Elections Canada (Federal Government website)
Includes links to information about : Registration of Electors - Electoral Law and Policy - Electoral Financing - Electoral Districts - Past Elections - International Activities - Publications - General Information

Important Information for the 39th General Election - taking place January 23, 2006
- incl. Information for voters (where do I vote?, returning officer, candidates, map, employment during the election and more information about the electoral process - Information for candidates - more...

Election Night Results

Registered Political Parties and Parties Eligible for Registration - from Elections Canada
- includes contact information (regular and e-mail addresses, website, telephone and fax numbers, etc.)

Below you'll find, for each of the federal political parties registered for the 2006 election:
- a link to the party's home page and platform
- Google.ca web search and news search links (direct links to results pages of links, always current!)

...and information about the other registered parties and those that are deregistered or that didn't make the cut, e.g., the Absolutely Absurd Party...

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Liberal Party of Canada

Issue File: Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in the 2004 federal election
- incl. links to : How ECEC is positioned in the political parties' platforms - How social policy and advocacy groups position ECEC - News articles - Useful websites

What's New - from the Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU) - University of Toronto

Each week, the Childcare Resource and Research Unit disseminates its "e-mail news notifier", an e-mail message with a dozen or so links to new reports, studies and child care in the news (media articles) by the CRRU or another organization in the field of early childhood education and care (ECEC). What you see below is selected content from the most recent issue of the notifier.

20-Jan-06

>> Child care: What will be lost?
Document from the Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada demonstrates that the potential loss of the bilateral agreements would have "significant implications for children and families who need and want quality child care."

>> Anything left for "beer and popcorn"?
Press release from the Manitoba Child Care Association stresses the importance of federal funding to Manitoba’s child care system.

>> Think Twice Canada Coalition launches website
http://www.thinktwicecanada.ca/
With election day fast approaching on January 23, Think Twice Canada, a coalition of social advocacy and citizens' organizations, has launched a website in order to encourage dialogue between concerned Canadians prior to the vote. The website features audio clips from the Coalition's press conference, held in Toronto last week. It provides a mechanism through which Canadians can take action by asking their friends and family to "Think Twice" about critical issues such as child care, women's reproductive rights, our environment, affordable housing, equality issues and many more before casting their ballot.

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FEDERAL ELECTION NEWS
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>> Callwood speaks but few listen [CA]
by Goar, Carol / Toronto Star, 20 Jan 06

>> Child care key issue for youth at TV debate [CA]
by Russell, Jonathan / Charlottetown Guardian, 20 Jan 06

>> Children's future [CA]
Letter to the editor
by Rodgers, Ann / Leader-Post, 20 Jan 06

>> Child care plan subject to taxation [CA]
Letter to the Editor
by MacGregor, Donna / Toronto Star, 20 Jan 06

>> Address our social deficits before cutting taxes [CA]
Letter to the Editor
by Dick, Peter / Toronto Star, 20 Jan 06

>> It's about day care [CA]
Letter to the Editor
by Staff of Terrace Campus Child Care Centre / Terrace Standard, 18 Jan 06

>> Quality child care is simply good sense [CA]
by Austin, Janet, Turner, Denise & Kershaw, Paul / Vancouver Sun, 17 Jan 06

>> Harper's day care plan out-of-reach for many [CA]
Letter to the Editor
by Hannon, Dorothy / Star-Phoenix [Saskatoon], 17 Jan 06

>> Social investment: Not a matter of either/or [CA]
by Lazar, Eva / Toronto Star, 17 Jan 06

>> Child care splits parties, parents [CA]
by Monsebraaten, Laurie / Toronto Star, 16 Jan 06

>> A national day care dream dies [CA]
Maude Barlow’s Election Blog
Maclean’s Magazine, 15 Jan 06

>> Child care plan flawed [CA]
Letter to the Editor
by Rogerson, Diana P. / Edmonton Journal, 15 Jan 06

>> How can Canadian parents ever expect child care, when politicians
still don’t get it [CA]
by Binks, Georgie / CBC News, 13 Jan 06

