It might be argued that the tough economic climate has created a demand for an election giving voters a choice between the distinct economic visions of the leading parties. Unfortunately, there is no sharp differentiation between Liberals and Conservatives on the economy, especially considering that Ignatieff supported Harper’s 2009 budget, which is now being implemented. Next year’s budget promises to be a more appropriate battleground. By then we will have real evidence on the success or failure of current policies, and with any luck the Liberals will have developed an alternative economic program. At that point it would be possible to have a proper debate on each party’s plan to unwind the $50-billion deficit (as projected by the parliamentary budget officer), among other issues.
Meanwhile, another election would only delay the legislative schedule and put key government promises at risk. The Conservatives have gone to great lengths to portray themselves as tough on crime. It would seem disingenuous to deliberately leave so much business in this area unfinished. Among the bills that would be swept aside by a fall election are pressing reforms to the sex offender registry plus important modernization of police monitoring of criminal electronic communications.
Finally, if Harper once again engineers an early election for himself, he’ll be making a further mockery of his own fixed election date legislation.
For Ignatieff, his leadership of the Liberal party is still only nine months old. Whatever advantages he sees to an early election, most Canadians are still unsure about who he is and where he’s heading. Recently released Liberal ads suggest he wants to reach out to India and China. That’s fine for a start, but hardly comprehensive.
EI is one of the few areas in which Ignatieff has drawn a bright line between himself and the Tories on a substantive issue. But his argument that a year’s worth of benefits should be available after just 360 hours of work seems facile and wholly unworkable. Canadians need a lot more substance on a much broader range of topics before they can pass judgment on the Ignatieff Liberals.
Besides, it’s the fall: summer holidays are over, the kids are back at school, everyone else is back at work. Why should government be any different? Elections may be good things, but Canada doesn’t need to make it an annual event. Back to work, Ottawa.
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