Dear Editor,
This election year there has been a lot of discourse about “voting against” rather than “voting for.”
The premise of strategic voting is that we Canadians may have a government that does not represent the majority of voters. In fact, the number of seats held by one party – constituting its standing in parliament – may not represent the number of votes a party received.
This is the notion of our “first past the post” system. While some say this method provides for a more stable government, others say it is not representative of voter wishes.
So if our collective purpose this election year is to oust the current government, there is some logic to tactical voting. Essentially, tactical voting takes the position that if we wish to keep a certain party from gaining or keeping status, we need to ensure they have fewer seats.
It also means casting your ballot for the candidate best positioned to win in your riding, rather than for the candidate who represents your views.
I am not arguing for or against representative government. I only seek to dialogue about how we do or do not use our vote to voice our vision for Canada.
Over a series of televised debates, interviews and advertisements, I have come to the conclusion that our voting is often not in sync with our voiced views.
I heard the prime ministerial candidates argue against their counterparts more often than for their own vision. I saw full party platforms revealed near the end of the campaign, rather than at its beginning so we could fully engage in the process.
And surprisingly, I heard one lone voice articulating what I had expressed as my own vision: a vision led by the determinants of health and which includes an educated society through funded post-secondary tuition, and a more equitable wealth distribution and a healthier environment.
I was privileged to have Warren Koch, the Green Party candidate for northern Saskatchewan, visit. We talked about healthy public policy, what green means, democracy and representation, among other things.
Now, I’m not encouraging anyone vote Green. In fact, at this writing I have not decided how I will vote.
Will I join the voiced throng and “vote against” – check out strategicvoting.ca – and have this system choose where my X should go? Will I vote for the current government because I’m afraid that “new” may or may not mean “different” but for sure will be unknown and potentially upsetting?
However you decide, folks, please consider your own vision, who best matches that vision and then vote. If your vision for Canada is simply to dispose of the current government, then by all means, check out strategicvoting.ca and choose your candidate from the suggested strong party for your riding.
If you want to indicate with your X what your
vision for Canada is, choose the candidate who best shares that vision.
Then get out there and be heard – vote.
Donna Champagne
Denare Beach
