I WOULD RATHER LOSE THIS ELECTION..

THE LOWEST VOTER PARTICIPATION IN DECADES
What was there about the 2008 Federal Election that failed
to interest 40.9 percent of Canada’s eligible voters?

A commentary by Victor Drummond ©
October 2008

Although the leader of the Green Party, Elizabeth May, captured a bit of public interest during her fight to be included in the Political leaders debates her election platform lacked consistency.

Before long no one knew whether the green party was more concerned in protecting the environment or in defeating Stephen Harper. The later objective appeared to be the main thrust of the party.

The end result being Elizabeth failed to be elected in her own riding and the green party failed to elect even one member to the House of Commons.

The leader of the Liberal Party, Stephane Dion, and the leader of the New Democratic Party
both began their election campaigns with declared objectives which may have interested enough voters to get them a decent percentage of the popular vote.

Somewhere along the way they both became distracted from their initial programs, i.e. “The Carbon Tax” and the “Hold the line on the Corporate taxes”, and use the money to subsidize job creation in Canada.

They also became infatuated with the “Anyone but Harper” campaign. At that point I, and many other voters lost interest in both parties.

It then seemed to me the conjecture made in my prior posting titled:- “What do you get for your money”, e.g. “That no party really wanted to win this election due to economic problems they could be faced with…” – might really be the case.

The lack of specific information regarding proposed policies along with waffling on what objective the parties really held as their highest priority left voters with little or nothing to get excited about.

In my opinion that is why voter turn-out was by far the lowest -- for this election -- than has been the case for several decades.

Leaders and support staff of the three main political parties in Canada have been made well aware of a major glitch in the Canadian Income tax, taxable benefit legislation, which manifest itself during the crash of the hi-tech stock-market in 2001.

Beginning with the 2002 taxation year the legislation defect generated huge taxes on ordinary hard working Canadians who thought they were being rewarded by their corporate employers for their performance contribution to their employer and by association contributing to the economic well being of Canada.

The economic downturn in progress today is ideal for the creation of a new batch of victims of the defective taxable benefit legislation.

There were thousands of decent Canadian taxpayers financially decimated by way of devastating taxes being levied on Income they never received. (Real taxes on phantom Income).

During the 2008 Federal Election prelude Stephen Harper, Jack Layton, Stephane Dion and Elizabeth May all had knowledge of this atrocity and plenty of opportunity to acknowledge
the correction of this issue as a plank in their election platforms.

Instead they all chose to ignore those victimized Canadians struggling with unjustified taxes, often, beyond their ability to pay and which -- if deferred -- hang like a sword of Damocles over the heads of these victimized taxpayers.

Those same political leaders have been made aware the United States Government has a bill in process, (now passed by Congress), to correct their equivalent Alternative Minimum Tax, (AMT) legislation which also produced taxes on phantom profits.

But it seems Canadian political leaders prefer to adopt policies that sound good – Protect the Environment, (whatever that entail’s?)

Fiddle with the economy by introducing a Carbon Tax. (At a time when the economy is in deep trouble.)

Or pour tons money and resources into downsizing the global warming concerns.

None of the above high profile issues are things that a Canadian Government can really predetermine a positive result or even accomplish anything without international co-operation.

It appears to me the political party leaders -- identified above -- have adopted an attitude of:- “I would rather lose this election than do the proper, honourable and decent thing for all Canadians.”

Why give Canadians back their RIGHT to fair and equitable taxation – if you do not have to?

Canadians are not anywhere near as gullible as the conduct of our political leaders would imply.

In my opinion that is why the voter turn-out for the 2008 Federal Election was the lowest in recent times.

For readers not familiar with the defective taxable benefit issue visit the web page for the group:- “Canadians for Fair and Equitable Taxation”, (CFET), at:- www.cfet.ca

Victor Drummond ©