Kitchener Centre

[UrbanWaterloo]

Federal Election 2011: Kitchener Centre

<DIV ALIGN=CENTER> <TABLE> <tr style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center; height:40px;"> <td style="width:100px; font-size:10px; text-align:right; font-weight:bold;"></td> <td style="width:200px; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:blue;">Stephen Woodworth</td> <td style="width:200px; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:red;">Karen Redman</td> <td style="width:200px; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:#FFA500;">Peter Thurley</td> <td style="width:200px; font-size:14px; font-weight:bold; color:green;">Byron Williston</td> </tr> <tr style="height:15px;"></tr> <tr style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;"> <td style="width:100px; font-size:10px; text-align:right;">candidate</td> <td style="width:200px;"><img src="http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/projects/election/federal2011/kitchenercentre/StephenWoodworth.jpg" border="0" alt="Conservative Party Candidate Stephen Woodworth" width="143px"></td> <td style="width:200px;"><img src="http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/projects/election/federal2011/kitchenercentre/KarenRedman.jpg" border="0" alt="Liberal Party Candidate Karen Redman" width="143px"></td> <td style="width:200px;"><img src="http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/projects/election/federal2011/kitchenercentre/PeterThurley.jpg" border="0" alt="New Democratic Party Candidate Peter Thurley" width="143px"></td> <td style="width:200px;"><img src="http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/projects/election/federal2011/kitchenercentre/ByronWilliston.jpg" border="0" alt="Green Party Candidate Byron Williston" width="143px"></td> </tr> <tr style="height:15px;"></tr> <tr style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;"> <td style="width:100px; font-size:10px; text-align:right;">website</td> <td style="width:200px;"><a href="http://www.kitchenercentrecpc.ca" style="color:blue;">Link</a></td> <td style="width:200px;"><a href="http://www.karenredman.ca" style="color:red;">Link</a></td> <td style="width:200px;"><a href="http://peterthurley.ca/" style="color:#FFA500;">Link</a></td> <td style="width:200px;"><a href="http://www.kitchenergreen.ca" style="color:green;">Link</a></td> </tr> <tr style="height:15px;"></tr> <tr style="vertical-align:bottom; text-align:center;"> <td style="width:100px; font-size:10px; text-align:right;">quote</td> <td style="width:200px;"></td> <td style="width:200px;"></td> <td style="width:200px;"></td> <td style="width:200px;"></td> </tr> </TABLE></DIV>

[pnijjar]

It looks like John Bithell is not running for the Kitchener Centre Greens. Instead it is Byron Williston. See: http://www.kitchenergreen.ca/

[pnijjar]

From http://www.therecord.com/website/therecord/article/511784--record-election-debates


Kitchener Centre
Thursday, April 14, 2011
The Tannery
151 Charles St. W.
Kitchener, ON N2G 1H6
7 p.m.

[Brenden]

CPAC did a great job creating a profile of Kitchener Centre. All the major candidates were featured. Here is the link to the video: http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&pagetype=vod&hl=e&clipID=5359

One thing that stood out to me was how Stephen Woodworth (Conservative MP) handled a complaint about proroguing parliament and contempt of parliament... he called it "the spice of life"... I am not impressed at all.
Here is a that clip... sorry someone has edited it together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC49wbKVy8Y

[Trogdor]

CPAC did a great job creating a profile of Kitchener Centre. All the major candidates were featured. Here is the link to the video: http://www.cpac.ca/forms/index.asp?dsp=template&act=view3&pagetype=vod&hl=e&clipID=5359

One thing that stood out to me was how Stephen Woodworth (Conservative MP) handled a complaint about proroguing parliament and contempt of parliament... he called it "the spice of life"... I am not impressed at all.
Here is a that clip... sorry someone has edited it together:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC49wbKVy8Y

That is pretty bad.

[IEFBR14]

Well if Woodworth believes that variety is the spice of life, why stop at prorogation? Surely a coalition between the Libranos, socialists and separatistes would have been a lot spicier ;)

As for the Bev Oda comment, maybe he learned a lesson from that scandal, "If you can't remember what your boss wants you to say or approve, rather than guess as Bev Oda apparently did, call the PMO to find out what your position is supposed to be."

