The Aftermath

Is this the end?  I'm not sure.  I hope so.  I really don't want to have to make another logo.

I have mixed emotions about the result last night.  I still firmly believe that 39% of voters shouldn't hold this much power.  I hoped for a minority.  But at least this majority aligns better with my principals.

But wander on over to the Tyee and read the comments.  It's sad, but it kind of makes me feel okay about things.  We have a bit of an Obama type situation here, where both sides feel it is the end of the world.  Conservatives are freaked out that terrorists are going to take over Canada, sneaking in under the cover of the Niqab.  NDP supporters are freaking out that we don't have Proportional Representation enacted overnight.  Honestly people.  No to Northern Gateway?  Acceptance of Climate Change and Science?  Dismissal of the F-35?  Paul Calandra, John Duncan, Julian Fantino, Ted Opitz, Leona Aglukkaq, Chris Alexander and Joe Oliver all gone?  Steve stepping down as leader?  These do not feel like bad things.

There are a lot of great things set to happen and we need to at least give Trudeau a chance.  No?  I will admit that I gnashed my teeth in anticipation of what Steve was going to do four years ago.  But he told us he was going to do them!  And they came to pass!  Vilifying Trudeau for breaking promises he hasn't had a chance to keep is insane.

So hopefully you never hear from me again.  But we'll see how things look in a few weeks.

Update - No time like the present.  I thought it would be a good time to review the Liberal Platform.  Good stuff.  Highlights:

Electoral Reform:
We will make every vote count. We are committed to ensuring that 2015 will be the last federal election conducted under the first-past-the-post voting system. We will convene an all-party Parliamentary committee to review a wide variety of reforms, such as ranked ballots, proportional representation, mandatory voting, and online voting. This committee will deliver its recommendations to Parliament. Within 18 months of forming government, we will introduce legislation to enact electoral reform.

We will repeal the anti-democratic elements in Stephen Harper’s Fair Elections Act, which make it harder for Canadians to vote and easier for election lawbreakers to evade punishment.

Partisan Government Advertising:
The federal government should use advertising to promote government programs, not partisan agendas. We will appoint an Advertising Commissioner to help the Auditor General oversee government advertising. The Commissioner will review proposed messages to ensure that they are non-partisan and represent a legitimate public service announcement.

Watch the watchers:
At present, Parliament does not have oversight of our national security agencies, making Canada the sole nation among our Five Eyes allies whose elected officials cannot scrutinize security operations. This leaves the public uninformed and unrepresented on critical issues. We will create an all-party committee to monitor and oversee the operations of every government department and agency with national security responsibilities.

too much detail here to discuss...We will repeal the problematic elements of Bill C-51, and introduce new legislation that better balances our collective security with our rights and freedoms.

Science and the Census:
We will appoint a Chief Science Officer who will ensure that government science is fully available to the public, that scientists are able to speak freely about their work, and that scientific analyses are considered when the government makes decisions. 

We will restore the long-form census. Without accurate and reliable data, Canada’s communities cannot plan ahead. Everything from transit planning to housing strategies to support for new Canadians becomes more difficult. We will immediately restore the mandatory long-form census, to give communities the information they need to best serve Canadians.

Climate Change:
There is too much here to link to...We will provide national leadership and join with the provinces and territories to take action on climate change, put a price on carbon, and reduce carbon pollution.

And of course:
We will legalize, regulate, and restrict access to marijuana.