Paul Martin and the Liberals won a minority government Monday, taking 135 seats. Harper’s neo-Conservatives stalled just under triple-digits, Quebec voted in a Bloc of 54 seats for Gilles Duceppe’s party, while the NDP nearly doubled its popular vote but managed only a disappointing 19 seats. What had been touted as “the closest election in a generation” still only managed to inspire a voter turnout of around 61%, with 8 million plus registered voters choosing to abstain. The mass no-show came despite a flurry of ads encouraging participation, and a veritable blizzard of TV spots exploring the question of voter apathy, especially among youth.

Indeed, the only people we heard from more than the partisan talking heads over the past five weeks were the non-partisan undecided and recalcitrant non-voters. Countless CBC news magazine programs explored the phenomenon of youth alienation from politics, usually treating the abstaining with kid gloves. Faux-sophisticated clichés like “nobody’s talking about the issues” and “politicians don’t relate to young people” went unchallenged, for the most part.

The election campaign did contain some debate on the issues, and substantive policy suggestions were there to be found by those willing to do some research. Too often, though, the media was guilty of covering how the campaign of each party was going, rather than disseminating the various party platforms. Thus, we were subjected to endless reminders about Jack Layton’s “mistake” in holding Paul Martin’s policies as finance minister responsible for the death of the homeless in Toronto, while barely a minute was spent reporting on the NDP’s proposals for funding social housing. Everyday, the Globe & Mail informed us that the Liberals were gaining momentum, while the National Post assured us that the mo’ belonged to the Conservatives, essentially running a shameless ad for Stephen Harper as their election Monday edition.

Socially progressive issues were a focus of the campaign, as the Liberals leaned left in response to changing public attitudes. Equal marriage rights for gays and lesbians became a litmus test for the universal application of human rights, which the Conservatives –hiding behind “the traditional definition of marriage” –failed miserably. Environmental issues finally made it on to the radar screen, as the potential impacts of global climate change become more widely understood. The glaring need for a (long ago promised) national child-care program was highlighted.

A number of important issues didn’t make it to the forefront. In terms of health care, the Tories and Grits pulled their standard Tommy Douglas impression; though Layton said “Romanow” more often, all posed as defenders of public health care. Tax cuts, meanwhile, continued to be short-hand for tax cuts for the rich and corporations. The NDP failed to emphasize their plan to eliminate taxes completely for those earning under $15 000/year. Afraid to emphasize their (very moderate) corporate tax increases for fear of the reflexive ‘Robin Hood’ slurs, the NDP failed to put forward a strong, populist campaign for economic justice and redistribution.

In terms of foreign policy, the debate focused on the war in Iraq and ‘Star Wars’ missile defence, ignoring critical issues like Haiti, where Paul Martin’s government was complicit in the removal of Aristide and where Canadian troops are currently deployed.

And no party leader had anything to say about Palestine, Venezuela, the Third World debt, or any other topic that was “off message”.

Proportional representation (PR) was part of the NDP’s message. It is hardly a panacea, but this election proved that it is badly needed. Without the NDP holding the balance of power, though, it seems likely that the clamour for electoral reform will be ignored. Layton’s revitalized party captured nearly 16% of the vote, but could only translate that into 19 seats, or 6% of the 308 ridings. Meanwhile, the Bloc Quebecois’ 12% of the vote worked out to 54 seats, or 18%. Jim Harris’ Green conservatives, the other major advocates of PR, scored about 4% of the vote but no seats.

The election results promise instability in Canadian politics, and the probability of another election in the near future. In the meantime, the issues remain and so does the challenge to organise protests and educational campaigns to fight for social justice. Building vibrant social movements, that can both raise public awareness and put real pressure on our Members of Parliament, is the real antidote for the persistent strain of voter apathy that has infected so many.

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