If the Canadian political scene was like an economic market, then we might reasonably wonder if there exists in this country an "unmet voter demand".

In other words, are Canadian voters so fed up with mainstream political parties and with mainstream political orthodoxy, that they're in the market for something new, something different, something they're not getting from their traditional party choices?

It's an interesting question, which the upcoming federal election might very well answer.

After all, if Canadians do have an "unmet demand", they can use that election to communicate their dissatisfaction in two different ways.

One way is to embrace apathy, to stay home on Election Day.

So if voter turnout in the 2019 election is lower than it was in 2015, it could be sign that disenchanted Canadians are starting to tune the system out.

In short, they can't bring themselves to vote for anybody, and no amount of "social media influencers" hired by Elections Canada will change their mind.

Another sign of voter embitterment, and one that might be a bit more dramatic, would be if alienated voters in 2019 sought out an alternative to mainstream politicians, if they sought out  an "outsider."

This is sometimes called "populism".

And to see this phenomenon in action, we need look no further than the recent success of Donald Trump — an entrepreneurial, non-politician if ever there was one — whose raw assault on "Establishment elites" and whose promise to drain the Washington swamp resonated with millions of Americans.

Keep in mind, politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum what Trump did was essentially fill a void, he satisfied an unmet voter demand.

And virtually no one saw it coming.

So the next question is, if Canada does indeed have its own unmet voter demand is there any Canadian politician out there who can, like Trump, take advantage of the situation?

Certainly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau can't, given that he basically is the Establishment; nor can Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer who has chosen to cautiously adopt a strategy seemingly designed to woo Establish support; nor can NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who can't seem to decide whether he's a hard-core leftist or a moderate progressive centrist.

So that leaves us with basically two choices: Green Party leader Elizabeth May and People's Party leader Maxime Bernier.

For her part, May certainly has all the requirements needed to cast herself as an "outsider"; I'm talking about her unpolished style, her straightforward (sometimes gruff) manner, and her willingness to challenge the Establishment in the name of her environmental ideals.

Certainly, if any disillusioned Canadian voter is looking for a different sort of leader or looking for a leader who will defiantly take on the ruling classes, May seems to fit the bill.

Indeed, recent polls have indicated Green support is growing; so much so that pollster David Coletto told the media, "The Green Party today, in my view, is a greater threat to the Liberals getting re-elected than the New Democrats are."

Then there's Bernier and his People's Party.

Unlike May, who is basically doing what she's always been doing, Bernier has been actively and calculatingly playing the populist card, going to places other mainstream politicians fear to tread, aggressively taking on issues such as border security, political correctness and free speech.

Essentially, Bernier is shaking every tree to see if he can find voters disgruntled with the political status quo.

Mind you, most pundits don't give Bernier much of a chance, but then again most pundits didn't give Trump much of a chance either.

So my point is, the success (or lack thereof) of May and Bernier or the level of voter apathy in the fall election, will help determine the nature of Canada's current mood.

Are Canadians feeling rebellious or content; resentful or happy; apathetic or engaged?

It all depends, of course, on whether or not their political demands are being met.

Photo Credit: CTV News