>> Pillow talk from Charmboy pits family against family [CA]
by Sommerfeld, Lorraine / Hamilton Spectator, 13 Jan 06

>> How elections have changed – for the worse [CA]
by Westell, Anthony / CBC News – Viewpoint, 10 Jan 06

Source:
Childcare Resource and Research Unit (CRRU)

Canadian Federal Election
- links to election resources and 400+ links to daily news articles about the 2006 federal election, from April 2005 right up to January of this year.
Source:
Citizens on the Web - Toronto

Progressive Bloggers
"Progressive Bloggers is a group of Canadian bloggers who firmly believe that this great country needs to move forward, not backwards. Be they Liberal or liberal, New Democrats or democrats, Green voters or voters who want a green country, or even Red Tories searching for a home, these bloggers believe that Canadian politics should move in a progressive direction. On these blogs you will read about the importance of the environment, the need to preserve Canada’s social programs and its multicultural mosaic. You’ll see posts on why national unity is important and on why there are worse problems than letting two people who love each other marry. If you have a progressive blog, be sure to join this group. If you enjoy reading progressive blogs, then you’ve come to the right place."

ThinkTwice
Think Twice is a newly formed coalition of social advocacy and citizens' organizations wanting to express their concern about the implications for Canadian social programs and equality rights of a potential Conservative victory in the upcoming federal election. The Think Twice coalition is formed by representatives from numerous citizens' organizations, including: health care, environmental, human rights, women's rights, child care, arts, housing, aboriginal, trade union, disability, and minority advocacy groups.

What would Conservative policies mean for Canadians?
"(...) privatization and deregulation, and more cuts to social programs, the end of the national child care programme, abandonment of the agreement just achieved with First Nations at the Aboriginal Summit, more greenhouse gas emissions, the end of the domestic Kyoto plan, a health care system based on commercialization, not patient needs...
We are standing up for Canada. We want a Canada with strong social programs, environmental protection, and fairness for everyone. Canadians need to think twice."

From the Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB):

Recent Action Alert - 2006 Federal Election
The CAFB believes that the key to achieving the long-term goal of eliminating hunger in Canada lies in public policy initiatives. That is why the CAFB is committed to working with governments and not-for-profit organization partners on developing public policy solutions to hunger. This includes engaging in non-partisan action campaigns to encourage food bank members and the public to take action and to increase the visibility of public policy issues related to hunger.

Election Advocacy Kit 2006 (PDF file - 59K, 8 pages)
- incl. CAFB Key Message Fact Sheets - Follow up letter template - Feedback Form

Google Web Search Results : "2006 federal election, hunger, food banks"
Google News search Results : "2006 federal election, hunger, food banks" [zero results from Canadian sources as at Jan. 15/06]
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:
Google.ca

Federal Election 2006 Resources from Campaign 2000:

Party strategies tackle child and family poverty - issues include : Income security: Canada Child Tax Benefit (CCTB) - Early learning and child care - Affordable housing - More good jobs at living wages - Post-secondary education

Federal Election 2005/06
Addressing Child and Family Poverty in Canada:
Where do the parties stand? (PDF file - 106K, 7 pages)

Campaign 2000 Factsheet on
What the Parties Can Do to Address Child/Family Poverty:
Needed: An Action Plan for Children (PDF file - 150K, 1 page)

Google Web Search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, child poverty"
Google News search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, child poverty"
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:
Google.ca

Disability and the 2006 Federal Election

Google Web Search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, disability"
Google News search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, disability"
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:
Google.ca

The 2006 Federal Election and the
UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
The Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA) asks that you "send an e-card today urging Federal Party Leaders and Candidates to sign the Pledge for Women's Equality!"
The Pledge for Women's Equality
Source:
Canadian Feminist Alliance for International Action (FAFIA)

Google Web Search Results : "2006 federal election, women"
Google News search Results : "2006 federal election, women"
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:
Google.ca

From the 2006 Federal Election Resources Page of the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association:

Party platforms and plans for affordable housing (summaries)

Related Links:

Election Messages From The National Coalition On Housing And Homelessness
"Send an e-mail to the candidates in your riding to let them know that you want them to commit to the creation of permanently affordable non-profit housing."

