Libertarian vote per candidate doubled in Canada

Fringe parties see spike in candidates, votes | Canada Politics - Yahoo News Canada - Elianna Lev:

October 20, 2015 - "Now that the concession speeches are over and lawn signs are coming down, leaders of Canada’s lesser-known political parties are assessing how they did in Monday’s election.

"Of the 18 registered fringe parties including the pirates, the potheads and the pro-lifers, the top five performing ones were the Libertarian Party of Canada, the Christian Heritage Party of Canada, the Marxist-Leninist Party of Canada, the Rhinoceros Party and the Progressive Canadian Party.

"Several that spoke to Yahoo Canada News acknowledged growing in both candidates and votes, despite still barely making a blip on the political radar.

"David Clement, a spokesperson with the Libertarian Party of Canada, says there were 72 candidates in this year’s election, a significant jump from the 2011 campaign. The party’s mission is 'to reduce the responsibilities and expense of government' and has been active since the 1970s, though it has gone through several incarnations.

"In total, the party won 37,407 votes [519 votes per candidate - ed.], a significant jump from the 2011 count, which then garnered 6,017 votes and only 23 candidates [265 votes per candidate - ed.].

"'It really cements us on the way to fielding a whole slate of candidates and building that momentum of progression moving forward,' he says.

"While none of the party’s candidates won in their respective riding, a few placed better than more established parties like the Greens, something Clement calls 'a good first step'."

Read more: https://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/canada-politics/fringe-parties-see-spike-in-candidates--votes-190003295.html
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IRS spends $140M so far upgrading to Windows 7

Government watchdog blasts IRS for mismanaged migrations from Windows XP, Server 2003 | Computerworld - Gregg Keizer:

October 15, 2015 - "Government auditors have blasted the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for missing deadlines to upgrade Windows XP PCs and data center servers running Windows Server 2003, both of which have been retired by Microsoft.

"In a recently released report, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) criticized the IRS for spending nearly $140 million on upgrading Windows XP to Windows 7 even as it failed to meet the support cut-off of April 2014. At the deadline, over half of the IRS's PCs were still running XP.

"Nine months after Windows XP fell off Microsoft's support list, the agency still could not account for 1,300 PCs – about 1% of its total – and so couldn't say whether they had been purged of the ancient OS.

"On the server front, half of the IRS's Windows-powered servers were still running Windows Server 2003 in May, even though Microsoft would pull the support plug on that software two months later. At that time, the IRS still had not installed Windows Server 2012, the latest version, on any of its systems.

"The failure to upgrade its infrastructure to supported versions of Windows, said TIGTA, threatened taxpayers and tax collection. 'We believe that running workstations with outdated operating systems pose significant security risks to the IRS network and data, particularly in the environment where a chain is only as strong as its weakest link,' the TIGTA's report stated. 'External hackers or malicious insiders need to locate only the one computer with security weaknesses, such as one with an outdated operating system, to exploit in order to steal data or further compromise other computers.'

"That's not just theory. Earlier this year, the IRS admitted that hackers infiltrated its network and made off with personal information on more than 300,000 taxpayers."

Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/article/2993380/operating-systems/government-watchdog-blasts-irs-for-mismanaged-migrations-from-windows-xp-server-2003.html
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Thanks from Libertarian Party of Canada leader (video)

Canada's Libertarians work to shed 'fringe' label

Some of the incidental coverage of the Libertarian Party of Canada this election campaign:

Rhinos and Pirates: A look at Canada’s federal fringe parties | CTV News - Michelle Zillio:
August 30, 2015 - "The Libertarian Party’s goal is to reduce the responsibilities and expense of the government so that Canadians can manage their own needs. The party stands for free market economic policies, including a gradual phase out of government control over the money supply. It believes that governmental regulatory agencies 'often do far more harm than good.'  The party also has a full platform with policies on health care, justice, immigration, foreign policy, gun ownership, aboriginal affairs and the environment. https://www.libertarian.ca"

Libertarians on the march | Toronto & GTA | News | Toronto Sun - Mike Strobel:
September 6, 2015 - "Libertarians have a snazzed-up image and a hot new leader. Fox News called him 'a dreamboat.' He’s a firefighter, for crying out loud....  'I’m no kook,' Tim Moen chuckles down the line from Calgary. Moen, 42, is the first line of the Libertarian Party of Canada slogan: New leader. New colours. New party. 'We’re here, we’re politically active and we’re ready to put our stamp on the Canadian political scene,' he tells me....  'We can’t keep throwing a reckless hail Mary pass into an endzone called Libertopia. We need to grind the ball down the field, making Canadians a little freer each time.' By 'freer,' he means small bureaucracy, a 15% flat tax and raising the personal exempt level to $17,300 from $11,000. Weed, the sex trade and other victimless 'crimes' would be legal. As taxes fall, the nanny state, which all major parties nurture, would fold its tent. 'Our culture sees government as there to solve all our problems and relieve all our anxieties. We need to change the culture.'"

