Immigration, Citizenship, and Culture Blog

Immigration Policy and the Election in Canada
By Stephen Fogarty • April 9, 2011

Canada is well into our federal election campaign, which came about after the opposition parties united to adopt a motion of “non-confidence” against the minority Conservative Party government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper.  Voting takes place on the 2nd of May 2011. Canada follows the British model of parliamentary democracy.  Thus we do not get to vote directly for Mr Harper, Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff or NDP chief Jack Layton unless we happen to live in their particular riding.  Citizens may vote for the official local party candidate of our choice for Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons.  The party winning the most number of ridings or “seats” in the House (regardless of total national popular vote) has the opportunity to form a government. Read More

Canada’s proposed 2011 Census reform: Are concerns of opposition parties and the media legitimate?
By Stephen Fogarty • August 30, 2010

Background to the 2011 Census of Canada reform Political controversy is brewing in Canada following an announcement by the federal government earlier this summer to make changes to the national census next time around in 2011. The government would continue to send a short, mandatory census form to every household. However, under the proposed changes, it would no longer be obligatory for about 20% of Canadians to fill up a “long-form” census. During the last census of 2006, about 2.54 million long forms were distributed in Canada with a 93% return rate, or about 2.37 million long census forms. Read More

Navigate Posts