JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER. 1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
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Canada's fractious opposition leaders face pressure to cooperate-ReutersBy By David Ljunggren | Reuters – OCT 15,15-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA (Reuters) - In the final week of Canada's election campaign, the leaders of the opposition Liberals and New Democratic Party are locked in a fierce and divisive battle for the same center-left votes.Behind the scenes, however, insiders from both parties tell Reuters there will be huge pressure on the leaders to forge some sort of a power-sharing agreement after the Oct. 19 vote rather than risk a deadlock and another election.The willingness of Liberal chief Justin Trudeau and NDP boss Thomas Mulcair to seal a deal could have a direct bearing on whether Canadians have a stable government after polls close on Oct. 19, or face a prolonged period of political instability.Polls show no party is likely to win a majority of seats in the House of Commons, creating an opportunity for the Liberals and NDP to defeat Prime Minister Stephen Harper's ruling Conservatives in a confidence vote.No one pretends the two opposition leaders are close. Mulcair, 60, refers dismissively to his younger rival and calls him a closet Conservative on major issues.Trudeau, 43, citing personal differences and what he describes as Mulcair's bad decisions on taxes and investments, says he cannot work with his counterpart.But senior Liberal party figures will make it clear to Trudeau that he should resolve his issues rather than do anything that might keep Harper in power or give him a chance to win it back, three well-placed Liberals said.Separately, one high-ranking New Democrat predicted an "irresistible force coming from supporters of both parties" on the two sides to work together if the circumstances were right."The imperative would remain quite high despite things that were said during the heat of battle," said the New Democrat.The Liberals dismiss the idea of a formal coalition where both parties have ministers in a joint government. More likely would be a type of agreement whereby the junior party agrees to allow the larger party to rule in return for specific concessions.If Trudeau and Mulcair fail to work out such a deal, whoever was the prime minister would have to govern day by day, knowing he could be brought down at any time. That could spark a new election, which would give the Conservatives a chance to regain power."It's going to have to work to some degree ... another election could lead to the same place," said a fourth Liberal source.HURT FEELINGS-Harper led two successive minority governments from 2006 to 2011, relying partly on political skill and a divided opposition to stay in office. But his chances of keeping another minority alive after Oct. 19 appear slim given the determination of the opposition to bring him down.Although the two left-leaning rivals have worked together in the past, mutual mistrust can run deep.Asked on Wednesday about cooperation with Mulcair, Trudeau declined to answer directly, saying Canadians did not "want politicians organizing back rooms deals around who actually gets to wield power."His dismissive tone has hurt Mulcair, who says he is prepared to work with the Liberals. The NDP platform, released earlier this month, goes even further, pledging to "work with other federalist parties through informal or appropriate stable arrangements to end Stephen Harper's lost decade."Mulcair complained on Tuesday that "every time I've opened that door ... it's Mr Trudeau who takes it upon himself to slam that door shut."The Liberals date back to 1861 and have ruled Canada longer than any other party, while the New Democrats were created in 1961 and have never held power federally.The New Democrats kept the Liberals in power from 1972 to 1974 with Trudeau's father, Pierre, as the prime minister. But the NDP lost half their seats in a subsequent 1974 election.The two parties also agreed to create a coalition in late 2008 to bring down Harper's minority government, but the Liberals walked away in the aftermath of a leadership crisis.Former New Democrat legislator Dawn Black, who took part in the 2008 talks, said "the Liberals had an entitlement kind of attitude" that made negotiations hard."We still see it in Trudeau daily ... and I don't think that will change very easily," she said.Martha Hall Findlay, a Liberal legislator at the time, said "the problem facing the current folk is that the history of what happened in 2008 has made it very difficult ... to do a repeat."Yet while the memory of the failed coalition still stings, some circumstances have changed.Trudeau has shifted his party leftwards into New Democrat territory, talking of taxing the nation's wealthiest, the need for social responsibility and more spending. At the same time, the New Democrats moved to the right, stressing the importance of balanced budgets.Former senior Liberal official David Zussman said he did not think the parties' ideological differences would be a major problem."The bigger fear I think would be the smaller party wondering whether that was the end of them," he said, citing the often sorry fate of junior partners in governments.(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Alan Crosby)