[Brenden]

Stephen Woodworth tweeted this tonight: "Cop says to falling down man outside tavern"You're drunk" Man replies "Thank goodness" Cop asks "Why?" Drunk:"I thought I was crippled!"
Here is a link to this tweet (http://twitter.com/#!/WoodworthCPC/status/56878155541127170)
and a screen shot:
http://i.imgur.com/zlIPu.png

EDIT: He apologized later (http://twitter.com/WoodworthCPC/status/56889268282462208) and deleted his tweet this morning... I meet with Mr. Woodworth once to talk about UBB, and I thought he was a nice guy... I just think he needs to know that jokes that are funny between you and a friends should not be spread online...

[mikeyp]

That's pretty funny. He's got my vote.

[garthdanlor]

What the hell would possess a sitting MP to publicly post a joke like that, especially during a campaign?? No wonder Harper keeps the muzzle on his MPs. Hopefully it helps Redman gain her seat back.

[Trogdor]

It's not even a funny joke...if you're going to stir up controversy, I at least expect something I'm going to get a good laugh from!

[IEFBR14]

EDIT: He apologized later (http://twitter.com/WoodworthCPC/status/56889268282462208) and deleted his tweet this morning..The apology, which BTW was also deleted, doesn't excuse his boorish behaviour. If he was just some "nice guy" then yes. But not if he's the sitting MP whose constituents include those he insulted.



It's not even a funny joke...if you're going to stir up controversy, I at least expect something I'm going to get a good laugh from!Well he proceeded to insult people like us in his very next tweet (which I saved before he deleted it):

http://1dl.us/hqc.jpg

A real class act, that comedian — NOT!

[mikeyp]

you don't vote on weather he's a nice guy or not. You vote on if he can get the job done.

[IEFBR14]

You vote on if he can get the job done.
And also whether he can apply good judgment. I leave it to you to judge whether his twitters are a good demonstration of his good judgment.

[marko]

Kitchener Centre is one of the 80 closest electoral ridings for this election... Probably in the top 10 closest races, actually. In 2008 only 339 votes separated Stephen Woodworth and Karen Redman. If you feel strongly, make sure to get out and vote.

I compiled a list of strategic voter ridings here:
http://17votes.com/index.html#40

[garthdanlor]

Well, Woodworth has closed his twitter account.

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/514977--tory-candidate-stops-twitter-activity-after-insensitive-tweet

Apparently this was due to his busy schedule...

[IEFBR14]

Apparently this was due to his busy schedule...
The article didn't expand on why he was so busy. Let me speculate ;)

It wasn't because he was tweeting. It was because he and his staff were trying to keep up with the high volume of negative responses and outrage over his tweeting. That and trying to convince Dmitri Soudas that he'll keep both his mouth and his Blackberry shut for the rest of the campaign.

[Greg Moore]

As a "disabled" person, I wasn't offended. I'd be more offended if I were a drunk.

Some people sweat the small stuff.

[garthdanlor]

As a "disabled" person, I wasn't offended. I'd be more offended if I were a drunk.

Some people sweat the small stuff.

I don't think the issue is the offensiveness of the joke but the judgment of the candidate that is in question. It is simply not appropriate for an MP to make such a joke, full stop. It's almost unbelievable that he would do so during an election campaign. If he lacks the good judgment to avoid unnecessary situations like this, how do we trust his judgment on weightier issues. To be fair, however, he is a back bencher Con so he is highly unlikely to be expected to form an independent opinion on any sort of weighty issue...

[UrbanWaterloo]

There's a Kitchener Centre Debate tonight 7PM @ Kitchener Gospel Temple (http://connect.kgthome.com/), 9 Conway Drive, Kitchener

Kitchener Gospel Temple, 9 Conway Drive, Kitchener

[IEFBR14]

I don't think the issue is the offensiveness of the joke but the judgment of the candidate that is in question. It is simply not appropriate for an MP to make such a joke, full stop.
I'd qualify that by saying it's inappropriate to make such crude jokes in public. People make all sorts of jokes that are in bad taste or are far more crude than this one, but they do it in private. That doesn't excuse them or their judgment. But nevertheless it happens. It's the same with swearing in public vs. private. Even PMs are known to swear in private. Not many get caught doing it in public.

