Election results.

Thanks to all of you that voted!  I know you didn't do it for me, but I am truly grateful for the higher voter turnout this election.  There is something extremely dissatisfying about living in a country where only half of the population votes but 100% of the population complains about the outcome.  I have never voted with the intention that the vote I was going to cast would be determinative of anything, yet I have always believed that the vote that I cast mattered.  Although according to initial estimates it appears that voter turnout is still lower than historical levels, at least it is above 60%.

I am optimistic that the Conservative majority government will accomplish a lot during its term (whether good or bad remains to be seen), and that a majority government that is able to accomplish a lot might further reinvigorate the electorate.  There were many surprises in this election, and I think each of the parties has to look at the results and learn from them.  Last, but not least, congratulations to Elizabeth May, the Green Party, and the people of Canada for being elected or having elected the first Green Party representative in North America.  I am extremely pleased by the election results for so many reasons, and I look forward to the 41st Canadian Parliament and all of the surprises and changes that it may bring!

Voting.

Before I made my way into the legal profession, I was a political sciences major at Ottawa U.  I have a lot to say about politics, but to be honest, have become quite disenchanted with our system.  Between the constant negative assaults caused either by a complete lack of focus on the issues or anything resembling a coherent vision or the repetitive elections creating governments that are just waiting for the next election because they know they're not strong enough to do anything with the numbers they have now (you, and we, know who you are!), I'm just exhausted by it all. Nevertheless, Canadians have an election impending on May 2, 2011, so I thought it might be worthwhile not to champion any one party (surprised you, didn't I?), but to implore you to go out and vote.

Many people have their reasons for not going out to vote.  Inevitably there are the usual excuses: too busy, don't like any of the parties, plan to vote for a party that looks like it is going to win, etc., etc.  Really, no matter who you want to vote for and who you are, you can come up with a somewhat plausible reason not to vote. Well, imagine how the results turn out when about 60% of people all come up with excuses.  We end up with governments leading a mass of disenchanted individuals that didn't vote for any party, yet feel justified in complaining about all of them.