Fringe candidates raise a little hell come election time - Politics - CBC News - Steve Patterson:
October 13, 2015 - "There was also a Libertarian candidate in my riding, a party I have never quite understood other than to imagine it mocking the Liberal Party for not being Liberal enough (i.e., if the Liberals say 'Vote for Justin,' the Libertarians would just say 'Vote ... or don't')."

When you don’t want to vote for a winner: Who are the OTHER parties in the Canadian election? | National Post - Tristin Hopper:
October 14, 2015 - "Canada’s Libertarians aren’t nearly as crazy as their U.S. equivalents. They seem fine with universal healthcare, but want to make it a provincial responsibility. And, as far as can be told, they have no plans to privatize sidewalks. But expect all the usual libertarian things: Legal drugs, legal prostitutes, no more loonies and a lot more guns. This election, the party’s got Tim Moen, the Alberta filmmaker who rose to prominence after giving an insider’s view of the sheer amount of fossil fuels Neil Young burned while shooting his anti-oilsands documentary."

Fringe candidates on rise across Saskatchewan - Andrea Hill & Charles Hamilton, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix: 
September 30, 2015 - "'The government has no right to tell people what they can and can't do,' said Bronek Hart, one of two Libertarian Party candidates in the province. He'll be on the ballot in Saskatoon-West. Hart said he knows he has no real chance of winning, but he decided to run after becoming disillusioned with the promises of the major parties. 'I went, "Wow, these parties suck",' he said. His party's platform includes ending the war on drugs, significantly reducing federal income tax and repealing the power of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and other federal regulatory agencies. The party also promises to end all Canadian involvement in foreign wars and make it easier for lawabiding citizens to carry guns. Hart said he hopes that, at the very least, support for the Libertarian Party will influence the next government."

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LP candidates Hu & Clarke in Georgia Straight

Guns, drugs, hookers, and freedom: meet the political party formerly banned by Elections Canada | Georgia Straight Vancouver's News & Entertainment Weekly - Devon Rowcliffe:

October 16, 2015 - "They’re both left-wing and right-wing. They steadfastly oppose anti-terrorism legislation such as Bill C-51, advocate for legalizing drugs and prostitution, and promote a non-interventionist foreign policy. Yet this same group also wants to allow private healthcare, decrease taxes, and make it easier to obtain guns.

"What could be behind this seeming paradox? The Libertarian Party of Canada....

"The Straight recently spoke with two Libertarian candidates running here in Metro Vancouver to get their views: Bonnie Hu, a 22-year-old female of Chinese descent who immigrated to Canada as a youth and is contesting political office for the first time; and John Clarke, a 64-year-old Caucasian male who has run numerous times for both the federal and provincial Libertarians since 1984."

"Both candidates discovered the libertarian philosophy — based upon small government, low taxes and minimal regulations — at a young age. Clarke stumbled upon it while in high school during the mid-1960s, while Hu came across libertarianism on internet forums....

"The Libertarians are considered a fringe party here in Canada, although they have amassed an impressive 72 candidates for the 2015 election. Will this be enough to make a breakthrough on October 19? 'We're taking votes away from the other parties for sure,' said Hu, who is running in the suburban riding of South Surrey-White Rock. 'Mostly Conservatives, but [from] all the others too'....

"And how do Libertarians feel about Harper’s Conservatives? 'Libertarians oppose the basic thing of the Conservative Party — which is their taxing, their regulating,' said Clarke, who is running in the Vancouver Centre riding. 'And in terms of foreign policy, bombing Libya is a completely un-libertarian act'....

"Unlike the Conservatives, who take pride in their 'tough on drugs' stance, the Libertarians offer a strikingly different policy: they advocate for the legalization of marijuana and decriminalization of all other drugs....

