On Friday, The Globe and Mail published its editorial endorsement for the Conservatives in Tuesday's federal election.
The editorial noted that despite voters' anxieties that Leader Stephen Harper is a right-wing ideologue possessed by a mean-spirited and controlling nature, he "has governed moderately and competently for nearly three years.
"He has not taken the country in dangerous new directions or significantly eroded the capacity of the government to act, when necessary, in the public interest. He has been side-swiped, at least on the emotional level, by an international economic crisis of epic proportions. But he has gotten the big things right."
Now it's your turn to share your endorsement. Which leader do you believe is the best choice to lead the country and why?
Globeandmail.com will publish a selection of your submissions below over these last days of the campaign. Submit your endorsement here through our comment function.
Editor's Note: Endorsement submissions may be edited for length or clarity. Not all submissions will be published. HTML is not allowed. We will not publish submissions that make false or unsubstantiated allegations, that purport to quote people or reports where the purported quote or fact cannot be easily verified, or submissions that include vulgar language or libellous statements. Preference will be given to readers who submit endorsements using their full name and home town, rather than a pseudonym.
Richard Ay: There is no question who is the best leader, with the best policy for our country. Stephen Harper has shown he and his party can rise above their past ideology and govern in a manner that includes all the regions. Mr. Layton and Ms. May display an appalling lack of understanding of how to oversee an economy of our nature, which underscores the reason the NDP never rise above 15 per cent of the seats in any election. Mr. Dion exibits neither leadership or flexibility in his steadfast determination to impose a tax that has already been instituted in many European countries, with devastating effect.
Thomson Gary: I wholeheartedly endorse Dion. He combines integrity, effective leadership, and a balanced plan for the environment and economic growth. However, I'd be prepared to vote strategically for the NDP, quite likely in my riding, or the Greens, only a theoretic possibility in Fleetwood-Port Kells, because a Harper majority could be disastrous and our current Tory MP is excessively incompetent.
Jan Triska: I endorse the Liberals, but only by a small margin. We are a country that can not remain complacent as we are buffeted by unfavourable economic conditions in the U.S. and around the world. We need a regional, industry-by industry approach to keeping jobs in Canada or creating better jobs. I haven't heard much about the specifics, from any party in this election. We are also a country that is wealthy enough that it can afford to do some much-needing investments in areas like health care and in improving the living conditions of people on aboriginal reserves, as well as begin tackling the reductions in greenhouse gases from our industry and generally being a better environmental steward. I have not seen the current PM as either very empathetic or concerned for the average Canadian. Mr. Dion may not be the most charismatic guy on the block but I do feel he will be able to identify with issues faced by Canadians a bit better than Mr. Harper. At any rate, I think a minority government with a loyal and creative opposition is the way to go forward now.
Sue Sidney: I fully support Stéphane Dion and the Liberal Party. Reasons to consider choosing Mr. Dion as leader are: - has attributes of leadership I feel are important, listens to others, respectful of their views even if he may not personally agree with them, encourages team effort and supports his colleagues to be successful in their portfolios, he has a quiet strength and doesn't have to be bombastic to get his point across, believes in building a strong team of people who have specific skills and experience to move Canada forward in these tough economical times ahead, not afraid to stand up for the environment and provide a credible platform that will see positive results, believes in being collaborative and willing to reach out in tri-partisan fashion to encourage parties to work together on specific issues in order to get things done what is best for Canadians, he is focused and thoughtful making decisions that will have a financial impact on the budget, believe his programs for social reform, medicare, supporting infrastructure for cities and provinces will involve the input of communities.
Harlan Light: A conservative minority as indicated by the polls would assure the Harper clan will be exposed in many fronts. A majority neo-con govt. could well destroy Canadian culture. Canada will become unrecognizable after the Harper revolution. This is a defining election.
