Canada election speculation: Your views

Canada's opposition Liberal Party has said it will not force snap elections. Liberal leader Stephane Dion said his party would not reject the Conservative government's policy agenda ahead of a series of confidence votes.

BBC News website readers in Canada have been reacting to political developments and debating whether they should go to the polls.

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These are interesting times in Canada. It is the job of Her Majesty's loyal opposition to challenge the government of the day and to question its actions and policies. This is one of the fundamental tenets of "responsible government". In this particular case, we have an opposition party, the Liberal Party, placed in a position where it must support the government because it cannot risk (from an electoral and political perspective) bringing down the government. They need the Conservative Party to survive.
Wes Golden, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

I want a government that will take Kyoto seriously, cease that nonsense mission in Afghanistan, and actually act on its promises. Neither the liberals nor the conservatives are likely to do any of these things, thus it makes little difference whether they have an election or not. Nothing is likely to change, these politicians are all the same.
Sophia, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

It is time that this type of speech was given. Mr Dion and the Liberals need to put up or shut up. All this bickering about Kyoto was caused by Liberal inaction - yet they claim to be its defenders. Mr Dion and his Liberals failed Kyoto, nobody else. As for the NDP and Bloc - they don't matter anyway, except to cause noise and provide mindless insights into problems they will never be responsible for dealing with. I prefer leadership - even if I am not 100% thrilled about the direction. Under the Liberals the ship was adrift, at least now it is moving with purpose.
Marc, Windsor, Ontario, Canada

I am probably one of Stephen Harper's worst critics, but no way can the Liberals pull off an election win here. In fact they also risk losing more seats, while possibly giving Mr Harper more seats and perhaps a majority government. Mr Harper isn't the political genius that this makes him look to be as the liberals did this to themselves. If they voted for Michael Ignatieff, we would be welcoming a new Prime Minister and even the liberals know Mr Dion is a disaster waiting to happen. The only thing they can do is for Mr Dion to have a free vote, while secretly voting confidence in the conservatives and hope his party does too!
Casey, Toronto, Canada

No! The Liberals should not play Harper's game by forcing an election on these issues. There is nothing in this Throne speech that the Liberals should feel they have to vote against at this time. There will be ample opportunities in the future to bring down this government.
Jim Cummings, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

The Conservatives have gone as far as they are going to go. With our system, two thirds of Canadians did not vote for the Conservatives. The Liberals are in trouble but even so they never get more than 5% lower than the Conservatives. So the Tories play chicken at their peril.
Douglas, Calgary, Canada

There will be no election. We finally have a government that is more interested in governing and doing what it feels is best for the country, than past Liberal governments that cared little about policy and programmes. The Liberals have always cared about winning elections and lining their own pockets, much to the detriment of the country and as they are in no position to do either, there will be no election. With all the Liberal knives in Dion's back, it's amazing the man can even walk upright without losing his balance.
Ken Morgan, Guelph, Canada

Force the election, or else have the Governor-General dissolve Parliament and give the opposition an opportunity Linda MacDonald, Chilliwack, BC, Canada

All the political parties forget the interests of the Canadian people in this game of chicken or chess that they play with the Throne Speech. And although the Canadian people have election fatigue, it is in the interests of the Liberals to show some courage and principles. What of Dion's commitment to Kyoto, determination to withdraw from Afghanistan, and defeat the Throne speech. As well, this Throne speech had nothing about healthcare, social programmes, education, even if there is a large budgetary surplus in Canada and we are doing well. Force the election, or else have the Governor-General dissolve Parliament and give the opposition an opportunity.
Linda MacDonald, Chilliwack, BC, Canada

More now than ever, we need real leadership on Parliament Hill from all parties. That means that rather than opposition parties voting against the Speech from the Throne to save face, they need to work to amend existing realities in the Canadian parliament for the betterment of Canadians, rather than focusing on party infighting.
Miranda, Toronto, Canada

A country like Canada doesn't fit a conservative government. Canada is a country built by immigrants. Like it or not, it's a fact and the conservative agenda doesn't fit within it. We all know the Tories are desperately trying to convince the immigrants to vote for them, but I don't see that happening soon.
Jay, West Hill, Ontario, Canada

Given that there have just recently been provincial elections in the majority of Canada, citizens will not look favourably towards another election. The Liberals and Conservatives are just playing chicken to see who will call for an election first, seeing that the move would be unpopular with the public.
Mary, Calgary, Canada