Federal Election 2015-Advance polls see more than 70-per-cent increase in voter turnout-ERIC ANDREW-GEE-The Globe and Mail-Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015 10:31PM EDT
Canadians stampeded to advance polls over the long weekend, exceeding turnout in the past election’s early voting window by 71 per cent.In total, some 3.6 million people cast ballots between Friday and Monday, according to Elections Canada – a four-day spread that was a day longer than the advance polling period in 2011. Still, the turnout surge is being hailed by observers as a promising sign of interest in this federal campaign, despite a decades-long trend toward voter apathy.“It’s a great story,” said Peter Loewen, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. “Overall, it’s a big increase.”Elections Canada estimated that 850,000 people voted on Friday; 780,000 on Saturday; 767,000 on Sunday; and a full 1.2 million people on Monday.Mr. Loewen said the spike in voting was likely driven by relatively good weather, the extra day of the long weekend and political passions flaring as families assembled for Thanksgiving. The parties were also likely trying to drive partisans to the polls, so they could focus on winning over potential supporters in the campaign’s home stretch, Mr. Loewen said.This election is also unusually competitive, with three parties making a serious push to form government, though polls have shown the NDP in free fall since late September. The three-way race, coupled with the extraordinary length of this year’s campaign – at 78 days, the longest in modern Canadian history – may have contributed to the eagerness of early voters.Still, Mr. Loewen cautioned against expecting a breakthrough in voter turnout on Oct. 19. For one thing, he noted, advance voters would likely have voted on election day anyway. And historically in Canada, competitiveness doesn’t have much impact on overall turnout.Voter participation has been declining since the early 1990s, reaching a low point of 58.8 per cent in 2008, before rebounding slightly to 61.1 per cent in 2011. Mr. Loewen said this year’s election was unlikely to witness a return to the glory days of more than 70-per-cent turnout.“I think it may be high 60s if we’re lucky,” he said, before adding, “that’s the kind of thing that political scientists say and then they’re wrong.”
Advance voting rate jumps nearly 38% in New Brunswick-CBC – OCT 15,15-YAHOONEWS
New Brunswick's voter turn out in the advance polls surged by 37.8 per cent above the 2011 level, as 113,185 people showed up to cast their ballots early, according to Elections Canada.The elections agency released new numbers on Thursday saying 113,185 voters turned out over the four days of early voting this month.Elections Canada said 70,361 New Brunswickers voted in the advance polls in 2011.Beauséjour had the highest turnout with 15,664 voters, according to the agency.Liberal Dominic LeBlanc, who is seeking his sixth term as MP for the southeastern riding, was the only Liberal elected in New Brunswick in the 2011 election.He has maintained a high profile in the federal Liberals and he's managed to bring in Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and former prime minister Jean Chretien to his riding during the campaign.The next three New Brunswick ridings with high voter turnout were:- Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe: 13,770 votes- Acadie-Bathurst: 12,098 votes- Fredericton: 12,041 votes.Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe was the closest race in New Brunswick in 2011 as Conservative Robert Goguen won the riding with 37 per cent of the vote. The Liberals and NDP all had more than 30 per cent of the vote in the riding.The northeastern riding of Acadie-Bathurst is shaping up to be another interesting race after long-time NDP MP Yvon Godin retired from federal politics.Jason Godin is hoping to retain the seat for the NDP, while Liberal Serge Cormier is tap into the party's support from last year's provincial election to help him win the riding for the Grits.The lowest New Brunswick advance poll turnout was in New Brunswick Southwest with 12,041 ballots being cast. Conservative candidate John Williamson is seeking re-election, against Liberal Karen Ludwig, NDP candidate Andrew Graham and Green candidate Gayla MacIntosh.The rise in advance voters mirrors the national trend.Elections Canada has already reported that 3.6 million electors have voted early in the federal election.The advance polls were held across the country from Oct. 9 to Oct. 12.The 3.6 million voters is a 71-per-cent increase from the 2,100,855 electors, who voted in the 2011 general election.More than 850,000 Canadians voted on Oct. 9 and more than 1.2 million on Oct. 12, representing the two busiest days of advance voting ever.Elections Canada says the increase was due in part to an additional advance voting day on Sunday, offered for the first time.
