isn't perfect, so I would recommend that you check out this set of videos (in order) to educate yourself further on FPTP elections, and the options for increased accuracy in voter representation:

1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo
   
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y3jE3B8HsE
   
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT0I-sdoSXU
   

I guarantee, if you like mild comedy, learning how to legitimately change your political system and become properly represented, and you can tolerate a bunch of wild animals in place of your politicians and parties (it really isn't much of a stretch) then you'll love these videos as well as the information that they contain.

Tuition Costs

No surprise here right? A college student working towards getting tuition costs lowered? Again, you'd be wrong.

Unfortunately, far too many of my fellow students are too busy whining and complaining on Facebook and Twitter to educate themselves politically, and to get involved in a way that is viewed as legitimate by the current system.

"But Josh, the system is flawed and doesn't care what we do!" You again? I thought I got rid of your outbursts after that "best parliamentary democracy" outburst *sigh*, oh well. You see, imaginary interrupter, the system has no choice but to recognize the people who play the game. If you gathered together all of the post-secondary students in Canada (circa 2008 census) you'd have a voter base of 1,869,007 voters… That was almost 6% of the nation's population. Now consider that every year, a new class of high school students reaches voting age, and they're DEFINITELY concerned with how much their education is going to cost them. Now consider that only 61% of eligible voters actually cast ballots or officially declined to vote (which requires going to the polls and registering as a declined ballot)… That means only 14,823,408 of the potential 24,257,592 voters made it to the polls. With that in mind, an increase of 1,869,007 voters would mean a 'bump' of nearly 20% to the last federal election turnout. If you don't think that politicians would jump through hoops to net themselves part of an extra 20% of the voting population (or more considering high school grads not enrolled in post-secondary education at the time of the last census), you're absolutely insane.

The point I'm making here is that students matter, or at least they would if they decided to get up off their asses and educate themselves about the political system in Canada, and then take that education to the polls on election day.

Politicians' Salaries

This one's more of a "life's not fair" issue in the eyes of most, but I still feel that it's an example of how terribly misguided our political system has become.
If you were previously unaware of the current base salary for a member of federal parliament, or the average earnings of a Canadian citizen, stick around for a second and let me open your eyes.

• MP Base Salary: $160,000.00 + Expense Account
• Average Canadian's Annual Earnings: $48,250.00, No Expense Account

That's right folks, your elected representatives make over three times the annual income of the average Canadian citizen, and that's before you consider what they don't have to pay for in regards to commuter costs, lunches at work, and travel around the world in an age where Skype can connect people with face-to-face interaction despite them being on opposite sides of the globe. I should also mention that the $160,000.00 figure is only the base salary for a federal MP, the lowest amount that they can earn. The Prime Minister is paid twice the base salary, and is provided with living accommodations and a vehicle allowance in addition to his salary and expense account.

Call me naïve, call me a communist, but I simply don't believe that someone who is meant to represent the average citizen should be paid more than three times the salary of the people they claim to represent, especially when some of the highest costs for the average citizen (commuting and food) are largely covered by MP expense accounts.

Because of this belief, whenever I see a candidate who campaigns for lower salaries, pensions and the like for federal MPs, you can bet they have my attention at the very least, and without an utterly horrendous platform beyond this single point, they've likely got my vote.

The Wrap-Up

Okay, so I didn't cover ALL of my political views in this article but let's be fair… To cover everything is going to take another full post, possibly even two more if I want to be perfectly clear on where I stand EXACTLY in the world of politics.

What you should take from this article dear reader, is that I am a seeker of fairness, change, and accurate representation. I can't make decisions for an entire nation on every single issue, nor do I claim to. However, when it comes to investing in our nation's human capital through education, or establishing a truly fair and accurate electoral system to guarantee that every citizen's vote actually counts for something? Those are issues that are cut and dry, regardless of the school of thought that you come from.

Both Liberals and Conservatives could agree on education if only the terminology was correct for each party's mindset. Liberals think in terms of people, where Conservatives typically think in terms of dollar signs. Well, if you educate people, and improve human capital (the value of a company or country's workforce through increased skill levels, education and experience) then you're helping people, and establishing a better earning potential for your country… I don't see how either party can dispute that a more educated population could be bad for the economy or the nation as a whole.