Canadians are not fond of the idea of going back to the polls so soon, and Mr Harper is well aware of that. Mr Dion has problems from within and an election call would cripple the Liberal party to the point they might not even make official opposition. Mr Harper is hoping for an election so he can get a Conservative majority and has written this throne speech in a way that he will get what he wants, one way or another. Chances are that this will pass unless a miracle happens and Mr Dion gets everyone in line in a hurry.
Mark Annis, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

As a Canadian, I hold a firm opinion that the opposition parties in Canada should not force an election, primarily due to the fact that the outcome will almost certainly be another minority conservative government. Political opportunism needs to take a back seat and all parties should concentrate on providing effective governance. Traditionally, minority governments in Canada have been effective in terms of advancing various social causes due to the requirement for cooperation. Hopefully, calculated reason will win the day.
Terry Welsh, Brooks, Alberta, Canada

Canada is a split country Tom Montealban, Toronto, Canada

Canada is a split country. For the large percentage of change-fearing yet well minded folk, Stephane Dion seemed a good idea. It is a shame in politics when the educated are removed from the possibility of office by their own intelligence. Ignatieff conjures fear in the middle classes by exposing their own weaknesses, which leaves us with Dion to compete again lapdog Harper. Can we borrow the example of London, and elect a knowledgeable politician who can lead this country forward. Drop Dion, let Ignatieff in, get rid of Harper.
Tom Montealban, Toronto, Canada

Canada needs an election to produce a strong government with a free hand to govern whatever its leanings. We need to get our business marginal tax rates down that remain some of the highest in the world. There is a lot of work to be done on reforming everything from immigration to criminal justice. This means using the not withstanding clause if necessary to reverse the de facto block on power created by an unelected bench of activist supreme court judges.
Andrew, Ft McMurray, AB, Canada

In the words of the immortal Thom Yorke: "Bring down the government, they don't speak for us." The throne speech includes "stay the course" rhetoric over Afghanistan, pleading the opposition parties to allow "just a few more years" of occupation. If granted this, they'll beg for more extensions, until we have to retreat just like the Soviets did. Bring the troops home by February 2009. It also includes a promise to start a US-style "war on drugs", which would cost billions of dollars. This is completely unacceptable to Canadians, we view the US as a trading partner and an ally, not a model to be copied. Harper is shrouding himself in secrecy and pandering to religious extremists just like Bush is. He must be stopped, the government must fall.
Brian R, Alberta, Canada

If Jean Chretien could get away with calling an election while Manitoba was underwater, this should be a cinch for Mr Harper. However there is always the David Emerson effect to consider. I doubt if voters will forget and forgive, if Mr Dion has some courage of conviction. We shall see.
Michael White, Calgary, AB, Canada

Forcing an election at this time would drastically affect the opposition. The Liberal party is in total disarray, the NDP is losing ground, the bloc is going nowhere and the only winners are the Green party and the conservative party. It is unfortunate that at this time, here in Canada, we have some opposition parties that are completely out of touch with reality. I think that, at this time an election is unlikely.
John Howard, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Yes! If the Liberals don't vote against the "throne speech" they will display even more weakness in their "natural ruling" party. The implication for the government is that they will call an election - Prime Minister Harper extended Summer Break to time an election for the dead of winter in January. I don't think Canada can stomach a Conservative majority with dictatorial tendencies, so it will probably end up the same status or Liberal minority after the election. Maybe the country should vote the Conservatives into a majority - it would guarantee a Liberal majority in the election after and such is our politics, until they change the system.
Shauna, Edmonton, Canada

I think it would be foolish to call an election. The same parties will get similar percentage of votes. In the end it will be waste of money.
Yilmaz Kaya, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

I see a good deal of "Stephane Dion is a disappointment" banter from other posters here. Oddly, they can't seem to back up or qualify such remarks. Frankly, I'd prefer a change. It is Stephen Harper's environmental policies that are a disappointment. I'll admit that I don't know a great deal about Dion as a leader. All I know is that as Minister of Inter-Governmental Affairs under Chretien, Mr Dion helped introduce the Clarity Bill, which was drawn up to ensure that "any future referendum must have a clear majority, be based on an unambiguous question, and have the approval of the federal House of Commons". It would seem that Dion might be an effective leader after all. If there is an election we have a choice between Jack, Gille, Stephen, or Stephane. Let's hope the next government we elect will take more effective measures against global warming. If they don't, the very air will be as hot and difficult to breathe as a Conservative caucus meeting.
Abram Taylor, Saint Catharines, ON, Canada

I do not think that there will be any elections soon. I would rather say that our economy is flourishing. Yes Harper is the most controversial prime minister in the history of Canada. But our political parties, such as the liberals, do not enjoy strong support like they used to. Mr Dion has so far been unable to show his leadership skills. He barely makes any national headlines. Only something big, like some big scandal can bring this government down. In saying that, I do support our troops and their mission in Afghanistan but not Harper's mission in that country.
Irfan Elahi, Greater Vancouver, BC, Canada

The opposition parties might be in an unenviable situation, but I think the voters are in a worse situation. I have never sat out an election, but lately that has become very tempting. The Liberals lost a majority because of infighting and backstabbing, whatever anyone might say about their policies. Furthermore, there is no sign that they've managed to get their act together. This Canadian is frankly tired of the schoolyard politics. The New Democrats used to have some appeal, until they took a hard shift to lunacy. I have since let my party membership lapse.

