This riding will be a close one. It could go either Liberal or NDP as the Liberals are having problems nationally as of late and Nash is running a good campaign.

I went to the first all-candidates meeting at the Swansea Town Hall a few nights ago and have to report that Ms. Bulte seemed to be back on her heels, reeling - overcome by the other candidates performance and their supporters enthusiasm. The (uncharacteristically large) crowd was clearly either in the NDP or CPC camps - Bulte was heckled by them on several occasions, particularly when she tried to challenge the community’s opinions on Liberal corruption/integrity. It was an extremely Liberal-hostile bunch and Ms. Bulte was visibly shaken.

I suppose this could simply be an indicator of Ms. Nash and Mr. Klufas’ prowess in coralling supporters to the Town Hall meeting, but with the added sting of yet another Liberal scandal (”Options Canada” issue) I think the tide will likely turn in Ms. Nash’s favour here. As she herself pointed out “I nearly won last time” - and she did. She garnered 16,201 votes to Ms. Bulte’s 19,727.

One could imagine that the CPC’s candidate, Mr. Klufas, could conceivably pull off a surprise victory based on how the party is polling right now at the national level and Metro Toronto’s anger over gang violence, but I’d call this one for Peggy Nash.

I don’t know how it will swing, but I hope in favour of Peggy Nash against Bulte. I’m an independent creator in Canada and Bulte’s policies are the greatest threat to my ability to make a living at my craft. She falsely claims that she is protecting creators when in fact she is only protecting incumbent (largely foreign) intermediaries. Centralization of control in these intermediaries is a far greater threat to creators than any amount of copyright infringement.

Webmaster of http://digital-copyright.ca/

Good post, Russell.

Lots more information about Ms. Bulte’s misguided mission here and here.

I am so proud that Gord Perks has gained momentum!

almost certainly NDP. Any Liberal sign you see on the street was posted at the start of the election - no more have gone up since then - however the streets have flooded with NDP signs and a few Tory and Green signs.
The Liberals have no ground-troops in this riding. Their local office is usually closed and when it is open, there are only one or two people inside.
I think the Tories have the best on the ground organization, but I suspect the old Liberals who do decide to vote will probably break for the NDP so I would say that they will win.

A riding to watch on E-day…it will be closer than 2004.

In what looks to be a tight race, I am glad to see on this page a lack of the vehemence present on the trinity spadina and danforth pages - talk about negative campaigning!

The NDP phone canvassers have called often and regularly and have been at it since the election was called. I think their persistance will pay off.

Peggy Nash will do Parkdale High-Park residents proud in Ottawa.

Tony

While the NDP (or any Canadian political party) has hardly been on the side of civil liberties and of protecting the Internet from big entertainment’s iron grip, Sam Bulte is so obscenely on the side of foreign multinationals that we have to take what we can get. Besides, the NDP’s got it right on virtually every other issue. :-)

As an active Torontonian and Canadian in all seasons, one of my primary concerns is the smog in this city. There are more than 30 days a year when you can barely go outside. I have not seen this issue addressed at ANY level of government, including by the Mayor who is a staunch NDP supporter.

An example of the ineptitude of the the three major parties with respect to the Toronto smog issue was displayed at the most recent candidates debate:

When a young father asked which party is going to stop the auto exhaust smog that keeps his two-year old asthmatic son confined indoors or in the hospital, the Conservative candidate asked: “Is your question about health, the environment or transportation?”

Totally clueless. My vote is for a party and a movement that has solutions and is willing to address societal failures such as smog and obesity. I’m voting Green.

Bulte is clearly in the pocket of certain special interests. Put her out. NDP Nash has come on strong and Klufas has done better than expected. Goodby Bulte.

If you’re worried about the environment, you should vote for Peggy Nash and the NDP and not the Green Party. The Green Party is coasting on their name. Even the leader of the Nova Scotia Green Party is urging Green Party members to vote NDP, saying (accurately) that the federal Green Party “is now more right-wing than the Conservative party on many issues.”

Have any of you actually had to thye chance to ask Peggy Nash how she feels about her boss from CAW (Buzz Hargrove) saying that he supports the Liberal Party. How come when you ask her she avoids that question. Second how come when you tell her and her canvassers that you are not interested in voting NDP they start to bad mouth the Liberal Government. Further more has anyone looked into the party platforms its very interesting that the NDP & Conservatives want to implement fixed election dates if they are elected. Interesting how two parties that forced us into an election only 18 months after an election will be very quick to take that ability away from any future oppostion parties in a minority government.

Bryan, although I do not support fixed election dates for other reasons (preserving Parliamentary tradition), the proposed fixed election date legislation would be excepted in the case of a confidence motion. If a minority government were to fall, an election would occur, regardless of the fixed election date. You should read up a little bit more before you go on assuming things.

Nash said at the Bishop Marrocco all-candidates debate that Hargrove indeed supports her campaign, despite the fact that Bulte has pictures with him on her website. Anyways, I highly doubt the people of Parkdale–High Park care either way who Hargrove endorses.

The orange in the Nash signs are blinding me!

Actually when asking Jack Layton at a campaign stop about fixed election dates he responded that it would be all encompassing. That once Canadians have elected a governement they will be in power for a full term. When asked how that contradicts the current election he got defensive and responded with typical NDP arrogance that they know what is best. A party that stands up for working people but when working people have concerns that arent in line with theirs they dismiss those people.

