All in all, this is a step to progress
The Conservatives won last night by default. They have a majority and business-wise, they will probably do a decent job of it for the duration of their term.
We can certainly forget all about social and environmental issues for the duration of their stay, I just hope they don’t mess with our Public Health System more than they already have…
The “left” in Canada is divided right now, and the Liberal Party is in disrepute. This huge push by the NDP will force thinkers on the left to re-evaluate strategies to defeat the Conservatives in the next election. Let’s consider:
- In the 2008 election, the NDP won 36 seats outside Quebec, not a “bad performance” for them. This time they got 44 outside Quebec, a record, but they also got a whopping 58 seats on top of that in Quebec, a tour-de-force.
- The Liberals have been relegated to a minor role in the affairs of the country. They are being rightly chastised for their past mistakes and getting away from their “base supporters”. Not many people trust them anymore and Michael Ignatieff is definitely not the stuff heroes are made out of.
- With this huge Québec caucus, the NDP has the big end of the stick now. One part of the “division of the left” is solved. For the first time in a long time, we have Quebec representatives in Ottawa who are there to work with the rest of the country. This will prove a big appeal not only to social-minded Canadians, but to others as well.
- The Liberal Party has long been divided between the ideologists and the politickers. I predict that a number of ideologists will migrate over to the NDP. Who first? Justin Trudeau: His dad Pierre Elliot started out with the CCF, the NDP’s predecessor. Full circle, mark my words.
It’s not like anyone expected petrol-money dependent Alberta to jump ship, only Harper’s bunch is preventing scrutiny into the environmental mess the Tar Sands are. Toronto is still in “profit-taking mode”, so any topic besides the economy is moot at this point, dixit Conservative. Only the ridings close to downtown voted NDP, and some ethnics threw in their ballot with the Libs for old time’s sake (one last time I am sure).
How the country will be governed will be no surprise: we may get tax cuts, but do not be surprised if service cuts and pay-per-play type of service deliveries take place. Look out for more toll booths on renovated-new bridges and roads, and less money for public transit. You get the picture…
If the opposition parties are smart, they will organically unite and take their time in mounting a successful campaign for the next election. Harper wanted a majority and got it. Let’s see if it will be a triumph or a swan song…
In the meantime, the next challenge here will be provincial in Québec: the Liberals in disrepute there as well, with the PQ looking more and more like an anachronism. New parties with new ideas rising…
For once, I am glad to be living in “interesting times”.