Vote-fatigued Canadians head back to the polls
Canadian voters will soon have their fourth opportunity in seven years to decide whether they will end the country’s political gridlock.
The chances are they won’t, as voting loyalties to the four major parties are strong and polls indicate popular Prime Minister Stephen Harper still lacks a plurality.
His Conservative-led minority government was defeated on Friday in a parliamentary finding of contempt, which doubled as a vote of no confidence.
The vote was unusual, as it was the first time a government has been found in contempt of Parliament. It was alleged the government withheld information related to the costs of crime legislation and the purchase of stealth fighter jets.
The no-confidence vote, which went 156 to 145 against the government, also allowed the opposition parties to avoid officially voting against the budget.
They have continually tried to turn the political debate on to ethical issues rather than economic ones, where Mr Harper has proved adept.
Most Canadians have nothing to complain about as the country emerges unscathed from the global recession and the budget forecasts better-than-expect progress on deficit-reduction measures.
The budget also signals an official end to most of the stimulus spending while also containing measures that could appeal to a wide variety of voters.
But the budget’s rejection by the three opposition parties – Liberals National Democrats and Bloc Quebeçois – means it now becomes an election document.
ELECTION AT A GLANCE
House of Commons 308 seats
Conservatives 143 Stephen Harper’s party won the most votes in both the 2006 and 2008 elections but not enough to form a majority government. One poll (Ipsos Reid) shows the Tories polling at 43%
Liberals 77 Michael Ignatieff is the third leader in five years and is facing his first campaign. The party is polling at 24% nationally but its main strength still lies in urban Ontario where the Tories will seek to boost their votes
Bloc Quebeçois 47 Support for the separatist Francophone party is unlikely to change. This is leader Gilles Duceppe’s sixth campaign
New Democrats 36 The most left-wing party is strongest in the heavily unionised eastern provinces. This is leader Jack Clayton’s fourth campaign
Independents 2
Vacant 3
Number needed for majority 155
Election date May 2 or 9