Saturday, April 23, 2011

My reasons for voting for Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals

My vote is in, and after flirting with the idea of voting NDP I finally decided to cast my lot with Michael Ignatieff and the Liberals.

Why did I pick Michael's party?  Part of the reason was strategic certainly.  My riding has been solidly Liberal the past few elections, but it has swung back and forth between the Conservatives and Grits in years past.  The NDP does not have a history of polling well here, and I wanted my vote to count.

With that being said there's plenty in the Liberal platform that I can enthusiastically support. 

Making child care accessible and affordable for all Canadians.  As a parent I know how difficult it can be to find quality care for a child.  Those who can afford options like Montessori and such probably prefer cash in the form of tax credits, but for struggling families with both Mom and Dad working...I prefer the Liberal option.

Helping students earn a post secondary diploma is huge in my books.  With the knowledge based economy that's evolved and evolving, Canada can't afford having our young people missing out on the learning opportunities they'll need for themselves and for our nation to compete.

Reversing Conservative tax give aways to business is of course paramount.  Canada is both its citizens and the corporations that employ them, and our corporate sector has as much of a financial responsibility to this country as do individual citizens.

Finally its about trust.  Watching Canada's financial situation going from hearty to bleak in just five years is to say the least disconcerting.  Ralph Goodale has run the finance portfolio before and been very successful, handing Stephen Harper's Conservatives a very healthy surplus.  Should he get another crack at finance in a Liberal led government I trust he'll be able to make Canada financially solvent again.


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