So, this afternoon I found myself listening to the CBC's "Cross Country Checkup", hosted by that intelligent, insightful, interesting, though all too frequently heard, host Rex Murphy. Todays program dealt with the pros and cons of minority governments in Canada and whether the impending election would occur, and if so, would it result in a minority government.
Resentment:
1.I, like many Canadians, resent the fact that we are going to spend millions of dollars again so frequently after the last election less than a year ago
2. An election will most likely maintain what will effectively be the status quo...either replacing a right of centre party with a left of centre party in a minority situation, or continuing with a right of centre party in a minority situation. Either way, not much will change...other than the ever changing rhetoric of our 'gloriously' maleable and shifting political parties, bending to and fro with the winds of current popular opinon...not exluding myself from this sociological phenomenon. As well, a great point put out during the radio show was that minority governments are even more susceptible to this wavering because the party with the slight majority of seats is ever worried about being defeated, and thus always thinking in the short term, and consequently become fiercly partisan. As you can see, my resentment is fed by a frustration of this cyclical trend of our political system in the last few years of simply retaining the status quo. I, like many callers on the Rex's show, yearn for the return of majority governments. I must say that I do reject Harper's claim that these last parliaments havn't worked, or are broken. They've worked quite well, just not in large dramatic instances that grab the publics attention, the kind produced by the voting power yielded by a majority government. Things get done in a minority government, good things, progressive things, things which contain ideas from many perspectives...they just get done at a much slower pace than in majority territory.
3. Confusion:
I yearn for a majority government but there are several glitches about this in my head. 1. I don't want a conservative minority, or majority government for several reasons that I won't get into. 2. I am left of centre and would by nature vote for the NDP. 3. The biggest glitch, voting for the NDP in an electiont that will almost assuredly end in the Liberals or Conservatives gaining a minority mandate would be, in my mind, a vote for the Conservatives....you know, the whole idea of vote splitting. 3. So to answer something I've struggled with for a while, whether to vote NDP on principle or vote Liberal to hinder the conservtives, I've come to a decision, which I'm sure will change but thats besides the point. Knowing full well that the NDP will not even form a minority government in the foreseable future, and that if the Liberal's don't get more support we're in the line for another annoying Conservative minority term, I will vote Liberal in order to hinder the Conservatives. If, and this will be a while coming I'm sure, theres comes a time when the Liberal party is in for a clear majority win I will cast my vote for the NDP I see think they are a pivitol segment of thought and push for action in the Canadian parliamentary system...ie. the role of the third party in Canadian political history. However, in the case that the Conservatives would be set to obtain a majority government I would also cast for the Liberals because that would be the only secure way of depriving the Conservatives of a more secure majority and possibly depriving them of it all together if more people think like me.
Conclusions? I don't like the Conservative Party of Canada as it stands now, I hold some small c conservative views and inclinations but not enough for me to support even a right of centre party. I would by nature support the NDP, and don't stop supporting NDP principles which the Liberals to some extent hold (NDP's are Liberals in a hurray said one former Prime Minister), but in order to prevent the Cons from holding power, I would support the Liberals, in whatever electoral situation this scenerio comes up in. Sorry, NDP, I still love you!
