Finally Canadians have vote out the Conservative party led by Stephen Harper. Their nine year rule saw Canada lose respect from around the world. Canada has earned a reputation of blocking climate change related international agreements and being a country that is swayed by horrible political manoeuvres. The country transformed from a place that supports collective freedoms to a country that won’t help refugees. The federal government, who passed drastic anti-terroist laws, said they won’t even investigate the murders of aboriginal women.

Canada became a shameful place. Regular readers of this blog would note that the only time Harper (or the Conservatives) were mentioned it was because organizations stood up to fight what Harper was doing. For example:
The Lancet Calls on Canada to be a Good Global Citizen
Canadians Want Science to be Free
Harper Shuns Democracy, Activists Decide to Cover Costs

So in a nutshell, it’s good to see that Canadians have finally said no to more of Harper’s politics. They did so in the highest voter turnout since 1993.

Now we hope that the winners of yesterday’s election (Liberal party) lead Canada down a new path. A path that will change Canada’s reputation from a place of archaic climate policy to environmentally friendly policy. From a country that bans freedoms to a country that supports them. From a country that treats complex moral issues as trite to a country that can engage in civil discourse.

Good luck to the Liberal party in turing Canada from a backward-looking country to a country that once again can have a positive influence on the world.

I hope that I will now be able to say that I’m Canadian with pride instead of shame.