The adjournment of the Mike Duffy trial is a fortuitous happening for Canadians who need to consider the important issues in the upcoming federal election.

The Canadian news services were dwelling on the daily progress of the Mike Duffy trial for every gram of scandal. Among my family and my friends and my acquaintances that I have canvassed, the Duffy prosecution and the disclosure of evidence of links to the Prime Minister’s office was not a significant factor in the hierarchy of election issues.

The Canadian press has been doing the Canadian public a disservice by distracting them from the many more significant election issues, such as health care, the economy, the environment, employment, and the concerns that are more regional in nature. If the Court finds that Mike Duffy broke the law, then he will be convicted. If members of the Conservative party broke the law, then perhaps they will be changed and convicted. The $90,000.00 in question, though no small sum of money, pales in comparison to the fact that in Vancouver, our families cannot afford housing, that the cost of food rises continuously and the funding for schools, health care and infrastructure are inadequate.

The Canadian press has to be more diligent in holding the candidates accountable for their statements. It requires an analysis of what a party, a party leader or a candidate says and the reasonableness of the policy. We are no longer satisfied with a broad promise of a “chicken in every pot “