Losing Faith in Canada

As a woman, I'm of the minority who loves sports and follows politics. My professional history, as well as my post secondary education years show a keen interest in those two subjects. Today is the first day I can say, I'm ashamed to be a Canadian. And I doubt I'm of the minority in that feeling.

Two short months ago, Canadians re-elected the Conservative Party of Canada, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper, receiving a strong endorsement from Canadians with an increase in Parliamentary seats. Regardless of your political preferences in Canada, his party has the will of Canadians, to govern this country to the best of their ability.

A hot button issue for obvious reasons is the economy. And last week, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty gave an "economic update" which called for cuts in Government spending, and a highly controversial policy to abolish the $1.95 per vote public subsidy for Political parties. The update failed to address the economic crisis, and no mention of "stimulus" was mentioned, and immediately negotiations commenced between the Opposition Liberals, New Democrats and the separatist Bloc Quebecois parties.

As of today, a letter was delivered to the Governor General, informing the Queen's Representative, that the Conservatives have lost the confidence of Parliament, and a coalition is prepared to step up and form a government with out-going Liberal leader Stephane Dion as the new Prime Minister. And I'm irate!

First let me say, that I have a very strong political motivation and it doesn't lean to the right at all. I did not vote for the current Party in government. And I do believe any budget that does not include immediate remedies to the economic crisis should be voted down. Knowing this, the Conservatives should not have mis-calculated the political landscape and anticipated the Liberals would not push an issue of confidence because of their lame duck leader. Dion will make the worst ever Prime Minister Canada has ever seen. Worse than Kim Campbell, who inherited the job from Brian Mulroney. He's a bumbling buffoon, who's own Party exiled immediately after the election of a mere 8 weeks ago. This is bad for the country.

Equally, if not more disturbing, is a governing Coalition where the Separatists from Quebec, who have denounced the best interests of Canada as a whole, will supply the necessary balance of power. The Bloc will now carry enough power to immediately force a referendum in Quebec, in an attempt once again to separate, and Canada as a whole will be useless to prevent it.

Western Alienation becomes a very real concern, when you consider that 70% of the vote from Manitoba westward voted Conservative, and they will now see this as nothing more than an opportunistic power play.

Suffering the worst will be Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and any other liberal leader hopefuls who will have to lead this party into the next election, with Canadian so bitterly divided.

There has been no poll to enforce that this is the will of Canadians, and I shutter to think what the average Canadian thinks about the events about to transpire. How is this any different than a power coup in a Communist Country?