Canada has a Conservative minority government with the electoral support of roughly 40% of voters. However, the progressive side of the political spectrum is fractured ... both in Parliament and in the blogosphere.
Canada uses the British Parliamentary system. We elect Members of Parliament (MP's)from individual constituencies (electoral districts). The political party with the most elected MP's forms the government and that party's leader becomes the Prime Minister and leader of the nation.
Simple.
What's complicated at the moment is the fact that we have a number of political parties all of whom are garnering quite a lot of votes. We have the governing Conservative Party, with the Liberal Party (as the Official Opposition), The Bloc Quebecois (a party that wants Quebec to become an independent nation), the New Democratic Party (the lefty/labor party) and the Green Party.
This fragmented political reality is reflected, as well, in the Canadian political blogosphere.
Bloggers of Liberal, New Democrat and Green persuasion consider themselves 'progressive'. However, at the moment there is little unanimity amongst progressive bloggers. The only tie that binds us together is our strong distaste for our 'Bush loving' Conservative Prime Minister!
The rightwingosphere, who strongly support Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government, are loud, organized and aggressive.
So goes the state of virtual politics in Canada today.
The current voting in the 2008 Weblog Award, for the category of 'Best Canadian Blog', clearly illustrates the fragmented state of Canadian politics in the blogosphere:
-Dust my Broom, Canadian Sentinel, Ezra Levant, Five Feet of Fury all come from the far Right of the political spectrum.
One of the few voices of the progressive political Left is the blogsite, Buckdog, who advances an alternate voice to the Right wing din that currently dominates Canadian politics.
A vote for Buckdog as Best Canadian Blog, could be your contribution to helping the Great White North find its progressive political voice. Let's face it, you folks in the US of A have thrown off the Republicans ... how about helping your frostback compatriots try and do the same! This could be your good act for the day! Vote Here!
http://2008.weblogawards.org/...