Perhaps Woodworth didn't realize that Twitter is as public as it gets. I'll bet he understands that now ;)

[garthdanlor]

I'd qualify that by saying it's inappropriate to make such crude jokes in public. People make all sorts of jokes that are in bad taste or are far more crude than this one, but they do it in private. That doesn't excuse them or their judgment. But nevertheless it happens. It's the same with swearing in public vs. private. Even PMs are known to swear in private. Not many get caught doing it in public.

Perhaps Woodworth didn't realize that Twitter is as public as it gets. I'll bet he understands that now ;)

Absolutely, should have clarified, the issue is that he transmitted this joke to hundreds (1000s once the gaff became known) as Stephen Woodworth, MP (or want be re-elected MP). If he wants to tell crappy jokes in private, that is his prerogative.

[pnijjar]

From: http://www.elections.ca/scripts/pss/candidates.aspx?L=e&ED=35037&EV=34&EV_TYPE=1&PC=&Prov=ON&ProvID=35&MapID=&QID=8&PageID=17&TPageID=

Here is the official list of candidates for Kitchener Centre. I hope these (and the candidates for other ridings) can be listed at the top of these pages. I know they will never get elected, but that is also true for the Green and NDP candidates, so if we are going to pretend that those parties matter then why not list all the people who are putting their lives on hold to run?

Mark Corbiere (Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada)
Karen Redman (Liberal Party of Canada)
Alan Rimmer (Independent)
Martin Suter (Communist Party of Canada)
Peter Thurley (New Democratic Party)
Byron Williston (Green Party of Canada)
Stephen Woodworth (Conservative Party of Canada)

[markster]

Heh, I signed the nomination form for the Communist Party candidate.

[KevinL]

Anyone know the independent fellow's platform? These kinds of details definitely add flavour to a campaign.

[UrbanWaterloo]

It was a packed house last night at The Tannery...


Record Debate - April 14, 2011

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/projects/election/federal2011/kitchenercentre/Kitchener%20Centre%20Debate%20(The%20Record)%20-%20April%2014,%202011%20-%201%20Resized.jpg

http://wonderfulwaterloo.com/projects/election/federal2011/kitchenercentre/Kitchener%20Centre%20Debate%20(The%20Record)%20-%20April%2014,%202011%20-%203b%20Resized.jpg

[pnijjar]

Anyone know the independent fellow's platform? These kinds of details definitely add flavour to a campaign.

http://alan-rimmer.ca/

[Greg Moore]

I watched the first ten minutes, but the level of disrespect to the process was unpalatable. It's not my riding anyway, but I like to have a good idea of what is going on around me too.

It's a shame people don't know when to shut up. Selfish individuals who think their opinions supersede anyone else should be immediately booted from the room.

[markster]

Juicy! This is my riding, but I was unable to attend, so do you mind elaborating on what little you saw?

[isUsername]

I watched the first ten minutes, but the level of disrespect to the process was unpalatable. It's not my riding anyway, but I like to have a good idea of what is going on around me too.

It's a shame people don't know when to shut up. Selfish individuals who think their opinions supersede anyone else should be immediately booted from the room.

Not gonna lie - as much as I despise Woodworth and think he is a bigoted, insensitive person, I would have preferred Karen Redman's supporters take the high road. Heckling and boos may make your side feel nice, but it is childish and turns undecided and uncommitted voters off of the process.

[isUsername]

Juicy! This is my riding, but I was unable to attend, so do you mind elaborating on what little you saw?

Simply put: Karen Redman supporters made no attempt at hiding their disapproval of Woodworth's answers. Lots of heckling, boos, laughing.

[markster]

Oh, so it was a normal, run of the mill, stacked-with-party-loyalists all candidates debate.

