Another Election? A Pox on All Their Houses!
It is to weep. Do we really, really need another election right now? No we don't. Yes, it has been decreed that we do. A minority Liberal government, after all, its pathetic mandate uplifted somewhat by its traditional (albeit reluctant) partnership with the (triumphant) NDP. The NDP, the perennial, perpetual home of socially-minded intellectuals, unions, middle-class blue collar workers, society's downtrodden, and upper-class socialists with guilty consciences. The NDP which promises always and forever that a better, more balanced, fairer life is ahead for everyone, for that is, after all, their agenda, their very reason for existence. To take up the slack left in disarray by a Liberal party more aligned to the right than the left, more in thrall to corporate big business than the plight of the voter-on-the-street. To counteract the victims of a Conservative agenda set to overturn all the adventurous social forays in fairness undertaken by that same reluctant Liberal government, strenuously nudged into action by the NDP. Thus it has been, thus it will always be, it would seem.But what about the Liberals and the Conservatives? Are they really all that different from one another? Well, yes and no. The current Liberals and the past Progressive Conservatives shared many platforms and values. Yet, when the Progressive Conservatives formed the government in Canada they did undertake some socially progressive initiatives. Immigration, for example, became a more vigorously-pursued avenue for openness with the PCs, and that government also vigorously hounded the apartheid South African government to disband apartheid, bringing along with it other like-minded nations of the world. Because of their nasty reputation for backwardness on social programmes, the PC government under Brian Mulroney would never have dared attempt to dismantle Canadians' sacred social welfare progrms.
Ah, but when the Liberal government under Jean Chretien made their way back into power they built upon the legacy the Conservatives left behind. The Federal civil service which under the PC government had been harried by down-sizing, outsourcing and wage holdbacks sighed in relief when the Liberals came back, only to realize too soon that the Liberals were intent on doing the PCs one better. And it was the Chretien Liberal government which pursued the laudable goal of paying down the debt and reducing the deficit with Paul Martin at the helm as Minister of Finance, and then nothing was sacred. Transfers to the provinces were dramatically reduced and along with that signal event, health, education and welfare became targets, and they've never since quite recovered.
The NDP, always the conscience of Canadians and the House of Commons did its part in urging the powers that be to kindly remember Canadians in need. For under the Liberals affordable social housing stocks were reduced, Canada's homeless population increased, and food banks were busier than ever before. While the Liberal government yanked the country out of deficit and reduced the debt long waiting periods for medical procedures became the norm, university tuition rose relentlessly and the Liberals crowed about how good they were for the country. The economy began to flex its muscles and Canada began booming economically. Business was good, very good. How much of that trickled down to the ordinary working person? Well, unemployment dropped, isn't that nice? Of course, if you looked into that you would discover that low paying service jobs, often part-time, made up the bulk of the new jobs in the new economy. Most peoples' paycheques weren't able to stretch as far as they had done only a few decades earlier. Some recovery. Some boom.
Still, an affable, ever-smiling Paul Martin was voted in with a minority government in the wake of scandal-plagued Chretien's Liberal government. How did that man, our former prime minister, manage to shut down enquiries like that of the Somelia affair and get away with it? How did he recover so nicely from the mini-scandal revolving around the pepper-spraying of protesters in Vancouver, from his throttling of an anti-poverty protester, from his shenanigans with Shawinigate, never mind his initiative to take scarce funds out of the National Gallery and place displays in newly-opened national "museums" in Shawinigan? And the most blatant, the one that brought national attention, Adscam, the investigation of which had Judge Gomery point the finger of responsibility directly at Chretien? Teflon indeed.
So here was Paul Martin, champing at the bit to take the reins of government in memory of a beloved father who had never made the grade. Didn't we all think that he would accomplish great things, bring us to the cusp of a brave new world? He would restore Canada's military to a respected and workable arm of the Canadian government, he would bring relations between our largest trading partner and geographic cousin to a more agreeable condition. Hey, this guy keeps tweaking the nose of the U.S. president! Do I personally care? No, not at all, but is this a diplomatic way for one head of government to react to another? Is this prime ministerial behaviour? Enough to decline participation for Canada in BMD, but do it properly, eh? And who are we to point the nah-nah! finger at the U.S. when it comes to emissions control and pollution? Our record has been shameful, while the U.S. has managed to reduce their emissions. Get real.
Damn! Did Jack Layton really have to get on his high horse and collaborate with, of all people, Stephen Harper and Gilles Duceppe, to bring down the government? What's the point and purpose of calling an election a scant few months before a scheduled one to take place after the second Gomery report was tabled? Anyway, Jack, you're doing a fine job of it now that the election is underway. Yes, we damn well do need the New Democratic Party, and yes, you've reformed yourself admirably from the thespian wannabe you were, to a figment of a patrician politician. You still come off as an adman for the NDP when you should be pushing policy-absent-party, but you're getting there. You've learned nicely how to channel your passion and present workable options that Canada needs. Let's hope you don't lose too much in the panic bringing us to voting day.
Can you believe how Canadians seem to be embracing the existence of the Bloc Quebecois and Gilles Duceppe as a force for good within Canada? A statesman, many have said, a man of principle. What principle? Taking money to operate without conscience for the dismantling of the Canada, the country that has permitted him to take centre stage as a recognized and respected agent for change? All right, go ahead, take Quebec out of confederation because truth to tell, we're sick, tired and fed up with all the chronic complaining, the blackmail, the easy-to-offend pure laine who believe they are owed so much more than other Canadians, who insist that their province and theirs alone is "special" and a nation unto itself. Go, go already. We promise not to celebrate when you speedily discover the error of your ways. And no, we won't be anxious to embrace you back into the fold. We've had it.
Ah, Stephen Harper. The self-avowed policy wonk. Why weren't you satisfied to remain behind the scenes, as the apparachik that you truly are? Your cold and miserable vision for Canada has not found wide acceptance within this country. You realize that, you recognize this and you've transformed your outer appearance. Your congenital chill has been temporarily replaced with a caring persona. All of a sudden you don't despise this country as you've indicated in speeches abroad. You have a vision for this country, to bring it into line with what you believe to be its destiny. Less government, less government involvement in the day-to-day lives of its citizens. Everyone, you believe, can fend for themselves. Enough of this welfare state. Enough of permissiveness. Enough of flouting of conservative convention. You'll take Canada out of climate change agreements; forget Kyoto, you'll bring in nice big tax breaks for corporations, while throwing a bone of 2% reduction on the GST to consumers, thus amending a tax grab a previous Conservative government brought on board. Go ahead, do away with the gun registry, bring us closer to an agreeable relationship with the U.S.
Hey, Canadian voter: who you going to vote for? All these choices!
posted by Pieface @ Saturday, January 14, 2006
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