Saskatchewan Liberal MP Ralph Goodale critical of long federal election

Regina Liberal candidate Ralph Goodale is ready to hit the campaign trail, but he's not sure a longer journey will benefit voters.

The federal election is expected to be called as early as Sunday.

Goodale, the Liberal candidate and reigning MP for Regina-Wascana, said parties will have to consider the aggravation factor of an early campaign.

"This election is going to go on and on and on," Goodale said. "But when politicians are in your face for that long a period of time, you don't want the campaign to become a detriment."

• POLL: How do you feel about a potential 11-week federal election campaign?

There are still more than 11 weeks before election day on Oct. 19. Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes the final decision on when the campaign begins. 

If the campaign is called this weekend, it will be twice the usual length of time.

It will also mean a bigger hit for taxpayers, as 50 per cent of campaign costs are paid by voters.

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Regina resident Gary Charnock said it's simply not worth it. 

"I'm not happy about that," Charnock said. "I think it's a bad trend. I don't think we need to do it. We don't need that much time to make a decision like that between three parties. Just get out there and tell us what your platform is and let us decide."

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