Advance poll workers decry 'absolutely terrible' work conditions-CBC – OCT 15,15-YAHOO NEWS
A couple of Elections Canada temporary workers are calling on the agency to overhaul its labour standards after describing their working conditions during advance polls in Toronto as "awful" and "intolerable.""It was absolutely terrible," said Kathy Friedman, who worked at a polling station in the University-Rosedale riding.Workers say they were not allowed to take meal or washroom breaks during the four days of advance polling. There are also complaints that polls in Toronto were understaffed, and even ran out of ballots.The complaints come after a crush of voters descended on polls across the country. Elections Canada says 71 per cent more ballots were cast compared to the 2011 advance polls.Friedman says she was given no time to take breaks during shifts that lasted about 10 hours. She says her returning officer also threatened to withhold three days of pay after Friedman asked to take a break.Another worker who spoke to CBC News on the condition of anonymity said her Toronto-St Paul's station was so understaffed that the polls were forced to close when even a single worker left for a break."We were totally taken advantage of," the worker said. "This is like what they do to people to make them want to quit."Staff surprised by work conditions-Friedman says she was surprised to learn her temporary employment with Elections Canada did not include the allowances for breaks and overtime pay that are required in other forms of employment."I would like to know why they're not subject to the labour standards that I'm used to," she said.Unlike federal employees who work "under the legislative authority of the Parliament of Canada," federal election workers are not covered by the labour standards section in the Canada Labour Code.In a statement to CBC News, Elections Canada would not comment on specific complaints, but said "it may not be possible for the election officer to take a break at any time he wishes, especially if a large number of electors present themselves to vote.""High turnout during the advance polls this past weekend put additional stress on election workers beyond what was expected," the agency added.Elections Canada 'like a fox in the hen house'-A Toronto labour lawyer says the stressful work conditions could have been avoided with better planning, and he highlighted the need for more oversight."Elections Canada shouldn't be responsible for the labour standards of their workers," said Andrew Langille. "It needs to go to a third-party agency like the Labour Program, that can investigate complaints and possibly fine Elections Canada if there are breaches.""It sounds a bit like a fox in the hen house situation," he said.The worker at the Toronto-St. Paul's polling station put it more bluntly: "They're setting the labour laws and they're breaking the labour laws."Langille says Elections Canada workers who feel they've been mistreated could find recourse through the courts, or even the Canadian Human Rights Act, although short-term, temporary employees might be less likely to pursue legal action."The positions are quite precarious, and often it doesn't provide the workers with a lot of power," Langille said.Elections Canada says it is working to improve conditions in its polling stations and thanked its election workers for their dedication and patience."Difficult working conditions have been a source of concern for the Chief Electoral Officer; an issue that was raised several times in reports to Parliament," the agency said.
Canada Liberal boss defends ethics after pipeline furor-ReutersBy By Randall Palmer | Reuters – OCT 15,15-YAHOONEWS
MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian election front runner Justin Trudeau defended the ethics of his Liberal team on Thursday after his campaign co-chair was forced to resign over controversial advice to an energy company on how to lobby a Liberal government.The campaign official, Dan Gagnier, had sent an email on Monday to TransCanada Corp in his private capacity as a consultant, advising it on how to win approval for projects, including the Energy East oil pipeline.When news of the email emerged on Wednesday, the Trudeau campaign at first said Gagnier had done nothing wrong. By evening it sent out a notice that Gagnier had resigned, but blamed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party for "mean-spirited politics."At a campaign stop in Montreal, Trudeau said Gagnier had recognized his actions were inappropriate."I personally hold extremely high ethical standards not just for myself but for people surrounding me, and that's why we took, within 24 hours, a decision that Mr. Gagnier accepted and chose to step down from this campaign," Trudeau said.It was clear the Liberals were trying to limit damage from the incident rather than continuing to defend Gagnier's actions in the remaining days before the Oct. 19 election.It had the potential to dent the momentum of the party, which has established a clear polling lead. A Nanos survey released on Thursday put the Liberals at 37.1 percent, approaching levels needed to win a majority mandate.The center- left party, once in third place in