"Regarding healthcare, the Libertarians are interested in allowing for more choice — particularly [in] the private sector....

"Regarding other social programs, the Libertarian candidates didn’t mince their words. 'We should cut spending on low-income assistance,' said Hu. 'I don't believe in the government supports and hand-outs [people with disabilities] are getting. They should get help from private sources.'

"Climate change is another topic where the party’s candidates hold opinions that may shock some voters. Neither Clarke nor Hu were convinced that human actions have been responsible for the planet’s warming trend....

"The subject of terrorism is one where the Libertarians seem more like a left-wing party. The interviewed candidates felt that terrorism was being used by the Conservatives as a wedge issue to gain votes....

'[The Conservatives] stand for big government, and they want more surveillance through Bill C-51,' [Hu] said. 'I don't believe people should be under surveillance ... people should be able to expect basic [rights] like privacy.'

"And as for the niqab? 'I think people should be free to wear whatever they want,' said Clarke."

Read more: http://www.straight.com/news/558126/guns-drugs-hookers-and-freedom-meet-political-party-formerly-banned-elections-canada
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Medical marijuana legalized in Croatia

Croatia Legalizes Weed For Medical Use Jackie Salo, International Business Times:

October 15, 2015 - "Marijuana became legally available in Croatia for medical purposes Thursday. The decision to legalize followed a high-profile case in which a multiple sclerosis patient was jailed last year for growing the plant to ease his pain.

"Huanito Luksetic, 37, was detained for growing cannabis plants in his garden in a village near Rijeka. Police seized around 44 pounds of marijuana from the multiple sclerosis patient, who said he used the plants to make cannabis oil.

"Doctors and other patients spoke out in support of legalization after Luksetic made news, and a monthslong campaign was launched to legalize medical marijuana. 'For us, patients, cannabis is one of the most important plants for our lives and health,' Luksetic told Agence France-Presse. 'Everyone should have the right to choice and self-cure.'  "

"Medicines that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can be prescribed in Croatia starting Thursday to patients suffering from chronic health problems such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and AIDS. Regulations limit the quantity to 7.5 grams per month, and patients can receive a prescription of up to only 30 days. It remains illegal to grow marijuana at home....

"Over the years, some level of cannabis legalization has won support in other European Union countries, including Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

"The U.S. has legalized medical marijuana in 23 states and entirely in four states -- Alaska, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. European Union countries are unlikely to follow suit with complete cannabis legalization, EU drug monitoring agency chief Wolfgang Gotz said."

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/marijuana-legalization-2015-croatia-legalizes-weed-medical-use-2143078
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Libertarian runs to have someone to vote for

McFadzean striving for liberty and prosperity in Canada | Federal Election | Bonnyville Nouvelle - Kristen Oelschlagel:

September 28, 2015 - "The Libertarian party will be on the ballot in the Lakeland riding for the 2015 federal election, with Robert McFadzean stepping forward to be the local candidate....

"McFadzean's main message for his campaign is minimizing the government, especially when it comes to conducting business.... 'My main focus is to put forward the idea that rather than use government to run enterprises, we should turn to free enterprises and free markets,' said McFadzean.

"The Libertarian nominee spent 23 years teaching economics and financial management in the agriculture department at Lakeland College. A Vermillion resident for over 30 years, McFadzean prides himself on being actively involved in his community through groups like his church, the scouts, the local music festival and the choir.

"After being associated with the Libertarian party for a number of years, he decided it was time for people in the Lakeland to have a Libertarian in the ballot. 'The reason I want to run is that for many years now I've been very disappointed in politics in general, so I thought in order to have somebody to vote for I'd have to run myself.'

"As a Libertarian McFadzean explained that his campaign is not so much about what he can do for the constituency, but about fighting for liberty for everyone in the country. 'What I'm focusing on is encouraging people to change their way of looking at politics. Politics is how we get along with each other and most of us, in our private lives, respect other people's choices and property and I think government should do the same.'

"Admittedly, McFadzean said he's aware that the Libertarian party isn't likely to gain many seats in the House of Commons. 'I don't think I'd have a lot of power in parliament but I would promote liberty, promote free market, government cutting back on taxation regulation and I would try my best to influence the government in that regard.'"

Read more: http://www.bonnyvillenouvelle.ca/bnv/article/McFadzean-striving-for-liberty-and-prosperity-in-Canada-20150928
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