Last thoughts on the election

It seems the election has finally ended. The results were somewhat surprising. The Conservatives emerged victorious with a majority of 167 seats in the House of Commons. The NDP gained an exceptional 102 seats as well, breaking historic records. The Liberals and the Bloc both collapsed dramatically. The sum of seats for these two parties is only 38.

Just as the election hype is about to die down, it is important to review several things.

First, there are definite promises that the Conservatives made during their campaign run. Now that they have the majority they asked for, it is time for us to make sure the Conservatives keep their word. Their platform can still be accessed here: http://www.conservative.ca/policy/platform_2011/. In addition to creating jobs, supporting families, eliminating the deficit, making streets safer, and developing Canadian defenses, the Conservatives have also promised a long list of minor reforms including Senate reform. The basis of a democracy is an accountable government and we Canadians must hold him accountable for what he promised us. We must regularly review and evaluate the work done by the Conservatives with their majority government.

Second, the election might become a turning point for Canadian politics. The Liberal party seems to have lost its relevance and the NDP seems to have replaced the Liberals as the leading “liberal” choice. Whether this shift will stand the test of time has yet to be seen. Furthermore, we Canadians have not chosen a majority government since the Liberal majority in 2004. Partially this has been done to combat the depression and a wish for more efficient change. However, this strategy needs to be further tested. As we head into the next term, we should keep these changes in mind.

Third, the election suffered once again with a 60 per cent voter turnout, only 1 per cent higher than the historical low of 59 per cent in 2008. Although the election was called at an inopportune time and many voters were apathetic towards most of the parties, we must note this setback and address this issue in the next election.