Atlantic Canadian Politics Thread

[OliverD]

I would have rather they made Thanksgiving a stat holiday.

[Fischbob]

We might have an election called on Monday.

[L'homard]

Curious about the basis of that Fischbob.
Honestly I thought they would have gone already but they didn't so I had forgotten about the notion - until now lol.

[MonctonRad]

Well, so much for fixed election dates........

Gallant must expect a large amount of brownish coloured effluvium to interface with the rotary cooling device next year if he is planning on calling an early election.

I wonder whats up???

[L'homard]

Colour me skeptical.
(Even though "fixed" election dates aren't really fixed.)

[JHikka]

Fixed election dates exist for a reason. If there is indeed an election called the Gallant government is spending taxpayer money on an early election for their own potential political gain.

I'm guessing if there is an election called its due to a number of different factors: ATCON Report, Property Tax scandal, Sears, wanting to avoid being tied to pot legalization next July....

[Taeolas]

Well, the attack ads have started up on the radio. (Liberals attacking the Tories), so I guess that all but guarantees we have an early election coming. *sigh*

It does feel like it is way too soon, and the Liberals certainly don't seem to be in a strong enough position to be doing this. Between the optics of the Sears deal, Atcon, pipeline deals, and various other issues; I can't imagine why they would want to call an election now, unless they figure the next year some really bad news is coming down the pipeline.

[Fischbob]

False alarm. Sorry guys, I got caught up in the cryptic speculation!

FWIW, the government has released some PR bullet points on what they intend to accomplish in the coming legislative session.

[Taeolas]

So in other political news, the York Rural Community vote happened, and was rejected.

Looking at the map of the planned community, it looks way too big to be manageable, so I can understand why it failed. I don't really understand why/how they drew up those community boundaries, since they don't really seem to make much sense.

Ward 1 should probably easily have been lopped off. Ward 6 and the tails of Ward 4 and Ward 7 are inevitably going to be swallowed by Fredericton eventually (possibly also swallowed by Hanwell first).

Ward 2 and Ward 5 (with some/all of Ward 3 and 4) would probably have worked as a community (call it Mactaquac since that would basically be the anchor). It would still be very big, but at least that seems more cohesive.

Ward 7 might have fit in it; but would more likely just be swallowed by Hanwell.

Oh well, it's a moot point now. Maybe next time someone resurrects it, they won't try to bite off so much and keep to a more reasonable size and scope.

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by Taeolas

So in other political news, the York Rural Community vote happened, and was rejected.

Looking at the map of the planned community, it looks way too big to be manageable, so I can understand why it failed. I don't really understand why/how they drew up those community boundaries, since they don't really seem to make much sense.

Ward 1 should probably easily have been lopped off. Ward 6 and the tails of Ward 4 and Ward 7 are inevitably going to be swallowed by Fredericton eventually (possibly also swallowed by Hanwell first).

Ward 2 and Ward 5 (with some/all of Ward 3 and 4) would probably have worked as a community (call it Mactaquac since that would basically be the anchor). It would still be very big, but at least that seems more cohesive.

Ward 7 might have fit in it; but would more likely just be swallowed by Hanwell.

Oh well, it's a moot point now. Maybe next time someone resurrects it, they won't try to bite off so much and keep to a more reasonable size and scope.

Despite it being a moot point now I had seen a screenshot of the proposed ward map, and thought it was an April fools joke Ward 1 (Proposed looks to be double the size of Ward 2-7 all together.

But I'm going to say I believe whoever came up with the map was not thinking ward size but population of the ward more then likely.

[Taeolas]

Originally Posted by Scarface

Despite it being a moot point now I had seen a screenshot of the proposed ward map, and thought it was an April fools joke Ward 1 (Proposed looks to be double the size of Ward 2-7 all together.

But I'm going to say I believe whoever came up with the map was not thinking ward size but population of the ward more then likely.

