TOTALLY GEEKED!

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Canadian Federal election early voting starts today

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

This will be interesting. For the first time ever, I'm interested in the Canadian election. No offense, just never thought about it before.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Lawyerlady wrote:
This will be interesting. For the first time ever, I'm interested in the Canadian election. No offense, just never thought about it before.

LOL. For the first time ever, most CANADIANS are interested in the Canadian election. Many Canadians never really thought about it before either!! We've just never had someone so dangerous in office. We tried to get rid of him last time and ended up splitting the vote with our 3-party system and he got back in with a minority. And we've been kicked off the world stage in a number of ways - including peace keeping. The guy is a dumbass and likely a criminal. There is potential of hate-crime charges and half his staff is currently in court for Martha Stewart-type fraud. There are actually websites set up to co-ordinate voting in swing ridings to unseat his people and ensure that they are out of office.

There have been mini-revolutions in some of the Provincial elections where supporters of Harper have been turfed in their entirety after years and years in power, so things are definitely changing.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

This website explains a few of the problems we're facing in this election . . . (some of the language is NSFW)

Spoiler: http://dont-be-a-****ing-idiot.ca/

I know what to do_sometimes · Frozen Sucks!

I haven't been following the Canadian elections or political situation. Its great that voters are lining up like that, shows just how important the issues are to them.

Tig, can you tell me some more as to what has been happening and what the issues are? I won't open that link, the name is suspicious.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

The name on the link is suspicious, but the link is totally legit. It lists the main issues with our current leadership, but there is some cursing involved (hence the name on the link).

Here's a better version;

25 reasons Stephen Harper is bad for Canada

1. Contempt for Canada: The reason you're being called to vote again, is because on March 25th, 2011, the Harper administration was found to be in contempt of Canadian parliament. This is the first time in the history of any commonwealth government that this has happened. The Speaker of the House of Commons had to rule three times that "the Harper government" appeared to breach parliamentary privilege.The Globe & Mail

2. Cheated in the 2006: ElectionIn Spring of 2011, a federal court found that Harper's Conservatives wilfully violated the $18.3 million election spending limit, during the campaign which originally brought them to power in 2006. 4 Conservatives (including 2 Conservative Senators) currently face charges and possible jail time.The Globe & Mail

3. Turned Canada's Surplus into Debt: In 1993, the Conservatives chalked up a $38 Billion deficit. By 2006, under non-conservative leadership, this had been turned around into a $16 Billion surplus. Four years later, and Harper's Conservatives have returned Canada to a record $56 Billion deficit.

4. Wants US-style bank deregulation: When Harper was president of the National Citizens Coalition, founded in 1967 to oppose universal health care, he supported US-style bank deregulation. Nevertheless, since the 2008 Financial Crisis, he has been taking credit for the relative strength of our financial sector, based on a system he inherited, but didn’t support.

5. Opposes universal health care: Harper believes that universal health care should be provincial, and wants to break it up. While heading the National Citizens Coalition, founded to oppose universal health care, he said "the feds" should scrap the Canada Health Act. Hill Times

6. Harper shut down Parliament. Twice. One of the Conservative platform promises was more accountability. Since making this promise, Harper has shut down Parliament twice. Once for several months to block an inquiry into Afghan detainees and to stall government bills, and a second time to avoid a vote of non-confidence which he was expected to lose.The Globe & Mail

7. Wants to replace the stable CPP with the untested PRPP. Although seniors' incomes have dropped for the first time in decades, it is clear that the Harper government was laying the groundwork to replace Canada's well-run, cost-effective, and stable CPP with a private, more expensive pension scheme - the Pooled Registered Pension Plan (PRPP), run by the bank, mutual fund, and insurance industries. This new plan would mean Canadians would have to work for longer, or to retire on less.

