Budgets and Elections

Well we have a Federal budget which has been delivered in the last few weeks. We also have seen a Quebec provincial election which resulted in a minority government

Lots to think about.

The Federal Budget seems to be a very well crafted document. It won't make the Conservatives more popular with their core constituency, and it might well annoy some of it. Yet they won't lose any votes over this Budget, or at least not enough to matter.

This is especially true when you consider that the Budget will appeal strongly to middle of the road Canadians. It has enough for the environment and middle income Canadians that fears about a hidden agenda will be harder to maintain. It should earn enough votes in mainstream Ontario to help the Conservatives in an anticipated spring or fall election.

Speaking of elections,m the Quebec election could hardly have gone better for the Federal Conservatives. They placed enough candy in the Budget that no one can claim the Federal Budget ruined Premier Jean Charest's chances for re-election. On the contrary, one can argue that the Budget is part of the reason that Quebecers felt confortable voting for the Action Democratique, which is the closest thing Quebec provincial politics has to a Conservative Party. That can only mean good things for the Federal Conservative's chances in the next election.

All in all, it looks to me like this budget was all about laying the ground in Ontario and Quebec to win a majority, and soon.