Population and existing county or service district limits most likely. They basically took all of York county, subtracted existing Cities and big towns or big service districts (like Hanwell) and tried to sell it as "Everyone else is a rural community".

[ivegotaname]

when can we vote from home?

[MonctonRad]

Welcome to the forums.

Computerized voting from home is fraught with perils.

1) - how reliable is it?
2) - is your vote really secret?
3) - how would you conduct recounts (if necessary)?
4) - can the system be hacked?

Until you can guarantee a truly secret and reliable voting platform free from meddling and fraud, and with a secure mechanism to detect such fraud (that will inevitably occur) - i.e. a system for recounts, then I think I will stick with a paper ballot.

No sitting government ever wants to give up power. There will always be persons interested in power who will employ whatever mechanisms possible to retain power, despite the consequences. A few lines of computer code added into the voting algorithm may be damned difficult to detect, especially if it autodestructs right after the balloting is complete. How would we ever be able to guarantee a fair election if the only thing we have to go on is a potentially hacked computer system.

Even with the current system, the Russians were able to create quite a bit of chaos for the Americans. Without paper ballots and the option of a judicial recount, then everything goes out the window........

[Taeolas]

In my opinion, the Scanatron system NB has is a decent enough hybrid between electronic voting and paper ballots. It does mean you can't vote from home or anything (other than mail in votes), but you still have a solid papertrail to fall back on if there are any doubts or concerns about the counting machines.

I don't think our networks are secure enough nor trusted enough (especially after the past few years) for a purely electronic system to work.

[McKay]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

Computerized voting from home is fraught with perils.

1) - how reliable is it?
2) - is your vote really secret?
3) - how would you conduct recounts (if necessary)?
4) - can the system be hacked?

5) How do you prevent coercion of vulnerable voters?

[Scarface]

Originally Posted by McKay

5) How do you prevent coercion of vulnerable voters?

You can't 100% but there are steps you can take to avoid it as much as posible. Including using secured networks.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Scarface

You can't 100% but there are steps you can take to avoid it as much as posible. Including using secured networks.

I think he means having your overbearing and threatening brother-in-law watching you over your shoulder while you vote on line. That would hardly be a "secret ballot", and if you didn't vote the way your brother-in-law wanted you to vote, and if you were a vulnerable person, you could get a slap up side of your head..........

It's a very real concern...........

Our current paper ballot system is fair, verifiable, secret and free of coercion. It will be very hard to replicate these features on line.

[McKay]

Originally Posted by MonctonRad

I think he means having your overbearing and threatening brother-in-law watching you over your shoulder while you vote on line. That would hardly be a "secret ballot", and if you didn't vote the way your brother-in-law wanted you to vote, and if you were a vulnerable person, you could get a slap up side of your head..........

It's a very real concern...........

Our current paper ballot system is fair, verifiable, secret and free of coercion. It will be very hard to replicate these features on line.

That's it exactly.

[ivegotaname]

I believe the beginning of the end of New Brunswick started when we lost out on energy east pipeline. The province and my home city of SJ are dying and the feds and provincial gvts don't care. It started with McKenna the bastard had it in for SJ and when St Lawrence opened that drew the dagger.

Nova Scotia won't take us and we would be dirt poorer in USA. Only option might be believe it or not join Quebec when they separate

[Delusio Cogno]

Originally Posted by ivegotaname

I believe the beginning of the end of New Brunswick started when we lost out on energy east pipeline. The province and my home city of SJ are dying and the feds and provincial gvts don't care. It started with McKenna the bastard had it in for SJ and when St Lawrence opened that drew the dagger.

Nova Scotia won't take us and we would be dirt poorer in USA. Only option might be believe it or not join Quebec when they separate

Creating New Brunswick was like slicing off northern Manitoba and calling it a province. With poor climate, poor soils, and not much resources but fish and trees the opportunities aren't great to support a large population. However a small population could be quite well off, if resources were fairly shared with workers.