As for an improved voting system? It's no wonder the Conservatives don't want to see change, since this system is so heavily weighted in their favour! If you could force your opposition to fight amongst themselves for votes, stealing voters back and losing them to one-another each year in a system where you only need more votes than any other single party, why the hell would you want things to change?

In summary, the system is broken and I would like to see it fixed. I can't fix it without help though, so I need each and every one of you to go out and educate yourselves, and then educate the people around you. If you do this, we can finally achieve meaningful change and live in a nation where EVERYONE is represented, and politics ceases to be this dirty, taboo arena and becomes a forum of public discussion and progress.

Until next time, keep'em honest!

Joshua J. Taylor – Polit-Tactical Creator and Lead Writer

By-Election Blues - Candidate Correspondence

To Whom It May Concern

I mentioned in my first article that I was sending out inquiries to the Whitby-Oshawa by-election candidates to establish what their platforms were and to get a better feel for who they were as people. That was exactly one week ago, so I figure it's about time for an update.

Reserving Replies

I'm not particularly sure what was so complicated about my two questions (what the candidate's stance on the cost of post-secondary tuition in Ontario was, and how they feel about the salaries and expense accounts of MPs) but I seem to have stumped two of the "Big Three" party candidates, and I just discovered who the Green Party's representative was this morning, so no judgement's being passed on them just yet.

Of the three candidates contacted last week, the only reply came from the NPD's Trish Mcauliffe.

Now, I've never been much of an NDP guy myself. I've seen a LOT of terrible fallout from unions with too much power, and the NDP tends to be a more political extension of union values. However, speaking on a candidate-by-candidate basis, I appreciate and agree with Trish when it comes to the answers she gave to my questions.

Trish supports diminished pensions for federal MPs and mentioned reducing MP pensions as a good first step towards lowering the financial compensation for federal members of parliament.

She also said that she would support policies that acted to increase federal support to the province of Ontario for post-secondary tuition, and recognizes that Ontario is the hardest-hit province when it comes to tuition costs, and that this needs to be addressed.

Taking all of this worth a grain of salt, these could just be a bunch of pretty, campaign-trail provinces to garner votes, I accept that reality. However, in a world where each politician is as likely to lie to you as the next one, I'd prefer to choose the one with the lies that best align with my beliefs so that I have something to legitimately hold them to later on.

Get Involved!

Okay, the majority of these by-election posts will only directly apply to people living in the Oshawa-Whitby riding, and I get that. HOWEVER, there are certain themes and messages that apply to anyone and everyone reading this article and the main thing I want you to take from this is the importance of getting involved.

The democratic process is a wonderful thing... Okay, it's extremely flawed at times, and the current Canadian system is prone to inaccuracy and corruption, but there's only one way to change that, and I can guarantee you that simply being quiet and hoping for the best is NOT a tactic with any legitimate odds of success. If you want to change things, you need to get involved and make that change yourself either through getting informed and electing people that support your values, or by running for office yourself in the event that none of the candidates represent you accurately,

I'm just so tired of people sitting back, bitching and moaning about the state of things, but not taking any legitimate action to address the issues that they claim to have. If you've got the option to remove yourself from a bad situation, but instead choose to stay where you are and whine about it, then you've got no one to blame but yourself.

Until next time, keep'em honest!

Joshua J. Taylor - Polit-Tactical Creator and Lead Writer

Remembrance Day - Reverence and Respect

Lest We Forget

I would like to start off this post by thanking our servicemen and women both past and present for the sacrifices that they have made for this wonderful, though admittedly flawed at times, nation.

With that said, I would like to address something that I've been noticing more and more at the annual Remembrance Day ceremonies held downtown at Oshawa's Memorial Park.

A Graveside Service

Remembrance Day is not a political platform, or a concert. It is not a performance, but a display of respect and quiet admiration and it is meant to be treated as a graveside service. Because of this, applause should be held out of respect.

I understand that national pride is at its peak at this time of year, as it should be, and that you have the freedom to express that in the way that best-suits your feelings. However, I would ask you this; would you stand and applaud at a funeral? Would you whoop and holler when the master of ceremonies pauses during his address to those gathered in mourning? Of course not, and if you did, someone at the funeral is likely to knock your teeth out or at the very least, ask you to leave. So, why should a Remembrance Day ceremony be any different to you?

