Prime Minister Paul Martin called a federal election on Sunday May 23, 2004, on the Victoria Day weekend for five weeks later on June 28, 2004.Martin goes to the polls seven months after his anointment as leader, in the middle of the " Sponsorgate " scandal, The country’s political landscape has seen considerable change since Jean Chrétien announced his plans to retire, and took his time doing so. Martin called the election before the new political landscape has quite settled in to the voter’s understanding.
It is a little bit more settled for Stephen Harper. He won the leadership of the new Conservative Party, but he had already been leader of the Canadian Alliance party. His political handlers have taught Harper how to smile and show his softer side. Cracking one-liners comes easy to the once seen as stiff shirt Harper - one of the best lines so far of the campaign is Harper’s response to Martin’s slogan that we get to choose our Canada, saying that being Canadian does not mean that you are a Liberal.
Jack Layton of the New Democratic Party has been making a lot of noise from the visitor’s gallery at the Parliament Building, since he's not been elected yet to represent a constituency. He is in a tight fight with Dennis Mills, Liberal incumbent for Toronto-Danforth, who was recently named as the MP who best serves his constituency. Layton’s party stands to make major gains due to the shift of the Liberals to the right. His grasp of logic, however, has always been tenuous, an example is in calling other party leaders as rich and privileged while he himself comes from Hudson, Quebec, which is silver spoon territory, very high class, probably higher than the birthplace of any other party leader.
Gilles Duceppe is on the separatist bandwagon again using the " sponsorgate " issue to his advantage. It is working, and is expected to cost Liberals many ridings in Quebec.
The interesting part of this election is the number of things not being said, or things that cannot be said. The first one is the Maritime issue. Stephen Harper slurred the Maritimers. The PC candidates there face an uphill battle as a result. Chances are that they will not do well. The Liberals and the NDP will be fighting hard for that turf. The media will also keep silent about much of this. This has been historically the case.
Baltic candidates running this time are sitting Liberal Sarmite Bulte, a Latvian, running in Parkdale-High Park, Estonian Conservatives Riina de Faria running in Mississauga East-Cooksville and Peter Van Loan running in York-Simcoe. Baltic issues will be best discussed in party caucuses, even more than in receptions, so having members there is of primary importance.
Riina de Faria's committee room has just opened and is on 776 Dundas St. East Ste. 203 (2nd Floor) Mississauga, Ontario, L0Y 2B6. Phone number is 905-9012, her fax number is to be announced. She also has a web site www.defaria.ca <http://www.defaria.ca> .
Peter Van Loan's committee room is at the Grist Mill Plaza, 45 Grist Mill Rd. Unit 10, Holland Landing, Ontario, L9N 1M7 on Mount Albert Rd. between Yonge and 2nd Concession. Phone number is 905-898-1600 or 1-877 PETER-4U, fax 905-898-4600 and e- mail: info @ petervanloan.com, www.petervanloan.com <http://www.petervanloan.com> .
Sarmite Bulte's committee room is 1640 Bloor St., West, Toronto, Ontario, M6P 1A7 , phone number 416-533-8300, fax 416-533-2128, e-mail: www.sarmitebulte.ca <http://www.sarmitebulte.ca> andsarmitebulte@sarmitebulte.ca.