My vote

Who to vote for?

Liberals: I can't trust the person who first got elected on the platform of elimination of GST and renegotiation of Free Trade. The issue is not the correctness of policies but that of making promises a party has no intention to keep. He balanced the budget by downloading to the provinces the federal share of costs, increasing most service fees to stratosphere and eliminating many initiatives like affordable housing. He threw away the chance to prove himself by calling election too soon. His talk of "democratic deficit" proved hot air. He has shown no sensitivity to Western alienation and avoided outlining his stand on controversial issues like gay marriages, trade flaps with our southern neighbours, Canadian participation in star wars, senate reform and democratic deficit.

Conservatives: Stephen Harper is relatively moderate compared to his associates and has run an honest campaign. That said, I have grave doubts that a government including Stockwell Day, Rahim Jaffer and Peter MacKay can function smoothly. Many of his candidates are too far to the right on serious issues like gay marriage, abortion, U.S. relations, tax cuts etc. He has excellent qualifications but his party is overloaded with extremists. I suspect that if Conservatives formed the government, the party will split along moderate and extreme right lines before they have dealt with many issues confronting Canada.

NDP: I support higher taxes for better services, particularly to the disadvantaged members of the society. There are many services like healthcare, infrastructure, post-secondary education, fundamental research and security that a government can provide efficiently. Therefore, NDP should be my normal abode. But I won't vote for NDP because I fear their reckless economic policies and ingrained dislike of the United States. Our economy depends too much on trade to the south and we can not afford to thumb nose at them. Without the benefits of this trade, Canada can not afford social services an NDP government wants to provide.

Greens: I share the environmental concerns of the party. Their platform addresses many of my concerns, including the issue of governance. However, the idealism is paramount and practicality is largely missing. Yes, if we continue on our current path, we will meet our doom. But we will also meet our doom if we only allowed hybrid cars on the roads, banned all trucks, shut down all coal and nuclear power generators and covered services of unproven medicine under health care.

None of the parties meet my expectations and I am stuck. So, I will vote to register my protest against the major parties. Greens get my vote, not because I support them with enthusiasm but because I can live with myself if I vote for an idealistic young man who is too young to be practical but I will not vote for any of the others whose policies and past actions I find distasteful.

Strategic voters, mark my words. If no party gains a majority, two right wing parties, Conservatives and Liberals will get together to form the government.