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Now it's official. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has succeeded in having his minority government and this federal Parliament dissolved in a bid to secure a majority to govern the nation for the next five years.

Here in Toronto and vote-rich Ontario, the Conservatives must be interested in a breakthrough if they are to gain seats. The Liberals also appear to be facing a tough campaign with leader Stephane Dion and his controversial Green Shift plan to fight climate change.

Torontonians this week were given a glimpse of one of the issues that directly affects their lives when Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty encouraged them to cast ballots not based on political ideology, or even charismatic candidates, but on people who will stand up for the province and cities.

To that end, we also strongly encourage voters to demand to know from candidates of every political party what they plan to do to create the conditions for prosperity in Canada's cities. Don't let them tell you that cities are the creation, and therefore the responsibility, of provincial governments.

Don't let them tell you that it's not in their purview.

Voters are being asked to send these representatives to Ottawa with the idea that they represent the views of their constituents. Would you be satisfied with a candidate who blindly follows ideological policy? Would you want your MP to shake your hand and make a promise one day, only to disappear for five years into the maw of Parliament Hill?

Toronto in particular would stand to benefit from a federal government that realizes economic prosperity and working cities are not mutually exclusive. It's true that Harper's Conservatives made permanent the gas tax funding introduced by the previous Liberal government led by Paul Martin, but there hasn't been much offered to cities beyond that. The Liberals, to their detriment, did a pretty good job of ignoring cities until the sun started setting on Martin's minority.

And here we are again just two and a half years later. Precious little has been offered by Harper or his Harris-era cabinet ministers from Ontario or from the federal Liberals.

Over the next few weeks, make your case on behalf of your city. Demand to know what the Conservatives, the Greens, the NDP and the Liberals have in store for cities. Will they support infrastructure improvements to bring our cities into the 21st century? Will they work to have federal transfer payments from Ottawa increased to assist Ontario? Will they amend the Employment Insurance system so Torontonians enjoy parity with other provinces? Will they commit fully to a long-term transit plan with adequate funding?

All of these issues are vitally important to the future of Toronto and Ontario.

Don't give any of the candidates a pass. It's time for the federal government to start acknowledging the contribution that cities, particularly Toronto, make to the nation and govern themselves accordingly - regardless of their political affiliation.