Not politics as usual...

I have been avoiding the political scene all winter since Stephane Dion won the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada. It is not that I do not like Dion. In fact I think he has the potential to surprise us all. Certainly he proved he is masterful at the game of politics both by the alliances he nurtured during the leadership race and his subsequent moves to consolidate his position. It seems clear that there will not be a continual civil war within the party such as the one that continued unabated from the election of John Turner to the fall of Paul Martin.

No, I had simply grown weary of the whole mess and decided to withdraw into my academic pursuits. But now I am taking a break [sort of] and recent events have piqued my interest. The arrangement made between Dion and Elizabeth May of the Green Party of Canada is causing ripples in the political continuum. It is beyond ironic to witness the Conservatives and the NDP trying to attack the arrangement whereby the Liberals will not run a candidate against Ms. May while the seem to be having an ongoing conclave between them. Even Ed Broadbent has tarnished his stellar reputation by attacking a deal that is intended to ensure the focus on the environment is maintained.
Criticism that this is inhibiting the democratic process is downright ludicrous and draws attention to a desire for power that trumps the good of the nation. If the primary aim is to ensure that the country is well governed and reflects the will of the people then how can any such arrangements be attacked when the electorate is in fact being asked to vote on how they feel about the arrangement. When the next general election is called the people of Central Nova will be able to exercise their political will and either re-elect Peter Mckay or Elizabeth May. That is democracy.
The hypocrisy of these attacks on the Liberals and The Greens seems boundless given the ballyhooing over the appointment of Bert Brown as an "elected" senator when Michel Fortier was appointed and sits as Minister of Public Works. The one thing that sustains me is my limitless faith in the Canadian public's ability to make sophisticated choices in the midst of complex political situations. In the end we always get the government we deserve.