I think the banks being on live feed means we're stuck with their rate.
I don't know about Harper winning a majority helping the dollar. Canada running a surplus (only G8 to do so) helps us. Maybe that's where some speculation comes from: the Liberal plan would not likely run a surplus and the NDP, no way. Though, with the mortgage bailout, that will hurt the surplus, too. It's hard to know what's really going on when you hear, "Canadian banks are among the best in the world" then, "we're going to give billions to the banks to cover mortgages". Hmmmm. If the banks need the gov't help, I'm all for it. Banks need to have money in order to lend it and keep cash flowing. When other parties rally against it and say, "the Conservatives and supporting the banks and not the bank customers," they're looking for a reaction of, "that's right!" from Joe Q. Public. In reality, the banks have our money, we want them to keep it, we don't want it to be the Bailey Savings and Loan where we're all rushing in to save our money! If our banks fail, we are all screwed!
Job losses under the PCS, well, it's wrong to blame that on Harper. It's trickle-down from the US economy crash. We just had a major plant closure here (500 people); it's all automotive jobs, they manufactured for Ford and GM. There is absolutely nothing Harper could have done to protect automotive suppliers from the failiures of the big 3 auto companies. It's easy to blame the existing government but, really, what could they have done? As I posted earlier, over 3/4 of our exports go to the US. When the US isn't buying, we don't need to make things to send to them: bye-bye jobs. The Ford Truck Plant can't keep making cars if nobody's buying them. The Conservatives can't do anything about that.
I'd say, if there's a concern regarding the future gov't, it would be a Liberal win (Carbon Tax would siphon jobs from this country. US corporations aren't going to pay way more to employ Canadians over their own-this is where the weak dollar is a good thing) or another concerning scenario would be an NDP minority to a Conservative government. I think this is a possibility. People are thinking maybe we need a change, and Jack Layton is much more relatable (sp?) than Stephane Dion. It's the worst of the possibilities, though. A definite right goverment with a definite left opposition in a minority government will make it very, very difficult for government to accomplish anything. This election was called in the first place because the PCs were having trouble getting legislation through due to the minority gov't. A minority gov't with orange as the official opposition would be a very dysfunctional gov't.
Okay, election rant off. LOL Not trying to tell anyone how to vote. However, I would urge everyone to think seriously about how each government would work and vote accordingly. If you truly believe in your candidate's platform and that they can accomplish it, then I respect your choice.
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I work in the U.S. so when the rate goes up I get a little raise. I watch the rates with just as much intensity except I run to the bank when our dollar drops so I can exchange my paycheck. However I'm surprised the rate is dropping since I too usually end up paying for my trips down south when the rate to exchange is the highest!
Go figure!
Of course there's still those darn maintenance fees but they're just a portion of what it would cost to stay out of pocket 
