In the last 24 hours several people have asked me if I thought I got my “money’s worth” out of the $300 million election held on Tuesday. When it comes to loaded question, that one certainly falls under that category.
But the answer is yes. From an economic standpoint, there are 23 million voters in Canada so my share is only $13. I would gladly spend $13 to express my view on how the government has been doing. As for the 9 million who sat at home, they may have a totally different perspective.
But another aspect of that question “did I get my money’s worth?” has to do with whether I was happy with the outcome. Did the candidate I support win? Did the party I support able to form a government? Despite the change in seats, for many people, the results are the same as the last election – a Conservative minority government. So why hold an election?
In hindsight, it’s easy for voters and the media to suggest that there was no point in holding an election because we didn’t end up with a majority government. But going into the election the outcome wasn’t certain. In fact, there was a good chance that the Conservatives would finish with a majority of seats. In fact, that is the reason the election was called at this time.
Canadians actually prefer minority governments but hate frequent elections. They have expressed their preference to minorities in public opinion polls and at the last few elections. In Tuesday’s election, the will of the electorate suggests that people have confidence in the Conservatives’ ability to manage the economy during the current rough spell but also don’t want to give them a total free hand.
However, the public has also been brainwashed into believing elections are a waste of money. So they should occur as infrequently as possible – every 4 years. The reality is that minority governments don’t last as long as majority governments. So if you like minority governments, then you need to learn to love election campaigns.
As for me - I can’t wait for my next $13 ballot.