Ladies and gentlemen, you are gathered, whether you are aware of it or not, to show respect for the fallen as well as those still living. You are in the presence of the spirit of our nation, the soul of our military heritage, and that should be a sobering honour. Unfortunately this year, I heard a number of people yelling and clapping after the moment of silence, and honestly? It made me sick.

I accept that not everyone attended R.S. McLaughlin C.V.I, where we held a very in-depth Remembrance Day ceremony every year, and where it was always treated as a quiet, respectful ceremony, and where we were asked not to applaud, but rather to show our respect through self-restraint and silence.

The Wrap-Up

I know that I can't command people to not clap. I know that they feel they're showing respect and appreciation through their applause. However, I do not feel that Remembrance Day services are something that warrant applause, and rather that they call for silence, and reflection. When someone finishes speaking, don't clap, think. Think about why you're standing there, and the people who sacrificed so much so that you would have all of the freedoms you enjoy.

Lest We Forget,

Joshua J. Taylor - Polit-Tacitcal Creator and Lead Writer

Citizen Essentials

I'm not the kind of person to stand here (sit here) preaching to you about what you should do with your democratic right to vote, and to generally get involved with the political affairs of the city, province and nation you live in, but I AM the kind of person to tell you what you'll need to know, and the resources you'll want to have at your side if you DO choose to get involved.

This article will point out, and explain a number of different points that you should understand before engaging in political activities such as voting, lobbying, or even running for political office. Through this article I will also direct you to a number of resources to help you better understand your rights as a Canadian citizen (international readers are encouraged to hunt down their own equivalents of the resources listed here) in the event that you should ever have someone attempt to infringe upon those rights, and folks? Believe me when I say that it happens more often than you likely realize in your everyday life.

Some might call me a shit disturber… Actually some WILL call me a shit disturber, that's an unavoidable fact. However another fact is that I don't go about "shit disturbing" unless there's a reason, and to me? Making sure that the ruling party, whichever that party may be, respects your rights, and isn't permitted to eliminate your rights is a fine and dandy reason by my standards.

Voting – First Past the Post

So there's a dirty little secret in Canadian politics… Okay, more than one, yes, but this one is a legal, traditional and well-engrained part of our system and it needs to go… In my humble opinion of course. This little secret? The electoral system in Canada is broken, at a fundamental level and it ensures that the majority of the population is almost always ignored when it comes to voting, regardless of how many people actually vote.

You see, in the first past the post system, you only get one vote, and if your preferred candidate doesn't win, then you might as well not have voted at all, because an entirely different party will be awarded that seat, and they'll be more likely to serve their own party's interests rather than taking into account the popular vote of the riding in which they were elected. It's a rather unsettling concept when you think about it, and it should be obvious that the system needs to be changed, but in the event that you can't see the problem here, I've created a handy little pie chart to illustrate the main pitfall of the first past the post system:

Imagine that this chart is an accurate representation of the breakdown of all the votes cast in a particular riding. In this particular case, the Conservatives have received 36% of votes cast, with the Liberals in a close second at 34%. Coming in third place in the election are the NDP with 20%, and the Greens bring up the rear with 10% of all the votes cast in the election. Under the first past the post system, the Conservatives have won, and a Conservative party member now represents this entire area, even though 64% of the population did NOT support them.

Does this seem right to you? Should an elected official that fails to represent 64% of their riding be the sole representative of those constituents? Unfortunately this is the system that Canadians have had since before World War I, and as it is the only system that any living Canadian has ever known. It is something that political parties count on, and too few people view as being a problem since so many have simply gotten used to the drawbacks of the system like some sort of weird, electoral Stockholm Syndrome.

The big question that you should be asking yourself here is, "what can I do to change this?" The answer? Get in touch with your representatives, both federal and provincial, and tell them that you're sick of a system that prevents every voter's ballot from truly being equal which leads me to my second point.

