Please contact me if you feel good/inspired/hopeful about Monday’s federal election. I would like to understand you. You’re probably in the minority. But minorities rule here. Consider the fact that the Liberals have governed Canada for 11 years with just over 40% of the popular vote. More people voted against them than for them. And if you factor into the equation the fact that only 60% of the electorate voted last time, 40% of that is an even smaller cheering section. No wonder we no longer see the big hockey arenas packed with the placard-waving public.
And who votes? It seems that young people have given up (only 18% of 18-25 year olds voted in 2000). That leaves the older, established, working middle and upper classes. No wonder the Conservatives have a chance to win! No wonder the vision for Canada on offer during this campaign is limited to faster hip replacements and more pocket cash for big SUVs. The main parties know who is going to vote, so to hell with whatever the rest of the country cares about!
And that’s just it. Do we care? I read somewhere recently that if the disenfranchised non-voters of Canada (the 40% who stay home) voted for the Green Party, we’d have a Green Parliament. Imagine that.
I really believe that voting for one of the three main parties this time is a capitulation. People say that voting for a new party is a waste and that things will never change. And who benefits from this belief?
