Our Most Important Decision

Late last night, I saw an article on how the Conservative government plans to sell off all of CBC’s production facilities. In essence, destroying the CBC’s ability to create programming. It’s akin to smashing an artist’s canvasses or snapping a kid’s hockey stick.

Given the track record of what this country has endured under our cruel, myopic manager it doesn’t surprise me.

However – it does galvanize within me the critical state of our most important decision: who to vote for.

As a concerned Canadian, the decision process starts off quite simply:

Decision 1: To vote or not to vote on Oct 19th, 2015

This decision is so obvious that I’m not going to waste our time here.

Decision 2: To vote Conservative or not

Yes, there are people who will vote Conservative. Perhaps they have fallen for the scare tactics, or have been deluded into thinking they are the among .001% of the population who enjoy a net benefit from Conservative policies.

However, unless KPMG is your accounting firm, and you enjoy tax shelters on the Isle of Man, I’d wager that you’re not cosy enough with Harper and his cronies to really matter.

Decision 3: Who to Vote For Change

This is where things get more complex. Do I like strategic voting? NO – but because we do not enjoy proportional representation, the system is rigged against us. The conservative government knows and enjoys this.

Case in point – in the 2011 federal election, the conservatives garnered only 40% of the general vote, yet won 54% of the seats. A majority government without majority support of the citizens. No wonder people become disenfranchised by politics.

But the citizenry is getting fed up. All across the country there are grassroots movements rising to help people vote strategically and defeat the conservatives. Some sites are:

www.strategicvoting.ca
www.votetogether.ca
anyonebutharper.net

However, we must be mindful. Strategic voting can be dangerous – and you need to be very clear that the information you receive is correct.

For instance, in my riding, Banff-Airdrie, the Liberal candidate Marlo Reynolds has been highly visible within the Bow Valley and enjoys strong support. However, one strategic voting site indicated that the NDP candidate was equally popular. This baffled me because I had yet to see a single NDP sign in Canmore, or even know their candidate’s name.

It turns out that the site’s polling info was outdated. After the most recent set of polling info came through, my thoughts were confirmed: the liberal candidate is currently the best option for not splitting the vote.

The key word being currently.

As we get closer to Oct 19th, we must keep informed and see how the tides are shifting. Consult with your friends and revisit the sites get the most up-to-date polling information as possible! What is true today, may not be reflective in the middle of October.

The ship is sinking – trying to decide if you would prefer a red, orange or green lifejacket is a moot point. Its time to put a new captain at the helm.