Your Representatives - Accessibility and Accountability:

If I asked you, right now, could you tell me who your provincial and federal representatives were? Could you tell me where their offices are? What their email addresses or phone numbers are? Sadly, the average Canadian wouldn't likely be able to name both representatives, much less their contact information. "That's fine" you say? "I can just Google it" you claim? That may be true, but the question here is why you haven't already taken note of this information. Unless you feel that you are being perfectly represented and you couldn't possibly want for anything more than what you're currently getting from your representatives, then you should have already taken the few minutes needed to write a brief email detailing your concerns, and asking your MP or MPP what they're doing to resolve your issues.

I have personally sent out email inquiries and letters of complaint to my federal representative, attempted contact at the provincial level, and contacted representatives in other provinces and ridings based on their less-than-ethical choices. I make no bones about having my complaints heard by the people whose salaries are paid by our tax dollars and neither should you. Again, if life's going along as well as could POSSIBLY be expected, then this whole "getting involved" thing isn't really for you, and hey, congrats on the perfect life but the vast majority of the population? Well, they could probably use a little help and an open ear from their politicians.

So, to help out my friends and neighbours here in the Whitby-Oshawa riding, I'd like you to 'meet' your member of provincial parliament (MPP), with the upcoming by-election to decide the MP for the Whitby-Oshawa riding:

Christine Elliott, MPP (Whitby-Oshawa)

Political Party: Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario
Email: Christine.elliott@pc.ola.org 
Constituency Office: 114 Dundas Street East, Suite 101. Whitby, Ontario L1N 2H7
Telephone: 905-430-1141

If you have an issue within the scope of the Provincial leading party's power, and you live in the Whitby-Oshawa riding, Christine Elliott is who you need to contact to have it brought to the attention of the provincial parliament. You may also want to contact the party you support if you're not a Conservative voter to let them know what your issues are so that they can tailor their next campaign platform more to your needs.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms:

This one is a big deal folks, whether you realize it or not. This document guarantees your rights as a Canadian citizen that cannot be infringed without extreme, extenuating circumstances and the Charter cannot be changed without a vote that relies on popular vote totals from across all of the provinces.
I'm not going to write the entire Charter for you here, but you can visit the following link to read and review the Charter in its entirety: http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH37-4-3-2002E.pdf


I cannot stress enough that you NEED to know your rights as a Canadian citizen. If you do not know your rights, how will you know if a politician or political party is trying to take those rights, and the power that comes with them, away from you? Governments often rely on their citizens not understanding their rights, and the limitations on the government in order to manipulate laws and circumvent the system, which is just fancy talk for saying "governments hope you stay stupid so you're easier to control". The people who are currently in power do not want the system that put them in power to change, in case the new system no longer favours them.

 The Wrap-Up:

That's all I've got for you today folks. I hope you take this information seriously, especially the parts about your Charter rights and the problems inherent with FPTP voting.

Until next time, keep'em honest!

Joshua Taylor - Polit-Tactical Creator and Lead Writer

MP Problems - By By By-Election

So, you know in the movies, or that novel you read that one time, or on television, or in countries all-too-often made politically unstable by the actions of the United States where the leader of a group is exiled, killed, or becomes too sick to lead and a bunch of the leader's 'number 2s' argue and fight amongst themselves to fill the power vacuum formed by the absence of the former leader? Yeah? Well, welcome to a by-election.

With the passing of Jim Flaherty, the Whitby-Oshawa riding has been left vacant, and Stephen Harper has called for a by-election to fill Flaherty's open seat in the House of Commons. With that said, it's not just Whitby-Oshawa residents who should be paying attention to the by-election, as it has greater ramifications than just deciding the Whitby-Oshawa representative. By-elections, because of their separation from the spectacle of national elections, make it easier for the riding's constituents to keep themselves informed about the particular candidates without getting lost in a larger procedure.
Because of these details, I'm making an effort to get people in the Whitby-Oshawa area involved in the election, but more importantly, informed. You see, political parties LOVE ill-educated voters. 

They don't want you thinking critically, and analysing their goals and the methods they're likely to use in order to achieve those goals. They just want people to go to the polls, drop a ballot in the box with a mark beside their candidate's name, and honestly? Most don't care how they get to that end so long as they win. They don't make it easy for you to get informed, more often than not using attack ads to move the spotlight away from themselves and onto the failures or weaknesses of their opponents, but you CAN educate yourself on the issues that matter the most to you, and the stances of the candidates (or their parties If they simply adhere to the party standard) and even confront them on those issues before election day to better gauge how they will represent you and your interests if they are elected.

