A Challenge

Harper is obviously trying hard to appear like a simple, down to earth guy who consistently gets things done. He’s totally uncharismatic, communicates in short, simple sentences and sticks to the few key issues he owns. He never gets carried away in his speeches and he can count on Baird and co. to do the dirty work of constantly reminding Canadians of how much better he is than the previous government. His whole attitude can be summed up in five words: He thinks we’re stupid. Unfortunately for our dignity, recent polls are proving him right!

Yes, I know, it’s never a good idea to follow polls too closely. Not only is public opinion about the only thing more volatile than oil prices, it’s also important to note that historically, the Prime Minister has always led his challenger in pre-election polls (even Kim Campbell and John Turner). This being said, aside from the quick honeymoon the Liberals enjoyed after their convention, the Conservatives have consistently maintained a substantial lead. They’ve never reached majority territory, but they have proven that their election victory isn’t entirely due to anger towards the Liberals, some people actually like them!

Liberal supporters would have hoped that the arrival of Stéphane Dion would help reverse the momentum, but the Conservatives have responded extremely well to his arrival by capitalizing on his poor record as environment minister. The tactics they used were both ruthless and shameful but, a lot like Harper himself, proved to be extremely effective.

I am still confident that Dion’s principle will triumph over Harper’s slyness, but that will take time. The longer it takes the Liberals to get back in power, the harder it becomes for Canada to meet its Kyoto target (if they are still attainable).

Dion needs to make us dream. I think he should challenge Canada to become fossil fuel independent in ten years, just like Kennedy challenged his country to put a man on the moon. Not only would this make our country extremely rich in the long run, it would turn Dion into a true leader by uniting Canadians towards a common goal.

I think Canadians would appreciate a bold challenge like this one. We would all like the idea of becoming the uncontestable world leaders in green technology. Even Alberta could participate willingly, as it exports all its oil to the US. The initial investment required by the federal government would be huge, but Sweden successfully pursuing the same goal and it doesn’t have any oil. I know we could use this money to pay the deficit, but we’re better off becoming a sustainable economy.