Just how are you going to decide how to
vote?
Will you vote the way you have always
voted, because that is what you are most comfortable with?
Will you be voting strategically to
increase the chances of defeating the government?
Or are you one of the undecided, who will only
make up your mind in the privacy of the voting booth?
Whichever, I trust you will do so with
pride in our democracy, and pride in the kind of country you are voting for.
One thing that I think is important to
remember is that, unless you are in his riding, you do not vote for the prime
minister. You elect your representative,
the MP who will respond to your needs, react for you in the hurly and burly of
parliament, vote for you on important issues, and report back to you on what the
government is doing and how your tax dollars are being spent. That MP should be
the best of the candidates offered by the parties and he or she is not the best
just by virtue of being from this party or that party.
There have been and are, many very good
candidates who become great MPs, who work tirelessly for their constituents and
for their parties. But not all parties are equal when it comes to
independence. MPs are required by the
major parties to vote according to the dictates of their leadership. We have seen over the last decade the Conservative
party diminish the role of an MP by exerting complete control over them to the
point that they are reduced to parroting talking points written by non-elected
officials. No one should suffer this humiliation. If you vote for me, and the Green Party, you
will get an MP who respects the viewpoints of all MPs, an MP who works with his
leader, not an MP who works for his leader.
That’s a big difference in how the business of parliament gets done.
Beyond the candidates there are also some
very big policy differences among the major parties that you need to consider.
The Conservatives have demonstrated they
are willing to take away individual freedoms through Bill C-51. They have shown a high level of disrespect
toward the role of the Supreme Court in our democracy and they have narrowed
our energy policy so much that the economy has been severely weakened by a drop
in the price of one commodity – oil. They have refused to address climate
change, one of the greatest challenges we face and by cancelling the long-form
census they have hampered our ability to collect the data and information we
need to plan for our future. Putting
this behaviour together with the state of the economy and the senate and other
scandals, I hope if you are a Conservative you can see that for the good of the
country it is time to change your vote.
If you have been a Liberal or NDP supporter
my request is that you look carefully at the Green Party platform when you
consider your vote. Unlike the other
party platforms you will not find support for bill C-51 (Liberal), or support
of expansion of oil pipelines NDP and Liberal) but what you will find is a platform
designed for the long-term health of our economy and our environment. The Green Party is determined to repeal C-51;
it is the only party opposed to un-democratic “investor state agreements”; it
is the only party opposed to all expansion of tar sands production and of
bitumen exports; it is the only party that will reintroduce respect for our
public servants, scientists, judiciary and members of the foreign service; it
is the only party that proposes national pharmacare and dental care programs; it
is the only party offering an end to student debt; and it is the only party
determined to introduce a complete renewal of our democratic processes.
So there is a big difference in our
platform and a strategic vote may not actually be in the long term interest of
the country. Also if by voting
strategically, you imagine you are going not to elect one of the candidates,
then how are you going to ensure that happens?
Talk to another 5,000 voters and persuade them to follow your
example? Maybe they will decide to vote
“strategically” and vote for one of the other candidates! It just does not work.
Similarly the idea of vote splitting is a
fallacy. The Green vote comes from across the spectrum: we will take as many
votes from one of the candidates as we will from the others. Our presence does not draw votes only from
the “preferred” candidate: a concern about vote splitting does not exist.
Far far better to vote with your heart and
mind. Vote for the future of the Canada
that you want. Be proud of how you have
voted, whether your candidate wins or not.
You are still making a statement and taking part in our democratic
experiment.
And vote with a friend; take a friend with
you when you vote, whether a regular voter or not; or better, take a first-time
voter, young or old. We need people to
vote: Elections Canada is not allowed this year to promote the idea of
voting. We, the candidates, have to do
this job.
In this election there may be a front
runner in Pontiac. Certainly, Mathieu,
as the sitting member has a strong chance.
So too, do Ben and Will, with strong national and local campaigns. But front-runners do not always win,
sometimes the 100 to 1 long shot passes the tape first. With your help I can be the long shot.
I care who you vote for on October 19th
of course I do: I want you to vote
Green. But if you don’t, please be proud
of your vote, no matter who wins the riding.