I fear that politics in Canada is trending the same way as hockey–we try our hardest, take it right to game six and tie it up in the third period–and at the very last moment the other side gets a few lucky strokes and it goes the way it always does. Not that the other side is evil, or underhanded, or even inferior; I may not believe in their cause, but enough other people do for it to be more than valid, and such is living within the rule of the people.
Something in me is hoping for change. Maybe it’s “Obama-envy”: I wish that Canada had a fearless and suave leader whose visions and tact were something new and exciting, something worth calling a “phenomenon.” Or at least BC. Vancouver is fortunate enough to have Gregor Robertson, but municipalities have such limited control in the grand scheme of things that, unfortunately, Robertson seems more of a token towards becoming a green and sustainable province than anything else.
I voted NDP today, mostly because it’s in my home riding of Columbia River – Revelstoke, and Norm Macdonald, the incumbent, has done an amazing job representing our part of the province. He’s an honest and genuine man, and he’s looking out for people like me and my family and friends. Unfortunately, his opposition Mark McKee is also an incredibly upstanding citizen, so it’s a tough choice. But I’m voting NDP, and not just because I’m a card-carrying member.
Someone on Facebook recently posted a somewhat crass, though poignant saying: “Politicians are like diapers, they need changing, and for the same reasons.” As I said–crass. But politicians do need changing, so they don’t become entrenched and corrupt. We saw what happened to the NDP government the last time the Liberals in BC were elected; I fear what could happen if the BC Liberals remain in power for another four years. That will equate 12 years of BC Liberal governance, which perpetuates their problems for another four years. BC still has the highest rate of child proverty (a quarter of all children are in poverty in BC), has yet to take a tough stand against climate change, and the problems in the downtown East side of Vancouver are still rampant. There are no quick fixes, but if the BC Liberals cannot effect true and dramatic change in eight years, to me that does not equate a convincing argument for re-election. There’s a reason why the United States has a maximum two-term allotment for its Presidents, folks.
Today could be one for the history books if the BC-STV system passes the 60% supermajority in the referrendum. We could be the first state in all of North America to use a proportional representation system. Last time when the BC-STV system faced a referrendum, it achieved 57.3% majority, yet it needed this 60% supermajority to pass. As it should–an entire voting system should not be altered based on a bare 50+1% majority, yet the fate of Quebec as a province of Canada was decided this way–and no governing politician or political party in North America, I’m quite sure, has ever been elected on 57% of popular vote. But again–game six, the last few minutes of the game, is it possible to score those last three goals? Physically, yes… but the Canucks have yet to get that break, and I fear that our province might meet the same, oh-so-close, fate.
Well, here’s hoping.
