Update on Canadian Politics

It’s been awhile since I last posted due to a breakdown with my old laptop. The logic board on it died an untimely death and it was a while before I got around to getting a new laptop (a MacBook) and I’m happy with it so far. I’m still in the process of re-loading and installing some stuff onto the laptop. However, I’m well on the way.

To follow up on the political situation here in Canada, the crisis has passed as many had expected. In the period between the proroguing of Parliament and its resumption in late January, the Conservative government under PM Harper responded with a stimulus package that placated the Liberal party enough to stave off the threat of either a coalition government or new elections. It’s safe to say that all now recognize how serious the present economic situation is and it’s becoming more and more clear just how dire the situation is, compared to November and December. In addition to placating the Liberals, I suspect that the Harper government recognized that the political landscape in the US had changed as well and that they needed to foster a good relationship with the new Obama administration.

The fact that Obama decided to make Canada his first foreign trip as President was received quite warmly here in Canada, even if the trip lasted for a mere 24 hours or so. Let’s face it, the US and Canada need each other more than ever, especially during this global economic crisis. So it should be interesting to see how the relationship between the Harper government and the Obama administration develop over the next few years.