Today is the last day of the advanced polls in our election and then next Tuesday is vote day. I’ve not been posting much on the election but have been watching very closely. I tuned into and listened closely to the English language debate last Thursday. I was glad that I did, as it is likely one of the very few times that Harper has been forced out of his ‘bubble’ in this election and it was long overdue.

Until now, Harper has managed to appear only at well staged events with only pre-registered attendees. When the press started to blow the whistle on the fact that Harper was keeping a bubble around him, and avoiding any unexpected outbursts by the electorate who have the right to answers from him, his campaign claimed that it was necessary due to security issues. Yeah right.

Anyways, back to the debates. Harper provided no surprises, he was the smug, arrogant individual he always has been. Talking around every issue put before him and beating hell out of the truth about the other leaders. He was nailed not badly a few times by the other leaders but it rolls off of people like Harper who really doesn’t care when it comes to others.

He’s not wanting to be Prime Minister to see a better Canada, he’s wanting to be PM to alter the country to his liking. For a guy who chose to call an election on a trumped up excuse, one really has to wonder why his party remains the only one which hasn’t produced a platform for the public to examine. What’s he hiding other than the fact that he really doesn’t have a plan beyond wanting to get a majority government.

I had to upgrade my opinion of Elizabeth May. Between the debate and a couple of interviews I had watched with her, I’ve had to realize that she is very intelligent and well spoken. Well briefed on a wide range of subjects important to Canadians, she quickly destroys any sense that the Green Party is a one issue party. She was the one leader who drove home the point when Harper was claiming a net gain in jobs in Canada since his party came to power that in fact those jobs are much lower paying jobs than the ones loss which are driving families into hardship.

Harper stated that Canadians aren’t worried about job losses or losing their homes because our situation isn’t like the US. He tried to distance himself from George W Bush by referring to their economic policies as irresponsible and reckless. The one true part of his comments was that Canadians were watching the stock markets and falling commodity prices. If he thinks Canadians can’t draw the line between falling stock markets and commodity prices, blue chip business teetering or even toppling into bankruptcy and their jobs, he needs to get out of his bubble more.

Dion may have added to his platform by introducing into the debates a previously unannounced action plan on the economy but at least he is recognizing the situation in the US has to be taken seriously up here. Not just a don’t worry be happy scenario that Harper is trying to sell. Yes, Canada is so far weathering the storm better than the US but it is going to hit us here. The question is when and how hard? What we don’t need is a Prime Minister who just doesn’t seem to give a damn.

As usual Layton showed himself to be the pompous windbag he always has been albeit a bit more puffed up with his presumed value than usual. The only reason Layton is making any kind of showing against Dion is that Harper has done such a hatchet job on Dion from the day he became the Liberal leader that some Liberal support has bled to the NDP. I expect that some of that support will bleed back from those who watched Dion on either of the debates, he isn’t the dweeb Harper has portrayed him as.

Layton has a lofty goal of eliminating poverty by 2012 or something like that. Easy to say when it is highly unlikely you will even elect enough seats to form the Official Opposition. I did like his proposal of giving low income families $400 a month rather than the current $100 a month however, his idea of providing one red cent to families earning $188,000 and more was way over the top.

Layton also proposes that he’s going to roll back the $50billion tax break that Harper gave to corporations while at the same time trumpeting how he’s going to fight for families and their concerns. Does the idiot really think that increasing taxes to corporations is going to keep them from looking elsewhere to do business? When they leave, who does he think will be without jobs?

Then there is his out of touch slant on Afghanistan, given a chance, he would have our troops cut and run before their mandate ends in 2011. Canada has never cut and run, they sure don’t need to do so for the likes of the coward Layton. Canada has made a commitment, our troops are willing to volunteer to see that commitment through. Layton has claimed an ally in the British General who came out over the weekend saying that the Taliban needs to be engaged in a peace process and that a decisive victory is not in the cards. Typical Layton, he ignores that the same General says that NATO troops need to remain in the country to ensure that process proceeds.

Dion seems to have gained some momentum since the debates. Canadians for the most part have responded favourably to him once they have had opportunity to see for themselves what he is like. I’m still a bit wary of how his proposed carbon tax will be implemented and what sort of changes it will bring to the average Canadian. Any dramatic shift like he’s proposing can bring uncertainty. I’m heartened that it has been working well for the Scandanavian countries and has fueled economic prosperity.

Harper keeps trying to blast him for even suggesting that the country could drift into a recession as the mess south of us continues. I think I’d rather have a politician speaking the truth than the don’t worry be happy attitude of Harper. We’re not stupid, we see the drift in our economy and hearing our Prime Minister telling us all is well isn’t going to put clothes on the Emporer.

I’d like to see Dion form at least a minority government next Tuesday. Realistically, at this point, the best case scenario is that Harper is held to a minority (preferably with fewer seats) and Dion is the Opposition. Having weathered an election campaign and assuming that the Liberal party doesn’t, once again, try to eat their leadership — Dion wont be so reluctant to call Harper’s bluff when he makes a bill he’s trying to ram through a matter of confidence.

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