OTTAWA - It's not exactly election fever, but Canadians appear more ready this year to head to the polls than they did last fall, says Liberal Leader Stephane Dion.
"We have seen over the winter and the spring more and more interest for federal politics," Dion told reporters Wednesday at a hotel in Ottawa's west end. "And more and more appetite for an election."
There has been widespread speculation about whether the Liberals would force an election after Parliament resumes sitting this fall. Some political pundits have suggested Dion wanted electors to decide the fate of the government based on his party's Green Shift plan.
Dion is out selling the plan in Eastern Ontario this week, trying to convince Canadians that shifting to a carbon tax on polluters is the right thing to do for the country at a time when consumers are facing much higher energy costs than they did a year ago.
Canadians didn't want a federal election last fall, Dion argues, largely because of voter fatigue.
"Last fall, Canadians were not expecting an election at the federal level," Dion explained after a one-hour, campaign-style stop in Kanata, Ont.
"Not only did they not want one, (but) they would have been very surprised to have one.
Dion cited provincial elections in Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan as reasons why he chose not to pull the plug earlier on Stephen Harper's minority Conservative government.
Many Liberals, however, have suggested other reasons why their party hasn't brought down the Tories in a confidence vote, including apprehension about Dion's leadership style, a lack of organizational and financial preparedness and the dearth of signs from opinion polls of any momentum for the party.
Dion has been touring the country this summer, talking up his Green Shift plan.
He is in Eastern Ontario this week where he has faced tough questions about the plan from farm groups worried that the proposals would push agricultural production costs much higher, making Canadian produce less competitive with the United States and other markets.
Dion's plan calls for a shift of more than $15 billion in taxes away from income and business taxes, over time, to offset an equally massive carbon tax on polluters that would ultimately increase the cost of carbon-based energy.
The plan mixes tax policy with social engineering, incorporating proposals for reducing poverty with environmental concepts, including improving mass-transit systems.
Byelections in Ontario and Quebec, expected to be called this week, could serve as a litmus test for a possible general election this fall.
National public opinion polls suggest Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservatives remain virtually tied with the Dion Liberals. Both parties have support levels well below what's needed to win a majority.
