Liberal Government Falls

In other words, 171 MPs would seem to be backing the 'organized crime' theory... I wonder if the GG will exercise her prerogative and ask Stephen Harper if he could form a government... wouldn't it be cool if it happened?...

"In this weak and piping time of peace..." Shakespeare's Richard III laments a lack of proper employment (i.e. violence and mayhem). Well, you might be forgiven for thinking that the 17 months since our last general election have been anything but peaceful, but I'll bet you dollars to donuts it's likely we'll soon look back with longing at those 'quiet' months once the real mudslinging begins.

Now new characters will appear to frighten us. Terrible, deformed, maniacal monsters come to destroy our country and bearing about as much resemblance to reality as Shakespeare's Richard III bore to the actual king. But, thanks to the propaganda wings of Canada's political parties we'll soon be seeing, hearing and reading about:

• 'The Godfather', a.k.a. Mr. Dithers, a.k.a "Pleading' Paul Martin... who has schemed for years to finally gain control of the national political syndicate only to find that it might have been doing something illegal (like stealing taxpayers' money). Who has managed the feat of simultaneously apologizing for said action, setting up an enquiry into it and threatening to sue anyone who doesn't spout the party line... Claims a number of priorities, but has shown he will promise or do anything to hang on to power.
• 'Mad Jack' Layton dreaming his dreams of a carbon-free Canada, where we can all bicycle to our (unionized) jobs singing 'Solidarity Forever' and will learn to do without pesky things like cars, SUVs, an economy, or Alberta.
• 'Gorgeous' Gilles Duceppe, best known outside Québecfor his failed attempt to make hairnets fashionable for men. His fondest dream, to replace a semi-socialistic Dominion of Canada with a semi-socialistic Republic of Québec.

And of course the 2005-06 political 'epic' would be incomplete without:

• 'Scary' Stephen Harper, a man so terrifying... he's well, bland. A man who spends every waking hour plotting the destruction of medicare and earnestly seeking to put women back into the kitchen (perpetually pregnant) and gays into prison, where he thinks they belong.

Of course, the real question is whether Canadians will take the time and effort to penetrate these caricatures and find, for instance, that Stephen Harper's positions on virtually everything from gay marriage to medicare is vitually the same as Martin's position on those subjects a few years ago; or that the media while gleefully exposing every gaffe made by a Conservative candidate on say, abortion, will likely stay silent about similar gaffes from Liberal candidates...

Personally, I think it equally likely that Canadians will dive under the covers with several gallons of rum-laced eggnog. We'll also be lucky if 6 out of 10 of them get out from under the covers long enough to vote on election day... But, you never know, Canadian voters are an odd bunch and they may yet take time off from their shopping expeditions, family quarrels, digestive upsets and other traditional fun-filled holiday activities to give this election the attention it deserves.

Stranger things have happened...