[pnijjar]

Actually, I don't think it was. I was pretty impressed that the questions were not all plants. I also got the sense that although people were stacked against poor Steven Woodworth (who did a pretty good job at the debate, in my opinion), they weren't far from all being Liberal loyalists. There were lots of cheers for the Byron Williston and Mark Corbiere -- sometimes moreso than for Redman.

Mind you, I only caught the last hour.

I was also impressed by the independents and most of the candidates from the smaller parties. It's a pity that voting for any of them won't accomplish a single thing.

[IEFBR14]

I was also impressed by the independents and most of the candidates from the smaller parties. It's a pity that voting for any of them won't accomplish a single thing.
Actually it will. It will help the Conservatives hold the seat. Worse that could lead to a Conservative majority. And that's not a good thing if your politics is at all to the left of redneck.

[garthdanlor]

Actually it will. It will help the Conservatives hold the seat. Worse that could lead to a Conservative majority. And that's not a good thing if your politics is at all to the left of redneck.
Has anyone actually seen any local polling? It's been a little hard to gauge the way the wind is blowing. If it was a battle of signs, I'd say both Telegdi and Redman are leading (Rosehart not doing too bad either), but that only tells us they have more signs unfortunately...

[Brenden]

Not gonna lie - as much as I despise Woodworth and think he is a bigoted, insensitive person, I would have preferred Karen Redman's supporters take the high road. Heckling and boos may make your side feel nice, but it is childish and turns undecided and uncommitted voters off of the process.


Simply put: Karen Redman supporters made no attempt at hiding their disapproval of Woodworth's answers. Lots of heckling, boos, laughing.

As someone who was there I can say that the people boing (from where I was sitting) were not Liberals they were the Marxist-Leninist supporter. That is not to say the Liberal supporters were not laughing or clapping louder for Redman...

[bcwessel]

Has anyone actually seen any local polling? It's been a little hard to gauge the way the wind is blowing. If it was a battle of signs, I'd say both Telegdi and Redman are leading (Rosehart not doing too bad either), but that only tells us they have more signs unfortunately...

The irony of calling a strategic voting initiative Project Democracy (http://www.projectdemocracy.ca/node/575) aside, their polling data appears to be both current and accurate.

Riding predictions for Kitchener Centre:
http://chart.apis.google.com/chart?&cht=bhs&chco=f08080|6495ed|f4a460|9acd32|ffcc00&chbh=20&chds=0,32133.6&chd=t:17852,16623,7211,2773,409&chs=450x125&chm=t++(17852)+Liberal,000000,0,0,14|t++(16623)+Co nservative,000000,0,1,14|t++(7211)+NDP,000000,0,2, 14|t++(2773)+Green,000000,0,3,14|t++(409)+Other,00 0000,0,4,14

[panamaniac]

Looks like a return to its traditions, if the Liberals can actually get the vote out this time.

[isUsername]

As someone who was there I can say that the people boing (from where I was sitting) were not Liberals they were the Marxist-Leninist supporter. That is not to say the Liberal supporters were not laughing or clapping louder for Redman...

As someone who was there as well, the people clapping for the Marxist-Leninist were far less than those booing at Woodworth. I don't think I need to draw a Venn diagram to explain that Redman's supporters were quite vocal at Woodworth.

[pnijjar]

I hope you are not implying that you can only be a supporter of one candidate when attending an all-candidates meeting.

The Project Democracy people are the same ones who were telling us that Telegdi had a lock on the KW riding last time. (They are the same people who were telling us to vote for the environment, no? And this year they won't support the Green Party candidate for Bruce Grey-Owen Sound (http://www.projectdemocracy.ca/bruce-grey-owen-sound).)

I went to the all-candidates meeting at City Hall today, which was about immigrant concerns. Despite being strong on this topic Woodworth did not show up (and neither did Braid -- it was a dual-riding event where only candidates from the four major parties were allowed on the panel). I think somebody is being muzzled (again -- the Conservatives pulled this nonsense last time, too).

