Canada sees surprising job gains in AugustOTTAWA — Canada posted a surprising gain in employment in August as the economy showed signs that it was pulling out of a recession.
Loonie extends gains on Canada jobs surprise
TORONTO - Canada’s currency raced higher versus the greenback on Friday after data showed the domestic economy unexpectedly added jobs in August, but the gains will be tested when a U.S. jobs report arrives shortly.
Add to that reports that the housing market is beginning to improve and there is little doubt why the power hungry Liberals want an election before things get any better. Its easy to sit in opposition when things are not going well. You can critize everything knowing you don't have to come up with a solution for anything.
Ask the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party about that. With almost an entire province happy with Brad Wall's leadership and the direction Saskatchewan is going, the provincial New Democrats have been pretty quiet. Sure Judy Junor ranted about the H1N1 virus yesterday and is the province doing enough but thats just posturing.
So does Michael Ignatieff really want an election? Well from a power standpoint he probably does. But can he win it? His best hope would be a Liberal minority.
To a Liberal any power is better than no power. But is the risk worth taking?
Ignatieff is not high in the polls. The risk is that the largely irrelevant NDP would lose a few seats to the Conservatives allowing Stephen Harper to win with a majority. So will the Liberals allow that to happen with an election?
Probably not. More likely Ignatieff will hope that the NDP and the Bloc will prop up the Conservatives and take some in party heat off the Liberal inner circle.
Two things are really sad about Canadian politics.
1) Most of Western Canada doesn't want Michael Ignatieff. Most of Eastern Canada do not trust or want Stephen Harper. Only a handful of socialists die hards support Jack Layton and only Quebec gets the Bloc leaving minority governments a strong possibility every election and
2) A comment made by Bob Rae on a radio talk show yesterday. Said Rae - its the job of the opposition to oppose everything the government does. Really? What if its good legislation. Does the opposition oppose that as well. Unfortunately in Canada, yes they do.
There are two sad things about the current situation - the conservatives have to capitulate completely to a demand or they get labeled with "they aren't working with us", and the party most likely to do exactly what the conservatives are currently doing are also the party most likely to challenge to form government next time out and thus can't be seen to be agreeing with the conservatives.
ReplyDeleteI think Gormley put it best yesterday morning - Canada should have a 2 party system, not to take voices away from the fringe parties that will never form government, but to create a degree of stability through responsible majority governments.