And now, without any further ado, I bring you the candidates running in the Whitby-Oshawa by-election as well as their stances on a few issues that are important to me. If you would like to check in on their views regarding other issues, you can follow the links provided in the candidate descriptions and give their platforms a read-over.

Pat Perkins – Conservative Party of Ontario Candidate

Pat Perkins was formerly the Mayor of Whitby, and the Conservative party is banking on her mayoral visibility and history to ensure that the Whitby-Oshawa MP position remains a Blue one.
Pat's website, www.patperkins.ca focuses on the following points to support her campaign for Flaherty's empty House seat:

1. A Whitby representative since 1997
2. Eight years as mayor of Whitby
3. "Took Whitby out of debt over 4 years ago – and kept it that way"
4. "Ensured high quality services for the lowest possible taxes"
5. "400 new jobs on the way at the new GO maintenance facility"
6. "Expanded and upgraded the Iroquois Parks Sports complex and secured the Abilities Centre location"

Honestly? Not a terrible track record if you focus on these points. She has held a position in the public eye for seventeen years, been mayor for two terms, and Whitby rose out of debt as a municipality during her time as mayor. However, there are a couple of details that Pat Perkins and her team omit from these running points.

First off, being mayor does not grant you any more power on the city council (officially) than any other councillor except for the benefit of holding a "bully pulpit", a term coined by Theodore Roosevelt referring to the power that the mayor gains from being more prominent in the public's eye. When council votes, the mayor still only gets one tally for their name, which limits their actual decision-making power. Therefore the credit for the accomplishments of the Whitby council must be shared equally among the members who voted in favour of the programs that resulted in the city's development, not just with the mayor.

Unfortunately the negative aspects of her campaign page do not end with the omission of the "the mayor doesn't ACTUALLY have any more decision making power than the average councillor" detail. At the end of the page, after a video touting the accomplishments of Stephen Harper's Conservatives, Pat Perkins ends things on an attack-ad-style note with the following statements:

"We've done this by balancing the budget, lowering taxes, and working to find new opportunities for Canadians.
 But with the NDP and Liberals promising to raise taxes, increase spending, and let the "budget balance itself", only Canada's Conservatives can be trusted to run a G7 economy." – www.patperkins.ca


Folks, if there's one thing I can't stand in an election, it's people trying to prevent you from voting for a candidate rather than just telling your why their platform is one that is actually worth your vote. You should be voting FOR someone, not AGAISNT someone else. Remember that.

Celina Caesar-Chavannes – Liberal Party of Ontario Candidate

The Liberal party is hoping to take over the formerly-Conservative House of Commons seat left vacant by Jim Flaherty, and hoping that Ms. Caesar-Chavannes is the ticket winning it. Without an official candidate page on their website for Ms. Caesar-Chavannes, I have taken my data from http://www.liberal.ca/celina-caesarchavannes-nominated-liberal-candidate-byelection-whitbyoshawa/.

Celina Caesar-Chavannes' qualifications, as listed by the Liberal party are as follows:

1. "Deep roots in Whitby-Oshawa, where she lives with her husband and three children"
2. "A successful entrepreneur and distinguished research consultant"
3. Business entrepreneur of the Year in 2013 as named by the Toronto Board of Trade
4. Experience working in "a variety of private, government and non-government organizations"
5. "Active with a number of organizations such as the Congress of Black Women of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and several governing councils within the University of Toronto"
6. "International lecturer on the inclusion of marginalized populations in clinical health research"
7. Holds a Bachelor of Science from UofT, an MBA in Healthcare Management from the University of Phoenix, and working on an Executive MBA from the Rotman School of Business at UofT

 Alright, some good stuff here. Active in the community, well-educated, and focuses on the plight of minorities. Ms. Caesar-Chavannes is essentially the archetypal Neo-Liberal, a socially-active individual of a visible minority with a verified history working in the white-collar business sector. No doubt the Liberals hope that Celina's blend of the traditional Liberal appeal with economic experience will help secure them a seat in the perennially Conservative Whitby-Oshawa riding.

My main concern here is a lack of listed political experience. Although she has been a strong, independent force within the institutions she's chosen for herself ("governing councils within the University of Toronto") there's no mention of any history in municipal, provincial or federal politics, and that level of inexperience lends itself well to being just another nodding head in a party's caucus.

