I hope everyone voted today. As expected, Stephen Harper and his Conservative party will now lead Canada. That doesn’t make me especially happy but I’m encouraged by the fact that Harper only has a minority government to work with.
I’ve read that historically, minority governments in Canada last on average 12-18 months. Perhaps, this will hold true for this government as well.
I am confident in the abilities of the Liberal and NDP parties to hold the Conservatives in check. I am, however, concerned about the possible revisitation of gay rights in this country. To revisit an issue that might take away rights from a part of our society unsettles me. It is my belief though, that a new MP vote on the issue would yield the same result. I am also concerned about the potential coziness a Harper government might have with the US. I was proud of our last government’s stance on Iraq and softwood lumber issues. Harper gave me reason to believe he would have sent Canadian soldiers into Iraq had he been PM in 2003. My fear is he would send our troops into Iran the second Dubya asked. Will he turn our nation into a lapdog for the US? Only time will tell.
And that’s my political opinion based on the many software engineering books I’ve read over the years.