Personally, though I don't like his politics and don't care for the man's vengeful attitudes, Harper right now has the appearance (to me, and I may be misjudging hugely) of a man who has learned some hard truths recently. One of those truths being that you can't run Canada like some ideal myth spawned from the right wing think tanks that have informed his politics and his style of governance. I'd like to think he's capable of rethinking his belief system rather than ripping the country apart to suit his faded and bankrupt (too literally) ideals. Remains to be seen, and I just had that rosy little hope. There have been good Conservative leaders in the distant past, before the Reform Party raised it's thin squeaking whine from the West (sorry, Westerners, but could you not have gone for a party with less hatred of the poor, the non-religious, the non-traditionally oriented, etc?)

Ignatieff IMO will be another Harper in a prettier suit, one of the most right leaning Liberals I've seen, and with opinions on governance that leave out half the country, to judge by what he's said publically so far.

I foresee several years of chaotic politics and lame governance for Canada, until this lot (a pox on all their houses!) all retire or are driven out in disgrace, at which point one of the competent people who wisely, if selfishly kept their noses clean out of this mess offers to serve this good country as she should be served by her leaders.

I could slap the lot of 'em right now.