Ending on a positive note, the article does NOT use attack-ad-style tactics to attempt to influence the voters. The Liberal party's post about Celina Caesar-Chavannes' nomination focuses solely on the strengths and qualifications of their candidate and, although they may not point out any weaknesses in their candidate, what party would? All-in-all, a respectable article for an inexperienced candidate.

 Trish Mcauliffe – New Democratic Party (NDP) Candidate

Finishing second in the 2011 federal election as an NDP candidate in the Whitby-Oshawa riding, Trish Mcauliffe and the New Democrats are hoping to move up into the late Flaherty's House seat with the upcoming by-election with a platform focused on social programs and working/middle class family benefits.

Unfortunately, Trish's NDP candidate page engages in some minor mudslinging tactics which upsets me since the NDP campaign as the representation of positive social interest. Her "About Trish" page attacks Stephen Harper which makes little sense to me as the page is, by its name's very definition, supposed to be focused solely on Trish, unless I missed it being renamed "Mainly Trish, with a side-order of Harper". Enough of the minor mudslinging qualms, here are Trish's posted qualifications, summarized from the main body text of her "About Trish" page and as presented in list format there:

1. NDP candidate in 2011, finishing with 22% of the popular vote
2. Lobbied successfully to keep Brooklin within the Whitby-Oshawa riding
3. Advocate for the elderly and disabled, particularly of the 1010Dundas Street East mobile home park
4. General Motors employee and an active CAW member ("educator and facilitator")
5. President of the Whitby-Oshawa NDP Riding Association
6. 2013 recipient of the CAW 222 Woman of Recognition Award
7. Certificate in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) from Durham College

In short, Trish is a long-time union member and auto-sector worker with goals including abolishing the senate, instituting proportional representation (making the electoral system a more accurate representation of the actual number of votes cast for each party), and giving tax breaks to working and middle-class families.

One of the problems with her goals, although they are extremely admirable, is that as a people, Canadians are not very class conscious, and tend to believe that we're ALL "middle class" regardless of our financial standing. This makes targeting class boundaries in politics an extremely difficult strategy, as Canadians are less likely to be engaged by references to socio-economic classes when compared to many other Western societies. Also, the campaign for well-paying jobs when it comes to the NDP often results in higher taxes on businesses, which drive larger corporations out of an area, resulting in higher unemployment rates. When this happens you're forced to ask yourself if you'd rather be unemployed, or underemployed.

The Wrap-Up:

Honestly folks, none of the candidates really stand out for me. As far as the greater picture is concerned, the Conservatives have the best economic policy when it comes to keeping Canada in the black, but the Liberals are obviously looking to challenge the "Old White Guy's Club" of political economics and from the listed achievements and experience of their by-election candidate, it would seem that they are in a good position to do so. The NDP, on the other hand, openly support (or claim to support, but really, claims are all we have to go on from the parties) proportionate representation which is something that this country has been lacking for a long, LONG time.

I've sent a message to each candidate's official Facebook page asking them about the two main issues that I have with the nation's current state of affairs and I will be posted that message and any replies I receive in future posts running up to the by-election. If a candidate doesn't reply? You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be letting you know about that as well.

I've created this blog to try and spread a little awareness when it comes to Durham Regional, Ontario provincial and national political issues, and I would like to thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my articles. I'll do my best to provide you with accurate, minimally-biased (I make no claims of being able to completely set aside bias, since much of it tends to be subconscious) reporting on current issues that affect me as a citizen, my region, province, and country. I hope you'll stick with me for the ride!

Until next time, keep'em honest everyone!

Joshua J. Taylor - Polit-Tactical Creator and Lead Writer

Welcome!

Morning everyone!

This is just a quick post to welcome you all to my new political blog, Politactical. I hope you'll come back when I start posting my articles and weigh in on the issues that I discuss. I value intelligent discussion and make every attempt to open my mind to the different points of view held by my readers.

If you're coming here from one of my other blogs, welcome back. If you're a new reader, let me say that I'm glad you've given me a chance and I aim to provide everyone with high-quality, politically-based material.

Until my first 'real' post,

Joshua J. Taylor