Contempt of Government = Election

Ok, so I called it wrong. The Liberal's non-confidence motion yesterday was not about the budget, it was about all the scandalous activity surrounding the Harper government. The Conservatives were found to be in contempt of parliament, and Stephen Harper went to Governor General David Johnston to call an election. What does "contempt" mean in this instance: it means the government is thought to be withholding information from the opposition parties, so they are unable to properly asses legislation. This is pretty epic; this is the first time a government has fallen because it was found to be in contempt of parliament. This is bad for Stephen Harper because it will remain a scar on his political record as Prime Minister.

I've compiled some of the current "scandals" that currently revolve around Harper's Conservatives:

1. Bev Oda, Minister of International Cooperation: she apparently lied to a parliamentary committee, and created a fraudulent document. She's off the hook, by the way.

2. Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration, and Multiculturalism: His department was misusing parliamentary resources to promote the Conservative agenda.

3. The "in and out" scandal: The Conservatives are accused of breaking campaign spending rules in the 2006 Federal election. They spent more than was allowed, and they tried to gain additional income; all fraudulently of course.

4. Bruce Carson, former Harper advisor: He allegedly tried to sell 400 million dollars worth of water filtration equipment to First Nations, in a deal where his fiance stood to gain 80 million dollars for her company. But wait! His fiance was a former escort! (what political scandal is complete without an escort?) He also is accused of "influencing peddling", which is:

"the illegal practice of using one's influence in government or connections with persons in authority to obtain favours or preferential treatment for another, usually in return for payment"

-thanks wikipedia!

5. The Cost of Crime Fighting: The Harper government is accused of withholding information on the cost of its "tough on crime" agenda.

All this stuff surrounds the Conservatives as they are entering the election; but don't forget, the Liberals have some pretty recent serious scandals under their belt as well:

Sponsorship Scandal (2006): The Sponsorship Program (1993-2004) involved giving money to firms in Quebec tasked with raising the awareness and popularity of the Liberal government in Quebec. The "firms" did no actual work, and gave kickbacks to friends of the Liberal party. Epic fail.

Shawinigan Scandal (2000): Jean Chretien lobbied a government bank to give a loan to his friend. Epic fail.

So how will these allegations against the Conservatives affect the outcome of the election. I don't think they will play a big role. The Liberals will employ all the scandal rhetoric, but the Conservatives will still win a larger minority. Scandals take time to play out; sometimes years. It is important to note, the Liberals framed this election in scandalous context. Maybe they should focus on the budget.