Can we stop with the “Canadians don’t want an election” line? I don’t want one, no one I know really wants one. Problem is, we need one. Will we be better off? I don’t know. But think of it this way: This Government was brought down for CONTEMPT. The budget, though talked about, was not why this government was brought down. This is historic.
When the Conservatives took power, it was in the wake of the sponsorship scandal. They campaigned on transparency and accountability. Well, with EVERYTHING that has happened since they took office, which I won’t list here (it’s WAY to long), they have been far from transparent. That is the reason why they were taken out. They withheld necessary information from Parliament. Information that was not privileged, and was vital for Parliament to make an informed decision. It was about the fighter jets, which, coincidentally, were apparently NOT in the budget. They weren’t transparent, so now they’re being held accountable.
Except, they likely WON’T be held accountable. Why? Because not a lot of people have cared what the current Government has done. All they see and remember is the fighting and bickering, and they don’t seem to remember the various “scandals” that have plagued this Government. It’s just apparently not something that a lot of Canadians care about. They really should since these are the people who decide things on OUR behalf.
Let’s also stop with this election is “unnecessary”. It might be turn out that way, but it’s the only way for you to be held accountable for ALL the mistakes that have been committed, though, technically, it’s only punishment for one. Remember, this was a MINORITY Government, you needed to work with the rest of the parties, and you didn’t.
I think one of the real reasons Canadians don’t want an election is the attack ads. We’re tired of them. They are not effective. And, despite what some might think, there is a BIG difference between what an attack is, and what information is. Kind of like the difference between the truth, and what is spun out of it.
I feel that because of the nastiness that has been displayed by Politicians in the past years, people have sort of tuned out politics. This is unfortunate because it means most people cannot make a truly informed decision as to which party to vote for. The good news is, the current Government now has to stop using YOUR money to tell YOU how good THEIR Economic Action Plan worked. $26 Million for 3 months of ads, for a program that’s ending. That’s something you didn’t know…right? Did you know that they’ve also spent $6.7 Million on snowmobile equipment in Quebec, and $300,000 in the rest of Canada? Voter apathy will likely play a role in this election as well. The last one was something like 59%, an all time low. It’s one day, it takes little time, but it’s your civic duty to cast a ballot. It’s not mandatory, nor should it be, but participation in YOUR democratic process is vital for a healthy democracy to continue.
I think we’ve been in an election for some time now. We’ve had the CPC ads for a while (non-government), and the Government ads lauding themselves (that you pay for). They’ve had funding announcements (non-next budget related) for a while as well. I hope soon people will realize that they’re trying to buy votes. It’s not direct, and it’s not illegal, but it has to change some people’s minds. The Government knew an election would be coming, and worked ahead of the curve.
One more talking point to drop: Reckless Coalition. The current Conservative party is a merger between the Reform Party and the Progressive Conservatives. They are the ones that are the reckless coalition.
