Dear Editor,
We are being told by Prime Minster Stephen Harper that the opposition has forced upon us an unnecessary election. The Prime Minister no doubt hopes that we will forget that he called an unnecessary election in 2008. Not only did he break his own law that mandated elections every four years he also predicted the results would be another minority government.
Still, the question remains. Is this election necessary?
I believe it is.
Historically minority governments have been kind to Canadians.
A minority Mackenzie King government got us the old age pension in 1927. In the 1960's the Lester Pearson's minority got us Medicare, government loans for university students, the Canada Assistance Plan (CAP), the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and our new Canadian flag.
Between 1972 and 1974, a Trudeau minority got us Petro Canada and in addition, old age pensions were indexed to the cost of living.
These progressive moves were due in part to the close cooperation between the Liberals and the NDP during minority governments.
Now, after five years of a Harper government can we look back at any attempt to negotiate with the opposition to get us even one bold and imaginative program that Canadian's could be proud of?
What about a national drug plan, dental plan or day-care plan?
It is not in Harper's DNA.
We didn't get much under a Conservative minority. Think of all the things we won't get under a Conservative majority.
Bev Currie, Swift Current
