Toolkit (Sep-3.11)

1 2 3 Produced and Edited by John Beebe and Miranda Hassell The Democratic Engagement Exchange at Ryerson University’s Faculty of Arts What Lead Content Partner The Ryerson Leadership Lab With Special Thanks to Ollie Sheldrick matters Written by to you? Pressed News When you see a headline in the news or a story on social media that makes you angry, sad or brings you tears, what do you do? Do certain stories that touch your heart make you want to spring into action? Designed by Christine Ung There are many ways to make the world a better place. Taking action can be as small Illustrations and Cover by as offering your neighbour a cup of sugar, or Emma Jenkin signing a petition, and as big as volunteering for a cause you care about, or going to a rally. Contributors The Leaders’ Debates Commission What’s important is that everyone has a voice. When those voices are raised together, they become impossible to ignore. 4 5 Make our communities more resilient and Using this our democracy handbook stronger. This guide is designed to be your This October, we have the chance to make one-stop-shop for the information you our voices heard in the Canadian federal election. need to understand and participate in the 2019 Canadian federal election on With our vote, we express the hopes and dreams for the future WE want and care about. October 21st, 2019. The following pages will equip you with everything you need to have the confidence to vote. Remember -- the people’s vote elects the government. Make an impact and make your vote count. This handbook is for you. Inside, you will find reliable It equips you with everything you information on Canada’s parties, need to make a well-informed learn how to engage on issues Save the dates decision to vote in the upcoming that are important to you, and federal election. what to do when it comes to X X X “fake news.” We’ll also get down to the nitty gritty - the how, why, and where of voting on Election Day. Campus Voting Advanced Voting ELECTION DAY October 5-9 October 11-14 Monday October 21 6 7 Table of Contents You might already know some of the information that’s in this guide. Don’t read the whole thing if it’s not what Don’t just you need - just skip to the stuff that’s important to you! vote because 08 There’s an election coming. Now what? 09 Political parties, leaders, and candidates 12 Who you vote for it matters. 16 How debates work 18 Political advertising and how it works 20 How to identify bias 24 What matters to you? 24 Issues that matter to Canadians Vote because 25 What issues do you care about? 26 Finding your political identity YOU matter. 29 Dude, where’s my information? 30 Fake news 32 Fake accounts and bots 36 How to identify fake photos and video 38 How to be a positive influencer What’s this 39 Online harassment 40 Getting out and making a difference handbook for, 41 Who’s voting? 42 Myth-busting anyway? 44 How to vote You! Because when armed with the right info and 45 Make a plan to vote! knowledge, you can make a confident decision on who to vote for. We’re providing all of the important info, so YOU can make an informed decision. 46 Appendix: Elections Canada ID Form 8 9 Down to the basics 1. There’s A political party is an organized group of people who have the same ideology, that runs candidates in elections. an election In Canada, there are more than 16 registered political parties, including coming... one called the Rhinoceros Party. Yes, REALLY. But Canadian federal The Liberal Party So, what’s all the fuss about? politics are currently pretty much Leader, Justin Trudeau Let’s start by discussing dominated by five major parties: the political parties that are campaigning to be at the top of the game. Now There are five parties that currently have elected Members of Parliament each with their own leader. That what? The Conservative Party The New Democratic Party leader is gunning for the top Leader, Andrew Scheer Leader, Jagmeet Singh spot: Prime Minister. The Bloc Quebecois The Green Party Leader, Yves-François Leader, Elizabeth May Campaigning Blanchet A fancy way of saying a group of people Other parties include: Alliance of the North, Animal Protection Party (i.e. political party) are coming together of Canada, Christian Heritage Party of Canada, Communist Party of to influence a decision making process, like an election. Canada, Libertarian Party of Canada, Marijuana Party, Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, National Citizens Alliance of Canada, Parti Rhinocéros [ ] Party, People’s Party of Canada, Progressive Canadian Party. 10 11 What’s important is to Pro-Tip As you listen to the parties talk about their plans and consider the party platforms, ask yourself look at what the questions like: parties actually a) How does their plan impact you? How does their plan impact other Canadians? stand for, not b) If they promise a new government program, how will it be paid for? just what they’re c) If they promise tax cuts, where is the funding saying about going to come from? d) How realistic do their plans seem? ⚠⚠ everyone else. e) How specific are the plans? • Political parties are going to try and convince you to vote for them with ads that will make them and their leader look good, and other parties and leaders look DID YOU KNOW? bad. Its true that character matters. You Agnes Macphail loved being a wouldn’t hire someone you don’t trust, woman of firsts. She was the first would you? [woman to be elected as a Member ] • To make themselves stand out, parties of Parliament. Then, after losing re-election, she became the first will provide “party platforms,” basically woman - along with Rae Luckock - a collection of policies and plans they’re to be elected as a Member of pitching to you, just like a resume and Provincial Parliament. cover letter. Party platforms are promises “Most women think politics aren’t that parties intend to keep if they are lady-like. Well, I’m no lady.” elected Canada’s next government. • Look at party platforms to see if their - Agnes Macphail policies and history matches up to what their leaders and candidates are saying, and reflects what issues matter to you. 12 13 Pro-Tip Anyone can join a political party but only 4% of Canadians do. If you do, you can vote in local nomination contests. More voice, more power. You are not However, many candidates run without any competition, so they just become the candidate automatically. This opens up the opportunity for voting for a party leaders to basically hand pick their favourite candidate. Learn more in The Samara Centre Prime Minister for Democracy report “Party Favours”. on election day In Canada, you vote for an Political parties choose individual candidate running candidates for MP in a riding Youth turnout to be a Member of Parliament through local nomination went up (MP) for your area. Each area meetings. Each member of the DID YOU KNOW? represents around 100,000 people party in that riding gets to vote. Registered members and is known as a “riding” or Each party has their own rules of First Nations were “constituency.” Each candidate (the fancy political word for this is not allowed to vote until 18%in 2015. running in your area represents “constitutions”) that outline how 1960. Inuit were given a different political party, or runs this is done. the right to vote in 1950, as an independent (no party). but weren’t provided a The candidate that gets the most method of voting until 1962. votes wins. The political party that FUN FACT: DID YOU KNOW? elects the most MPs normally In Canada, MPs from The longest campaign becomes the government, and the same political party period in Canada’s their leader becomes the Prime vote together most of history was 78 days in Minister. MPs of each party will the time, more than any 1872. Compare that to the vote together on the biggest other parliamentary United States of America issues, so it’s important to democracy in the world. - their 2016 election consider their party AND their period was 597 days. leaders, along with who will become your local representative. Access links to tools at engagedemocracy.ca/election-handbook 14 15 Thing to know: There are 338 MP seats in the If the winning party wins 169 House of Commons, broken out seats or fewer (less than 50%), by districts (AKA ridings) within it forms a minority government. DID YOU KNOW? Canada. If a party wins more In order to get laws passed, a Canada’s longest serving Prime than 50% of the seats, then it is a minority government has to Minister is William Lyon Mackenzie majority government. Every party collaborate with MPs of other King who served 21 years through wants this because it makes it parties and adjust policies as 1921 to 1948 (not consecutively). While in office, he conducted much easier to get laws passed. necessary. seances and claimed to have communicated with Leonardo da Vinci, Wilfrid Laurier, his dead mother, his grandfather, and several of his dead dogs, as well as the spirit of the late President Roosevelt. Majority Government (50% or more) First Past The Post: First past the post: a voting system that means the person who gets the most votes in a riding gets a seat in Parliament, even if the number of votes doesn’t equal over 50% of the total votes.

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