For the most part.  Stephen Harper isn't as authoritarian as Bush and he's a bit more to the left.

I think the conservatives want an election before the next budget or fiscal update. If the conservatives go into deficit, it will be the first time in over a decade and it will have a devastating effect on there popularity and Dion will bring down the govt.. But if Harper has a fresh minority he stands a real good chance of surviving the budget.

there is nothing to suggest there would be a deficit.  i beleive they even just  recently announced that they had another surplus.

The have posted a couple monthly deficits so far this year along with some surpluses. Also the GDP declined 0.8% in the first quarter and increased 0.3% in the second quarter. So things are tight and if it does go into deficit it will not be intentional and wont be very much. But to the lemming voters it could be spun into the end of the world by the media.

Conservatives strong ahead of election call


TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's ruling Conservatives are within reach of gaining the support they need to win a majority government as Canada gears up for an October election, according to an opinion poll released on Tuesday.

The Strategic Counsel survey, in the Globe and Mail newspaper, showed the Conservatives with support of 37 percent of voters, just below the 40 percent threshold that pollsters say gives a strong chance of winning a majority government.

That's well above the 29 percent support the survey showed for the opposition Liberals, and the 17 percent polled by the left-wing New Democrats. The environmentalist Greens polled 9 percent.

The Conservatives won power in January 2006. But they have only a minority of seats in Parliament, and the Liberals have kept them in power in recent months by abstaining on key legislation.

But that informal cooperation is over, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper now says he thinks an election is the only way to fix what he sees as a dysfunctional Parliament. If he calls an election this week, as expected, Canadians would vote on October 14.

"With these numbers, a majority is within the reach of the Conservatives, but not yet in their grasp," pollster Peter Donolo told the Globe.

Liberal leader Stephane Dion has made the environment the main plank of his platform, and the poll showed that 15 percent of voters agreed that the environment was the most important issue at this election, and 20 percent thought the Liberals were the best party to deal with the issue.

But 20 percent viewed Canada's slowing domestic economy as the most important issue, and 38 percent thought the Conservatives were the best party to deal with it.

Strategic Counsel polled 1,000 Canadian voters for its survey. It says the results are accurate to within 3.1 percentage points, 95 percent of the time.

Harper seen as best leader ahead of vote

TORONTO (Reuters) - Half the Canadian voters in an opinion poll released on Wednesday think Prime Minister Stephen Harper would do a better job than any of his rivals, as Canada readies for a federal election expected next month.

The Ipsos Reid Poll, in the National Post newspaper, showed 50 percent of those polled viewed Harper as the best leader. Jack Layton, leader of the left-wing New Democrats, followed with 31 percent support, while Liberal Leader Stephane Dion trailed a distant third with only 20 percent.

"If this election is going to be a referendum on leadership, Stephen Harper has a heck of an advantage," Ipsos Reid President Darrell Bricker told the Post.

Ipsos Reid polled 1,003 Canadians between August 26 and August 28 for its survey and considers its results are considered accurate to within 3.1 percent.

Harper is widely expected to call an election this week, with Canadians going to the polls on October 14

Ipsos Reid also noted falling support for the main plank in Dion's election platform -- a revenue-neutral carbon tax designed to cut the emissions of greenhouse gases.

Ipsos-Reid said public backing for the plan had dropped to 45 percent from 52 percent when Dion unveiled the idea in early July. Those opposed to it grew to 51 percent from 42 percent.