The Conservatives have spent the past few elections and inter-election periods demonizing a carbon tax that they themselves have promoted. At a Canada-UK Chamber of Commence meeting on May 29, 2008, Stephen Harper said that his government has applied a $65 per ton price on carbon, which we all know translates to a $65 per ton tax on carbon which is a carbon tax.

Since the defeat of Paul Martin’s Liberal Minority Government in  2006 by Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, the news has only gotten worse, and worse, and worse for the Liberal Party of Canada. The once mighty party was reduced to third party status last year after repeated hits, losses and unfavorable conditions. However, there is a glimmer of hope at the horizon. As the Liberals grow and rebuild, a new Forum poll for The National Post shows, in favor of other polls that have been conducted, that star candidate Justin Trudeau can take them back to the top if he becomes their leader.

There is a detail about Prime Minister Stephen Harper that is very mum in Canada. It is a detail that may and will explain every decision he has made to date and every decision he will make in the future.

It was only a matter of time before the Conservatives would try to paint NDP leader Thomas Mulcair as an environmental radical but in an unexpected turn, the NDP have struck back, hitting the Conservatives where it really hurts.

Pessimism and distain in Canadian politics is as notable as the voter turnout and the apathy related to the outrageous scandals that surface. A new  Ipsos-Reid poll reveals that my cynicism of politicians isn’t rare and goes on to confirm other polls showing disappointment for all politicians.

In  politics, there is no such thing as a reality. If people think a certain way of a party, this way of thinking becomes a reality that is set in stone. While polls aren’t always accurate, they give people a chance to see what others are thinking and it also gives a chance to see where people stand on policies and what perceptions they have of political parties.

With recent polls showing 41% of Canadians don’t trust any of the current leaders on the Canadian political spectrum and 16% don’t know which party they want to support or don’t support any of them, one sees that Canadian politics has become bleak. The Liberals have been scrutinized by the media over their relevance and their rebuilding process but considering the obvious discontent among the electorate, they have a chance to make serious gains.

While the new Nanos poll told us that the Conservatives and NDP were in a statistical tie, that doesn’t mean that either party was particularly liked and when it comes to choosing between the major parties to form a government, Canadians are dragging their feet.

With Conservatives claiming Bob Rae isn’t ruling out a bid for Liberal Leadership in the 2013 convention, the Conservatives have taken the time and effort to attack him on his record as Premier of Ontario.

In a by-election today, Jack Layton’s old riding of Toronto-Danforth remained NDP as candidate Craig Scott won 59% of the votes.