Another election just two years in? No thanks

It looks like we will all be going to the polls sometime in the fall. According to the pundits, who watch the goings on in Ottawa like so many carnival tea leaf readers, the signs are obvious.

Prime Minister Trudeau has shaved his beard – Canadians haven’t elected a leader with full facial hair since Mackenzie Bowell in 1894. Louis St. Laurent and Robert Borden both sported moustaches but that’s about it. On top of that, nobody has resigned from cabinet in a couple of weeks and it’s too early for any in-depth review of how the Liberals have handled the pandemic.

Besides, the Liberals are ahead in the polls.

According to the P.M., the real reason for calling the election has nothing to do with the latest popularity polls – which, oddly enough, indicate another Liberal win – but rather it is all about getting business done in the House of Parliament. According to Trudeau the Younger, the opposition has stubbornly refused to compromise and accept proposed legislation that will help Canada “rebuild better.”

Can you imagine that? The ‘opposition’ is actually ‘opposing’ Liberal legislation. What is the world coming to? The Conservatives, NDP, Bloc and Green members of parliament obviously have no concern for the plight of Canadians. Then again, without the on and off support of the NDP, Bloc and Greens how could the Liberals have managed to survive for the last two years in the first place?

The Prime Minister believes that all compassionate, caring, thoughtful Canadians share his vision of a new Canada. Unfortunately, the figures contradict his ‘sunny ways’ view of things. It can’t be overlooked that in the 2019 election the Liberals received the support of just 33.1 percent of the voters. The odious Conservatives actually topped that with 34.3 percent. That means that the other three parties split the remaining 32.6 percent. To put it another way, 66.9 percent of Canadians voted against the Liberals. The question that has to be asked is, “who should be the ones compromising?”

Mind you, Mr. Trudeau and what’s left of his brain trust probably took a long look at who he would be facing in the inevitable leaders’ debate. The Conservatives are led by Erin O’toole who replaced Andrew Scheer – a lacklustre campaigner who, nevertheless, got the most votes of any of the five leaders in 2019. Right from the get-go, in true Conservative fashion, the party began grumbling about O’toole’s performance; and the campaign hasn’t even started yet.

The NDP has the best dressed candidate in Jagmeet Singh. He’s also articulate, intelligent and a good campaigner. His problem is that the Liberals – as they’ve been doing since the CCF (father of the NDP) arrived on the scene – have managed to poach most of the NDP’S good ideas and sell them as their own.

The Green Party, which seemed to be on the verge of the long-awaited ‘break through’ after the last election, saw its three-member caucus implode when leader Elizabeth May retired and Jenica Atwin decided she was actually a Liberal. Since then, newly elected leader, Annamie Paul, has been in a running fight with the national executive.

Then there’s Federal Bloc leader, Yves-françois Blanchet, who can’t wait for an election with the hope of riding an anti-trudeau wave in Quebec.

Given all this, it should nevertheless be said that for many if not most Canadians, elections are like a trip to the dentist. You don’t look forward to it, you know it’s going to cost you a bundle, but somehow it all seems necessary so you’re willing to do it every four years. But every two years? No thanks.