Can you tell there’s a federal election coming soon? I certainly can.
With the election a mere 208 days away, there’s absolutely no way the nation’s political parties can give away even a millimetre to their opponents as they seek to win the message war.
The federal budget released last week is a good example.
The budget isn’t a bad one simply because it takes continues a trend of deficits, something the federal Liberals promised back in 2015 would stop this year. It isn’t simply bad because it borrows so that there’s plenty of goodies come election time.
No, if you listen to Conservative leader Andrew Scheer, the budget is bad because it’s an attempt at a cover-up of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure the federal Liberals were hoping the budget would change the channel away from the scandal. I’d have a hard time believing it would, but one can only dream.
No, the federal budget, if it had an ulterior motive, is to set the stage for the Liberals’ election platform. To say it’s a cover-up budget – to basically say over and over again that certain parts of the budget are all right but their main purpose is to cover up a scandal – is a bit much.
It’s not just the Conservatives that are pulling this off with the budget. You’ve got the Liberals saying they needed go into deficit to maintain a good economy – despite the fact that an extra $27.8 billion entered the coffers last year and they still are planning for an $18.1 billion deficit. Maybe some of the extra spending could have waited a year or two?
Look, the election is still six months away. Can the nation’s political parties stop electioneering until closer to the election and run the country properly instead, either by spending well-earned tax dollars wisely or by pointing out major flaws in the government’s plan?
There will be plenty of time to attempt to win the election in October later.
