If it feels as though this election should be over, that’s because it almost should be. We are currently enjoying the longest and most expensive Canadian federal election since 1872. The added cost to the taxpayer is unreal. We, the taxpayers, will be footing the bill for the political parties to jockey for power in a needless game of thrones. The extra length of this writ period will allow the parties to double the amount they spend on campaigning. The problem with that is the parties get a campaign rebate of 50% of whatever they spend. Normally, an election would last 37-50 days with a spending limit of $25,000,000 but this elongated election allows the parties to spend $50,000,000. Fortunately, only one party has the funds to actually spend that much cash; the Conservatives. So, regardless of your political stripes, Stephen Harper has positioned himself into a position where you are paying $25,000,000 for his television commercials and air fare. That is approximately 66 doctors who could have been hired, or 357 policemen in Ontario, or would have paid for 40 new CT Scanners for unequipped hospitals. And this is just the cost of one party’s campaign!
Another shocking figure; $500,000,000. That is how much it is going to cost Elections Canada to set up shop and oversee a 78 day election. That’s the cost of setting up temporary offices, hiring staff, setting up the returning offices, and running telephones. The entire 500 million (projected by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation) will be paid entirely from the public coffers. The 2008 Canadian federal election cost $286,000,000.
But Stephen Harper said this election would somehow save the taxpayer money? If that was the first campaign promise of the season, it is officially, already broken.
The polls for Atlantic Canada have been crazy. Just over a month ago, the New Democrats were poised to take up to four seats in New Brunswick. That figure has flipped and now has the Liberals winning up to six seats; Beausejour, Fredericton, Madawaska-Restigouche, Miramichi-Grand Lake, Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, and Tobique-Mactaquac. Liberal support in the region has skyrocketed; from 40% a month ago to nearly 50% today (according to the CBC poll tracker).
Other interesting ridings include Fundy Royal where the Conservatives and New Democrats are in a statistical tie at 33% and the Liberals lagging behind at 22%. Saint John-Rothesay where incumbent Rodney Weston and the Tories have dropped to third place despite major spending and an outrageous sign campaign. Saint John-Rothesay currently has the NDP in a lead over second place Liberals, fifth place Greens, and even a Marijuana Party candidate.
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