Federal Election 2015

The 42nd Canadian federal election is scheduled for October 19, 2015. 
Electoral boundaries have changed in Waterloo Region.

This year too, we are gathering all the important information about Issues Worth Voting For, about our local candidates and creating opportunities for you to meet and get to know them before the election. Open your gateway to election, read the Party Platforms Anaysis, meet us at the all-candidates and let us know what matters to you the most!

See the interactive map of the old and new electoral boundaries. Click "Existing" to see ridings as they have existed since 2004, and "New" to see boundaries for 2015 - and use the check boxes in the Legend to toggle the boundaries on and off. (Source: Electoral Boundaries Comission)

2015 Riding Boundaries Change

 Find out more about the census profiles of the four new electoral ridings

Source: Statistic Canada 2011
* Census profile shows age, sex, families, households, marital status, language
* National Household Survey Profile shows chitizenship, Aboriginal peoples, immigraiton and ethnocultural diversity, mobility and migration, education and labour, income and housing

Kitchener Centre - Census Profile 2011, National Household Survey Profile 2011

Kitchener-Conestoga - Census Profile 2011, National Household Survey Profile 2011

Kitchener South-Hespler - Census Profile 2011, National Household Survey 2011

Waterloo - Census Profile 2011, National Household Survey Profile 2011

 

Pre-budget Consultation in Kitchener Centre with MP Stephen Woodworth - December 13, 2014

Read here what residents of the Kitchener Centre have told us about their expectations regarding 2015 Federal Budget compared with the Standing Committee on Finance Recommendations.

You can as well read the Social Development Centre Submission addressing the following:

  • Government leadership
  • Taxation
  • Transfer Payments
  • Federal Programs (housing, infrastructure, employment, pensions, Statistics Canada)

Consultation Report of the Standing Committee on Finance - December19th, 2014

Towards prosperity: federal budgetary priorities for people, businesses and communities

Read the whole report
Read the Committee Recommendations

Responsibilities of the Federal Government (and how it all fits) 

government responsibilities

Useful Reading:

"In From the Margins: Call to Action on Poverty, Housing and Homelessnesswas a landmark report done in 2009 that provided significant poverty reduction recommendations for the Federal Government from the The Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology .

It is a great document to help us assess the party platforms and the federal budget. 

 

Changes to the Elections Act

Introduction the Fair Elections Act arrived with a back-down on vouching, closing the fundraising loophole and Elections Canada appointing poll supervisors. There are still important concerns, such as ID being needed with vouching and voter information cards not being accepted as ID,Panel Elections Act the gap in Elections Canada investigative powers and the Elections Canada commissioner still moving over to the office of the Public Prosecution. We wish to thank Peggy Nash, Mathieu Doucet and Sharon Sommerville for their participation in the educational panel on April 23rd. See the photos from the event and the report from Fair Vote Waterloo Region Chapter. May 2014 this bill has received Royal Assent and is now law.

However, the Council of Canadians (see their background document) and the Canadian Federation of Students, represented by Steven Shrybman continue to say that the Act violates the Charter of rights of Canadians and hope to nullify it before the 2015 federal election by challenging it in Ontario Superior Court.

Voter ID rules stand, judge rules: An Ontario Superior Court justice has rejected a bid for an injunction to suspend voter identification provisions of the Fair Elections Act, despite acknowledging the risk eligible Canadians will be denied the vote in next federal election - CBC, July 20, 2015

Find out all you need to know this federal election at Elections Canada Website!

Are you a registered voter? 

Your Voter's Guide

Do you have the right ID? 

Information for students

Accessible voting