tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post1873771658748865052..comments2024-02-07T06:48:23.474-05:00Comments on Sudbury Steve May: Some Observations on the UK Election, from a Canadian GreenSudbury Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03959184192546029807noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post-22311940195157531952010-05-12T18:02:55.950-04:002010-05-12T18:02:55.950-04:00Parachuting a candidate means sending someone from...Parachuting a candidate means sending someone from another riding, which the GPC only does sometimes. In other ridings without EDAs, it runs a local candidate who doesn't have a pre-existing support network (EDA). Sometimes this will be a "paper candidate", someone who registers but does no campaigning. Upon request, the central party provides minimal support (deposit loan, some generic materials free or at cost). <br /><br />This has several benefits:<br /><br />First, it gets per-vote funding for the hundreds of votes that will go Green in any riding, even without an active campaign<br /><br />Second, it allows people who want to vote Green to do so, rather than forcing them to try for some "strategic" second choice. Voting Green is habit-forming, and the sooner it starts, the better.<br /><br />Finally, the candidate or campaign may serve as the nucleus for formation of an EDA or local group in the aftermath of the election. I believe that's happened in several ridings. Even in the wake of a parachute candidate, the process of the campaign may attract and identify future potential local organizers or candidates.<br /><br />Declining to run in a riding without an EDA would lose the party money, rob some people of the chance for a positive Green vote, and miss the opportunity to jump-start a local organization. <br /><br />If it's a "write-off" riding then the party can run a candidate but not put in any resources - nothing lost. Unlike the UK, in Canada all candidates receive a full refund of their deposit regardless of votes, so long as they file their election spending report. In the UK, each hopeless candidate costs the party real money in lost deposits.Erich the Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11433590628245316583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post-59234158430657282802010-05-10T02:12:26.911-04:002010-05-10T02:12:26.911-04:00I watched some of the coverage as well and really ...I watched some of the coverage as well and really enjoyed it. I definitely agree with the idea of only announcing the winner after all the ballots have been counted.<br /><br />The way we do it here puts way too much power in the hands of the media (as was evident in the U.S. in 2000).<br /><br />For what it's worth, I agree with parties not running in every riding if they don't have an established EDA. I'm not a big fan of parachuting candidates in and I'm not sure what it accomplishes.Chris KNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14954696074083093304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post-15168585066792952312010-05-08T02:06:10.665-04:002010-05-08T02:06:10.665-04:00"Not sure that a death of a candidate would p..."Not sure that a death of a candidate would put a stop to an election here"<br /><br />Actually it does, as per section 77 of the Elections Act: http://www.elections.ca/content.asp?section=loi&document=part06&dir=leg/fel/cea&lang=e&anchor=sec77&textonly=false#sec77<br /><br />Gotta learn your Act, man, there's some interesting and useful stuff in there.Erich the Greenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11433590628245316583noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120982399236985142.post-43888025445181496652010-05-07T20:49:41.016-04:002010-05-07T20:49:41.016-04:00Good blog. I quite enjoyed it and the BBC coverag...Good blog. I quite enjoyed it and the BBC coverage that you ably described. I managed to hang in for the Brighton Pavilion announcement and then some more. It was quite extraordinary. You forgot about explaining what a "marginal" riding is and you forgot about the CRO that was "fastidious" according to the BBC announcer as she described the exact reason why certain paper ballots were not counted. Also the BBC guy walking on the walk leading to the door of #10, paved with stones named for the ridings "there's Essex, and that one is Compton". As the BBC announcers said hundreds of times, "thank you very much".<br /><br />Rob BrooksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com