Canada still does not have access to cheap money the way the U.S. does, and the effective separation of the power to print money from the fiscal responsibility for education and medical care are also huge advantages. I’d take Trudeau over Obama, and with these additional checks, Canada is still going to look better. So long as Harper can hang on, it is an absolute no-brainer.
Yes, I really think that even if Trudeau wins we can keep him in check. We’re approaching the party’s longest stint in opposition since the 1890s and our banking & corporate culture would make it very difficult for him to get away with some of our past foolishness. One of the biggest advantages we have, not mentioned in the article, is the ban on corporate & union donations to political parties. That has gone a long way towards keeping cronyism in check IMO.