8. Shut down Women's and Minority advocacy groups: Since coming into power, Harper has cut funding for women's advocacy by 43 per cent, shut down 12 out of 16 Status of Women offices in Canada and eliminated funding of legal voices for women and minority groups, including the National Association of Women and the Law and the Courts Challenges Program.Toronto Star

9. The Economic Action plan has been to the benefit of the super rich: Harper's economic 'recovery' favoured the extremely wealthy. Over 321,000 Canadians lost their jobs in 2008 and Canadians' average wages fell. Meanwhile Canada's 100 wealthiest persons became richer, reaching an average net worth of $1.7 billion each, up almost 5 per cent from 2008. The majority of those surveyed by the Parliamentary Budget Office reported that the program has had either a neutral or negative impact on jobs. Even the conservative Fraser Institute has criticized it.Canada.com & The Tyee & The Fraser Institute

10. Fraud.One of Harper's top aides, Bruce Carson, had been convicted of 5 counts of fraud, and is currently under investigation by the RCMP. Most recently he was lobbying the government to buy water filtration systems, from a company where his wife was employed.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

11. Loosened regulations to allow more chemical residues on your food: Since taking office, Stephen Harper has weakened regulations so that more pesticide residues can be left on your fruits and vegetables. The plan is to bring Canadian regulations in line with U.S. Levels, which can be up to 100 times higher. Under additional new regulations, corporate food producers will be allowed to conduct their own safety inspections. In 2008, when Luc Pomerleau, a biologist at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency with a flawless 20 year record with the agency, leaked these plans, he was immediately fired. Since then, the listeriosis meat outbreak killed 17 Canadians.
Canwest News [1] & Canwest News [2] & The Ottawa Citizen

12. Wasteful G20 spending, and a record number of arrests: At the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto, Harper spent $1.9 million building an artifical lake and nearly $1 Billion on security for the 3 day event. 1,105 arrests were made - the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. Of those 1,105 arrests, only 99 criminal charges were laid.
The Toronto Star

13. Report an unsafe nuclear reactor; get fired.In 2008, Linda Keen, President of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, reported that the aging Chalk River nuclear facility was at a risk 1000 times greater than the international average. Harper quickly fired her.

14. Stephen Harper has shut down Canadian aid to the world's most impoverished countries: Despite consistently pointing out that Canada's economy is a global leader - Harper used the excuse of poor economic times to freeze aid to some of the world's most impoverished countries. An example of this is the African nation of Malawi, one of the 10 poorest nations in the world. Before Harper, Canada was the 6th largest aid donor to Malawi, and the largest supplier of school books. After coming into power, he closed the Canadian embassy in Malawi and took the country (alongside 6 other African nations) off of Canada's aid priority list. Harper cut aid to Africa in half, before finally freezing all foreign aid in 2010.
680 News

15. The Harper Conservatives want to buy 65 stealth fighter jets using $29 billion of tax payers' money: That works out to around $1000 per person in Canada. The Conservatives initially reported the cost would be $9 billion, plus $7 billion in maintenance costs. In March, Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page warned Canadians that the Harper Government was low-balling the cost by more than $12 billion.
The Globe & Mail

16. Refusal to sign UN declaration designating clean water as a human right: In the 2011 budget, the Harper government failed to allocate any new funding for drinking water on First Nations reserves. 100 First Nations communities currently have water advisories, including 49 communities which are high risk. He also refuses to sign the UN declaration designating clean water as a human right.

17. Harper tried to quietly eliminate the Canadian long form census: The long form census is how our government determines the state and needs of the country, and is used extensively in various fields of research. In eliminating the census, many projects would be affected negatively, and it will become much more difficult to understand the needs of the country.
Hill Times

18. Never kept promises of cutting $1.4 Billion in federal subsidies given to oil companies: In 2007, Harper cut $1.2 Billion from the establishment of national childcare, but failed to keep his promise of cutting the $1.4 billion in tax breaks he gives to oil companies, which continue to see record profits.
CUPE
19. Sabotaging efforts to deal with climate change: Protecting the interests of large oil companies, Harper has fought global efforts to deal with climate change. In 2009, he cut science research funding by $138 Million, and imposed limitations on scientists at Environment Canada, requiring that they obtain permission to do interviews, and often screened their responses. The result is that Canadian media coverage of climate change science has been reduced by 80%. His efforts here have been so destructive, that in 2009 prominent politicians and scientists called for Canada to be removed from the Commonwealth. The last time this mark of shame was used, it was against South Africa while it was still under racist apartheid rule.
Guardian UK

20. Cancelled the Kelowna accord
The Kelowna accord was a $5 billion breakthrough agreement to improve the quality of health and education for Canada's First Nation's Peoples. Harper cancelled it in 2006, immediately after taking office.

