We have a federal election on June 28th. The incumbent Liberal Party will be lucky to maintain a minority government. For the past decade the Liberal Party has seemed invincible, winning majority after majority. King Jean has given way to Paul Martin and poor Mr. Martin has witnessed the Liberal Party's popularity decline week after week since he took office.
There are a number of reasons for this. For one, the Liberals have been in power a very long time and sometimes people want change for change sake. Furthermore, the recent sponsorship scandal seriously dented their integrity and for the first time since the Mulroney days the right is united providing an option for more conservative minded voters. And finally, Dalton McGuinty recently broke another promise and raised taxes for Ontarians like myself leading to great resentment towards the Liberal Party provincially. This negativity has seeped into Federal politics causing Martin to be painted with the same red brush as McGuinty.
If you believe the polls, it's going to be close. Either the Conservative Party of Canada or the Liberal Party will win a minority government. I can't vote for the Conservative Party of Canada, but I don't want to vote for the Liberal Party either. I've been taking a long serious look at another option. I've been considering the possibility I might cast my vote for Jack Layton's NDP.
This is not a done deal and there's a lot of time to go so my mind may change a dozen times before June 28 but that's the way I'm leaning these days. I've never voted NDP federally before, but this time their platform and leadership is such that I'm comfortable enough to do just that. Closer to the election, I'll write further about the party that's lucky enough to receive my vital vote. It just may go to Jack.
