Federal Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff appears to be tired of serving in his elected position. The leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition has made it clear he wants an election as soon as possible, the fourth one in the past five years.

That very fact alone, the fourth election in five years, is enough for Canadians to bristle, especially since the price tag to conduct a federal election is in the neighbourhood of $300 million.

In case it has not sunk in for Mr. Ignatieff, members of Parliament are elected to four-year terms, not one year. Canadians expect them to serve the full four years, except in dire circumstances. We're not at that point yet.

Tongue firmly in cheek, one might suggest one option would be for Ignatieff and all his fellow Liberals to all resign their seats so by-elections could be called in those ridings. That way voters would have a clear option, because right now it's only the Liberals who don't want their jobs.

There are a lot of Conservatives, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois who would be glad to fill those seats for the full four-year term.

Ridiculous? Maybe not as ridiculous as the demand for a $300 million general election.