the polls, is now more than seven points ahead of Harper's Conservatives and 13 points in front of the left-leaning New Democrats.Trudeau said Gagnier had not advised the campaign on energy issues. Trudeau had once supported the Energy East project, to bring oil from Alberta to the east coast for refining or exporting.He has since been ambivalent and on Thursday declined to clarify whether he would support it, saying it was not only a matter of winning government permits but also gaining permission from communities it passes through."It is not up to government to support one project or another, it is up for a government to set the framework within which communities can choose, or not, to support a project. Because people understand we need jobs and growth and development, but it cannot come at the cost of our health, of our environmental safety, of our long-term future," he said.(Reporting by Randall Palmer)
Go blue team: Jason Kenney says Conservatives can mirror Jays' win-The Canadian PressBy Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 15-15-YAHOONEWS
BRAMPTON, Ont. — Having the Blue Jays in the race for the World Series at the same time as the federal election has been a bit of a boon for the Conservatives, given that they share the same colours.But Jason Kenney took the parallel one step further Wednesday, drawing a link between the Jays' capturing their American League Division Series and the political future of the other blue team, his own."The blue team, they came from behind, they won three straight and they won the series just like the blue team is going to win on Oct. 19," he told a crowd of hundreds at an event for Stephen Harper Wednesday night, minutes after the Jays won the game.It is coming down to the final inning of the election for the Conservatives — there are only four days left to campaign.The party is pushing to overcome a surge of support for the Liberals that seems to threatens any chance of the Conservatives winning a majority government and potentially a minority as well.Kenney said Wednesday the Jays' victory has a message in it."It just takes courage, belief, you stick to your principles, you do it right," he said."That's what the Jays have taught us and that's what we're going to show Canada next Monday."Harper has spent the last four days campaigning in the voter-dense areas around Toronto and southwestern Ontario, venturing even into safe Conservative seats to try and counter the Liberal threat.But Thursday he heads to new territory — Quebec. There, the party is not on the defensive, but the offensive, hoping to add to their current five seats in the province by picking up several more, mostly around the provincial capital.He'll be picking up his campaign pace as well, adding a third public campaign event to his schedule Thursday instead of the usual two.
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Canada's fractious opposition leaders face pressure to cooperate-ReutersBy By David Ljunggren | Reuters – OCT 15,15-YAHOONEWS
OTTAWA (Reuters) - In the final week of Canada's election campaign, the leaders of the opposition Liberals and New Democratic Party are locked in a fierce and divisive battle for the same center-left votes.Behind the scenes, however, insiders from both parties tell Reuters there will be huge pressure on the leaders to forge some sort of a power-sharing agreement after the Oct. 19 vote rather than risk a deadlock and another election.The willingness of Liberal chief Justin Trudeau and NDP boss Thomas Mulcair to seal a deal could have a direct bearing on whether Canadians have a stable government after polls close on Oct. 19, or face a prolonged period of political instability.Polls show no party is likely to win a majority of seats in the House of Commons, creating an opportunity for the Liberals and NDP to defeat Prime Minister Stephen Harper's ruling Conservatives in a confidence vote.No one pretends the two opposition leaders are close. Mulcair, 60, refers dismissively to his younger rival and calls him a closet Conservative on major issues.Trudeau, 43, citing personal differences and what he describes as Mulcair's bad decisions on taxes and investments, says he cannot work with his counterpart.But senior Liberal party figures will make it clear to Trudeau that he should resolve his issues rather than do anything that might keep Harper in power or give him a chance to win it back, three well-placed Liberals said.Separately, one high-ranking New Democrat predicted an "irresistible force coming from supporters of both parties" on the two sides to work together if the circumstances were right."The imperative would remain quite high despite things that were said during the heat of battle," said the New Democrat.The Liberals dismiss the idea of a formal coalition where both parties have ministers in a joint government. More likely would be a type of agreement whereby the junior party agrees to allow the larger party to rule in return for specific concessions.If Trudeau and Mulcair fail to work out such a deal, whoever was the prime minister would have to govern day by day, knowing he could be brought down at any time. That could spark a new election, which would give the Conservatives a