An affront to democracy

Yesterday during the throne speech a page stood up during the middle of the speech holding up a small poster shaped like a stop sign that said 'Stop Harper'. Now, this young lady got her 5 minutes of fame, which is far more than she of got. But before this is put to rest, I want to add my comments about this event.

For those few people who follow my blog know that I do not like a Harper government. He has no hidden agenda, with his majority government he's going to implement as much of his neo-conservative values as he can get away with. He's going to get rid of the Canada Wheat Board - a market insturment which gives us a distinct advantage over the Americans when selling our grains. He's going to make life difficult for our national broadcaster, the CBC. He's going to cut social services in favor of tax cuts. He's going to do very little about the environment. I went to  the UofC when Harper was teaching there, there were a group of Neo-conservatives that were preaching exactly all that. Now Harper has tried to minimize these issues and make his platform about Canadian families and fiscal stewardship. Sure, he has some ideas to help families, but I would prefer that he would not gut the institutions that I as a Canadian value.

But Harper still won a majority in the last election. For now, Canadians want to give Mr Harper a try. It is up to the opposition parties and Canadians who oppose Mr Harper engage in the democratic discourse. If there is a neo-conservative plank he is trying to implement, then we need to make our voices heard. We need to ensure that the opposition puts itself in a position so that in 4 years Mr. Harper is running against someone else who is a viable alternative to become Prime Minister.

But what the page did was out of pure arrogance. She rejected the fact that Canadians actually want Mr Harper to govern and she pissed on the floor of the Senate. She sullied the honorable position and trust that are bestowed onto the young pages. She showed that she is a spoiled brat who who thinks she knows better than anyone else in Canada what is right for this country. Some people called her courageous. She afterall gave up a job serving the most powerful people in this country. But I see her as a spotlight stealer, using a position of trust to represent a point of view that did not win the last election. She is a sore loser.

Now, I have to admit, while I talk the talk of wanting to replace Harper, I haven't done much to make that a reality. I live in a very solid Conservative riding. I have to admit, I don't know right now what I can do in Red Deer to bring attention to any alternative to the Tories. I have this blog, but I am certainly not in any position to set myself up as a candidate in the next election. I don't even have a political party that speaks to my own values. Right now though, I want to focus on local issues. With a young family, this is what is near and dear to my heart. And over these 4 years hopefully my voice can be added to the opposition discourse.

Not quite the end of the world...

My predictions on elections are always wrong. I let my bias get in the way. I usually get the local feeling right, but I have trouble predicting what people in other regions might be thinking. I don't do enough research about other localities.

But I don't think anyone really predicted the results on Monday night's election. Sure, Tories were predicting a Conservative majority and ND's were predicting they would win at least the opposition, but few people could have predicted that Liberals would lose so many seats or that the NDP would sweep Quebec so completely. This is what makes elections so much fun and why I am such a junkie. Canadian elections are truly an example of local level decision making carrying over to the macro level. For me, its better than watching a sports final because it has so much more relevant to our lives than sport.

Now, as a former Liberal and a Anything But Harper voter, one would think I might be quite disappointed with the election results. But that's the will of the people. I learnt long ago that I don't carry the same opinions as everyone else, but democracy is democracy. Sometimes democracy is about consensus making and sometimes its about bold leadership. But the common thread is the ability for anyone in the society to say what they want and to make a decision about who they want to represent them.

So I will watch this government. I will criticisize this government. Sometimes I might even agree. In the next four years I hope that another party will  start saying things that other Western Canadians will listen to. It took 20 years for the Quebecers to open their ears, hopefully it won't be that much longer for Western Canadians to open theirs. Enjoy your 4 years Harper, with luck, they will be your last.

Giving up on the Federal Liberals

Since I was 18 years old I have been a member of the Federal Liberal party. During the late 90's and early 2000's I was very active in the Young Liberals, both provincial and federal. I was a Liberal in Alberta and I was proud of it. But things have changed. It was a gradual change, not one event changed the party in Alberta, but since Paul Martin, I feel the federal party has given up on Alberta. And Albertans have given on the Liberal Party.

This election exemplifies it. In Red Deer they needed to parachute in a candidate from Edmonton - Andrew Lineker. A guy who placed 7 out of 8 in the Edmonton mayoral election. While he might have good credentials in another riding, he has none in Red Deer (although I doubt it since he place so low in the Edmonton mayoral). Now, I understand the need for a parachute candidates, but Red Deer is a major city in Alberta. Our city council is actually quite progressive. But the party has done nothing to build up support here. I have talked to my old friends and they agree that besides for a few targetted ridings in Calgary and Edmonton, the Liberals are not nominating quality candidates.

Now, to be a candidate is not an easy thing. My hat goes off to anyone who tries their hand at it. But, as my years of training in the Young Liberals have shown me, some people make good candidates, others don't. Campaigning is certainly a skill you can learn, but as the people's representative you need to have a vision that matches the people you wish to represent. People need to buy into that vision because it speaks to them.

Earl Dreeshen is a good candidate. But he follows the Tory party line far too closely (although I'm not sure if he has a choice). Harper runs counter to what I believe this country can accomplish, so I cannot vote for him. Ignatieff is alright and if there was a worthwhile candidate here in Red Deer, I would consider voting Liberal again. Now, like a lot of Canadians Layton has caught my attention. I can at least stomach his vision, although I am not sure what he will do economically, especially with our most important economic engine - the oil sands. But the NDP candidate here in Red Deer, Stuart Sommerville, appears to be a pleasant young man. I haven't been able to go to the forums but I've been reading what he has to say and it works for me.

So for this election, I believe I am going to vote NDP. Now, this won't have any effect on the results in Red Deer. The tories have a lock here. But I am still expressing my voice. And I am saying 'GET A CLUE LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA!'.

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy

I listen to Zed 99 in Red Deer, especially on the drive home (for a total of like 7 minutes) b/c I like the two deejays - Drock and Daniels. Chad Daniels is a guy around my age, and he's a pretty good voice and the chemistry with the two guys makes me smile. But today, he disappointed me. Today he said he wasn't going to vote.

Now, I've heard the arguements that this election isn't going to matter. And by all indications we will probably end up with another Tory minority and go to the polls yet again in 2 more years (or less). The race in Red Deer is a foregone conclusion.  I'm hearing from everyone that they are fed up with the antics in Ottawa or Edmonton or Washington DC. People want change. People may disagree with the type of change they want, but they still want it. But without expressing our voice in and outside of the campaign, this just becomes grumbling. Without quality candidates running for the parties, incumbents walk right past the post and into the House of Commons.

But elections have a way to surprise us. It is the people's voice after all, and if enough people speak up, they will be heard. But instead, people are looking at this election as a waste of time. It could be an opportunity. It could be an opportunity to tell the status quo that we are not happy. But instead people are sitting on the couch instead, more interested in the playoffs than the future of health care, or ethics in government, or the environment.

So, here is to Election 2011 - a self-fulfilling prophecy!