Not much will change from the $600-million election

Today's the big day, we can vote. It boils down to the same old, same old. Canadians select who will head our government for the next (we don’t know) years. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday. If you have not voted yet, please take advantage of the opportunity.

Today we find out whether the $600-million price tag of the election was simply money down the drain for an unneeded election.

We’ve heard all the diatribe and bafflegab, in many cases lies and manipulation of facts, by all the parties. 

If we believe the polls, we’ll be trading in one non-functional government for another one, likely even less stable. At dissolution, the Liberals had 155 seats and relied mostly on the NDP to push legislation through Parliament. In order to win a majority they need to win at least 170 seats. The polls predict that is unlikely, that the Liberals will lose about half a dozen seats. Therefore, either the NDP or Bloc Quebecois could hold the balance of power – just like it was before the election call.

A Conservative surge did not happen, as had been expected, although they are likely to gain a handful of seats. Conservative voters just did not hit it off with leader Erin O’Toole. Many supporters felt let down, concluding O'Toole was not Conservative enough, appearing to be leaning considerably to the left. As a result, many went to the Peoples’ Party which showed a surprising seven per cent in the polls, double what the Green Party of Canada got. That seven per cent might have been all that the Conservatives needed for a majority government. A wasted opportunity.

Popular vote does not automatically translate in the number of seats a party wins. The latest polling data I saw had the Liberals and Conservative less than one point apart in popularity, but the Liberals having a good lead in the number of seats.

What does it all boil down to? Justin and Jagmeet – J&J Enterprises – will be in the driver’s seat, combining to have the minimum number of seats to control parliament.

Global TV has produced an excellent, in-depth guide that looks at five major political parties. Click here for a breakdown of what each party has pledged in this election.