By Promod Puri

Despite all the “Hangama,” the outcry about staging another election in less than two years and the middle of the pandemic, we can also see some positive aspects. For example, temporary jobs for those jobless workers conducting the gigantic electoral process.

A news report says $500-million-spending on the last election in October 2019. And according to Conservative leader Eric O’Toole’s barb, the Trudeau government is poised to “waste” taxpayers’ $600 million on the 2021 battle for the ballot.

But most of the money goes towards the wages of the temporary hires who guide us at the polling station, checking our IDs, handling the pencil and the ballot sheet to put our cross, and directing right up to the ballot box.

While joining the hoo-ha of why “the election so soon,” the media collect their bonanza through TV commercials, print advertising, and social publicity channels like Facebook.

Candidates do their part too towards enormous election spending.

Democracy is an expensive business.

But this business does contribute to the economy during election time that gets a little extra boost, especially amid the pandemic.

“Why election now” is a valid question and deserves an honest and logical reply from the ruling Liberal leader Justin Trudeau. But his response is either negligent or covered up in the party’s election slogan “Forward. For Everyone.”

The straightforward reality is no leader feels comfortable being prime minister under a minority government. Trudeau is not an exception. At the mercy and tolerance of New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, the Liberal Government felt un-liberal in its functioning.

Perhaps, the tolerance level was exhausted, and Trudeau took the gamble, hoping this time he would secure the comfortable majority to rule Canada the way he wanted.

Let us see what Canada decides on September 20.

Promod Puri is a veteran journalist.