Greetings, my northern neigbors! I'm wondering if Obama gets elected (which I hope he does), how long before Canada elects her own non-white prime minister. I just have a feeling that America is poised to set a precedent for Europe, Oceania, and North America.
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"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out howthe strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
--Theodore Roosevelt--
The thing is, Canada has a much lower population of black people that America does. So just by percentages alone, the odds are against it.
However, we have had a female Prime Minister. And we had a black female Governor-General (who technically outranks the PM).
I think that if there were a qualified black candidate for PM, Canada would have no problem electing them. I don't think the US is setting any sort of precedent for Canada because we would already elect a black PM if we had the chance.
__________________ "I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day." - Douglas Adams
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams
"Skaloopdidit" - Keeping Skaloop as the first cause until science can rule him out. "I'd be a theist if it weren't for God." - Me
I agree with Skaloop. I don't believe we'd have the same sort of objection in electing a qualified man or woman of a different race, or nationality.
__________________ "And the law of God is written in every heart, and it is there that he manifests himself; And in infinite love, according to our necessities, states, conditions. And as we are all various and different from one another, more or less, so the law by the immediate operation of divine grace in the soul, is suited to every individual according to his condition." — Elias Hicks
"I am more interested in the religion of Jesus, than the religion about Jesus." — Dom Aelred Graham
And we had a black female Governor-General (who technically outranks the PM).
Who was also appointed.
I think that if we treated people as individuals and not as part of a collective race or creed I'm sure we'd have a lot more non-whites in Ottawa. Race relations aren't perfect in the United States, but I prefer their mantra to ours and Europe's: equal rights, not special rights. Its what we need.
I voted for a non-white, Rakesh Khosla, in the last election and was happy to do so - because he wasn't Geoff Regan, mostly, but still.
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Who was also appointed.
I think that if we treated people as individuals and not as part of a collective race or creed I'm sure we'd have a lot more non-whites in Ottawa. Race relations aren't perfect in the United States, but I prefer their mantra to ours and Europe's: equal rights, not special rights. Its what we need.
I voted for a non-white, Rakesh Khosla, in the last election and was happy to do so - because he wasn't Geoff Regan, mostly, but still.
Appointed, yes. But there wasn't any major uproar about having a black person in the position. Not to say that a small minority didn't raise a bit of a fuss, but it certainly wasn't a major issue.
__________________ "I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day." - Douglas Adams
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams
"Skaloopdidit" - Keeping Skaloop as the first cause until science can rule him out. "I'd be a theist if it weren't for God." - Me
I agree. Kim Campbell and Michelle Jean didn't create much of a fuss (or any fuss at all, if I recall correctly).
However... with the divisions that have now been created as a result of Obama's election, I think that it would become a very contentious issue of a minority were to "now" try to gain election as our Prime Minister.
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Do you elect your PM the same as Uk and Australia? Do you vote between two main parties knowing whom they would put foward as PM. How many years are between your elections?
Do you elect your PM the same as Uk and Australia? Do you vote between two main parties knowing whom they would put foward as PM. How many years are between your elections?
Not exactly. We vote for a person in our riding, who gets elected as an MP (Member of Parliament). There are several parties to choose from, although there are four that are the main ones (five in Quebec). So every riding elects an MP. The party that has the most MPs elected forms the government, and their leader (as previously chosen by registered members of that party) becomes PM. So we already know who would be PM.
As for time between elections, until recently there was no set time. It had to be sometime within 5 years, but the election could be called at any time by the party in power.
The issue of minority governments mixes that up a bit, though. If the ruling party is voted down on a major issue (like, say, the budget) then that is considered a vote of non-confidence, and an election is called by the Governor-General (representative of the Queen).
The current governing party has made a new rule to have fixed election dates every four years. But that only really applies if there is a majority government, since a minority that is not supported by the other parties can't do anything, and forcing them to stay in power in such a situation would be pointless.
Let me know if you have any other questions!
__________________ "I'd take the awe of understanding over the awe of ignorance any day." - Douglas Adams
"Isn't it enough to see that a garden is beautiful without having to believe that there are fairies at the bottom of it too?" - Douglas Adams
"Skaloopdidit" - Keeping Skaloop as the first cause until science can rule him out. "I'd be a theist if it weren't for God." - Me
However... with the divisions that have now been created as a result of Obama's election, I think that it would become a very contentious issue of a minority were to "now" try to gain election as our Prime Minister.
What divisions? I'm a Canadian who has lived in the US for the last 10 years and while I know Canada isn't perfect as far as race relations it is no where near as bad as the US is.
I really don't see what you are talking about.[wash my mouth]
What divisions? I'm a Canadian who has lived in the US for the last 10 years and while I know Canada isn't perfect as far as race relations it is no where near as bad as the US is.
I really don't see what you are talking about.[wash my mouth]
I'm talking about the divisions in the U.S. I'm really only basing the opinion on the recent threads that I've seen populating the forums lately. The election results seem to have polarized people in the U.S. even more than they were prior to the election.
Don't be mad.
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