ELECTION RUMBLINGS WON'T GO AWAY

You know I keep on hearing these reports on TV about how the rank and file Tories are supposed to be pressuring the Prime Minister to manufacture his own defeat and go to the polls quickly, on the heels of the provincial results in Quebec (good for conservative-type people, bad for separatists), and the supposed momentum the Conservatives have across the country.

Well, if we're going to have an election, I hope it's because the Tories catch the Liberals taking some arrogant get-tough approach to some legislation. Then I'm all for it. But I don't want this government going out of its way to bring itself down, I think that would be pretty stupid. Then people will just say it's a cynical power grab by the Tories, and we'll get these Liberals back in again. Looking greedy for power is the worst thing you can do in politics. Well, maybe not the worst--- being crooked is worse, but power-madness can be a big problem.

I know a lot of these Tories who are always in campaign mode and ready to go, and really enthusiastic about having elections all the time. Me, I'm not that enthusiastic, I'm sorry! Maybe it's because I prefer not to get hammered at the polls every six months by Liberals. Personally I prefer to have elections once every four years, like normal people do.

Besides, this is a big provincial election year and I'd rather get revved up for that. But if these election-type people on the ground want to have their big federal vote, fine. As long as the Liberals get smoked.

The good news is the budget got passed in the House. Woo hoo. I also hear the crime bill is getting passed. That leaves the Clean Air Act up in the air. And I think there's a big dispute over anti-terrorism measures as well. I wouldn't mind seeing the government go down on some anti-terrorism bill of theirs--- then they can crucify the opposition for voting against these good, common-sense proposals to secure the country. Whatever will win an election.

CBC BLOWS IT ON ELECTION NIGHT

Ahem. Here's a lesson for all of you folks in newsrooms everywhere. When it is a close election, as it was in Quebec last night, you have to exercise restraint in making election calls in close races. At the very least, you should contact people in the local riding's campaign offices and find out directly from them what polls are still outstanding. Heck, it's not unusual for entire sections of one riding to vote one way and for the other parts to vote another way. If you actually get off your rear ends to find out that simple information, then you might decide to hold off until all the results come flooding in before you call a riding, and mistakes like what happened last night wouldn't happen.

Congratulations to the CBC/Radio-Canada, then, for calling Premier Jean Charest defeated in the riding of Sherbrooke, only to see him roar back to win his own seat. This isn't the first time these CBC fools have gotten it wrong, either. I remember when they declared Conservative bigwig John Reynolds defeated in 2004 in the federal election (and of course he eventually won). Or how about the time when the CBC jumped the gun and projected an NDP Majority Government in Saskatchewan in 1999, only to have to recant and say they only got a minority. Nice going covering the election, you guys at the CBC. You all deserve a one-way trip to Florida.

ADQ SURGE REDUCES LIBERALS TO MINORITY

The Liberals are back in but barely, at this point it's 47 Liberals, 41 ADQ, 38 PQ. And Charest is going to lose his seat. I'm surprised and I'm not the only one.

HOLY CROW!!!!

RESULTS AT 8:55 EST FROM QUEBEC
PLQ 45
ADQ 45 !!!!!
PQ 34

And not only that, but JEAN CHAREST TRAILS IN HIS OWN RIDING!!!!!
More soon.

QUEBEC ELECTION NIGHT LINKS

And it could be really interesting tonight as the race between Jean Charest, Andre Boisclair and Mario Dumont is too close to call.

Here are my links to the exciting Quebec election coverage tonight:

http://www.cbc.ca/quebecvotes2007/
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/electionsQc2007/resultats/ - Radio-Canada resultats
http://www.ctv.ca/generic/WebSpecials/quebec_elxn2007/index.html - Results page
http://montreal.ctv.ca/cfcf/home - CTV Montreal home page
Global Quebec coverage

More to come.

I DON'T WANT AN ELECTION

Stephen Harper and the Conservatives had a big rally in Mississauga over the weekend. (I wasn't there, because, well, I live in the West now and don't have the funds to travel all the way to Mississauga to campaign training efforts like that one this weekend. Even if I still lived down there I wouldn't have gone because it cost $300.)

It was part of a big campaign training weekend. Meanwhile, the party brass have been sending letters and emails to all the party faithful, telling them to be ready for an election and asking people to donate money and be ready.

I know, because I got one of these emails myself.

I'm not surprised, though. I've known for months that the party was getting ready for a May election and wat privy to all these rumors and the rest of it. So the party's plans to "be ready for an election" and to send these letters out are right on schedule. After all this is a minority Parliament and they are showing the world that they are ready, no matter what happens. But that letter from the party just bothered me. It just seems like the party is all rarin' to go for an election that nobody else in the country seems to want. They seem to be too interested in wanting to dare the opposition to defeat them in the Commons so that they can go to the polls and smoke everyone.

You know, I really don't know why Harper and the gang would want an election. For crying out loud the Tories are in power! And they should relax and enjoy being the government, and work on getting things done, darnet!! And not only that, but this was a very hard-won change of government and I don't want them squandering it all so soon! There's a lot on the line. I think it's foolish to risk it all for a majority that might not even happen. In fact a minority victory might not even happen, these polls have been too close. I know Stephane Dion has been a complete disaster as Liberal leader and his "green" plans for a return to Trudeau-style big government are going to threaten the financial health of this country. This is a guy who would bring in another National Energy Program given half the chance! Dion is a disaster waiting to happen. But Canadians have been stupid enough to vote Liberal before, and they'll do it again given the opportunity. That's why I don't want any election.

Tomorrow, Jim Flaherty stands up in the House of Commons to present his Budget--- which, of course, is a matter of confidence. The rumor mill has it that the Tories will present a budget that will be so unpopular with the opposition parties that it will force an election, and that there will be no deals cut, nothing. I think this is a foolhardy approach. If I were the Tories I would go out there and put forward a positive, popular budget and do the utmost to make sure it passes! I don't want these fools engineering their own defeat!! That's a recipe for disaster in my book. Didn't they learn from what happened to Joe Clark, or for that matter, Paul Martin?

I don't want to see the Tories put the government and all of the good things it is doing for the country at risk, even if they bring it down on purpose. And suppose they don't get their majority in the election? Then we'll get stuck with another couple of years of Liberals voting down the Tories in the Senate, and nothing will get accomplished. And then by the time the Liberals defeat the government again they'll have a new leader and be able to punt Harper completely.

I could handle a new election in maybe six months from now, or a year from now. But people don't want any more elections. As someone who's perfectly happy with the government in power, I don't want one either.

STILL HIBERNATING

But the blog will be back soon. With all this talk of an early election going on, how can it not? No doubt about it we will back but until then, enjoy the rants over at johncairns.blogspot.com.

Do we really need another election? Frankly, I don't want another election and I doubt most people out there do, either. I'm happy with the way things are going. And Stephane Dion has been a complete disaster. That guy would shut down Alberta given the opportunity. He is to the Liberals what Stockwell Day was to our side. He even has the same initials: S.D.

Coincidence? I think not.