A fellow I know on FaceBook asked the question "Where is the official opposition ?". I offer this as my response -
Effective opposition is only one part of the problem. Where is the effective Government ? It is squandered on a Parliamentary system which allows for the creation of successive Minority Governments.
But it is made even worse by the "milquetoast" (Thanks MS - I shamelessly borrow it from you !) candidates put forth by the parties. We haven't had a solid "leader" in decades. Seems we are, as a people, incapable of breeding true Statesmen. It is _MY_ humble opinion that the last true Statesman Canada had was Trudeau.
Look at the current crop of lame ducks:
1) the Right Honourable Stephen Harper - ( the title goes with the post, so leave it alone !) I will start by admitting I voted for him. I am a conservative by nature (note the small "c"), so it is the most reasonable path... But seriously, the best the Conservative Party could come up with is a policy-wonk from Red Deer ? A house-plant has more personality !
2) Michael Ignatieff - the man is sooo far out of touch with the Canadian populace, he may as well have stayed in Cambridge, MA. The last think Canada needs is an elitist intellectual in high office ! His predecessor was Stephane Dion - OMG, I felt bad for the Liberal Party those days...
3) Jack Layton - is charismatic & down-to-earth. Too bad he's a Socialist ! Many of his ideas are solid - I liked the CONCEPT of "kitchen table politics", but in reality he should stay in Toronto. His politics have no place in Western Canada. And I suspect he is almost as welcome in Quebec ! LOL
4) Gilles Duceppe - seriously, how can the leader of a Party whose ENTIRE raison d'etre is to separate from Federation be a NATIONAL party ?!? But I will give the guy one small point - during a pre-election Town Hall, he was asked what his first priority would be if elected Prime Minister. He had the guts to respond that he had ZERO expectation of EVER being elected to that position. But if he was elected to the Official Opposition... LOL
5) All the rest - Valueless lobbyists who server only to further subdivide the vote !
So as a Canadian electorate, we are left with the option of voting for the LESSER of three (or four, or five) evils !
It is even WORSE if you live outside of Ontario & Quebec. Those of us who don't WANT to live in Toronto or Montreal are left without a voice in Government. By the time it is 08:00 PM in Sault Ste Marie, the election is effectively over. There are simply not enough seats left in Western Canada to sway the vote.
Every day, as I drive in to Calgary, I pass a billboard sign which reads "Less Ottawa & More Alberta", with a web-site endorsing the Western Cessation from the Nation. I am NOT a Separatist, but I have learned to understand where those sentiments come from !
I will now withdraw from my soap-box & listen to you all discuss the merits of the Liberal Gun Registry !
The opinions expressed are purely those of the author. Opinions are like noses - everyone has one, and they are entitled to it !
3 comments:
I also watched thedebate (snore...) and completely share your opinion on the lack of statemanship.
My solution to this dead end is simple: a reform of our electoral system. I would like to see a proportional vote sysrem where every vote counts.
I live in a riding that will turn up Liberal, that I vote or not and feel that the outcome is already played.
I predict no big changes on the electoral map after this election.
The only stake here is: shall we give Mr Harper is majority? Quebec will say no...
The comment was from Michel, BTW
The Debate helped me in the sense that I will not be voting for any of the disapointing choices proposed.
I will be voting Green... Again...
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