Deficits, Attack Ads, and Election Timing

Posted by Laura Steiner May 26, 2009

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced Canada's deficit has now hit $50 billion- the highest in recorded Canadian history. And it could grow, thanks to auto industry aid and increasing unemployment numbers. It's forced Flaherty to revise his deficit prediction over 5 years to approximately $80 billion.

Now of course such an announcement has caused the usual bickering. The Liberals say Harper wants to raise taxes in order to cover the shortfall. They have according to one news source issued a release to that saying Harper will not present another budget until he decides to raise taxes. Correct me if I'm wrong, but couldn't that constiute an attack? And didn't Ignatieff just say he wouldn't use attack ads.

And speaking of attack ads, how about those Conservative attack ads against Ignatieff? Aren't they effective? I would say they are. I think because they're close enough to truth. I know one question I'd love to ask Ignatieff: If he's elected, how does he expect to govern a country he hasn't lived in much for the last 35 years? I know he'll have read books on Canada, articles on what went on, but it's one thing to read about these things, and another to live them. I think he won't have a true sense of what Quebec separatism is like, not being here to experience the referendum in 1996, and the desperation we went through. Not to mention the two failed attempts to gain Quebec's signature on the constitution by Mulroney, or signing onto NAFTA. What about the fisheries' collapse? Or the rise of Alberta? All issues have had far-reaching consequences that we're still dealing with today; they still raise Canadian's passion and it's important to understand why- and I think a measure of that understanding is missing if you weren't here to experience it.

And that brings me to this whole idea of election timing. Ignatieff wants an election over E.I. something I've previously opposed in another blog entry. The next chance to call one comes in June as Flaherty presents his economic update; vote against the update and the government falls. It's bad timing- if Liberal numbers are increasing, just think what they'll be like after a summer of unemployment forces Flaherty to revise his deficit projections again.

Even though it's bad timing I think it stands a decent chance of happening. The Conservative attack ads have started, and I honestly don't think they're going to last all summer. If they do, then expect a lot of television purchases because Canadians will eventually throw their tv sets through a window.

So Canada: get set for either an election, or a very long summer of attack ads. Either way it could get ugly.

For more information see: Flaherty: Canada's Defict At $50 Billion, or: Harper Speech Signals Election Readiness.