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Website: Elections Canada Politics which is often a game or gamble between rival parties for power and control of a country's affairs is decided by the voting public in elections. Skill, experience, education can influence the vote and popularity of candidates who enter. In Canada, the party which gets the most votes becomes the winner. Recent elections were won again by the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. In a multi-party system it is not surprising if a winning party has a minority government since all parties have their followers and recruit continuously through the years, sometimes members remaining loyal to the same party all their lives. New voters from immigrants turning into citizens, as well as teenagers becoming 18 years old, the voting age, can change the power base of members. Ditto the fickle voters who switch parties depending on their whims and party leaders. Often the parties build up reputations with certain groups: the middle class favouring the Conservative, the unions the NDP, the corporations the Liberal, the environmentalists the Green. The policies of the parties are influenced by these groups who help finance and vote for the parties which represent their interests best. This last election, the NDP and the Liberal Parties formed a Coalition Party temporarily hoping to oust the Conservative Party by pooling their votes together, arguing that the minority government was not doing its job with the economy. But the economic crisis is a global one and even the USA, the most powerful country in the world is having difficulties with its budget being depleted by foreign wars, the over-inflated housing mortgage crisis, and over-spending using credit, and the auto industry's inability to sell cars. Canada is affected as one of the trading partners of the USA including all the countries which use the US dollar for conversion and trading. Blaming politicians for a country's economic problems is illogical because really the bankers, corporations, investors, business people, employees and consumers are more responsible for the economy. We all affect and are affected by the economy, whether we earn, spend or save, adds or minuses to the total effect. Whichever party is the winner will help decide the policies that affect the budget for government ministries and public services but bankers and financiers and investors are the ones who decide loans and investments. The Conservatives won this election and all Canadians will just have to cooperate until the next election. Cooperation instead of competition with all the parties and its supportive groups will be the best way to survive the economy crisis together. Each person participates at different levels -- earning income, spending and saving, borrowing and repaying loans. If we all act responsibly with our own household budget and income, perhaps we can collectively save the global economy from destruction. Blaming politicians is wrong and immature. Hopefully, the Conservative Party led by Prime Minister Harper will lead the government into fair policies for all classes and spread the budget to protect the public services which tax dollars pay for.
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