The Election in Canada
Blog readers will know that I am not a big fan of Stephen Harper. I was in Atlantic Canada so I added a picture of his distant cousin Ricky.
lets start with Canada. My view is that these are the good old days that we all yearn for. Our major issues are how to spend the surplus and what to do about same sex marriage. They are not - how to recover a failing economy, real wages declining and how to extricate ourselves from the guerrilla war in Iraq. We have a great country and these are great times. Yes healthcare could be better but all of the people around me who are really sick are getting excellent treatment regardless of their income level. (yes I waited 7 months for my hernia to be repaired but this does not dampen my optimism)
The things for me that would really be potential threat to the good times are twofold. One we could see a dramatic political shift from the middle.. Hard Left or hard right, neither are palatable to me. Hard left hurts the economy and hard right is divisive. The second potential threat is the succession of Quebec. The Liberal fraud in that province had the makings of turning the nationalists to neutral seperatists.
I think a Harper majority would turn the country hard right and while part of me wants lower taxes my brain tells me that these same taxes make life good in Canada. While he might personally be a moderate, the yahoos in the party are omnipresent and would eventually wear him down until he started doing stupid things.. But he did not win a majority--he in fact won a thin minority and will have to govern for all. We are not going to the next Iraq without the united nations. Any major party can parry his moves. No not a lot will get done- but what do we really want to get done? Ok more money to the provinces for healthcare - at least this has a chance of happening.
On the Quebec issue the conservatives won seven seats in the francophone heartland. This is good/great. No party like the Liberals should be able to win regardless of their actions. But better news is that the Bloc only got 43% of the popular vote in Quebec. This should quell the referendum talk and we shall be safe from the distraction.
So I am happy- I think Paul Martin would have been the best choice for prime minister but the Guite inquiry skewered him. The liberal party needs renewal bring on Frank Mckenna. Jack Layton and his gal pal Olivia would have been horrid choices- their whole lives guzzling at the public trough and never building anything except dividing people.
I am happy with the election. I think the good ole days will continue.
I wish albertans would wake up and create a democracy but this is life's little trials and challenges.
posted by hockeyman @ 9:17 PM
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