Yes just like everywhere else Canada is now in the throes of election fever with the polls set for October 14, so as a lapsed Canadian I do take a cursory interest in the goings on in the Great White North.
We’re a week in but the early gaffe must go to the Conservatives for the above political ad of a Puffin crapping on the opposition leader, Stéphane Dion, a priceless moment in political advertising history and another sign that Canadians really are different to their American cousins – political attack ads are clearly not their forte.
To be fair the Conservatives do clearly lead in the polls, ahead of the ‘natural governing party of Canada” the Liberals and the little party that can’t, The NDP. The Greens? Well ten percent would be solid numbers for them on the day. And what of Bloc Quebecois? I’ll have to get back to you on that but they look like another ten percenter.
On current polling form the Conservatives look to be a future majority Government but as we know these things do close down a bit by polling day.
Prior to the election being called we had a minority Government so on past and current form it looks like this election may produce a similar result, with either the Liberals and NDP vying for second place honours and the balance of power being held by some hoser from Moose Jaw or Chicoutimi – or maybe it’ll be Sarah Palin, after all she’s in charge of a state that should be a province and she sounds Canadian.
Anyway, the Conservatives opened with a strategy of softening PM Harpers image with lots of cute and cuddly photo-ops and videos of the great leader in jumpers and the opposition leader Stéphane Dion is having it all to do to catch up in the leadership stakes but he looks like he’s going backwards and may be overtaken by the NDP’s Jack Layton.
Just like Conservatives everywhere Harper claims that the times suit him because today Canadians are more conservative after a few years of glorious Tory rule, this may be true but with the NDP inching closer to a position of opposition, we may see a country more clearly divided along conservative and progressive lines.
In terms of significant policy announcements the Conservatives have said that they will cut and run from their mission in Afghanistan with twenty-one benchmarks to be fulfilled before they get the hell out in 2011. Unfortunately sending a squadron of attack Puffins to take out recalcitrant Taliban and al Qaeda terror cells is not one of them.
Note: Hopefully there are a few ex-Canadian lurkers and expats out there willing to comment and flesh things out for me, so feel free to join in with your Puffin and Wayne Gretzky election stories.
Hmmmm … global financial meltdown, an economy addicted to carbon-intensive industries, and Dion wants to introduce a carbon tax?! The Conservatives will romp it in.
The Greens outpoll Bloc Quebecois nationally (10% versus 8%) but only have ONE sitting member, Elizabeth May. Now where have I heard that before?
This dumbing down of political conversation in Canada ( Puffin sh-t!?), this is something to do with this Asper lot dumbing down press and media there?
Watching Harper sell the family man thing is completely disgusting. How many Canadians are working two and three jobs to pay the bills and cannot remember what it is like to spend time with their kids? What about the short fall in public housing? Yeah he is sweet and cuddly alright, except that famillies don’t deserve socialized daycare, just a lousy hundred taxable dollars a month until the child is 6 as though daycare needs end there. Can you tell I am anti PC? He may not have a hope in hell but Layton is our best chance.
The Greens? Well ten percent would be solid numbers for them on the day.
And that 10% will likely see them get no seats, thanks to Canada’s unfair electoral system.
From the opposite perspective (Oz expat in Canada), things looking good for Conservatives at the moment.
Lib’s best hope seems to be selling the strong team story (Dion was always a risky bet as leader). Harper’s been extremely keen to keep any of his lot from actually saying anything. One nice line from Dion (roughly): “I may not speak English as well as Mr Harper, but I can tell the truth better than him in both official languages.”
The Conservative’s economic policies appear to be basically to give a small tax break to a few hundred different interest groups, making the tax system an utter mess. The latest is a first homeowner’s tax credit. NOT a good idea. OTOH Libs aren’t managing to sell the carbon tax thing very well.
And the NDP is a joke, sorry. Saying that the carbon tax is bad because it’ll raise energy prices, but that they’ll introduce an ETS which won’t is utterly utterly misleading. Some discussion by an academic economist who is typically very sympathetic to the NDP here: http://worthwhile.typepad.com/