I guess at my age, every two years is two much. There are those who do not see the need for it. I agree. There is no reason that a minority government should not work. It is a shame that Mr. Harper broke his own laws on fixed date elections. Surely, there is work that needs to be done that supersedes the political filibusters intended for political gain. Can those in power not determine what needs to be done, set aside party politics, and make a difference in this country? I have great issues with many of our parties.
Conservatives
Mr. Harper promised many things.
Senate reform- there has been none
Lowered GST – what for? We need more services, not less. The minimal reduction made little difference for those that have and reduced the tax dollars available for those who have not.
How about 4 – year elections: he fixed date and changed his own rules. Reminds me of some men I dated. Last minute cancellations for their own political gains.
He said he would not appoint ministers from outside government, and he did.
He promised no floor crossing: yet a man elected as liberal a week later crossed over to the other side, which reflected opportunism.
Liberals
Liberals Have gone green and laud the Kyoto agreement, an obtuse document that allows us to guilt-free buy our way to ‘carbon credits’. What is with this? Mr. Dion is not favoured. His English has improved but not enough for me to have faith in him. His policies sing out tax dollars, and his carbon tax seems ridiculous. Those who cannot afford to pay more for gas will suffer. We will still find those who can afford it continue to idle in parking lots with the motor running.
NDP
I must admit my bias: I have always voted NDP, being a federation and union member. I began to distrust the NDP when Bob Rae enacted "Rae Days" in provincial education to save money. His defection to the Federal Liberals scares me, too.
I worry about those who do not cast their vote for particular local candidates due to strategic voting. I heard a fellow citizen in my riding who complained that since the NDP never made it in this riding that he tried strategic voting last time to no effect. Mr. Layton comes second in opinion polls for strong leadership. He and his partner would make a strong opposition. Too many people are afraid of open policies in which we look after each other, and not ourselves or business.
There are rumours of his agreements with the B.C. parties; candidates who defected to NDP after a lack of success there. Former marijuana party members, if you please! B.C. has always gone from Liberal to NDP, and back again, why Mr. Layton made deals, if he did so, is beyond me. Mr. Harper is now aiming for NDP supporters in BC, as he realizes that Mr. Dion doesn't have a chance there.
The NDP has faced a couple of issues as his BC candidates have been unravelled with past mistakes. There were 3 candidates that resigned this week.
Green Party
Elizabeth May has made great progress in bringing the philosophy of ‘Greens” to Canada. I adore her feisty spirit. She is smart and articulate, but inexperienced. By now, the Green Party of Canada, which has made great gains in Germany, has not met expectations here. Ms. May has failed to drum up enough support, either philosophical or financial, to make a difference. By getting into bed with the Liberals to promote herself in her riding by running unopposed by a Liberal candidate, she diminishes her personal and party power and demonstrates values I question. The Toronto Star says the the Greens & NDP are now tied in popularity. The consortium that tried to force May out of the debate really messed up the plans. The attention accorded her, the little guy vs. the big guys, has gleaned her much attention. She is second choice for many voters...mind you the polls are pretty uneventful, if you can depend upon pollsters.
For fun we are going to go and watch Ms. May arrive in Parry Sound -not that we necessarily intend voting Green, but it is an historical occasion. What a great trip she is having - both real and philosophical. Watch for photos later!
Parry Sound-Muskoka riding
With all of that said, the Parry Sound-Muskoka riding is one that holds much interest. I really wonder, as I heard one phone-in caller state, whether to vote strategically, or to vote on the issues. Muskoka is an area of either retirees (18%) or those in the sales and service industries (28%), and that causes fear amongst those who are self-employed or in the business world. Last election, with the Conservative, Tony Clement, edging out the Liberal incumbent in 2006 by 28 votes; our riding is one that gets attention.
That said, what about local candidates? I do not know them well and have found many Tony Clement signs about. They say that the incumbent has an advantage. We have been inundated with bizarre flyers from the Conservatives, asking us bizarre questions about whether we want X, Y, Z to happen with a Liberal government. Certainly, Mr. Clement takes every opportunity to be in every event going and yet there are issues unresolved in this riding.
We are still sorting through the party positions on many Federal issues: education, poverty, immigration policy, the environment, gun violence, government corruption, senate reform, and Afghanistan. They say that an election is no time to deal with policies, only planks announced daily to garnish the most sound bites and build up to a strong, unbreakable platform in the final climax on election day. No matter your positions on issues - get out there, listen to their platforms and invoke your rights as a citizen, talk to your candidates about the issues, and vote.
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