On the 2008 Federal Election

Over the past two weeks I have heard ordinary Canadians and journalists alike claiming that the recent election was a waste of time. More importantly they argue, it was a waste of $300 dollars. I wonder… if it had been a Liberal minority would these same people be calling the election a waste? Is a successful election really dependent on electing a new government? Regardless of who won the election, I want to argue that it was important. More importantly, regardless of party affiliation, every Canadian benefited from it.

Obviously, with all of my conservative bias, the election was a good thing. The CPC watched its seat count and popular vote go up in every single region. We also saw impressive gains in key battlegrounds such as Ontario and British Columbia. I argue that Canada benefited from the election for reasons beyond these purely partisan reasons.

(1)Before the election it was clear that the House was not working. Of course things go slower in a minority situation, but near the end the House was unmanagable. A meeting of all of the Party Leaders illustrated this fact. It was essential that a new House be made. Regardless of who formed the government, the makeup had to change so that work could be done.

(2)The election provided the opportunity for something that is quite rare in this country of ours. That is for national issues to be debated and discussed (the environment, Afghanistan etc.). Most important was the economy. During a time of a financial crisis, I for one found it very beneficial to have all of the leaders debating the issues and articulating their point of view.

(3)The electorate, the small percentage that turned out, was given the opportunity to exercise a fundamental right. This right, the right to vote, is not something that should be taken lightly. Instead of complaining about the third election in 4 years, instead of complaining about the $300 million, instead of complaining about having to get off of the couch to vote, the Canadian people should be celebrating the fact that they are blessed with the opportunity to change governments peacefully, a luxury we have become too complacent about.