It's SHOW TIME: Get the Vote Out Canada

Well, we're down to the wire, it's SHOW TIME folks.

Here are the final few stories making the rounds in Vancouver-Kingsway.
I hope those voting remember that our next elected Member of
Parliament is a representative to all of us in the riding, a wide and diverse range of voters.

I hope that people get out and vote, no matter what riding you live in, with the knowledge that this is one of THE most important elections in Canadian history.

Wendy Yuan 3rd Party Advertising

Of thousands of candidates running in 308 ridings across the country only one candidate - Wendy Yuan - appears to have multiple third party individuals running election advertising in her support.

Vancouver-Kingsway: Race Card Played?
Mike Watkins.

Additionally, an official advertisement released by the Yuan campaign exhorts:

Please unite, on 10/14 cast a vote for your ethnic Chinese candidate, Wendy Yuan.

Patrick [Tam] points this out as a racist appeal for votes and I agree. Candidates shouldn't be asking for the vote based on their race or skin colour, and nor should their supporters.

Sadly this approach typifies much of campaign 2008 where the politics of
attack and division have dominated over that of ideas and the future.

Critic accuses Liberal Yuan of prejudice (Oct 13, The Tyee)

A local photographer accused Vancouver-Kingsway Liberal candidate Wendy Yuan of prejudice after the appearance of two Chinese-language ads that
promote her ethnic background.

“[Yuan] is dumbing down the Chinese voters,” he said. “One
should vote for the most able candidate, not because of their ethnicity.”

Tam said the ads set a bad precedent for Canadian politics.

Wendy Yuan’s Policy Emptiness is Bad for Vancouver-Kingsway

Posted by Stephen Elliott-Buckley on October 13, 2008. Politics ReSpun

A vote for the NDP and Don Davies is a vote for progress, humanity and real political representation in Vancouver-Kingsway.

A vote for the Liberals and Wendy Yuan is a vote for the federal Liberal party “brand”, elitist and pro-corporate policies and the Paul Martin-David Emerson gang.

Worst of all, NOT voting is a vote for Wendy Yuan. Here’s why:

As far as I can tell, Wendy Yuan seems like a nice person: earnest, believing in the importance of a prosperous future for Canada [she owns a small business so you do the math] and somewhat down to earth.

But in the context of who we want representing us in parliament, she’s an empty vessel and fully uninspiring on the issues.

Don Davies has actually lived and volunteered in the riding for years, works for human rights and social and economic justice, and is interested in his fellow citizens in the riding and our concerns as opposed to pro-corporate issues or concerns of people who own big homes in Richmond like Wendy Yuan.

And without going into Wendy Yuan’s foibles which you can read about elsewhere:

* the tragic optics of the apartment she rented last fall in Collingwood to go along with her house in Richmond
* her probably good work with SUCCESS, the Richmond Economic Advisory Committee and SFU in Surrey [as opposed to any real work in Vancouver-Kingsway]
* whether she was involved in nomination meeting voter shenanigans, racially-divisive advertising, or supporting or failing to oppose China’s practice of murdering Falong Gong members for lucrative organs,

on what she actually brings to the table, she is a disastrous pick for MP.

You can review it for yourselves in a few places. Her YouTube site has a few vignettes of true policy emptiness that reflect her party’s abject refusal to address issues of real people. Its three features are so free of issues that we hear our anthem, see some pictures of her showing up at public events and trust-based service pledges. Empty otherwise.

She also seemed quite useless at the all-candidates meeting on October 7, 2008. While these videos may have neglected her best moments, what we do see is cringe-inducing.

Vancouver-Kingsway Riding Talk on CBC

Final Vancouver-Kingsway 2008 comments:

It looks like the race here in V-K is going to be a tight one. Here are some things to consider:

Conservative candidate - Salomon "regular blood donor" Rayek- He does not live in the riding, nor work here, has never spent one moment volunteering here, or had any involvement in community work, or improving the health & wellbeing of our community.
- He lives in Richmond and has long been on the executive of the Richmond-Delta East Conservative Riding Association.
- During this election, he has snubbed constituents by not showing up for 2 different All Candidates meetings.
- His office will not return e-mails to me, a constituent.
- He has not done one thing that would demonstrate he has a commitment to the people of this riding. If he has refused to show up, won't talk, or listen to constituents & voters DURING AN ELECTION - why would we have any hope he will be there if we need him as a MP?

A vote for Salomon Rayek is a wasted vote for Vancouver-Kingsway.

Wendy Yuan - Liberal Party- She moved to the riding in preparation for the election, she has never spent a moment working, or volunteering, nor has she been involved with any community groups working to make V-K a better place for all.
- I saw her in action at both All Candidates meetings and her performance at both was substandard. She was inarticulate, easily rattled by simple questions, did not do her homework, was not prepared, did not even know her own party's platform & was reading it verbatim, but was accusing other candidates of not having their facts straight. She was a poor public speaker and was evasive in answering questions she didn't want to answer, or that she didn't know the answer to.
- Ms. Yuan has managed to incur very serious hostility and anger from the Chinese Falun Gong and other practitioners due to her hands off opinions about China's human rights abuses.
- Ms. Yuan has not learned that just because you want something really, really bad, doesn't mean you will be any good at it.

Don Davies - NDP- He has lived in the riding for years, his kids go to school in it and he has volunteered and been part of the community for years.
- At each All Candidates meeting he was smart, articulate, knew the issues, could provide facts, details & background easily.
- He knew his party's platform, has been inclusive and interested in the needs & issues of a wide range of constituents.

Vancouver-Kingsway needs a strong representative in Ottawa, someone who will represent a wide range of constituents. It isn't right that someone wins this riding due to race, since we are a very diverse riding. Let's vote for the most capable, strongest and most prepared and knowledgeable candidate to re-store pride to Vancouver-Kingsway. Happy voting day Canada.