21. Tarnishing our international reputation as Peacekeepers: 'We detained, and handed over for severe torture, a lot of innocent people.' in 2009 Canadian Diplomat Richard Colvin shocked the nation with these words. In Afghanistan, Canada captured 6x more prisoners than the British and 20x as many as the Dutch. Colvin explained that 'Many were just local people: farmers; truck drivers; tailors, peasants...the likelihood is that all the Afghans we handed over were tortured.'
The Globe & Mail

22. Wants more power, less oversight: The Conservatives have vowed to implement unprecedented levels of monitoring on Canadians' internet activities. Harper has tried and failed (4 times) to create a law that would implement mass scale internet surveillance, and that would allow the government access to private information without any warrants, and without any court oversight.
CBC & Michael Geist

23. Wasteful prison spending increases, and shutting down rehabilitation centres: Even though crime rates have been falling for a decade, the Harper administration plans to implement tougher laws, and to incarcerate more Canadians than ever before. Plans are to double annual prison spending by 2015 (an increase of $5 billion annually). Meanwhile, six prison farms, considered by some to be Canada's most effective rehabilitation programs, where inmates produced food for themselves and other prisons - have been closed. This is in spite of having support from the majority of Canadians. Observers say that this will result in inmates being hardened, instead of healed.

24. Breaking traditions: Traditionally, the lobby in parliament has been decorated with photos of former Prime Ministers. Since taking office, Stephen Harper has broken this tradition, decorating the lobby with just photos of himself.Ottawa Citizen

25. Renamed 'The Government of Canada' to 'The Harper Goverment': In late 2010, public servants from various departments confirmed that Stephen Harper has indeed renamed 'The Government of Canada' to 'The Harper Government'. - See more at: www.whynotharper.ca/

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

OPINION
Stephen Harper's comments on missing, murdered aboriginal women show 'lack of respect'
Prime minister says national inquiry not high on government's radar
By Tanya Kappo, for CBC News Posted: Dec 19, 2014 12:51 PM ET Last Updated: Dec 19, 2014 1:13 PM ET

In a span of a week, the Conservative government confirmed their feelings of indifference, disregard and utter lack of respect for indigenous people.

It seems that their contempt is solely aimed at First Nation men, First Nation women, and First Nation girls.

This is the very attitude that underlies the government legislation and (non) actions that have resulted in tragic consequences suffered by First Nation people for generations.

For more aboriginal stories, visit CBC Aboriginal
Full text of Peter Mansbridge's interview with Stephen Harper
The Indian Act. The Indian Residential School. Child Welfare. Theft of land. Theft of children. Theft of identity. Theft of existence. Genocide by legislation.

This, coupled with deeply entrenched stereotypes, bears life and death consequences of violence, self violence, community violence, societal violence, and systemic violence.

'Um it, it isn’t really high on our radar, to be honest ... Our ministers will continue to dialogue with those who are concerned about this.'
- Prime Minister Stephen Harper on a public inquiry into missing aboriginal women
And it's the indigenous women and girls who suffer the brunt of this – going missing and being murdered in epidemic proportions in neighbourhoods, streets and highways in every part of this country.

This very heavy, dark and painful truth is a reality that affects every single person who calls Canada home.

Yet, in the very words of the prime minister: "… it isn't really high on our radar, to be honest."

And when he weakly tried to defend the efforts of his government, the Harper distinctly removed himself completely from the equation.

Tina Fontaine
The death of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine in August renewed calls for a national public inquiry into the nearly 1,200 cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women. (Facebook)

"Our ministers will continue to dialogue with those who are concerned about this," he said.

There are many who are concerned about this. Many who have lent their voices to call on the Conservative government for a national inquiry. Towns, cities, police forces, schools, unions, artists, musicians and families of those who've lost their mother, sister, daughter, auntie or grandma.

More than 1,200 human lives inexplicably gone, stolen. Children left motherless. Mothers left daughterless. And grandmas and aunties, gone.

Not just an issue on reserves

The prime minister continually says his government is making new laws, taking action and wants to ensure everyone is afforded the same protections.

Yet there is no evidence whatsoever that these new laws (applicable only to First Nations on reserve) have made any difference in the face of this crisis.

