PETERS: Many will react to this unnecessary, annoying election by not voting at all

After several non-confidence votes in the House, Harper at least had a bit of a point – unlike Justin Trudeau, who convinced Governor General Mary Simon to dissolve parliament with scant evidence that it wasn’t working.

In 2008, only 59 per cent of Canadians went to the polls.

Do not be surprised if Canadian voters stay away in even greater numbers during this year’s election.

In the midst of everything else going on in Canada right now, this election is not only patently unnecessary, it’s also extremely annoying.

Will that make a difference in the outcome? Probably not.

While Canadians don’t love Trudeau, the pockets of pure contempt for the prime minister do not exist in the places where Erin O’Toole needs them to exist: Ontario and Quebec.

Speaking of O’Toole, Canadians appear to like him even less.

And rather than punish Trudeau for election timing by voting for his opponents, it’s more likely that Canadians dealing with wildfires, back-to-school and the added uncertainty of a fourth wave of COVID-19 will simply stay home.

That’s not exactly a bright and shining symbol of our democracy, but it does play into Trudeau’s hands.

As in 2008, an election two years into a minority government may just result in another minority government.

We will have spent a lot of time, energy and money – more than $600 million in federal spending, to be precise – on an election that barely moves the needle.

Neglecting to vote is rarely defensible, but this election may give non-voters a better argument than any one previous.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by James Peters

PETERS: Many will react to this unnecessary, annoying election by not voting at all

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