The Bloc Quebecois aren't even worth mentioning. All three of these parties will likely lose seats in the next election. That leaves the Conservatives and Stephen Harper. If Mr Harper could keep a tight reign on the social conservatives and shift the Conservatives closer to the centre to fill the vacuum that the Liberals left, they just might win a majority. However, it is more likely they will win another minority. Given that I think Stephen Harper is the lesser of four evils, I have been mostly satisfied with the status quo.
Lou Frndak, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

It would be folly for the Liberals under Dion to force an election at this time. Harper has placed the opposition between a rock and a hard place. Damned if they do, damned if they don't.
Murray Bradbury, Lake Lenore, Canada

The Liberal Party's intra-party conflicts and the Party Quebecoise's own party crackdown in Quebec will not convince people that an early election is very essential at this moment. People don't like any change in running state machinery rather they want to see more tax cuts, climate change policy (though Canada has been putting better efforts into this compared with the USA) and more funding for welfare and medical services. People have recognised that changing government is a big loss for people and more of a gain for politicians. So there is very little chance that the opposition will force the present government out in an early election. No opposition party is brave today.
Gopal Sengupta, Canada

The Conservatives cannot lose regardless and that makes this Albertan very happy indeed. At worse, if an election is called, it will guarantee another Conservative minority. At best, and the quite likely outcome, there will be a Conservative majority. God help us all if the Liberals are ever to gain power again. Alberta will leave, and Canada will fracture. Such is the damage the left has done to Canada.
Devon Hill, Calgary, Canada

To people who say they don't want an election because they aren't "in the mood" for one, or because they perceive them as "time consuming" - is it really so much effort on your part? If you're too lazy to vote every once in a while - an act that requires less effort than a trip to the supermarket - then you hardly deserve the good fortune of living in a politically democratic country.
Wayde Compton, Vancouver, Canada

Let's let the mandate run its course and then decide whether the policies of the Conservatives are the path we wish to take Kim Skelton, Bridgetown, NS, Canada

No, I don't think an election should be forced at this time. The economy is going along just fine now, and another election only complicates things. Let's let the mandate run its course and then decide whether the policies of the Conservatives are the path we wish to take.
Kim Skelton, Bridgetown, NS, Canada

The opposition parties are in an unenviable situation. Liberal support in Quebec, a former stronghold, has dropped with the Tories making comparable gains. The Liberals are still smarting after their loss of power, and Dion is proving to be a disappointment as a public voice and face for the party. The BQ is a strictly regional party, and will vote whichever way they see as supporting Quebec...the rest of Canada be damned. The NDP, while once a left leaning socialist party under the leadership of Ed Broadbent, has shifted further left under Layton in an effort to re-invent themselves, alienating their traditional base. Tory support is fairly good at the moment, however, the Canadian voter is notoriously fickle...and lazy...the percentage of Canadians who actually exercise their right to vote is depressingly low. All it would take is one scandal or bad snowstorm, and the whole picture could change in six months...and we'd likely still end up with another minority Government in the end.
John T, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

I suspect that the Conservatives will engineer their own defeat in this Throne Speech. The Liberals are in disarray, with an ineffective leader and still trying to shake off a scandal from their previous mandate. The Party Quebecois (a separatist party) also has flagging support. The Conservatives are enjoying a significant lead in the polls, at least in part based on our economy. However, our 'hot' economy is being driven by high commodity prices, and a weak US economy. The Canadian dollar is trading above its US counter-part which is a source of pride in Canada. However, the high Canadian dollar is more a reflection of a weak US dollar than a marker of our economic health. This is evidenced by the Canadian dollar being relatively static in trading with other major currencies. But none-the-less, there is pride in our soaring dollar, and the Conservative government is in the position to capitalize on this.
Michael Copland, North Vancouver, BC, Canada

