The Canadian Federal Election of Sept / Oct 2008.

The Conservative Party broke a campaign promise that they would not allow another election until the end of the four years of their term of office. The power to call an election was duely handed off to the Governor Generals office. But there was a loophole. Prime Minister Stephen Harper is the boss of the Governor General. He merely went and asked the Governor General to call an election and he was duely obliged. This was done just 2 years into his mandate at an expense to the public of 280,000,000.00 dollars (280 Million)

What Candians don't know is that 30,000,000.00 dollars (30 Million) is divied up to help all the ruling parties to run their campaign. Nothing is given to the fringe parties to run theirs. When you see all the disgusting signage everywhere poluting our land realize that it is your tax dollars that put them there. We are running our entire campaign with just 20 signs by comparison. (Those 20 signs cost us 200 dollars. We had 23 but 3 were stolen. Imagine the costs associated with all the other signs that you see.)

What Canadians don't know is that a party has to come up with 1000 dollars to register their candidate with Elections Canada. We don't mind that. It keeps people out of the process that aren't serious. But all these costs hurt small parties most.

What many Canadians don't know is that 2.00 per vote is made available only to parties that get more that 5% of the vote accross Canada. Our party traditionally has remained below 4% of the vote. We don't get that bonus either. We aske the ruling parties how fair is it to line your pockets while suppressing the opposition of the smaller parties. We ask that Canadians be allowed to designate a 2 dollar amount (that is taken from them anywasy) on their tax return to the party of their chosing. We do not think current practices are fair.

In 1968 Liberal Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau started the practice of giving public funds to the ruling parties for their campaigns. The PC's at that time vowed to erase it when they obtained power. A promise that under the Mulroony government later on was never kept. We ask the ruling parties to stop these inequities. Stop this public funding of your campaigns.

To be a party that offers tax exemption to its contributors you must run candidates in no less than 50 ridings. That is also a hardship for new parties but one that we have met this year with 60 ridings represented in this election. Another way however that discrimination is alowed toward new parties that form such as ours. It is an uphill battle to confront the ruling parties of our Land with the better solutions that we have to offer.

Many Canadians might not realize that the first 400 dollars they give to a political party gives a 75% tax credit for their filing of their personal income taxes. You could help our party greatly by donating 400 to 1100 dollars to our campaign. Please consider this request.

We have a message that we want to send to Ottawa. I wanted however to start out by informing you of the cost in so many ways that is needed to prepare this message including finding candidates and volunteers accross our land. If you do not have a CHP option to vote for in this election please let us know so that we can start a riding association in your riding and find you a candidate for the next election. Visit the main website http://www.chp.ca/ to find out more about donating and signing up as a member. You can still get a deduction on your taxes by helping us in another riding financially during this campaign.

Now that I have discussed money my future emails will concentrate on the issues.

Ray Luff
Candidate - CHP - Newmarket / Aurora