Just four days ago YWN posted an article [HERE] about the concerns of the Jewish community of Canada regarding the possibility of early elections possibly falling out on the Yom Tov (Holiday) of Sukkos. Sure enough, just a short while ago Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced parliamentary elections, after warning for weeks that elections were inevitable to break a deadlock with opposition parties on several key issues.
The third general election in just over four years is expected to take place October 14 -the first day of Sukkos – after Canada’s governor-general announced the dissolution of the parliament.
“Between now and October 14th, Canadians will choose a government to look out for their interest in a time of global economic trouble,” Harper said.
“They will choose between clear direction or uncertainty, between common sense or risky experiments, between steadiness or recklessness.”
Harper, who has headed the Conservative minority government since January 2006, making it the longest minority government in the country’s history, has insisted in recent weeks that new elections will be necessary to deal with the specter of possible recession, as the manufacturing sectors in the most populous provinces, Ontario and Quebec, suffer a direct hit from the global economic slowdown.
Harper used the announcement Sunday to lash out at his opponents, saying their criticism of his government “masks unclear and risky agendas.”
Surveys ahead of Sunday’s announcement showed that Harper, elected to head a minority government on January 23, 2006, has a strong possibility of being returned to power.
His Conservative Party has 127 deputies out of 308 total seats in the House of Commons. They need another 28 seats to gain an absolute majority.
(Source: AFP / AP)
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6 Responses
America needs to invade and annex Canada to end this blatant discrimination and disenfranchisment!
Kinda of surprising, considering Harper has been very supportive to the Jews and Israel. Nevertheless, the frum community will likely not have a major impact on the election, especially considering that many of them live in very supportive liberal ridings (at least in Toronto, maybe different in Montreal).
Of course there’s advance polls, but with Yomim Norayim and Yom Tov preparations many will likely not bother to vote.
Here in the US, the last time I actually stepped into a voting booth was probably a decade ago, yet I’ve voted in every single election.
It’s called mail-in voting.
#2-
The National Post carried an article about how Harper did in fact consult with Jewish groups to try to avoid this situation but since the election must be held on a Monday because of the relatively new election law, there were almost no choices available during October that didn’t fall on Yom Tov
The scheduling of an election on a Jewish holiday is regrettable, yet understandable, B’nai Brith Canada said yesterday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been in discussions with the Jewish human rights organization over his decision to hold an election on Oct. 14, the Jewish holiday of Succot. “Prime Minister Harper has personally reached out to the Jewish community and contacted B’nai Brith regarding his decision to hold the upcoming federal election on a date that falls on a Jewish holiday,” said Frank Dimant, executive vice-president of B’nai Brith Canada. “While it is regrettable that the Prime Minister ultimately settled on the date of Succot, we understand that the government had only the narrowest window of opportunity to schedule an election. We also recognize that the Prime Minister has made every sincere effort to arrive at a resolution that would not impose limitations on Orthodox Jews.” He said new electoral laws would allow voters to cast their ballot on days other than the scheduled election date.
Stephen Harper has nothing but spoken out PRO-ISRAEL. he’s good to the jews.
I think if it is possible jews should vote.