The opposition shouldn't force an election at the moment. The Liberals, in a fragile position at the moment, would be further weakened. Their present leader, Stephane Dion, has enough problems with his own leadership so recently won, and might not survive a campaign. On the other hand, any election would probably return yet another minority government so the Tories are probably just as nervous about an election that may not bring about any worthwhile results.
Andrew Taubman, Toronto, Canada

Just a lot of speculation and hot air over a, thus far, non-issue Mikhael Horvath, Edmonton, Canada

Canadians will not likely be going to the polls this fall. Harper knows a poison pill would anger Canadians over an unjustified election. The Liberals will not be ready for an election anytime soon which vetoes the opposition's unified front requirement for bringing down the house. Just a lot of speculation and hot air over a, thus far, non-issue.
Mikhael Horvath, Edmonton, Canada

We have just had an provincial election in Ontario and I'm not in the mood for another federal election any time soon. I don't think Stephane Dion has to fall into Harper's trap and would not think any less of the Liberals supporting the speech from the throne and then supporting or opposing each individual piece of legislation as it comes up for the vote.
B. Berazadi, Toronto, Canada

On the whole, no. While, I disagree with the Conservative agenda, Harper has been delivering the goods and has been doing the right things, even though they are sometimes unpopular, such as a Canadian presence in Afghanistan. Having a minority status is keeping Harper and co. on their toes. If the opposition parties force an election, the Conservatives will likely win a majority, and thus they will lose the threat which is currently keeping them in line. I find this period of minority government very refreshing compared to the years of long, stale majorities under Mulroney and Chretien.
Daniel Gwyn, Montreal, Canada

No! I have yet to talk personally with any Canadians, who says we NEED an election. I have read and heard some politicians, who WANT an election. Hopefully, the politicians will listen to the people who elected them.
Chris Chivers, Thorndale, ON Canada

I think that the opposition parties should force an election so that the Conservative party can form a majority and then will be able to pass its legislation. The opposition parties are useless and their ideas are dated. Its about time we have significant changes in Canada and the only way to do that is for the Tories to win a majority.
Krks Warren, Calgary, Alberta

This is becoming quite ridiculous! As a Canadian citizen, I certainly do NOT want another federal election campaign. Whether Harper is loved or not, it's time consuming and extremely costly for taxpayers!
Sophie, Ottawa, Canada

It would be better for the Liberals to force and lose and election right now, allowing them a full four year period to regroup and find the new leadership and policy niche that they so badly need - far smarter than limping along for another six or twelve months only to suffer the same electoral indignity at that time.
Tony Barnes, Brockville, Canada

Regardless of what the polls suggest, the next government will also be a minority, whether it be Liberal or Conservative. Unless the parties learn to work together, which they have yet to demonstrate, it will not matter who forms the next government. Canada can expect years of uncertainty ahead of it.
Charles Herscovitch, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

I don't feel that the opposition parties are prepared for an election and the Conservatives under Harper are. It would be highly enlightening to see how many of the political masterminds from the USA Republicans are on loan to Harper. Canada is undergoing an oil based economic boom right now and that plays into the hands of business oriented politicians at the expense of those who represent the social side. I do believe that in return for the political know-how, Harper supports pretty much the whole Bush agenda, even though it is not actually supported by the majority of the Canadian population.
Jaydo, Canada

Unfortunately, if the speech does contain a "poison pill" and the Liberals choose not to support it, they will have a heavy burden to bear during an election. It is true that Canadians do not want to head to the polls again, so soon after the last election (and the one before that, too). I do hope that Canadians will see the heavy-handed tactic used by the Conservatives for what it is, another example of this prime minister's need to control everything around him. The minority party government has been working well here for some time, and it has served to curb some of the more autocratic tendencies this government has. I do believe that there are a good many Canadians who would like this to continue.
Kim Cameron, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

I have to hand it to Mr. Harper - he really knows how to play his political game. He has clearly cornered Mr. Dion into a corner where it does not matter what move he makes as it will not bode well for the Liberals. I do not want to see an election (again!), but I also do not want to support the Conservatives. Oh what am I to do!
Andrew, Canada

I feel that the Liberals should vote against the Throne Speech and hopefully force an election. I say "Hopefully", because the Bloq and the NDP (Layton) cannot be trusted to do what they say. Layton will prostitute himself to get what he wants, notwithstanding the interests of Canadians that he so often says he supports. In my opinion, as a life long Liberal, a Conservative majority is the best thing that can happen to the Liberal Party. This will give the Party time to elect a new leader, (after their defeat, the Liberals will have a confident vote of the Leader, which Dion will surely lose)and recruit new people and get their act together. Also, it will give them the time to put the Martin, Turner Chretien feuds behind them and start anew.
Sebastian Valente, Ottawa, Canada