In case you missed it, May 11 marked the first time in a long time that all federal political parties agreed on something. Was it healthcare reform? Nope. Was it programing and support for the underprivileged? No. Was it anything that would make the average Canadian’s life more pleasant or less stressful? Sadly, no again.
So, what brought together a united voice among our parliamentarians? What allowed them to look past their own partisan interests and share one united voice?
All parties have given approval in principle to Bill C-19, aimed at ensuring a federal election could be safely conducted, if need be, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Well, doesn’t that make us all feel better? The next election doesn’t have to happen until October 2023. That’s two and a half years from now. Does the federal government believe we will still be navigating our way through the current pandemic two and a half years from now? I suppose anything is possible. The pessimist in me quietly whispers in my ear “Look for a cause that serves those in governance.”
An election can be held anytime, should the party in power decide to call an election. They do not have to wait for the prescribed election day. If they believe they can win another election with perhaps a majority, they could call one tomorrow. If successful, they could govern more freely moving forward, as they would automatically carry the majority of the seats and therefore, vote through any legislation they felt worthy and any any member’s bill or ideas from any of the opposition parties. They would further be rewarded with a new election date further out to 2025..... unless of course, they found it beneficial to drop the writ earlier.
So why did the opposition parties support Bill C-19? Because they too are acting in their own self-interest. If at any time the opposition parties feel they may be in a position to either gain seats or snatch power from the Liberal Party, they could collectively call a vote of non-confidence, thus causing the sitting government to fall and trigger an election. These political parties dig up dirt on each other on a daily basis. Who knows when the next big scandal might happen?
This means all parties want the ability to take advantage of the political mood of Canadians when the opportunity strikes and circumstances favour their own party’s interests. It’s the one thing that they can all agree upon – the appetite for power.
When an election is inevitably called, one side will blame the other for causing an election during a pandemic. They will label the side that caused the election as opportunists.
You and I, of course, will know they were in it together. They have all orchestrated an election that will no doubt be as chaotic as the handling of the pandemic itself. By supporting Bill C-19, they are all guilty of collusion in the quest for power. They are also tipping their hand as those of us paying attention now expect a federal election to be called sometime this year..... during a pandemic.
