Why an Election Must Happen Sooner, Rather Than Later

After hearing about that miserable budget and the latest developments on investigation torturegate, and of course, the ongoing blunders of Jason Kenney and other of St-Stevie’s Harpercon flunkies.  I have rethought my position since I posted To Call or Not To Call an Election This Spring. The more I read and hear about lately, the more I agree with Frank Graves, that an election must be called this spring and not in the fall, but I have somewhat different reasons for it. I realize many have expressed that a spring election would only yield the exact same results as the last time. They would more than likely be right, barring any other surprises between now and say sometime in April or May if an election were called. However, some new action would be occurring; the face of parliament would eventually change. Not having an election now doesn’t motivate any true action.

Waiting til the Fall would be another disaster: a Harpercon majority. St-Stevie does have a talent for resilience. Many are of the belief that the economy will be recovered by then. I don’t think so; especially not when there are pundits and economists who cry fear at the aging baby boomers seaking government resources ‘in droves’.  I am also skeptical because, the U.S. keeps digging themselves deeper and deeper and like it or not, they are our neighbours and if they sink any deeper, they could well take us down with them, but I digress.  It doesn’t really matter what I think of the economy. In fact, as we have learned, it doesn’t matter if the economy has recovered or not and by how much: it all depends how well the Harpercon media serves up that Economic recovery kool-aid.  Given the speculation of economic recovery by the fall, I will guess that the Harpercon media will sell this.  It also tells me that, as Jean Lapierre speculated to Ricky P right after the budget, this budget is going to set the stage for a fall election. This is, once again, St-Stevie controlling the agenda. Result of that?  St-Stevie comes out the hero, yet again, this time for having ‘saved’ the economy, whether it’s true or not.

As for Iggy, well, I agree with Frank Graves, he just isn’t going to get any better. He gave it the college try during prorogation. So much he could have capitalized on and in all honesty, with the anger toward St-Stevie’s prorogation; for stripping our democratic rights away and the hard backhanded way he did this in, Liberals’ numbers should have gone up even more; they should have soared far above the Harpercons, and they could well have under a different leader. No, Iggy had his chance to shine during prorogation and to keep it going throughout the olympics, even. After all, if one reads their history, the Liberals were the ones who bid for those ‘gold medal winning’ olympics in Vancouver. Also, ‘Own the Podium’ was started in 2005; when the Liberals were still in power. This info isn’t  really important, except for many Canadians giving St-Stevie credit for the record breaking medal wins at the 2010 Olympics. No, Iggy just isn’t going to get any better. However, the Liberals don’t have anyone else and they can’t really justify a new leadership campaign right now, due largely in part to Iggy not having gone through the ultimate test: a federal election. We can pretty much predict that outcome without money spent, but perhaps it needs to be formalized.

The Bloc Quebecois and the N.D.P. really have nothing to lose or gain. Neither will ever govern, unless, of course, they join a coalition. The raison d’etre for the Bloc Quebecois is very much alive and well; will for Quebec sovereignty or not. For them, it doesn’t really matter when they go to an election, give or take a few seats, they’re not big game changers.

It would appear that St-Stevie’s olympic lustre is dulling and that now the heat is turned up on torturegate and his MPs continue to make total asses of themselves from Jason Kenney’s bigotted and idiotic immigration guides to  MP temper tantrums in public places to the village idiot of parliament giving insane speeches. For those reasons, the best St-Stevie can hope for in a spring election is another minority government; same as 2008, right? Pointless excercise?  I think not. For openers, after a third minority, his party will have read the writing on that reformatory bathroom wall; St-Stevie will never yield a majority for them if he hasn’t done it by now. I can see them pressuring him on out that door. I suspect there are plenty of cons of varying degrees; inside and outside the Reformatories who would love to take his place. I already mentioned Jean Charest, but there are others. In fact, I’m sure there is no shortage of Conservative leadership hopefuls to throw their hats into the ring.

As for the Liberals, no doubt, Iggy would lose now.  He may well be right in saying ‘Canadians don’ t want an election’ and I think one of the Liberals’  problems is that they’re still gun shy from reactions when Iggy threw the gauntlet last September; he was lambasted from being oppositional. Guess what? Canadians will get over it. In fact, the Liberals’ reaction to the latest Harpercon budget is simply giving them the image as whimps. Yes, they could offer alternatives and yes, it should happen sooner rather than later. However, more importantly, if the Liberals go all out and join the NDP and the Bloc and vote against this budget, they may well garner more respect than even Peter Donolo could imagine. Like it or not, this is the perfect political crisis for Iggy and the Liberals to throw down the gauntlet.  That said, St-Stevie would still, more than likely, win another minority government, but probably a smaller minority. Clearly, that result would justify the ousting of Iggy.

A new leader would have to be selected.  The only thing that would worry me about a new liberal leader selection would be yet another coronation. Bob Rae, simply because he’s itching for it and he’s part of that old boys’ network. Bob Rae as leader would be suicide.  Neither Quebec, nor Ontario would support him. As for Gerard Kennedy, I don’t see it neither; not in Quebec anyway. No, I think what’s best is no more leaders from Toronto for the time being, especially after that whole Denis Coderre fiasco.  Another reason is that the Liberals are now wearing the brand o the ‘Toronto party’.

Then, there is the minority government itself.  Right now, as things stand, all St-Stevie needs to swim through confidence motions is just one party to keep him afloat. It’s also what keeps St-Stevie’s games of Divide and Conquer so successful.  No one in the opposition is motivated to attempt to work with one another; to find common ground and work together. I believe that a spring election could well yield a  smaller minority for St-Stevie, so instead of needing only one party to keep him swimming, he would need two or all three of them to keep confidence motions afloat. Opposition parties would probably be even more motivated to work together and St-Stevie’s little Divide and Conquer games would be even less successful. Especially, since St-Stevie’s days as PM and leader of the Reformatories would be numbered and a new leader chosen. The opposition parties would also be more motivated to find common ground and perhaps even form a coalition or, take a page from the St-Stevie playbook and merge.

Now, since Iggy doesn’t want that spring election as he knows that will be the end of his tenure and more than likely, his political career, I wonder if  the Liberals will have back bone and show up in droves to vote against that budget? Peter Donolo, show us you still have that midas touch everyone keeps talking about and advise the MPs to vote in droves against the budget. After all, when it comes right down to it, you were hired to help the whole Liberal party; not Iggy, alone.

What say you all?