Bringing Canadian Politics back to Life!

Well, a new Crop poll in Quebec puts the Liberals firmly in the lead ahead of the Bloc, and far ahead of the Conservatives. What does this mean? Unfortunately very little. Except that people have short memories. It wasn't that long ago that the Liberal party was reviled in Quebec. Yes, I understand the effect a new leader can have on the fortunes of a political party. I also realize this new liberal leadership will put some distance between the party and it's past. This doesn't mean that anything has really changed - there is just a perception of change.

This is the fundamental truth of politics in Canada (and any other country for that matter). Change happens slowly, if at all! The Conservative party of Canada is a case in point. It is the result of a marriage between the old Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and the Reform Party of Canada (formerly called the Canadian Alliance). There was a process of renewal and the appearance of change on the surface, but there is little difference between the present day Conservative Party and the old Progressive Conservative Party. Yes, you may argue that his new party is a lot further to the right. That may have been true - initially. However, the Conservatives have moved much closer to the center-right position of their origins, and this move has been expedited by the economic realities of the current recession. The result? The political positions of today's center-right Conservative party, and the Center-left Liberal party are very similar to what you might find if you travelled back to the Mulroney era.

The truths I've discussed above, are the reason that Canadian are highly cynical about the political process. They generally do not believe that real change is possible. This is the reason for voter apathy and the continuing decline of voter turn out in this country. It is not because they don't want to be involved in the political process. It's because they don't believe that anything will ever change.

Eventually the continuing change in Liberal fortunes will lead to their return to power. This is not true change for Canadians. It is just a continuation of the cycle of politics in Canada. How do we get out of this cycle? How do we truly invigorate the Canadian political system? The system itself needs to be revamped. Whether this involves some kind of proportional representation, abolition of the monarchy, Senate reform etc. is not clear. However, I do believe Canadians are ready for real change!

GM and Chrysler: Welcome to reality

Well the good new is both Chrysler and GM look like they've done enough restructuring to avoid bankruptcy. The bad news is thousands more auto workers face the loss of their jobs. GM has publicly stated that another 21, 000 jobs will be eliminated in the U.S. and the Canadian workforce will be reduced from over 10, 000 to approximately 4400 employees! Without a doubt we all feel sympathy for those employees and their families that are about to lose their livelihood, as well as those who have already been put out of work by this recession. However, GM and Chrysler have been operating in an unrealistic bubble for years. For this reason it is difficult to feel for the executives and upper management of these companies.

Yes the unions continued to drive salaries higher year after year, but that's what they're there for - to get the best possible deal for their members. That's it. They do not exist to ensure the profitability of the company. Sure they may spout rhetoric from time to time about the need for the company and workers to compromise. This is just talk. They exist for one purpose and one purpose only - to drive up salaries and benefits. You can't really fault them for this. GM and Chrysler should take full responsibility for not protecting there own interests in the face of an ongoing union onslaught.

During negotiations it is rare that there is not a winner. Each party has a responsibility to it's stakeholders to obtain the best deal possible. For years the big three have failed to do this. As a result, they have been overtaken by their competitors such as Honda and Toyota. These companies recognized the need to offer fair compensation to their employees while still maintaining a profitable bottom line. Such practise have enabled these companies to survive and prosper at the expense of the big three. GM and Chrysler have existed for years as though normal business rules did not apply to them - now they are paying the price. This market correction may be painful, but it is necessary for the long term survival of the industry in North America.

Canada's Afghan Mission

What are we doing in Afghanistan? That seems to be the question on a lot of Canadian minds. They don't want our help and it's not our fight anyway. We're only there to protect western political interests, not because we really care about the future of Afghanistan. These cynical views are easy to accept as gospel, but this would be a mistake. We are in Afghanistan because it's the right thing to do! This country had become an epicenter for destabilizing influences in the world. The bottom line is the Taliban regime was allowing terrorists to operate from their territory. This is not acceptable and all such regimes should be forced from power. Does the rest of the world have to accept the western model? No, but they have to realize that today's world is integrated at such a level that we can not ignore dangerous and rogue states.

Canada has a history of defending the principles of freedom stretching back to 1914. The Afghanistan mission is an extension of this continuing legacy. Make no mistake, organizations such as the Taliban and al-Qaida do not accept compromise. They are not seeking peaceful coexistence with the West. They are seeking the destruction of our way of life. Let me be clear this is an extremist view - this is not a Muslim view. Many Muslims find what Osama Bin Laden stands for as distasteful as anyone else in the west. I am not suggesting we remain in Afghanistan in perpetuity, but we need to stay until there is a stable regime in place that is equipped to deal a death blow to these dark forces within their land.

Ontario Tories Leadership Race

Finally, the provincial Tories have a chance at legitimate renewal. There is no doubting that change was needed. The Conservatives under John Tory where a long way from posing a serious challenge to the McGuinty led Liberals. The question is who should lead the party into the next election? The main challengers for the role are Christine Elliott and Tim Hudak. Both have some outstanding qualities, but I believe Tim Hudak is the best person for the job. I'll tell you why. Hudak has both youthful appeal and extensive political experience. He has been an MPP since the mid nineties yet he's still only 41. What better way to renew the party than to bring in a man with his background. Elliott certainly has the background to be a leader, but she also has the baggage. She is married to Jim Flaherty, the federal finance minister who described Ontario as a poor place to invest. This may be true, but it's not going to score her any points with Ontario voters. Perhaps more importantly, she's only been in the Ontario legislature since 2006. While her background as a lawyer is certainly valuable, it is no substitute for experience in the political arena. Hudak has fought in the trenches for the Tories since the "Common Sense Revolution". He has always been a strong voice within the Conservative party and his record speaks for itself. Tim Hudak is the man to lead the Conservatives out of the wilderness!

CAW pensions

In this past week we witnessed a protest on behalf of the Canadian Autoworkers Union at Queen's Park in Toronto. There beef? The McGuinty government of Ontario was making noise about not honouring it's commitments to the protection of their lucrative pensions. While at first glance this may seem like an easy cause to get behind, it's not that simple. Most Canadians (and indeed most average people in general) can only dream of retiring in the comfort that until now has been the norm for CAW retiree's. For this reason it's hard for most of us to be sympathetic to their cause. The reality is the unrealistic bubble that autoworkers have lived in for the past forty or fifty years has now burst! GM, Ford and Chrysler simply couldn't sustain the gravy train and remain competitive. We are now faced with the very real possibility of one or more of these companies going bankrupt. So the CAW will have to face reality and realize that things are never going back to the way they were - there is a new reality. They need to accept the fact that the average Canadian is not willing to pay for their pension. I know many will argue that a deals a deal and the government should honour it's commitments, but the economy has changed drastically in the last few months and this kind of thinking simply isn't practical. Having said that I'm sure if I was a CAW retiree I would be fighting tooth and nail to protect my pension - it's only natural.