I am happy to be home after spending six weeks in Australia with my new grandson and my daughter and her family. The more things change the more they remain the same.
I have only been home for less than two weeks and right now I am a little tired of the political rhetoric that is swirling around the airways and in our newspapers. In Canada, we are at the start of an election campaign to decide on who will be the next Prime Minister so my comments are about that election and the political parties in Canada.
I was insulted when I listened to the commenter's talking about "voter fatigue" whatever that is, the implication is that I and other Canadians do not care about our right to vote and that this election was not necessary. I disagree, when a government disrespects democracy as the Conservatives did then we need and deserve the opportunity to decide who we want to govern us. If we decide to return the Conservatives, (who have shown no respect for Canadian values that I hold or have a mean streak within the party), with a minority or a majority then we will all suffer. By the way I have many friends who are Conservatives and we get along because they are not mean spirited people, but they have allowed their party to be taken over by a mean spirited group that is destroying the values that I believe in as a Canadian. For more on the Harper agenda go here or here or here.
Since the writ was dropped many pundits and newspaper articles have said that the Canadian people are fed up with the idea of having an election and that the voter in Canada is fatigued. In other parts of the world, people are dying for the democratic right to vote so to say that the electorate in Canada is "fatigued" and is tired of having this right is insulting. I also find that the right wing press are still referring to Steven Harper as the Prime Minister. Once the writ was dropped that title is no longer valid. By referring to Harper as Prime Minister in news reports the media is assuming that he will be re-elected. The media may think that the voter is stupid or they are being very deliberate in this subtle message to the voters. I would hope that as the campaign goes on that the press is called on this practice and it stops.
There is an old joke that says "How can you tell if a politician is lying" Answer: "They are talking". I know that many people want to believe in the integrity of our politicians, but I am a bit cynical and do not believe that any politician (at any level from the local city counsellor to the School Board to the House of Parliament) can be trusted and I also believe that all politicians lie. Don't get me wrong there are many nice people who enter into politics but they are soon corrupted by the party system we have and this turns many young and old people off our system.
However, I am always hopeful of better things. I have found that the minority government does a great job of keeping our politicians a bit more honest then they would be if there was a majority government. I think Canadians know this and since the majority of us do not trust politicians we elect a minority government to keep them honest. So my best hope for the upcoming election is that we return a minority government.
I have only been home for less than two weeks and right now I am a little tired of the political rhetoric that is swirling around the airways and in our newspapers. In Canada, we are at the start of an election campaign to decide on who will be the next Prime Minister so my comments are about that election and the political parties in Canada.
I was insulted when I listened to the commenter's talking about "voter fatigue" whatever that is, the implication is that I and other Canadians do not care about our right to vote and that this election was not necessary. I disagree, when a government disrespects democracy as the Conservatives did then we need and deserve the opportunity to decide who we want to govern us. If we decide to return the Conservatives, (who have shown no respect for Canadian values that I hold or have a mean streak within the party), with a minority or a majority then we will all suffer. By the way I have many friends who are Conservatives and we get along because they are not mean spirited people, but they have allowed their party to be taken over by a mean spirited group that is destroying the values that I believe in as a Canadian. For more on the Harper agenda go here or here or here.
Since the writ was dropped many pundits and newspaper articles have said that the Canadian people are fed up with the idea of having an election and that the voter in Canada is fatigued. In other parts of the world, people are dying for the democratic right to vote so to say that the electorate in Canada is "fatigued" and is tired of having this right is insulting. I also find that the right wing press are still referring to Steven Harper as the Prime Minister. Once the writ was dropped that title is no longer valid. By referring to Harper as Prime Minister in news reports the media is assuming that he will be re-elected. The media may think that the voter is stupid or they are being very deliberate in this subtle message to the voters. I would hope that as the campaign goes on that the press is called on this practice and it stops.
There is an old joke that says "How can you tell if a politician is lying" Answer: "They are talking". I know that many people want to believe in the integrity of our politicians, but I am a bit cynical and do not believe that any politician (at any level from the local city counsellor to the School Board to the House of Parliament) can be trusted and I also believe that all politicians lie. Don't get me wrong there are many nice people who enter into politics but they are soon corrupted by the party system we have and this turns many young and old people off our system.
However, I am always hopeful of better things. I have found that the minority government does a great job of keeping our politicians a bit more honest then they would be if there was a majority government. I think Canadians know this and since the majority of us do not trust politicians we elect a minority government to keep them honest. So my best hope for the upcoming election is that we return a minority government.
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