Who wants a civil election?

The answer to that question, so far, is apparently: not many. 

A non-partisan, grassroots group, called Civil Election, is trying to get candidates to sign a pledge of civility for this campaign.

There are three parts to the promise. Candidates must say they are committed to: 

Make myself available for public debates and all-candidate meetings

Not engage in personal attacks on my political opponents

Advocate for a respectful and substantive exchange of ideas

I checked in this morning on signatures so far and sorry to report, at near the mid-point of this campaign, fewer than 70 have signed up.  Only five incumbents: Carolyn Bennett, Gerard Kennedy, Marlene Jennings  from the Liberals, Bruce Hyer and Charlie Angus from the NDP.

Some other stats: In total, Greens are the big pledge signers: 44 so far. The Liberals are in a distant second, with 14 signatures, the NDP has 9 and zero from the Bloc and the Conservatives.  I think we should just assume that it's because not a lot of people know about the pledge. If you're reading this, you may want to direct your candidate's attention to it.  

Comments

[dmorris]

Who are the people behind "civil election"? There is no information on their site.

The usual old saw,"a non-partisan grassroots" group is often used by persons with a rather biased political outlook,who want to get the politicians they don't like in a public forum so they can hurl abuse at them

I don't blame candidates for NOT signing up with them,they may be anything BUT civil.

[bocanut]

Ms.Delacourt-
Did Don Burroughs give you the OK to call this Civil Election group non partisan or was it based on your own research?

http://bcblue.wordpress.com/2011/04/09/stars-delacourt-pushing-website-run-by-harper-hater/

[Rolf Auer]

Who wants an election? Who wants democracy? People could let their representatives know that, too.

@Rolf_Auer

[JIMBO]

I think the JOHN IBBITSON article in the LaPresse was correct the Ottawa press gallery "detests" Harper. All the press Galleries comments and articles have to be viewed throughout the prism of a visceral hatred for Harper. How professional.

[Cathy Payne]

If the Guns, God and Gay groups who fundraise for Conservatives can't make moral slanders they are forced to talk about how emotionally raw people spend taxpayers money.

Can you imagine the narrative if Conservatives lose? How did Liberals and NDP crank up such a world class deficit??? Tax cuts for the better off to trickle down some more will be done with Gun, God and Gays money all over again. It is like a bad rerun.

They got to stop abortions in Africa and got 50 babies from Haiti so they won even if we spent all that money. If the morality mantra doesn't stop the men who feed off the politicals won't either.

When I heard today that voting outside Canada is some kind of "crime" and disloyality I thought about our soldiers and snowbirds and wondered if they even saw any Conservative flyers. No one advertises in Florida or Arizona? As a taxpayer I paid to have elctions on Canadian soil for Iraqies. Did we help them get called traitors at Home? How stupid of us to do that. I sure hope as a first world country no one flips off their civics switch when they go through security at the airport.

Mr Harper should take the time to go to that wedding, election or not. Then he can prove my patriotism doesn't FALL OFF. It just makes it mandatory to go for the inside of the person and not policies. Co-workers and neighbours can function without this awful demonizing the soul of another. Politicians have joined the Donald Trump crowd - in their war rooms.

The war motif doesn't suit politics at all. Canada stands still without the best ideas of all parts. One part is immune and doesn't play. Signing the pledge may end up as political fodder for gotcha moments. Exactly what it proposes to guard against.

[Cathy Payne]

I distinctly remember Ms Bennett being called "a parasite" on television by an American Conservative Senator during a committee hearing. Seems to be the same Senator who now is trying to support the deposed leader of Ivory Coast. Misunderstood victim, of course.

Ms Bennett behaved so well under attack I was proud as a woman. If this guy had said that to any of our Conservative Sewing Circle guys they would have whipped chairs later. Being kind of rude and extreme in comments seems a Conservative hallmark. We'll be buying our fighter jets through that same Senator, too. And maybe President Trump. All the world's a casino when Conservative run it.

And it won't be cheap.