The Conservative government seems to be committed to making Canadians believe the violence is attributed only to First Nation men, on reserves. Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Bernard Valcourt recently made a comment in this regard, but in doing so, put his finger squarely on the problem.

"Obviously, there's a lack of respect for women and girls on reserves," he said. "So you know, if the guys grow up believing that women have no rights, that is how they are treated."

It would seem that it's the Conservative government's attitude he is describing, not the attitude of First Nations men on reserves.

Lack of respect? Absolutely.

If someone grows up believing that others don't have rights, then they treat them as if they don't have rights? Yes, yes indeed.

The Conservative government does not believe First Nation people have rights, and make their profound lack of respect painfully clear.

Harper assault a travesty, not a 'situation'

Recently, Rinelle Harper, who survived a brutal assault, challenged everyone to push for a national inquiry. And to that, Valcourt, gave a response that made me sick to my stomach.

Stephen Harper
Prime Minister Stephen Harper offers his views in a year-end interview with the CBC's chief correspondent, Peter Mansbridge. (CBC)

"Listen, Rinelle , I have a lot of sympathy for your situation. And I guess that victims … have different views and we respect them," he said.
Rinelle is 16 years old. She is still a child. A child who survived a brutal physical and sexual assault meant to kill her and the aboriginal affairs minister refers to the assault as her "situation."

It should never be OK to refer to such a brutal act as a situation, let alone one that was inflicted on a child.

To allow the federal government to continue this approach is to accept the same results – more missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

I do not believe that this is what Canadians want.

A national inquiry must be part of the action taken. Together.

Indigenous people will always take responsibility for what belongs to them, including fault when appropriate and will always work towards solutions for the benefit of all.

It's time Canadians demand their government do the same.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Apr 29, 2015 by PressProgress
Stephen Harper mails own birthday cards for people to sign and send back to him

Will Stephen Harper have a lonely birthday?

Not if the Conservative Party of Canada can help it!

According to photos circulating on social media this week, the Conservatives are drumming up support for the Prime Minister's 56th birthday this week -- by mailing people birthday cards, along with instructions to sign the cards and send them back to Harper.

"Guys Stephen Harper is actually sending out birthday cards for himself that you can sign and send back," said a Tumblr user who first posted the photos and has since been reblogged hundreds of times.

Tumblr users reacted with a range of sarcasm, from "that's kinda pathetic," to "where can I get these? I have a lot of things I would like to wish the PM," to "how is this real?"

While it's not uncommon for political parties to use the birthdays of leaders as an opportunity to collect information from supporters, in this case, it's hard not to wonder if the Conservatives are worried no one will wish the Prime Minister "happy birthday" without a nudge?

After all, this is the same Prime Minister's Office that asked staff to prepare binders full of enemies.

So who probably won't be sending Harper back a birthday card this year?

Mike Duffy: It was not so long ago when Harper called Senator Duffy, currently facing charges of breach of trust, bribery, and fraud, one of his "best, hardest working appointments ever." Like another famous resident of Prince Edward Island and her kindred spirit Diana, Harper and Duffy seemed by all accounts to be true bosom friends.

Senator Duffy also raised money for Harper. He raised a lot of money. He even made videos for Harper too, even though the Crown prosecutor now argues Duffy wasn't eligible to sit as a PEI senator in the first place.

Oh yeah, and Senators Pamela Wallin and Patrick Brazeau probably won't be RSVP-ing for Harper's birthday either.

Close confidantes turned tell-all authors: How could such loyal friends turn into tattle tales? Harper's former advisor Bruce Carson said Harper is prone to fits of rage and increasingly isolated, while another top advisor and one-time co-author Tom Flanagan wrote that the PM has a "dark, almost Nixonian side."

Preston Manning: Once upon a time, Harper was a protégé of Manning. Now? The former leader of the Reform Party isn't in Harper's good books.

Why is that? Well, he started advocating for what Harper calls a "crazy economic policy" -- that's right, Manning is now calling for carbon pricing to fight climate change. Oh, how people change.

The oil industry: Speaking of which, even the oil industry seems less friendly than it once was. Harper has always put all of his eggs in the boom and bust resource economy basket, but now that the price of oil is sinking, the oil and gas industry did not receive a single mention in Joe Oliver's recent federal budget, though Oliver telegraphed they'll now shift their attention to Canada's hollowed out manufacturing sector.

