Test your political skills with this 10-question quiz about the present – and the past – of Canadian politics.
1. You may not be aware of this, but Justin Trudeau’s father was also once Liberal Party leader. For half a point each, name the runner up in the LPC leadership races that elected Pierre and Justin.
2. There have been 5 by-elections since the last federal election. In how many has the party who won the seat in 2011 held it?
3. Within 5 percentage points, what percentage of Canadians now live in a province run by a female Premier?
4. Bob Rae recently announced his retirement from politics. In what year was he first elected to the House of Commons as an MP?
5. Complete the following Stephen Harper quote, uttered in the wake of the Boston marathon bombing: “Now is not the time to commit ______”
6. We heard a lot about Nigel Wright this year. Who replaced him as Stephen Harper’s chief of staff?
7. Who did FastForward readers vote as Calgary’s sexiest man earlier this year?
8. With Dalton McGuinty and Jean Charest exiting the stage, who is Canada’s longest serving Premier?
9. There was a brief flurry of excitement that the Liberals might win in Calgary Centre last fall. Sadly, this hope proved as fleeting as a Leafs’ third period lead. When was the last time the Liberals won a seat in cowtown?
10. For the very first time since he became Prime Minister, we’ve started hearing speculation about Stephen Harper retiring. Still, Harper is just 54 and could ride a divided opposition to a few more years in power. If he stays PM, in what year would Harper pass Mackenzie King as the longest serving Prime Minister in Canada’s history?
(answers to be posted shortly in the comments section)
15 responses to “Canada Day Quiz”
OK I’ll start the ball rolling…
1- John Turner (1968) & Joyce Murray (2013)
2- 4 out of 5 retained
3- 93% (NF, QC, ON, AB & BC all have female premiers)
4- 1979
5- sociology
6- Ray Novak
7- Naheed Nenshi
8- Robert Ghiz (PEI)
9- 1968
10- 2026
And the answers…
1. Robert Winters and Joyce Murray
2. 4
3. 88% (give yourself a point for a guess between 83% and 93%)
4. 1978, but give yourself a point if you’re within a year either way
5. Sociology
6. Ray Novak
7. Naheed Nenshi
8. PEI’s Robert Ghiz
9. 1968
10. 2027, but give yourself the point if you’re within 2 years in either direction.
I did poorly on the quiz overall, but the big heartbreaker was getting no. 8. wrong. I was torn between Ghiz and Wall (between a rock and hard place?), but I went with Wall. *sighs*
I’ll confess to be unsure between Ghiz and Wall before googling that one.
My math was off on #3. I think it’s because AB+BC have more people than I gave them credit for in the quick mental math.
Also #8 was a real bastard move 😛 you should award half points for anyone who said wall (and bump me up to .75 for that one)
I guess I scored 6.75 then
I also crapped out on 8 – guessed Wall too. Missed #5, got the rest.
3.
I recall googling up an exciting 80% after Wynne’s win
7.
Naheed Nenshi
10.
2030, give or take…
The rest show me up, though… I have no idea. 🙁
Ok.
I don’t know what’s more surprising to me… 88% (cool!) or “sociology”…
1
Joyce Murray and uh. Robert Winters?
2
4 out of 4 I know for sure, so lets say all of them.
4
1978?
5
Sociology. my roomate made a blog in response to that comment. Bought a button too that’s sitting on the table.
6
no clue
7
also no clue
8
um. hum. wall or ghiz. not sure who has been longer, think both were elected within months of each other. give me half marks, I’ll answer both.
9
1968
10
aw shoot. I am the one who added this sort of information to all sorts of places, but I don’t know offhand. uh lets see some quick mental math. um. 2028
missed #3 somehow.
lets see some quick math
12+7.5+4+3+.5=27/35=77%
here are my math errors.
Ontario has 13 million not 12
Quebec has 8 million not 7.5
BC has 4.5 million not 4
Alberta has 3.5 million not 3
thus “27” should be “29.5”
Canada has 33.5 million, not 35
29.5/33.5=88%
Yes, there’s an unreasonable amount of math for this poli-sci quiz!
I got 7.5, which is pretty good I think. I’m most proud that I nailed #3 within 1%.
I missed #6, #9, and half a point on #1.
Indeed. It’s a tough quiz, so anyone who got at least half of them correct deserves a hearty kudos.
I got only one: “sociology”, but I do remember Peter Newman’s description of Robert Winters pretty well. He might have been one of Canada’s more conservative PM’s, I think certainly moreso than Joe Clark and Dief. It was a really close vote.