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From the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association:

Minimum wage housing data reveals lack of affordability in many metropolitan areas
January 4, 2006
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released its annual rental apartment survey earlier this month highlighting some stabilization in vacancy rates, but continued increases in rents in most metropolitan cities. The data identify only one part of the rental affordability issue – rent levels. The other critical element is how apartment rents compare to household incomes. One way to measure how affordable, or not, average market rents are is to determine the minimum hourly wage a worker must earn to afford a rental unit without spending more than the norm of 30 per cent typically used to measure housing affordability. The concept currently used in the US was adapted to Canada by Steve Pomeroy of Focus Consulting Inc. using the CMHC average market rent statistics released each fall.

Minimum Housing Wage:
A New Way to Think About Rental Housing Affordability (Word file - 56K, 5 pages)
January 2006
"In 15 cities more than 2 full time minimum wage earners are required [to reach the income level required for the cost of rent to equal 30% of total family income]. Alternatively, the household must earn well above average wage, spend far more than the norm of 30th of income for the rent, or crowd more people into the lower rent smaller units." [Excerpt, p.3]

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Google Web Search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, housing"
Google News search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, housing"
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:
Google.ca

Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC 2006 Federal Election Page
- incl. links to CCCABC Election Materials - BC Parent Voices Election Materials - General election information - The political party platforms on child care and responses to the child care platforms - Questions for the candidates - Links to other websites - Media sites - Child Care News Articles from BC and from across the country.
Source:
Coalition of Child Care Advocates of BC

Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada (CCAAC) 2006 Federal Election page
CCAAC Election Resources include the usual political party and platform links, along with current news articles, links to other organizations and information about child care --- read what the main parties are saying about child care, and the CCAAC response to their platforms.
Source:
Child Care Advocacy Association of Canada

Related Links:

- BC Association of Child Care Services
- School Age Child Care Association of BC
- Westcoast Child Care Resource Centre
- Western Canada Family Child Care Association of BC
- BC Government and Service Employees' Union and Child Care Campaign
- Child Care Choices - BC Child Care Resource & Referral Network
- Child Care Options - Resource and Referral Program
- First Call

From the Caledon Institute of Social Policy :

The Choice in Child Care Allowance: What you See Is Not What You Get (PDF file - 63K, 7 pages)
Ken Battle, January 2006
The Conservatives’ plan for a “Choice in Child Care Allowance” is seriously flawed. Because the new program will trigger reductions in federal and provincial/territorial income-tested benefits and increases in income taxes, most families will end up with less – for modest-income families in the $30,000-$40,000 range, much less - than the gross $1,200 annual payment for every child under 6. The Child Care Allowance also will favour one-earner couples over single parents and two-earner families. The proposed scheme is really a child benefit, not a child care program. Caledon contends that it would be better to invest in further increases to the existing Canada Child Tax Benefit, a modern and effective social program that suffers from none of the failings of the proposed Choice in Child Care Allowance.

From the Assembly of First Nations:

January 5, 2006
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Seeks Answers to Seven “Key Questions” from Federal Political Party Leaders:
Seeking Response by Friday, January 6
"I’m First Nations and My Vote Counts" says National Chief Phil Fontaine

Seven Questions for the Party Leaders

Google Web Search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, First Nations"
Google News search Results : "2006 federal election, Canada, First Nations"
Each of the two links above will open a page of Google.ca search results, and this page will always include links to new content
Source:
Google.ca

Betterchoice - from the Canadian Labour Congress
"The Better Choice campaign is a campaign for working people to use during this election to find out which of the political parties and who among the local candidates is truly on their side. That’s what Better Choice is all about – making a better choice now to get better results once the election is over. Visit betterchoice.ca everyday to read updates on the election, get the facts on the important issues to you and learn more about where each party stands on these."

