Work For Our Votes

Politicians

COVID-19

Leading a country through a pandemic is incredibly difficult, which might explain why there have been so many missteps (that is as nicely as we can put it) during this crisis.  However, without any doubt, the primary focus must be on the people that need to be kept safe, and the secondary focus needs to be on ensuring the economy can recover once the health threat has passed.

The one thing that should NOT be a focus for any politician during a pandemic is solidifying their political power.  Sending Canadians to vote in person when, at the same time, they are telling us to avoid personal contact, is the ultimate form of hypocrisy, and a clear abuse of power.

The politicians that sent their people to the polls when it was not necessary don’t even hide the fact that they did so because they felt they could secure a majority government. 

This is remarkably selfish, and we hope everyone affected remembers this behaviour at the next election.

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If you ever want to get in an argument virtually anywhere in the country at any time of the day or night, simply pick a side on any political topic.  Few things raise the temperature in the room like a heated political debate.

The same can be said for politicians, particularly the leaders of a party and their ministers.  They are the most public faces of the party in power and receive the bulk of the attention, positive or negative, from the public. 

Judge them (mostly) on what they do

By putting themselves forward as leaders within our country, politicians open themselves up to praise and criticism from the voting public.  This is healthy and a vital part of any democracy.  But both praise and criticism should usually be restricted to the job they are doing as a leader, and not simply a form of personal attack. Personal attacks are, for the most part, counter-productive and unnecessary.

We believe the focus of any discussion about politicians should primarily be on their record. In other words, focus on what they have managed to achieve, or what they have failed to achieve, while in office.

There are exceptions, of course.  For example, if a politician waxes eloquently about the evils of racism, but is revealed to have racist beliefs, then their character should be open to criticism.

For that matter, if a politician regularly finds themselves on the wrong side of an ethics inquiry, perhaps it is fair at that point to consider whether they are morally fit to lead.

The important thing is the debate and the effort we make as Canadians to put the right people in power who will do their best to deliver on the promises they made to us when they wanted our votes.  If they deliver, maybe they get to stay in power.

If they don’t deliver, or if they make clear promises they don’t live up to once in power, or if they see the job as a ticket to bettering the positions of their friends and supporters, then hopefully their time in power will be limited.

The decision is ours, but let’s do our best to be informed and to remember that the leaders serve at our pleasure, not their own.

What can we do?

Take Action

We can start by expecting more. Once we have made that shift in our thinking, and we realize that we deserve more, then we can get together and demand more.

Connect with other Canadians. Track the successes and failures of the politicians and their parties. And when it comes time to vote, help other Canadians remember what the politicians did, or did not do, with the time they had in power.

Never forget…your vote is your power.

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