Everyone involved in Canada's manufacturing sector: Except there's a problem with the Conservatives' talk of manufacturing. Rebuilding the sector will take time and money, and the Conservatives don't appear willing to offer either.

The governor of the Bank of Canada said last fall that "capacity in these subsectors has simply disappeared," and the lights won't be turning on at Ontario factories without substantial new investments. Meanwhile, total employment in Canadian manufacturing has plummeted to near record lows.

It also doesn't help when Canada invests half a billion dollars to build Volskwagon factories in Mexico days after earmarking an "underwhelming" fraction of that amount in the 2015 budget to help Canadian manufacturers.

Conservative critics of Bill C-51: It was bad enough when the Prime Minister lost the support of conservative guys over his anti-terror bill: Conrad Black, Rex Murphy, Conservative MP Michael Chong, former prime minister Joe Clark, the National Firearms Association and ex-Conservative MP Brent Rathgeber are among its vocal opponents.

But now he's lost the support of 60 Canadian business leaders who say C-51 will needlessly undermine consumer confidence in their products and be bad for the economy. Not a good sign.

Charities and labour unions: Between using the Canada Revenue Agency to lead an ongoing witchhunt against charities and Conservative senators (of all people) accusing labour unions of corruption and demanding transparency, it's pretty safe to assume charities and labour will skip out on Harper's birthday party.

Public officials: For the last nine years, Harper Conservatives have scapegoated public servants whenever they don't "take no (or yes) for an answer." That list includes: Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Beverley McLachlin, former Auditor General Sheila Fraser, former Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page, former Veterans ombudsman Pat Stogran, current Elections Canada Chief Electoral Officer Marc Mayrand, former Statistics Canada Chief Statistician Munir Sheikh, and so many more.

Lawyerlady · On the bright side...... Christmas is coming! (Mod)

24. Breaking traditions: Traditionally, the lobby in parliament has been decorated with photos of former Prime Ministers. Since taking office, Stephen Harper has broken this tradition, decorating the lobby with just photos of himself.Ottawa Citizen

Ok - I realize this isn't even remotely the worst offense on that list, but really? He really did that? LOL.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Lawyerlady wrote:
24. Breaking traditions: Traditionally, the lobby in parliament has been decorated with photos of former Prime Ministers. Since taking office, Stephen Harper has broken this tradition, decorating the lobby with just photos of himself.Ottawa Citizen

Ok - I realize this isn't even remotely the worst offense on that list, but really? He really did that? LOL.

Yeah, this one is just weird . . . but yes, he did it.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

4 federal elections workers walked off the job this weekend to protest the lack of support they were getting at the polling stations when the early voting wait times exceeded two hours in some of the more urban ridings.

The conspiracy-theory lover part of me wonders if this was an attempt by Conservative supporters to further hinder the process . . .

Ohfour · Hooker

So, this weekend, me and my Canadian friend had many a discussion about the Canadian election. Harper seems like a psychopath. I was shocked...
Shes actually (3 letter political party term that I can't remember), pansexual, and atheist. And I love her so much. We had the absolute best time this weekend. We discussed everything under the sun. It was very enlightening for both of us...

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

I'm guessing NDP. Especially if she is an easterner. And yes, Harper is prob a psychopath. Or just a complete nutjob. Or we're all part of some experiment to see if a robot can run a country and for how before anyone notices . . .

Ohfour · Hooker

NDP!!! Thats her. Shes from Sarnia. What I heard this weekend was Hitleresque. He is deciding who are "real" Canadians and who are not? Really? I am disgusted...

Dona Worry Be Happy · Vette's SS!!

Wow. I will stay tuned to see how it all turns out.

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Ohfour wrote:
NDP!!! Thats her. Shes from Sarnia. What I heard this weekend was Hitleresque. He is deciding who are "real" Canadians and who are not? Really? I am disgusted...

Yup. He's threatening to revoke citizenship based on certain crimes. And based on dual citizenship. The only problem with that is that half the people he wants to de-citizen were born in Canada and have never lived anywhere else and aren't actually dual citizens.

And instead of having an election focused on the economy or the electoral fraud charges against him he's making a big deal about the muslim Niqab debate that HE STARTED. The Niqab was pink, apparently. The Supreme court ruled twice. TWICE. Leave it alone, Harper. Go lose your election or something. Or worry about all your senators and office staff being in court on fraud charges. Something important. Leave face coverings and women alone!