chance to regain power."It's going to have to work to some degree ... another election could lead to the same place," said a fourth Liberal source.HURT FEELINGS-Harper led two successive minority governments from 2006 to 2011, relying partly on political skill and a divided opposition to stay in office. But his chances of keeping another minority alive after Oct. 19 appear slim given the determination of the opposition to bring him down.Although the two left-leaning rivals have worked together in the past, mutual mistrust can run deep.Asked on Wednesday about cooperation with Mulcair, Trudeau declined to answer directly, saying Canadians did not "want politicians organizing back rooms deals around who actually gets to wield power."His dismissive tone has hurt Mulcair, who says he is prepared to work with the Liberals. The NDP platform, released earlier this month, goes even further, pledging to "work with other federalist parties through informal or appropriate stable arrangements to end Stephen Harper's lost decade."Mulcair complained on Tuesday that "every time I've opened that door ... it's Mr Trudeau who takes it upon himself to slam that door shut."The Liberals date back to 1861 and have ruled Canada longer than any other party, while the New Democrats were created in 1961 and have never held power federally.The New Democrats kept the Liberals in power from 1972 to 1974 with Trudeau's father, Pierre, as the prime minister. But the NDP lost half their seats in a subsequent 1974 election.The two parties also agreed to create a coalition in late 2008 to bring down Harper's minority government, but the Liberals walked away in the aftermath of a leadership crisis.Former New Democrat legislator Dawn Black, who took part in the 2008 talks, said "the Liberals had an entitlement kind of attitude" that made negotiations hard."We still see it in Trudeau daily ... and I don't think that will change very easily," she said.Martha Hall Findlay, a Liberal legislator at the time, said "the problem facing the current folk is that the history of what happened in 2008 has made it very difficult ... to do a repeat."Yet while the memory of the failed coalition still stings, some circumstances have changed.Trudeau has shifted his party leftwards into New Democrat territory, talking of taxing the nation's wealthiest, the need for social responsibility and more spending. At the same time, the New Democrats moved to the right, stressing the importance of balanced budgets.Former senior Liberal official David Zussman said he did not think the parties' ideological differences would be a major problem."The bigger fear I think would be the smaller party wondering whether that was the end of them," he said, citing the often sorry fate of junior partners in governments.(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Alan Crosby)
Federal Election 2015-Advance polls see more than 70-per-cent increase in voter turnout-ERIC ANDREW-GEE-The Globe and Mail-Last updated Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015 10:31PM EDT
Canadians stampeded to advance polls over the long weekend, exceeding turnout in the past election’s early voting window by 71 per cent.In total, some 3.6 million people cast ballots between Friday and Monday, according to Elections Canada – a four-day spread that was a day longer than the advance polling period in 2011. Still, the turnout surge is being hailed by observers as a promising sign of interest in this federal campaign, despite a decades-long trend toward voter apathy.“It’s a great story,” said Peter Loewen, associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. “Overall, it’s a big increase.”Elections Canada estimated that 850,000 people voted on Friday; 780,000 on Saturday; 767,000 on Sunday; and a full 1.2 million people on Monday.Mr. Loewen said the spike in voting was likely driven by relatively good weather, the extra day of the long weekend and political passions flaring as families assembled for Thanksgiving. The parties were also likely trying to drive partisans to the polls, so they could focus on winning over potential supporters in the campaign’s home stretch, Mr. Loewen said.This election is also unusually competitive, with three parties making a serious push to form government, though polls have shown the NDP in free fall since late September. The three-way race, coupled with the extraordinary length of this year’s campaign – at 78 days, the longest in modern Canadian history – may have contributed to the eagerness of early voters.Still, Mr. Loewen cautioned against expecting a breakthrough in voter turnout on Oct. 19. For one thing, he noted, advance voters would likely have voted on election day anyway. And historically in Canada, competitiveness doesn’t have much impact on overall turnout.Voter participation has been declining since the early 1990s, reaching a low point of 58.8 per cent in 2008, before rebounding slightly to 61.1 per cent in 2011. Mr. Loewen said this year’s election was unlikely to witness a return to the glory days of more than 70-per-cent turnout.“I think it may be high 60s if we’re lucky,” he said, before adding, “that’s the kind of thing that political scientists say and then they’re wrong.”
