Current Reading: Scientific American and Shakespeare... draw your own conclusions.Inspirational Quote: "Hell, I never vote for anybody, I always vote against." -- W.C. Fields
Yes, last Friday my beloved homeland, the True North, dissolved its parliament and called for a federal election.
Again.
Fourth time in seven years.
Democracy is getting a workout.
The newspapers and stations are going on and on about the waste of taxpayer's money, time and effort. I disagree. $2,500 for a working lunch is a waste of taxpayer's money. $1.5M in air travel a year is a waste of taxpayer's money. I can't ever consider shelling out for an election a waste. We live in a democracy, a system of government that is supposed to guarantee people the right to throw out their rulers just like they've done in Tunisia and Egypt, only without all the shooting, looting and property damage.
The current government was found in contempt of parliament because of some fiscal shenanigans they declined to explain adequately. As a result, a vote of non-confidence was called and the minority government of prime minister Stephen Harper was defeated.
That's good. Mess with parliament and you should be sorry.
What's bad is that now we're in an election with some of the least appealing party leaders I've ever seen.
First is the ex-prime minister whose iron-fisted rule of his party and autocratic approach to governing have led directly to this disruption in the business of the legislature. I fear that if he is given a majority this time out, we'll see behavior that borders on the dictatorial.
Next is a man who was an expatriate until someone mentioned that he had a shot at leading the Liberal party. He insists that he's a committed Canadian, but leaving the country is a funny way to show it.
Third is the current head of the National Democratic Party, a man with a touch of charisma and maybe even a Plan, but he's leading a party with a reputation for overly socialist tendencies and reckless fiscal policies.
Last is the leader of a party founded on Quebec Nationalism. Given the opportunity, he'd take his home province right out of the country, so it's hard to believe he has the best interests of the nation at heart.
What Canada needs is a real leader, a man with charisma and vision and yet lacking in the monomania that so often accompanies those traits.
I'd run myself, but the country would melt from my awesome.
5 comments:
...or a woman.
Don't make me call your wife.
Oh, my goodness...
Of course a woman!
Politics should never be an exclusively male forum, and I'm ashamed that my words can be so easily taken as implying otherwise.
Truth is, given the leadership candidates currently arrayed before us, I would welcome any other contender into the race, whether they be man, woman or of indeterminate gender.
Heck, I'd be happy to see consider candidates from outside my species, let alone outside my gender.
Well, Captain, I guess we'll forgive you. But my dog is now counting on your vote.
Oh yes... and you really should be counting Elizabeth May.
Elizabeth May and the Green Party have made some noise, but have yet (in my opinion) to make a sufficient impact in the legislature as to induce me to believe that a vote for them will make much difference in the quality of stuff coming out of Ottawa.
Of course, I'm starting to think that nothing short of the bulldozing of our Nation's Capital could manage that.
... and I am not afraid to vote for your dog. Its stand on the neutering issue is controversial, but well reasoned. Likewise its campaign slogan of "A prime rib in every bowl!" is perhaps a bit... protein heavy, but visionary nonetheless. And few candidates have left a mark on the neighborhoods they have canvassed to rival that of your dog.
Its bladder capacity is nothing short of a marvel.
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