Canada's Election

Prime Minister Harper of Canada announced a National Election last Sunday. This will be a sprint. Unlike the U.S. elections - which is a marathon, this will be over before the Americans cross the finish line.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. There was an agreement among the parties to have elections on a fixed date and at pre-determined intervals. But after Harper's astrologers - also called pollsters- predicted a majority for his minority government, principle and agreements were cast to the wind.

The pollster's have looked into their crystal balls and have predicted that the minority conservative goverment has a good chance of getting a majority of the parliamentary seats- if an election were called now. So never mind that we had a National election less than two years ago; or the cost. The conservatives have listened to their astrologers and have decided that it is better to go ahead now rather than later, when the omens are less favourable.

After many years of a vigorous liberal majority government, led by Jean Chretien, the new liberal leader Stephane Dion has failed to inspire the nation: but worse has allowed the conservatives to step all over him. The latest act, confirming their contempt for him, is a political ad showing a bird taking a crap on Dion.

Dion is no Chretien. Former Prime Minister Chretien has earned my everlasting respect, for telling George Bush that we Canadians "are not in the business of changing other peoples goverments". This was after he declined the American president's invitation to join in the invasion of Iraq.

Dion's message is confused. It appears that he his trying to run on a 'green' platform. But there is also an official Green Party. It sounds like incest to me. This kind of narrow message will always fail to appeal to the greater population.

That's why John Edward's anti-poverty platform, and Senator Clinton's gender-based message failed to resonate with a majority of voters. That kind of approach is more suited to the role of an activist. And no country wants an activist for it's President or Prime Minister.