Advance voting rate jumps nearly 38% in New Brunswick-CBC – OCT 15,15-YAHOONEWS
New Brunswick's voter turn out in the advance polls surged by 37.8 per cent above the 2011 level, as 113,185 people showed up to cast their ballots early, according to Elections Canada.The elections agency released new numbers on Thursday saying 113,185 voters turned out over the four days of early voting this month.Elections Canada said 70,361 New Brunswickers voted in the advance polls in 2011.Beauséjour had the highest turnout with 15,664 voters, according to the agency.Liberal Dominic LeBlanc, who is seeking his sixth term as MP for the southeastern riding, was the only Liberal elected in New Brunswick in the 2011 election.He has maintained a high profile in the federal Liberals and he's managed to bring in Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau and former prime minister Jean Chretien to his riding during the campaign.The next three New Brunswick ridings with high voter turnout were:- Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe: 13,770 votes- Acadie-Bathurst: 12,098 votes- Fredericton: 12,041 votes.Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe was the closest race in New Brunswick in 2011 as Conservative Robert Goguen won the riding with 37 per cent of the vote. The Liberals and NDP all had more than 30 per cent of the vote in the riding.The northeastern riding of Acadie-Bathurst is shaping up to be another interesting race after long-time NDP MP Yvon Godin retired from federal politics.Jason Godin is hoping to retain the seat for the NDP, while Liberal Serge Cormier is tap into the party's support from last year's provincial election to help him win the riding for the Grits.The lowest New Brunswick advance poll turnout was in New Brunswick Southwest with 12,041 ballots being cast. Conservative candidate John Williamson is seeking re-election, against Liberal Karen Ludwig, NDP candidate Andrew Graham and Green candidate Gayla MacIntosh.The rise in advance voters mirrors the national trend.Elections Canada has already reported that 3.6 million electors have voted early in the federal election.The advance polls were held across the country from Oct. 9 to Oct. 12.The 3.6 million voters is a 71-per-cent increase from the 2,100,855 electors, who voted in the 2011 general election.More than 850,000 Canadians voted on Oct. 9 and more than 1.2 million on Oct. 12, representing the two busiest days of advance voting ever.Elections Canada says the increase was due in part to an additional advance voting day on Sunday, offered for the first time.
Advance poll workers decry 'absolutely terrible' work conditions-CBC – OCT 15,15-YAHOO NEWS
A couple of Elections Canada temporary workers are calling on the agency to overhaul its labour standards after describing their working conditions during advance polls in Toronto as "awful" and "intolerable.""It was absolutely terrible," said Kathy Friedman, who worked at a polling station in the University-Rosedale riding.Workers say they were not allowed to take meal or washroom breaks during the four days of advance polling. There are also complaints that polls in Toronto were understaffed, and even ran out of ballots.The complaints come after a crush of voters descended on polls across the country. Elections Canada says 71 per cent more ballots were cast compared to the 2011 advance polls.Friedman says she was given no time to take breaks during shifts that lasted about 10 hours. She says her returning officer also threatened to withhold three days of pay after Friedman asked to take a break.Another worker who spoke to CBC News on the condition of anonymity said her Toronto-St Paul's station was so understaffed that the polls were forced to close when even a single worker left for a break."We were totally taken advantage of," the worker said. "This is like what they do to people to make them want to quit."Staff surprised by work conditions-Friedman says she was surprised to learn her temporary employment with Elections Canada did not include the allowances for breaks and overtime pay that are required in other forms of employment."I would like to know why they're not subject to the labour standards that I'm used to," she said.Unlike federal employees who work "under the legislative authority of the Parliament of Canada," federal election workers are not covered by the labour standards section in the Canada Labour Code.In a statement to CBC News, Elections Canada would not comment on specific complaints, but said "it may not be possible for the election officer to take a break at any time he wishes, especially if a large number of electors present themselves to vote.""High turnout during the advance polls this past weekend put additional stress on election workers beyond what was expected," the agency added.Elections Canada 'like a fox in the hen house'-A Toronto labour lawyer says the stressful work conditions could have been avoided with better planning, and he highlighted the need for more oversight."Elections Canada shouldn't be responsible for the labour standards of their workers," said Andrew Langille. "It needs to go to a third-party agency like the Labour Program, that can investigate complaints and possibly fine Elections Canada if there are breaches.""It sounds a bit like a fox in the hen house situation," he said.The worker at the Toronto-St. Paul's polling station put it more bluntly: "They're setting the labour laws and they're breaking the labour laws."Langille says Elections Canada workers who feel they've been mistreated could find recourse through the courts, or even the Canadian Human Rights Act, although short-term, temporary employees might be less likely to pursue legal action."The positions are quite precarious, and often it doesn't provide the workers with a lot of power," Langille said.Elections Canada says it is working to improve conditions in its polling stations and thanked its election workers for their dedication and patience."Difficult working conditions have been a source of concern for the Chief Electoral Officer; an issue that was raised several times in reports to Parliament," the agency said.
