AAAAAAARGH!!!!! Politics!

So, I always vote. Always. It's my civic duty to give my input as to how I want my city, province and country to be governed. This October, I voted again, despite being called to the polls four times in the last 18 months. But I voted. I looked into what the various parties stood for, and ultimately cast my vote for the party that I felt would be best equipped to lead Canada through the current economic slowdown.

But it was all for nothing.

Now, the other three parties have all banded together to overthrow the ruling government. The rumblings started when the Conservatives threatened to cut federal funding for the parties, and continued when they wanted to ban Public Servants from striking for three years. Now, even after the Conservatives have backed down on both those fronts, the assault continues, and it's plain to see that it's a blatant power grab. The other leaders are sick of being a bridesmaid, they want to be a bride, dammit, and they don't care HOW it happens...although, if they're asked, they claim it's because the Tories haven't tabled an economic stimulus package yet. Riiiiiiiiiight....if you believe that, I also have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.

I do detest talking about politics. It all smacks of one-upmanship, and baiting for the sole purpose of getting into a row (that's Brit-speak for fight, not what you do in a rowboat). But I absolutely cannot think about writing on anything else today. Here comes the rant.

I don't think the Liberals, the NDP, or any amalagmation of the two are capable of leading our country, much less with the addition of the Bloc. The problem with all three of these parties is that their view doesn't extend any farther than Ontario and Quebec- as long as they're happy, screw the rest of us! They have absolutely no problem destroying industry in Alberta and Saskatchewan, as long as Ontarians have jobs.

In the media, the Liberals and NDP claim they're upset that the Tories aren't doing enough to help "struggling Canadian families" in these harsh economic times. Well, for starters, the government is 7 weeks old- give them a minute. Secondly, I'd rather suffer for a couple of months while the government sorts things out, as opposed to instituting knee-jerk policies that end up doing more long term harm than good. And, finally, I have a very difficult time believing that the Liberals and the NDP care about the well-being of families everywhere...I have a sneaking suspicion that by "Struggling Canadian Families" they mean "Laid off, Unionized Auto-Workers".

Now, don't get me wrong. Unions have their place. They were formed with good intentions, in a time when many, many employees were gravely mistreated and exploited. But, now, they're being used as insurance- insurance against ever having to find another job. Insurance against ever having to work more than 8 hours a day without overtime pay. Insurance against losing your job to a replacement worker if you decide to strike. The union contracts that were negotiated with the Big 3 car companies are so insanely bloated, only a person with no concept of fiscal sense would find them sustainable. All things considered (salary, benefits, etc), your average UAW member makes $71/hour. SEVENTY ONE DOLLARS AN HOUR, for a high school graduate who puts dashboards in cars all day. When the Big 3 started shutting down assembly lines, the discovered it was less expensive to continue to pay the extraneous workers full wages, than fire them and deal with severance. That's utter madness.

I read in the Globe and Mail that working in the auto plants was seen as one of the few reliable jobs in Ontario, that would carry you through to retirement and allow you to concievably raise a family on a single income, and that people feel duped because these jobs are disappearing.

Um, people, that's called LIFE. Why should you be guaranteed a job for life? Why should you never have to worry about being laid off, or your job being given away if you decide to go on strike? Why should you not have to roll with the punches like the rest of us do? Why should you get a bailout, when none of the rest of us do? What makes YOU so special?

I work in the energy sector- I look for Oil and Gas. The "Green Initiatives" proposed by the NDP and Liberals would fatally wound my industry. Layoffs would be rampant and widespread, and the Prairie provinces would suffer a great deal, as their main employer floundered. Could *I* expect a hefty bailout, to help *ME* through the tough times? Um...I wouldn't hold my breath. What I WOULD do is get off my couch and get a job- any job. If there were no jobs, I would move. It's not rocket science.

I work hard. I worked hard to get into University, because I knew it was my best chance at the life I wanted. I worked hard to stay in University when I got there, and then when I graduated I worked hard to find a job. I certainly haven't had an easy go of employment- I've worked for 5 companies in 4 years, and was unemployed for almost 6 months. I refused to sign on for Employment Insurance, because I didn't want to be reliant on the government, DESPITE the fact that I paid into it. Now I have a job, that I do not like, but I get up every morning, get ready, and go in....because that's what grownups DO. However, the coalition "government" coming to power seriously threatens my ability to continue my career, and thus my ability to support my family.

I understand that Alberta is blessed to have the natural resources she does, and that not all the other provinces are as lucky. Yes, we have a main industry...that just happens to support the "have-not" provinces, and their bevvy of under-employed citizens. You'd think the government would want to protect that, instead of falling back on the old "government must provide a safety net" song and dance..well, where does everyone think that money comes from? Resource revenues and equalization payments... table those "Green Initiatives", and then wait and see how much money there is to support those "struggling Canadian families". It all smacks of jealousy- out here, we are reaping the rewards of our hard work, which isn't true elsewhere in Canada. The market is forcing unsustainable industries to change how they operate and run tighter, but that's not fair, so let's handicap VIABLE industries, so that we're all miserable together!

If anyone wants to live in a province that has a viable industry, there are more than enough jobs out here to go around..or, there will be, until the Three Mutineers get their hands on it.

I'm all for giving people a hand up, honestly, I am. I mean, without the National and Provincial Student Loan Programs, I wouldn't have been able to finish my degree, and without the Pension plan my grandma would have starved and been homeless. Social programs do have their place, many are underfunded, and this should be remedied...especially if the money would otherwise go to bail out a floundering auto industry.

However, I refuse to subsidize laziness and incompetence. I refuse to allow people to take the easy way out (bailouts, government programs), SIMPLY because they're easy....especially when it's MY money that is paving their way. I work for a living, whether I like it or not- why shouldn't you?

The Canadians elected a Conservative government. They don't have a platform based on cradle-to-grave social security. They don't have a platform based on guaranteeing everyone will always live in the style to which they're accustomed (or, to which they feel entitled). They don't have a platform based on making sure everything is fair. They have a platform based on those who work hardest reaping the greatest rewards, which is the farthest thing from fair in some cases. But you know what? They won. GET OVER IT.

Canada is not going to emerge from this economic upheaval unscathed. People are going to have to tighten their belts, and make do- even if this means not making $71/hour anymore, and there's not a thing that government intervention can do about that.

Additionally, this political upheaval is going to make the economic crisis worse for Canada- it will hurt our dollar, our stock exchange, and our ability to attract foreign investors to Canadian projects. It hurts our standing in the public eye as a stable, evenheaded country. The THAI are calling what's happened a coup, and they've barricaded their airports!

This is a shameful stab at power by the Three Mutineers. I can only hold out hope that the Governor General sees that Canadians deserve to have a say in the government, and calls an election.

End of rant. Back to regularly scheduled programming tomorrow.