As for Peggy Nash saying Buzz Hargrove supports her how come on King Street last Monday she avoided answring the question. Secondly when an email from Buzz Hargrove who states in the email he supports the Liberal Party there was no response.

Because as usual politicians are playing there typical games. A vote for the NDP is clearly a vote for a conservative government. Jack Layton clearly can not work with Steven Harper.

NDP Win & May yet be David Miller’s seat when he becomes PM in the years ahead

Well Bryan, I’m voting for better representation, not for an MP who only shows up when there’s a photo-op or an election–THAT, my friend, is the height of Liberal arrogance. Fixed election dates are not a priority. Buzz Hargrove is not a priority. Why do you care about them so much? The fixed election dates aren’t a pivotal part of NDP policy and I hardly think that it’s the first thing on Layton’s agenda. Stop trying to scare people away from electing a better MP. Voting NDP is a vote for the NDP,not the Tories. Voting Liberal is just giving Sam Bulte more time to enjoy the perks and pleasures of being an MP, while ignoring her constituents and fighting only on behalf of copyright lobbyists.

geez………get a grip!

If you want to talk about representation in the riding. You are all quick to jump on Sam’s alleged weakness that you see as NDP supporters. First of all Sam is chair of the liberal ontario caucus introduced the idea of gas tax reveune to the prime minister well long before it became an actuality. Secondly as someone who had the “privledge” of working in Jack Layton’s constituency office for two years and I had to quit because of how arrogant the NDP are. Ask questions about the dollar amounts for Post Secondary Education, and all that Layton responds with is a runabout we don’t know. Ask any NDP candidate especially Peggy Nash how the NDP plans to balance a budget without increasing taxs but increasing spending, the typical answer involves NDP funny math. Lets think about an NDP government that many can remember say that of Bob Rae’s. Where did that get us. The common sense revolution of Mike Harris and a disatorous economy in Ontario. A Vote for the NDP is a vote for conservatives, you may not think so but outside of the GTA seem to accept Harper’s Christian Values Mini America idea. And the NDP will not be able to stop that. the Bloc will work with the conservatives because they have already stated they will alllow Quebec to participate in many international bodies. That only leaves the Liberals as the defenders of Canada as a whole country or we will be looking at the slow and sure end to Canada.

Sam will pull through in a close race.

The Liberal Party is in utter disarray. I think that after Martin is out and replaced by a leader who can repair the damage he and his cronies have done to the party in his quest for power, and restore the values instilled in the party by Trudeau, only then will Canadians, including many New Democrats, will return to it.

As for your frivolous attack on NDP economics, look at B.C.–the BCLiberal government tried to blame the biggest deficit in the province’s on the NDP government that came before it. A forensic audit showed that the NDP had actually balanced the budget for two years, and the Liberals were only trying to cover up their ridiculous tax cuts. In Ontario, tha NDP came to power in the midst of a recession. Do the math–it’s hard to keep a government’s budget balanced when there’s a recession going on.

I am a New Democrat and I can honestly say I don’t like Jack Layton. Still, looking at lesser evils, Layton’s NDP not nearly as arrogant as Martin or Harper.

I would just like to make a number of points here. First off, many of the NDP signs in this riding were put up without the permission of residents (and many have since been taken down by irritated voters). Furthermore, the liberal campaign have been putting up signs like crazy in the last couple weeks.

Additionally, I can say from spending some volunteer time here at the office, that the mood ahs been very positive. Canvassers report fewer angry voters than last time and in general things have been going well.

All candidates meetings, I was only able to attend a couple of them, but from what it seemed, Sam held her own, even when the audience was stacked with NDP volunteers.

Sam for the win.

At the Parkdale all candidates debate, Sam decided to stack the question lineup with her own volunteers. Touché.

The Buzz issue is important b/c Nash spent her life working for the CAW. It doesnt matter to me what Buzz thinks, but that Nash’s worldview is shaped by the being a Union boss for auto workers does. (It also makes me uneasy that CAW members were driving in all those signs everwhere). I am not sure what the CAW (or unions for that matter) have done for the generally working class riding of Parkdale. If anything, by driving up wages and advocating higher taxes it has retarded all those mom-and-pop stores along Queen, Roncy and Bloor. The NDP are fun as an anti-capitalist populist party - but once you graduate and start working in the real world you start to question thier policies.

Also Roland, as a BC resident who was forced here to this frozed, concrete Gulag from Vancouver b/c of the NDP’s record I can tell you that you are lost. The province, who previously had outpreformed the natioal average in economic growth and population growth was mired in successive recessions and saw population losses for the first time in its history. And no this was not due to exogenous factors, as you remember we were currently in the middle of what was then hte longest, sustained economic expansion of tht century. 2 out of 3 of thier leaders were removed from office on Criminal charges. If you dont believe me, how do you argue with losing all but 2 seats in the subsequent provincial election. You can try to argue all you want, but ultimately how do you possibly argue with the 4 million people in the province who voted out all but 2 of thier candidates in what was one of the biggest election losses for any party in this country ever.

That’s nice–you called Toronto a “gulag”. I guess this city can get only so much respect from ignorant Liberals. I’d like to thank you for your condescending commentary there. I used to live in BC as well, and I left because of Campbell’s cuts, and as for your attack on the NDP as “anti-capitalist populist party”, I would have to ask you why one of the most respected “capitalist” economists in the country is rinning for them (Paul Summerville). Keep your frivoulous attacks to yourself, thank-you-very-much.