As I sit and ponder the state of affairs in the country, especially since the election looms around the corner, I can't help but reflect on how undecided I am. I am now in a different category of Canadian citizen, as my wife and I expect two children, and we're new homeowners. In the span of the last year, new and more pressing issues like the medical system, interest rates, and taxes have suddenly become more forefront than my personal beliefs and philosophies. When I was single, and had no dependants, the things that concern me now weren't even on my radar, thus, the importance of this particular election, as it is a first for me as a newly categorized Canadian in terms of the issues that are of relevance to me. I have tried unsuccessfully to get my wife to tell me what she voted. Olivia is an Economist with Industry Canada, and the most senior public servant who I've ever married or known. She's given me some insights into international trade and policy analysis, which is her career field, and it has helped to open my eyes to a series of facts that I believe many people both aren't aware of or don't care to take into consideration. I have to admit that the most pressing and immediate things to me, I believe, is that taxes are lowered, and the ability to work hard and be compensated in line with how hard you work is important, along with health care ( which I don't think is terrible, but defintely needs to be tweaked to reduce things like wait times, bed availability, and how patients are cared for).
I read an article recently that drew a startling parallel between the unseating of Australia's Labour Party back in 1996, a party that had been in office for 13 years. The similarities were interesting between what happened there back in the 90's, and what is currently going on here. As a matter of fact, it was so similar, that the Conservatives have enlisted the consultation of the former campaign director of current Conservative Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a man who many believe was the architect for the landslide win of Australia's Liberal Party. Interesting. In that political climate, the average citizen was less concerned with unseating a party that was doing a satisfactory job overall, as opposed to being sensitive to a general mood of change, and being more sensitive for reasons to change. In the case of Canada, the sponsorship scandal, the fiasco with the gun registry, and the blatant and public lack of accountability that even I, an individual who has voted liberal in the past, and who identifies more with the idealogies that the Liberal Party keeps, cannot deny. Overall, this is what is driving Canadian voters now. Add the fact that the Conservatives have run a flawless campaign, with footnotes and direction coming from the unseating of the ALP in Australia back in 1996, coupled with a dash of perceived debate losses, and what was a no confidence vote in the House of Commons for the current government, concluded with what no one can deny was a public and borderline ridiculous liberal leadership campaign less than 2 years ago, which was irritating even historically as a liberal, and you have the ripe mood for an overhaul in the way that the House of Commons looks. I'm undecided, yes, but I can't help but feel that there is an energy that is initiating a switch. I'm not just talking polls. I'm talking about how much blue I see on lawns, how the parties are being presented in the media, and actions being taken by particular key politicians in the game.
I'm still unsure how I will vote, however, I have noticed a few interesting things about myself. For instance. When I hear people, especially young people or people my age, discuss how they will spoil their vote because everyone is a crook, I get perturbed. What does this indicate? I'm getting old? Probably.
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