Back For Good

Okay - the absence has been too long.

I could say It's my internal procrastinator kicking in or I could say that I have been really really busy, but I actually think this one is deeper than that.

Back in December I urged folks (not that anyone actually reads this) to vote with their gut feelings and last Monday they did just that.

Prime Minister Harper is still not rolling quickly off my tongue, but it's a win he and his party deserve. Whether or not I believe in their policies and direction - they gave Canadians the answers they were looking for. They were able to connect better with the electorate - and for that they win the prize.

Now the Liberals must start what should be (if they are truly serious about governing again any time soon) a long and thought provoking leadership hunt. While the usual band of suspects is being touted, they need to take time to reconfirm what being a Liberal in Canada really means.

In many respects, the Liberal Party in Canada and the Democratic Party in the US should spend some time and compare notes. The internal party powerbrokers who lead the party to a place foreign to most child raising, tax paying voters, is not the right direction for parties that were founded on being champions of social and fiscal balance.

So what has this got to do with my not writing for so long. Well, i wasn't sure what was missing in this race for supreme Canadian power (kind of like the final survivor) until today. We were missing a reason to get excited about picking a government and a leader.

Canada, in my opinion, is the greatest country in the world. We are respected around the globe, we are committed to helping those who need it the most and we are proud of our heritage.

In the last decade Canada has experienced continued growth, reductions in unemployment, continued praise on the world stage - all deserved and a result of hard work. But it seems as though there is no big issue to get excited about and without big issues - great leaders don't always emerge.

Frank McKenna, who I beleieve was a great New Brunswick leader at a time when the province needed to feel better about itself, announced yesterday he will not seek the nomination of the Liberal Party. While he cited personal reasons, I wonder if he too is struggling with the defining issue that will seperate parties, invigroate the electorate and create a real passion for one side or the other.

As Stephen Harper ponders his batting lineup and as the Liberals look to lick their wounds and prop up a new leader for the "next time" I think we should all step back and ask ourselves why only 65% of Canadians bothered to vote? Why do the majority of young adults have difficulty connecting with any political party? What is it that Canadians feel passionate about?

The answers to these questions will begin to set the stage for the next Canada - the Canada yet to come.

As we define what that Canada needs to be, future leaders pay attention.