[UrbanWaterloo]

CAW Endorses Kitchener and Guelph Liberal Candidates to Stop Harper Majority
April 18, 2011 | Canadian Autoworkers Union | Link (http://www.caw.ca/en/10140.htm)

CAW local unions in the Kitchener and Guelph areas are endorsing Liberal candidates Karen Redman (Kitchener Centre), Andrew Telegdi (Kitchener - Waterloo) and Frank Valeriote (Guelph) in the upcoming election, with the hope of stopping the Stephen Harper Conservatives from forming a majority government.

"These seats are incredibly important and could put a dent in Stephen Harper's plan for a majority government," said CAW Kitchener Area Director Bill Gibson.

The union has met with the candidates to review their platform and emphasize the union's main concerns -particularly strengthening universal health care, promoting good jobs and increasing the Canada Pension Plan so that no senior lives in poverty.

Each candidate can be found on the CAW's list of 50 priority ridings which were won by a slim margin in the 2008 election. The full list can be found at: http://www.caw.ca/en/10124.htm

The CAW is also endorsing 29 incumbent NDP MPs. In all other ridings, the union encourages an "ABC" approach, voting for the candidate who is most likely to beat a Conservative candidate.

[pnijjar]

I take back my defences of the crowd at the Kitchener Centre debate. After sitting through the entire KW debate, I can see that the debate was indeed stuffed with campaign plants. It was pretty awful.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Kitchener Centre Election Night Parties

<table style="margin: 0 auto;"><tr style="vertical-align:top;" ><td>Karen Redman
McCabe’s Irish Pub and Grill
352 King St W, Kitchener
8:30pm until?
Your first drink is on the house!
Good food!
TV to watch the results!</td><td>Peter Thurley
The Rum Runner Pub
1 King St. W., Kitchener
May 2: 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM</td></tr></table>

[isUsername]

Kitchener Centre Election Night Parties

<table style="margin: 0 auto;"><tr style="vertical-align:top;" ><td>Karen Redman
McCabe’s Irish Pub and Grill
352 King St W, Kitchener
8:30pm until?
Your first drink is on the house!
Good food!
TV to watch the results!</td><td>Peter Thurley
The Rum Runner Pub
1 King St. W., Kitchener
May 2: 8:00 PM - 12:00 AM</td></tr></table>

For those who it may be the deciding factor, Peter Thurley's celebration has free food too :RpS_wink:

[IEFBR14]

For those who it may be the deciding factor, Peter Thurley's celebration has free food too :RpS_wink:
A factor in deciding who to vote for or who to celebrate/commiserate with? ;)

[mikeyp]

Does anyone hear that sound? It sounds like Stephen Woodworth laying the beats on Redman. How come nobody posted where his victory party was going to be? That seems to be the only happening party in town right now. To all the elitest Liberals on this forum that stuck your nose up and talked down to anyone who had a different opinion than yours I say you better hurry over to McCabe's. The Liberal camp is serving up a bunch of humble pie.

[bcwessel]

Does anyone hear that sound? It sounds like Stephen Woodworth laying the beats on Redman. How come nobody posted where his victory party was going to be? That seems to be the only happening party in town right now. To all the elitest Liberals on this forum that stuck your nose up and talked down to anyone who had a different opinion than yours I say you better hurry over to McCabe's. The Liberal camp is serving up a bunch of humble pie.

The only thing that can be confirmed by a riding where 42% of the votes account for 100% of the electoral weight is that our voting system is a terrible failure, and that regardless of philosophical inclination any party which does not support a fully proportional electoral system is not concerned with real democracy. Congratulation to Mr. Woodworth for being the first choice of 42% of 60% of registered voters. Enjoy the shadenfreude, by the way.

[HillDweller]

The only thing that can be confirmed by a riding where 42% of the votes account for 100% of the electoral weight is that our voting system is a terrible failure, and that regardless of philosophical inclination any party which does not support a fully proportional electoral system is not concerned with real democracy. Congratulation to Mr. Woodworth for being the first choice of 42% of 60% of registered voters. Enjoy the shadenfreude, by the way.

Redman got about 35% of the vote. That means that 65% didn't agree with her.

[bcwessel]

Redman got about 35% of the vote. That means that 65% didn't agree with her.

