Canadians will
determine Monday whether to send their Liberal Party
packing after 13 years and give
the antigay Conservative Party a shot
at repairing relations with Washington and tackling
issues such as health care, tax cuts, child care, and crime.
All polls leading up to the parliamentary
election indicated that voters were ready for change
despite fears Conservative leader Stephen Harper is
too extreme in his views opposing abortion and same-sex
marriage to become prime minister. Results should
start coming in after voting ends in the eastern
province of Newfoundland at 7 p.m. Eastern time. In a
tight race, the winner may not be known until ballot
counting begins in British Columbia four hours later.
Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority government
was toppled in a confidence vote in November after the
Liberals were unable to overcome a corruption scandal
involving the misuse of funds for a national unity
program in Quebec. An initial investigation absolved Martin
of wrongdoing but accused senior Liberal members of
taking kickbacks and misspending tens of millions of
dollars in public funds.
If the Liberals defy the polls and eke out a win
with a minority government in the 308-seat House of
Commons, Martin will remain weak. And if Harper
doesn't win a majority, he'll need support from minority
parties to pass legislation.
The Conservatives are pinning most of their
hopes on Ontario, Canada's most populous province and
traditionally a bedrock of Liberal support. They also
have a chance to make inroads in Quebec, where they were
shut out in June 2004 elections.
The youngest candidate at 46, Harper has toned
down the rightist rhetoric that cost him the last
election and has painted the Liberals as a party of corruption.
Martin, 67, has trumpeted eight consecutive
budget surpluses and sought to paint Harper as a
right-winger posing as a moderate to woo mainstream
voters. The prime minister also has promised to lower income
taxes, finalize a national child care program, and ban
handguns. He claims Harper supported the war in Iraq,
which was opposed by many Canadians, and would try to
outlaw abortion and overturn same-sex marriage
legislation approved in July, all of which Harper denies.
Joanna Lundy, a mental health worker in
Vancouver, said she will reluctantly cast a Liberal
vote to block Harper. "He's not open to diversity,"
she said. "I think he'll put us in the dark ages on
women's issues, abortion issues, gay issues." (AP)