Canada Liberal boss defends ethics after pipeline furor-ReutersBy By Randall Palmer | Reuters – OCT 15,15-YAHOONEWS
MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian election front runner Justin Trudeau defended the ethics of his Liberal team on Thursday after his campaign co-chair was forced to resign over controversial advice to an energy company on how to lobby a Liberal government.The campaign official, Dan Gagnier, had sent an email on Monday to TransCanada Corp in his private capacity as a consultant, advising it on how to win approval for projects, including the Energy East oil pipeline.When news of the email emerged on Wednesday, the Trudeau campaign at first said Gagnier had done nothing wrong. By evening it sent out a notice that Gagnier had resigned, but blamed Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative Party for "mean-spirited politics."At a campaign stop in Montreal, Trudeau said Gagnier had recognized his actions were inappropriate."I personally hold extremely high ethical standards not just for myself but for people surrounding me, and that's why we took, within 24 hours, a decision that Mr. Gagnier accepted and chose to step down from this campaign," Trudeau said.It was clear the Liberals were trying to limit damage from the incident rather than continuing to defend Gagnier's actions in the remaining days before the Oct. 19 election.It had the potential to dent the momentum of the party, which has established a clear polling lead. A Nanos survey released on Thursday put the Liberals at 37.1 percent, approaching levels needed to win a majority mandate.The center- left party, once in third place in the polls, is now more than seven points ahead of Harper's Conservatives and 13 points in front of the left-leaning New Democrats.Trudeau said Gagnier had not advised the campaign on energy issues. Trudeau had once supported the Energy East project, to bring oil from Alberta to the east coast for refining or exporting.He has since been ambivalent and on Thursday declined to clarify whether he would support it, saying it was not only a matter of winning government permits but also gaining permission from communities it passes through."It is not up to government to support one project or another, it is up for a government to set the framework within which communities can choose, or not, to support a project. Because people understand we need jobs and growth and development, but it cannot come at the cost of our health, of our environmental safety, of our long-term future," he said.(Reporting by Randall Palmer)
Go blue team: Jason Kenney says Conservatives can mirror Jays' win-The Canadian PressBy Stephanie Levitz, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – OCT 15-15-YAHOONEWS
BRAMPTON, Ont. — Having the Blue Jays in the race for the World Series at the same time as the federal election has been a bit of a boon for the Conservatives, given that they share the same colours.But Jason Kenney took the parallel one step further Wednesday, drawing a link between the Jays' capturing their American League Division Series and the political future of the other blue team, his own."The blue team, they came from behind, they won three straight and they won the series just like the blue team is going to win on Oct. 19," he told a crowd of hundreds at an event for Stephen Harper Wednesday night, minutes after the Jays won the game.It is coming down to the final inning of the election for the Conservatives — there are only four days left to campaign.The party is pushing to overcome a surge of support for the Liberals that seems to threatens any chance of the Conservatives winning a majority government and potentially a minority as well.Kenney said Wednesday the Jays' victory has a message in it."It just takes courage, belief, you stick to your principles, you do it right," he said."That's what the Jays have taught us and that's what we're going to show Canada next Monday."Harper has spent the last four days campaigning in the voter-dense areas around Toronto and southwestern Ontario, venturing even into safe Conservative seats to try and counter the Liberal threat.But Thursday he heads to new territory — Quebec. There, the party is not on the defensive, but the offensive, hoping to add to their current five seats in the province by picking up several more, mostly around the provincial capital.He'll be picking up his campaign pace as well, adding a third public campaign event to his schedule Thursday instead of the usual two.
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