That's absolutely true. I'm not suggesting that we're moving away from a better kind of democracy. I'm saying that we've never had a truly democratic election to begin with. (Incidentally, I had about as much respect for the Chretien Liberals as I now have for the Harper Conservative.)

[mikeyp]

The only thing that can be confirmed by a riding where 42% of the votes account for 100% of the electoral weight is that our voting system is a terrible failure, and that regardless of philosophical inclination any party which does not support a fully proportional electoral system is not concerned with real democracy. Congratulation to Mr. Woodworth for being the first choice of 42% of 60% of registered voters. Enjoy the shadenfreude, by the way.

Ah the excuses and whining start flowing immediately eh? How different would your response be if Redman won? You'd probably say it was a fair and balanced system and the people stood up and spoke their minds. I'll enjoy my shadenfreude if you enjoy your sour grapes.

[bcwessel]

Ah the excuses and whining start flowing immediately eh? How different would your response be if Redman won? You'd probably say it was a fair and balanced system and the people stood up and spoke their minds. I'll enjoy my shadenfreude if you enjoy your sour grapes.

I am not a party Liberal, and I couldn't give a toss about Redman. I don't see why you would be any more willing to support this current illegitimately elected majority than you would be the last illegitimately elected Liberal majority. Real conservatives should be just as appalled by the outcomes produced by our current (decrepit, outdated, undemocratic) electoral system. Plural governments are democratic governments, and I suspect the next 4+ years will be an abject lesson in how feckless and ruthless a majority rule can be when it does not reflect the true will of the people it governs.

[Greg Moore]

It's no different than the politics of the 1980's through 2004. It may be an outdated system, but your outrage seems to be at the Conservatives guised as outrage at the system.

It will be a long time before the system changes. I suggest it would be more productive to hate the player than to hate the game.

[bcwessel]

It's no different than the politics of the 1980's through 2004. It may be an outdated system, but your outrage seems to be at the Conservatives guised as outrage at the system.

It will be a long time before the system changes. I suggest it would be more productive to hate the player than to hate the game.

As one author has put it, Canada's electoral system is "an outdated relic from pre-Renaissance England," and while I certainly would have preferred a different outcome from yesterday's election my objections are entirely in response to a fundamentally undemocratic first past the post system which marginalizes genuinely dissenting voices, and gives credence to the disenfranchising belief that "my vote doesn't count." Party Conservatives cheering today are no better than Party Liberals who exploited this deep flaw in our electoral system through the Chretien years. I don't "hate the player." Harper's handlers did exactly what one would expect rational (albeit cynical) political gamesmen to do: work the system to their greatest personal benefit. I feel it would be much more productive to demand a system that cannot be quite so easily (or drastically) gamed than to hope for a more ideologically palatable outcome next time around. I just assumed that anybody who actually cares about this stuff (and not just their "team" winning or whatever) would also feel at least a little disappointed after every election -- the times when it becomes most clear that the outcome doesn't actually reflect what most people actually wanted.

[Pheidippides]

While I had hoped that some form of electoral reform might come from an increased NDP presence in Ottawa a Conservative majority essentially negates any possibility of that happening for the next four years.

Now my new lowered hope is that the Conservatives don't find some way to politicize and take advantage of the largely non-partisan decennial redistribution of the electoral districts when this week's Census data is published in March of next year.

[IEFBR14]

I feel it would be much more productive to demand a system that can ^not(*) be quite so easily (or drastically) gamed than to hope for a more ideologically palatable outcome next time around. I just assumed that anybody who actually cares about this stuff (and not just their "team" winning or whatever) would also feel at least a little disappointed after every election -- the times when it becomes most clear that the outcome doesn't actually reflect what most people actually wanted.
Let's see if now the newly-humbled Liberals, along with the previously-committed-to-electoral reform NDP, with some shrill assistance from Liz May, can put some pressure on the Harper Government to push this forward beyond cutting party funding and Reforming the Senate. Somehow I doubt it, and not just because of Harper's solid majority.

(*) inserted by Bev Oda ;)