For the next few weeks, the people of Canada regain charge of their future.

And suddenly, perhaps because the power of governing is back in their hands, Canadians will become exceptionally attractive to the political class.

CBC News Publisher John Cruickshank.

A short, sharp period of aggressive courtship will ensue. Men and women (though still mostly men) who are often unreachable in Ottawa when your taxes rise or your services shrink, will appear on your doorstep now promising to do more, better, different.

They will come with presents: a community centre for the kids, repaved roads for the balding tires on mom's minivan, shorter lineups at the cardio clinic for grandpa. (But it does seem odd that after all the time they've had in Ottawa, they're only getting around to making these gestures now.)

Is it impolite to ask who's going to pay for all these gifts? This kind of thing happens so rarely, nobody quite knows how to act, what to enquire about, who's who.

The bewilderment about politics that citizens in all of the older democracies feel has translated into permanent disinterest among some and persistent lethargy among many. The percentage of citizens who participate in the election process by standing for election, giving money or joining a party and putting a sign in the living room window has been sliding for decades.

So has the percentage that vote.

Perhaps our citizens feel the world is now so complex, so interrelated, both more globalized and more decentralized, that they don't have any real power to change much of anything by getting involved or by voting.

Some newcomers may feel alienated or left out of this great national binge of political speed dating.

For some others, politics is just too much trouble and not worth the investment in time, energy and attention.

Cynicism is often a close cousin to complacency.

Preston Manning and his Reformers cared a lot about these issues — about making the average citizen feel empowered and involved. They understood that the passion for active democracy had to be renewed every election.

There's a strain of that passion in all the parties; an understanding that democracy is really only worth the name when citizens are engaged, knowledgeable, hopeful, committed.

At CBC News we will do our best to play our part in enhancing political engagement, in making learning about political policies and practices more available, in giving a platform to voters as well as those standing for election.

We are aware that for some people the "mainstream media" are part of the problem with politics. We will try to be self-critical, responsive to our audiences; alert to the complexities and the importance of the stories we're covering.

New media have provided myriad ways to contact us and to comment on our coverage. I'll use this space to draw your attention to some of them as the campaign progresses.

At this point, the country is divided on whether there should have been an election call at all. According to a poll we recently did, 48 per cent of Canadians think the minority should have continued to govern while 44 per cent think the Conservative leader, Stephen Harper, is justified in calling the election.

In any case, power has been handed back to the people for a time.

I hope that we're able to help you get excited and engaged during the next few weeks. I hope you come to feel that you've been able to influence Canada's future, your own and your family's.

As the national broadcaster, we feel especially responsible. Tell us how we're doing, how we can serve you better.

— John Cruickshank is the publisher of CBC News.