From the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:

Federal Election 2006
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives is an independent non-partisan policy research organization. We believe that a well informed citizenry is essential to a healthy democracy. It is in this spirit that the information and analysis on this page is provided.

Why minority government is good for Canada
Editorial
January 20, 2006
"Is minority government good for Canada? Former Conservative pollster Allan Gregg would have us believe in his Strategic Counsel poll this week that 55% of Canadians (and 64% of Quebecers) think a Harper majority would be good for the country. One wonders what Canadians’ response would have been if the question had been prefaced with the statement that a Harper majority would tear up a major international treaty obligation--the Kyoto Accord; or that it would put Canada’s support for George Bush’s Missile Defense program back on the table.

Minority governments achieve progress for people, says Alternative Federal Budget
Press Release
January 5, 2006
"OTTAWA—Today the Alternative Federal Budget released a detailed report card on the achievements of the 2004-05 Minority Parliament and awarded the Martin Minority an overall C grade for “some progress.”"

Complete report:

Minority Report: A Report Card on the 2004-05 Minority Government - PDF File, 360K, 26 pages

An open letter to the CBC in response to "Medicare Schmedicare"
by Armine Yalnizyan
December 9, 2005
A week after the CBC decided not to air a documentary on Tommy Douglas, which would inevitably discuss the birth of Medicare, "because it might be perceived as indulging in partisanship during a federal election", the same CBC aired a show on the Passionate Eye, “Medicare Schmedicare”, which dismissed Medicare and celebrated the glories of being able to pay directly for health care.
"The CBC owes Canadians better balance, and it can’t come soon enough. You have an obligation to reflect the public interest as it affects all citizens. That includes those who have fewer choices by virtue of their earning power, and who have so much to lose."

Don't count out medicare yet
Beware of stumping politicians with poker faces and empty hands
by Armine Yalnizyan
December 9, 2005
"For the third election in a row, health care is the top of mind issue. And, for the third election in a row, every federal party leader pledges to protect health care. But beware the bluffer. Canadians have indicated consistently we want two things in health care: A publicly insured system that provides care and promotes health, there for people based on their need, not their ability to pay. And we don't want to waste a single penny. Question is: Which political leader holds the winning hand and is willing to reform, strengthen, and sustain our public health-care system?"

Taxes and human purpose
by Neil Brooks December 9, 2005
"I like paying taxes. Taxes allow us to pursue our aspirations collectively and thus they greatly enrich the quality of life for the average Canadian family. Taxes have brought us high quality public schools that remain our democratic treasure, low tuition at world class universities, freedom from fear of crippling health bills and excellent medical services, public parks and libraries, save streets and liveable cities. None of these things come cheaply. (...) Ultimately, what is at stake in the debate over taxes and government is the question of who will exercise power in our society. Will important sources of power in society be controlled by only a small number of people where it will be exercised through private markets, or will important sources of power remain to be controlled by the majority of Canadians where it will be exercised through democratically elected institutions?"

Issue File: Early learning and child care in the 2006 federal election
This Issue File will collect materials about ELCC within the 2006 federal election. It will provide: information about how ELCC is positioned in the political parties' platforms; what key social policy groups are calling for in the election; news clippings; and other resources about ELCC in the federal campaign.

From the National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO):

From the Canadian Union of Public Employees:

Federal Election 2006
- incl. links to : Election updates - Background information - Election quizzes - Campaign scorecards - How CUPE members can protect public services

Federal Election 2006
- incl. links to : Election Backgrounders - Political Parties in Canada - Minority Governments - What is a Political Party? - How to Vote in the 2006 Federal Election - Links to More Information - Leader Profiles - Political Party Platforms - Election Features (Polling the Polls, Question of the Week, Viewers' Guide to Election Night, Campaign Website Reviews Top Five Elections in Canada, Election Report Card)
Source:
Mapleleafweb (University of Lethbridge, Alberta)