This week the Harper Conservatives kicked off their 2015
election campaign with an election budget that does real damage to this
country for their political gain.
With so much at stake, we’re sending a longer
email today about the Leadnow community’s people-powered election
campaign - a plan to pick the best local candidates to defeat the Harper
Conservatives and move Canada forward.
Here’s what we know:
The Conservatives just faked a “balanced budget” by
drawing on our emergency reserves, raiding our Employment Insurance, and
selling our stake in GM at a loss - all for their political purposes.
Their budget means more smoke and mirrors, more inequality, more environmental destruction. More of the same.
We also know that a majority across Canada want change in the next election.
But, if an election were held tomorrow, the Harper Conservatives could win another majority government because of our broken electoral system and vote splitting between the NDP, Liberals, and Greens.
That’s why thousands of people from the Leadnow community created the Vote Together campaign.
The Vote Together campaign is about bringing
people together - people who voted NDP, Liberal or Green, first-time
voters, and people who voted Conservative but regret it. And it’s going
to look a bit different in all the 338 ridings that make up a federal
election.
So who will be the best local candidate who can defeat the Conservatives in your riding? You’ll choose.
With your donations and support, we’ll provide information about the state of the race in your riding.
We’ll also provide the party positions on the three key
priorities chosen by the Leadnow community - a strong democracy, a fair
economy, and a clean environment - and on the parties’ willingness to
cooperate for real change after the election.
In the ridings where the Vote Together campaign is
strongest, everyone who pledges to Vote Together will be invited to
collectively pick one candidate to recommend to the rest of the Leadnow
community.
Now here’s the key thing the parties need to
remember: there are 338 ridings across Canada, and people in the Leadnow
community will be looking at the local candidates’ ability to defeat the Conservatives, and their positions on the issues, in all those ridings.
The choice in some ridings may be straightforward, like in two-way Liberal vs. Conservative or NDP vs. Conservative races.
We need both those parties to win enough of these local
races in order to stop another Harper majority, and you'll choose who
you want to back.
In other ridings, the Conservatives won’t be a factor, or
it could be a three or four-way race between NDP, Liberal, Green and
Conservative candidates.
In those ridings, the candidates’ positions on the issues
will likely be the deciding factor for you and the rest of the Leadnow
community, and the Leadnow community could decide who wins.
So what does that mean for the Liberal politicians who are
criticizing C-51, but still saying they’ll vote for it and try to fix
it later? Or the back and forth about a coalition?
It means that if they don’t reconsider, they can expect to
lose votes, and potentially lose some seats, in the ridings where
another candidate can defeat the Conservative.
On the flip side, it means that the more people
who sign the Vote Together pledge, the higher you raise the bar for real
change - all across the country.
By working together, we all get stronger. Let's keep building momentum and we’ll be stronger than ever on election day
- ready to work together defeat Harper Conservatives across the
country, ready to push the parties to work together in a stable minority
government with a mandate for real change.
With hope and respect,
Jamie, Amara, Jolan, Anna, Stefan, Rodrigo, Tess, and Graham on behalf of the Leadnow.ca team.
Jamie, Amara, Jolan, Anna, Stefan, Rodrigo, Tess, and Graham on behalf of the Leadnow.ca team.