Tuesday, October 14, 2008 = Election Day in Canada!

The focus of the past month has been the elections. I hope everyone took note of Prime Minister Stevie’s changing wardrobe, from his sweater vests to his suits, along with his somber demeanour during the debates. There was also Liberal leader Stéphi’s changing image from a respectful leader of a strong Liberal team to a “fighter” and someone who will stand up to Stevie. I don’t know if either worked but the election did show that Canadians have more choice than ever, with five major parties fighting for your vote—a sign that Canada’s democracy is healthy and thriving.

Once the new government is formed and the new House of Commons meets, there is plenty of work to be done. I will highlight some of the more pressing issues the new Parliament will have to deal with.

The economy

This is no surprise to anyone, other than Prime Minister Stevie it seems: the economy has slowed in Canada and has tanked in the United States. It seems that the enormous economic growth and wealth we’ve been experiencing over the past decade has actually been somewhat fictitious. In order to fuel all that growth, banks were handing out credit to lots of people, many of whom couldn’t really afford it, especially in the United States. At some point, people could no longer pay back the credit, banks started losing money, and now no one wants to give credit to anyone else, essentially bringing our financial system to a halt.

But this is one time that Canadian cautiousness has actually paid off. Although we’re not completely immune to the credit crisis that American banks are facing, we’re not in the same boat either. Whoever takes over government will have to deal with the fact that most Canadians are rapidly losing their investments. Economists say that those people who aren’t retiring for ten years will be fine—the market will go up by then. But someone has to help those people who are retiring before then and the government should take some responsibility in that. Not to mention the fact that the overall economy will be affected, from declining house prices to increasing unemployment. Government never has all the answers, but this is one situation where we actually need our politicians to lead.

Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan didn’t make many headlines during the election, but Canada is indeed still fighting over there. Recently, a British top military commander said that NATO forces cannot win the war and a negotiated settlement will be required. Canada is currently committed to withdrawing troops from a combat role by 2011 and there doesn’t appear to be much support for a longer commitment. Parliament will need to devote much time in studying what Canada should do next. It might be time to revisit our traditional role as peacekeepers and peacebuilders.

The environment

Carbon tax? Cap-and-trade system? Voluntary emissions targets? Global warming is happening and it needs to be addressed. No animal has ever altered the environment in the way humans have, over the past thousand years in particular. Humans are a part of the environment and whether we like it or not, our habits need to change. The next government will have to decide exactly how they want to induce that change, but scientists are urging immediate action.