I hear so many of the electorate say that this election is unnecessary. I strongly disagree.
Over many years I’ve seen how various governments have taunted opponents and played the media to obfuscate reality. In this Mr. Harper and the Tories have had no rival, honestly!
As many of the media (right and left wing) repeatedly say, the Tories manage their message with an iron fist. Further, a government that is found in Contempt of Parliament is in actuality very problematic. It wasn’t the opposition parties who forced this election; it was the continued misbehaviour of the Conservative government.
Unfortunately, if the electorate chooses to ignore the details of governance and partisan behaviour, we will have to live through poor governance again and again. Poor governance only confirms negative convictions such as “they’re all self-serving crooks.” Again, this is sentiment with which I disagree.
In this riding we have a Member of Parliament who is intelligent, soft spoken, and has worked on policies for the common good. Equally, I don’t believe Mr. Ignatieff has come back to Canada for self-serving purposes. I’m sure his salary and pension from Harvard, in addition to his speaking engagements, would have allowed him to live very comfortably.
Finally, I have to say our economy was built and maintained through many different governments and the sacrifices of Canadians — “we the people” — during the 1990s. The Tories really cannot make the claim that they are the economy’s only good stewards. It was Paul Martin who disallowed the banks’ push for deregulation in Canada, the same deregulation that led to the global meltdown elsewhere.
Through the economic crisis I would hope that we the people realize that we get what we pay for — good health care, support for seniors, and veterans are dependant on our taxes.
Allison Bowles
Fruitvale
