I don't talk about politics

I don't talk about politics. I don't talk about it on my blog. I don't talk about it with my family. I don't talk about it with my friends except for brief conversations that I try to avoid with some at work. Politics can be a very messy thing to talk about and can create arguments of which I don't like to be a part. I would rather talk sports with my friends. I would rather talk about my job, (which I think is great but would bore the heck out of some.) I would rather talk about religion.

But maybe I am doing my friends and family an injustice. Probably more my friends because my family is usually pretty well informed. My friends on the other hand know very little about politics or even how this great country of ours is run. Maybe if I did talk about our government more, there would be a better voter turn out and a better informed voter turn out. I am consistently amazed at the lack of knowledge around how our federal government is even structured. I mean, we learned about this in high school, but you'd figure enough of the basics would stick for people to know the difference between City Counsel, Provincial Parliament, and the Federal Parliament. Maybe if more people would get informed and vote, I wouldn't find myself grinding my teeth in frustration when a year from now people are complaining about a government that was chosen in an election in which they did not even cast a ballot.

So, on the eve of a new government here in Canada, the wonderful country I call home, we see ourselves faced with another minority. You see, a government can find itself in power even when it did not receive the most votes. For my American readers, this is much the same way the Electoral College of the Presidential Election works, however when American polls are finally counted, one person leads the country. Canada's Prime Minister is the current leader of the party in power with the most seats in the House of Commons, but that does not always put that person in controlling power. Having more seats does not mean you have more than everyone else, so as we have experienced for the last two years under a Liberal minority, the party in power may not have that much power. It is up in the air about the pros and cons of having a leader that must gain the support of at least one opposing party to have any resolutions passed, but my opinion is that these governments are less than effective. This may lower Canada's stock with the rest of the Superpowers of the world if their confidence in our leadership is wavering.

But reality is setting in. A lot of our country wanted a change, and with the Conservatives that is what they'll most likely get. Just remember that these are not the Brian Mulroney, Joe Clark Progressive Conservatives of years gone by. These are the Preston Manning, Stockwell Day Reformers that changed their name and sit much farther right on the slider. They are a Conservative party led by a slightly scary man named Stephen Harper. A man with a George-W-Bush-like, "I know something that you don't and I'm not going to tell you until it's much too late" smirk.

That was it. I'll go back to not talking about politics again.

All for now,
Kef...