Tignanello · My dog name is, Sasha!

Masked voters casting ballots, and it’s all legal

A photo from the Facebook page called Any mummers 'lowed to vote.
Who was that masked voter? That seems to be the refrain around the country as face coverings of all kinds appear to be a growing trend in the Canadian election.
Over the Thanksgiving long weekend, various people in Newfoundland, Quebec and Alberta were photographed in garb ranging from clown costumes to horses heads casting their ballot in advance polls.
It seems the purpose for doing so is either to mock Stephen Harper’s focus on the niqab as a political ploy or to make a stand that niqabs have no place in the business of the nation.
In fact, a Quebec woman launched the Facebook group “Le 19 octobre, on vote à visage couvert!” encouraging people to cover their faces when they vote. Just prior to the advance polls over the Thanksgiving long weekend, Catherine Leclerc said she had more than 9,000 people pledging to do so.
Leclerc said she created the call to cover because she has been frustrated by the inability of governments to ban religious garb. She emphasizes that her action isn’t against any particular group but just a demand for secularism in the democratic process. She and other volunteers are removing any racist comments on their page.
Members of the group are now posting pictures of themselves at the advance polls wearing all kinds of bizarre outfits from pirate gear to a horse head to fancy Venetian masks. One man who dressed in his own version of a niqab using what looked like a checkered tablecloth. Many others simply wrapped their heads with the Quebec flag.
In Dorval, a man voted while clad in a clown’s costume while another man in Gatineau, just across the river from Ottawa, voted in a ghost costume and a woman wearing a potato sack on her head cast her ballot.
Quebec comedian Adib Alkhalidey took to his Facebook page to mock those who felt the need to make a statement about the niqab, urging those who did so to put a penis on their head the next time they make love to ensure the humanity of future generations.
Though he got more than 8,000 likes, Alkhalidey Akhalide also attracted negative reaction with some urging him to return to his country. Alkhalidey says he can’t do that since he’s lived in Quebec all his life.
According to Elections Canada rules, citizens are allowed to vote with a face covering.
“It doesn’t matter what kind of covering it is. It can be a mask or a niqab but there is nothing to stop electors from showing up with a covering. They are welcome,” Dugald Maudsley of Elections Canada tells Yahoo Canada News.
“When they do have [a face covering] they are offered a choice: show their face or take an oath attesting to their eligibility to vote and provide two pieces of identification, one of which has to have a current address.”
Maudsley says he doesn’t know of any circumstance yet in which a voter has been turned away simply because he/she has a face covering.
“All the poll workers have been trained to deal specifically with all manner of voting. Everyone is allowed to vote.”
Maudsley also noted that Canadians can vote by mail and in that case, aren’t required to provide a photo ID.
“It’s not that different from voting by mail.”
Elections Canada does not keep track the number of people showing up in costume or face coverings, said Maudsley who noted he had seen reports on TV of strangely-garbed electors. While there have been reports in the past of people doing so and being noted down for it, that’s not something Elections Canada does.
“Clearly people are wearing a variety of costumes in this election.”
It’s not just a Quebec trend. St. John’s, N.L., businessman Jon Keefe decided he had enough of the niqab debate, which he felt detracted from real issues. He called out to his fellow Newfoundlanders on Facebook to show up as mummers.
The province has a Christmas tradition of mummering in which people dress up in strange costumes and go from house to house to dance and to drink.
Keefe showed up at a poll on Saturday in a floral dress, florescent yellow pantyhose and an elaborate face mask.
“There’s a mistaken belief that covering your face is somehow against Canadian values,” he told The Telegram newspaper.
And out West, in Edmonton, a man kitted out as a cowboy with a hat and kerchief covering his face voted while being filmed by a woman using her iPad. According to another voter, officials at the polling station in SW Edmonton were more concerned about the iPad telling the woman it was illegal to film inside a polling station.
And Gale Throne of Calgary posted a video saying she voted in a full ski mask to prove that she could have been anyone. Throne railed against what she sees as bending over for “political correctness.”
“All they did was pull out a little green book and said, ‘Are you such-and-such a person?’ I said ‘yes’ and that was it. And off I went to vote. Wow.”