Stephen Harper Has Just Received his Election Kit in the Mail

And is he excited. It was leftover stock from the last Republican bid and has everything he needs to run a successful election campaign, including a fake baby so doesn't have to poke a real one.

No sweaters this time or Tim Horton coffee cups. He's going to do this right.

Also included in the kit are two cases of smelling salts should any of his human props pass out again. At least this will give the appearance of concern.

And worried about his platform? Don't be. He now owns a xeroxed copy of the 2008 Republican one. He just has to replace John McCain with Stephen Harper and Sarah Palin with Cheryl Gallant. It's in the bag.

But what's that you say? Stephen Harper doesn't want an election right now? But he loves election campaigns. It's just being Prime Minister he hates.

Harper to Ignatieff: Don't Send Canadians Back to the Polls
CBC News
June 4, 2009

Prime Minister Stephen Harper "strongly advised" Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff Wednesday against bringing down the Conservative government.

"I've had three elections in four years," Harper told reporters in Quebec City. "I think that's more than enough for the Canadian public. I don't meet anyone … of any political persuasion who wants to spend the summer fighting an election."

The country doesn't need the "political instability" an election would trigger just as it begins to emerge from a recession, Harper said.

So you can certainly count on this government being against any kind of election in the near future. I would strongly advise the Opposition of the same thing."

Harper's comments came a day after Ignatieff said his party will decide next week whether to bring down the government and plunge the country into a mid-summer election.

Ignatieff said Tuesday he doesn't want an election, while adding it's becoming more difficult to prop up the minority Conservative government.

I'm trying to make Parliament work with a government that every day is displaying more flagrant examples of incompetence," he said. "Canadians don't want an election. I don't want an election but we have a problem — a serious problem about this government's confidence."

The ballooning federal budget deficit is one of the main reasons he is considering triggering an election, Ignatieff said.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty last week disclosed that the deficit for this fiscal year will soar to more than $50 billion — $16 billion more than projected just four months earlier. Then the Toronto Dominion Bank projected that the deficit over five years would hit $168 billion.

However, Harper said Wednesday, "our deficit this year compared to … the other industrialized countries is perfectly affordable. For example, the deficit in the United States and Japan is almost four times larger than our own." (But they have more than four times our population so I guess we are in worse shape)

"In Canada, we can afford to spend today because we have managed public finances properly in the last three years when times were better." (ha ha ha ha ha )

Awaiting progress report

Ignatieff said he will decide whether to introduce a motion of non-confidence after assessing the government's second progress report on the economy, which is expected next week.

The Liberals need the help of the Bloc Québécois and New Democratic Party to topple the government.

The Bloc and NDP have consistently voted against the government for the last two years, but may be less keen now that the Liberals have edged ahead in opinion polls.

Ignatieff said he will not consult the other opposition parties before deciding whether to try to topple the government.

The other issues that will determine the Liberal decision:

-The "major medical crisis" provoked by the shutdown of the isotope-producing nuclear reactor at Chalk River.

-The government's refusal to adopt equal access to employment insurance across the country.

-The fact that only six per cent of infrastructure funds have actually started flowing.

Harper was in the Quebec capital to announce a federal collaboration with the National Optical Institute to finance its research projects, and help its research partners to better position themselves to access international markets.

We really need to get this government out. We have no more confidence in their abilities than we did in December. In fact, considerably less. Harper knows he can't win another election, so is just putting in time. If he loses he will replaced as party leader, so it's a win, win for us. I'm game if Ignatieff is.

I JUST WANT MY COUNTRY BACK!!!