Another federal election?

The Opposition parties in the federal parliament are vowing to vote against the confidence motion the Tories will introduce on Monday to implement proposals contained in the economic and fiscal update statement presented by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty in the House of Commons yesterday.

The main bone of contention seems to be the plan to end on April 1 the $1.95 per year per vote subsidy paid from the fisc to political parties in order to save $30 million annually. The Opposition parties are more dependent on this funding than the Tories (even tho the Tories receive the biggest subsidy, having attracted the most votes) because the CPC has been more successful in their grassroots fundraising campaigns to solicit private donations.

If a compromise cannot be reached and the government falls on Monday's vote, there are two possible outcomes:

1: the three Opposition party leaders could unite as a coalition and seek the Governor Generals' approval to form a government to replace Stephen Harper's current government

or

2. the Governor General could drop the writs for another election to be held in the dead of the Canadian Winter

Does any Canadian voter want an election re-run so soon on the heels of the last one (which didn't resolve much in terms of the composition of the House of Commons)? Does it make sense for the reins of power to be handed over to a coalition headed by a party (the Liberals) with a lame duck leader (Dion) who has resigned and is scheduled to be replaced early next year?

Methinks the party leaders should grow up and reach a compromise. In these hard global economic times, Canada needs steady united political leadership, not more fractious partisan bickering.