Canadians have chosen wisely
I couldn't really be much more content with the results of yesterday's elections, to be honest. Yes, we have another minority Parliament, perhaps as divided (if not moreso) than its predecessor - but the makeup of the 308 individuals headed to Ottawa to form Canada's 39th Parliament could not be much better for Canada. Let's take a look.So Paul Martin's Liberals were humbled, and rightfully so, though not crushed, which is important. They will make up a very strong Official Opposition with 103 seats. After spending 13 years in power, many of them without a rudder or exciting policy direction, the LPC now gets a chance to return to Opposition and begin the process of re-energizing. We've been scraping the bottom of the barrel recently, and let's be quite honest - it's time for a break. We now have an exciting leadership campaign shaping up, and Liberals need to ensure that it doesn't turn into a repeat of Martin's coronation in 2003 - that is, that someone like Frank McKenna doesn't end up winning 95% of the vote against one remaining, out-of-the-question candidate. We need a discussion about new ideas, about vision and about leadership. This is a perfect chance to reaffirm what Canadian Liberalism stands for.
Stephen Harper has finally won his election, albeit with a minority mandate. This is a great chance for him to bring some new ideas and perspective to how Canada is governed, and I look forward to some energy and excitement in Ottawa again. He's known for his ability to build consensus, and I hope that he can apply those skills both with regard to Canadian federalism and the business of the House of Commons. As I've said before, I will likely disagree with him on many issues, but I begin his mandate with a positive attitude. I wish him luck and success as he prepares to govern the country. Just keep in mind, Mr Harper, that you are leading a minority, and that this may well be a vote against the Liberals rather than an enthusiastic endorsement of your policies.
The Bloc Quebecois and its leader, Gilles Duceppe, were also humbled last night. Despite the talk of breaching the 50% threshold and wiping out the federalist seat count in the province, they lost three seats and a good 6 or 7 percent of the vote. I would just as soon see the BQ wiped off the Quebec electoral map myself, but this is a step. Another benefit of their drop in the polls is the fact that the CPC won some Quebec seats - a critical factor for the formation of a government. It would be a dangerous situation had the Tories been shut out from the province.
And finally, the Jack Layton's NDP is up by 10 seats or so, making them a more powerful voice in the House of Commons. This is also a good thing - they bring different priorities to the table, and though I would never want them governing, it's important to have their voice heard loud and clear. I was hoping for a second that Layton might be unseated by Liberal candidate Deborah Coyne, but you can't win 'em all. Layton should really lose the whole 'working families' thing - it drives me nuts.
So, all in all, a brilliant election result that I'm very happy with. For a variety of reasons, it appears that it will lead to a more vibrant Canada, and it is a demonstration of the health of Canadian democracy. Canadian voters have, as always, chosen wisely.
LIBDATE: A good piece here by Andrew Coyne on the possibilities these results hold for the Liberals. His thoughts line up pretty much with my own.
I reluctantly agree. It will be interesting to see what this government does. The conservatives deserved a chance, although I don't think I will ever be able to bring myself to vote for them. I wish the Green Party would have taken a seat, however. One of my biggest fears about Harper was that he would play to much to the USA, but recent news suggests the opposite. "It is the Canadian people we get our mandate from, not the ambassador of the United States" Harper said in a recent despute about the arctic. It's not groundbreaking, but I hope he keeps this attitude throughout his term - serving Canadians!
Posted by
Anonymous |
7:50 AM
I am afraid you missed the point altogether. Harper was the big loser in the election.
The Hill Times ran an edited version of my Jan. 28 column "Appearances to the contrary, the Liberal Party was the big winner on election night," and it pretty much debinks the notion that Harper "won" anything.
(See www.gregfelton.com for the full-length version.)
Liberals still won 103 seats, despite all odds against them
It should have been a blow out. All things being equal, the Harper party ought to have crushed the Liberals, just as the Liberals crushed the Progressive Conservatives in 1993. At that time, public revulsion at the chicanery and sliminess of then-prime minister Brian Mulroney's government led to the near annihilation of the PCs.
The luckless sacrificial leader Kim Campbell led the party to oblivion, falling from 169 seats to two. The Liberals ballooned from 83 to 177 in the first of three consecutive majority governments.
This is sort of wholesale house-cleaning that happens when a public is sick of a corrupt, venal party and demands a change in government.
Nothing of the sort happened this time.
The 124 seats the Harper party won does not denote victory. It is at best a probationary governing lease, granted solely because Ontario voters were so disgusted by Liberal scandals.
Had it not been for the above-mentioned scandals, Harper would not have achieved even this much, since his could not have won on its own merits. In fact, Harper lost seats in B.C. to the NDP.
Here's what he faced going into the election: A governing Liberal party scandalized by the financial and political corruption of the sponsorship scandal; a gun registry program that became a financial and administrative disaster; the income trusts issue; a party ossified and bereft of ideas after ruling for 13 consecutive years; and a Prime Minister who appeared beaten, desperate and incapable of running a competent campaign.
The election was a gimme. The Liberal Party was like a tired battered, boxer barely able to stand up, and the smart-alecky challenger Harper couldn't deliver a knock-out. His party won, but only on points--the Liberal Party was still left standing after the bell. The fact that the Liberals managed to retain 103 seats given these handicaps is the most remarkable and underreported success story of the election.
If Harper couldn't convince the Canadian electorate to give him a clear mandate he never will, because he will never have another opportunity like this. Not only were the Liberals gift-wrapped, but Canada's lazy, U.S. ass-kissing media were more interested in piling on Martin than in scrutinizing Harper's dubious credentials.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:19 PM
Why the hell are you listed on Liblogs if you voted for Harper? Real Liberals dont vote for Harper. I'd advise you to Email Jason and ask that you be removed from the roll.
Posted by
Anonymous |
1:35 PM