Calling all Torontonians: Conservative Majority Best for Canada

Editorial from InsideToronto: We think Canada has spent too much time worrying about federal elections during the past seven years. We think this has negatively affected public policy and economic growth.

We call on Canadians to vote for a Conservative majority government on May 2 - and we think the federal influence of Torontonians is in peril if there isn't a smattering of Tory blue on the city's election map once the election is over.

There. We've said it.

We're not telling you who to vote for. It's your job to make an informed choice. You must make a choice that brings a government member who will represent you every time she or he speaks.

In recent weeks we've hopefully provided a little insight into how your candidate thinks and what she or he stands for. We're extremely interested in candidates who reflect Toronto's interests strongly on a national stage - not just those who can repeat a party line.

But let's provide a few facts and a few scenarios, based on recent events and elections.

During this 37-day election campaign, in our view, no party has managed to gain any momentum based on the issues that affect the Canadian people. Health? No. Taxes? No. Our international role? The economy?

Clearly this has been an election about extending or recalling the Conservative mandate to lead the country.

The election reminds us of Toronto's own civic election this past October. In a long, drawn out campaign, multiple key candidates trotted out views considered at the time on the left of the political spectrum, while Rob Ford alone enjoyed the support a far-right populist following. Incessant polling kept hammering home his placement as a front-runner.

Now here's the problem for Toronto.

We recognize this is a vast and diverse city with many defined interests. And we certainly understand it's the contribution and efforts of each political philosophy that will make this city's electoral map truly representative of the people within. You'll see on an accompanying page, we've endorsed candidates from three political parties.

But we feel city voting patterns must change for effective Ottawa representation.

Liberal fortunes are waning under the uninspiring leadership of Michael Ignatieff. And this is a city voting overwhelmingly Liberal in federal elections dating back to 1993. With a suspected surge in support for NDP party leader Jack Layton, city voters might find themselves falling even further out of touch with Canada's political reality, as waning Liberal leadership contends with a potential surge of NDP popular support................

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