When we listen to media coverage, the reason for the election is a gamble for political gain based on 2021 Provincial Elections returning sitting premiers with a majority. The Liberals were returned to power in 2019 with a minority, creating a coalition government. So why only after two years did Justin Trudeau call an election?
Personally I think the federal government we had worked for average Canadians. Our vote actually counted and held the sitting government accountable and Canadians learned about the intricacies behind resignations, appointments and punitive measures taken in the House from all parties. Living through the Harper Conservative Majority, Canadians didn’t hear about many of the irreversible actions taken by the Conservatives until they were ousted and Canada had to recover from the damage done by their majority. (All well documented in a book called Party of One.)
The government we had was pressured to work with the other political parties to address our chronic long-term issues Canadians have lived with for decades. So calling an election amidst the pandemic, Afghanistan crisis, climate change being lived through in BC under a heat dome and wildfires (like our neighbours in California), inflation out of control, our failing health and education systems strained to the brink with the pressure from the pandemic, growing federal debt, and First Nations issues now becoming mainstream Canada issues, poses the question whether we would know this under a majority.
Perhaps the heat in the kitchen was just too much for the Liberals. Calling an election and retiring the House so politicians could board buses and planes to make promises to address these issues instead of taking these remaining years to dig in and fix some of them?
This is one Canadian hoping to return a coalition government and not a Liberal majority. Erin O’Toole described this election best when he said there are many parties running but only two choices. Let’s prove him wrong and lets tell all these Politicians that democracy is Government for the people, by the People.
Everyone gets the ear of government under a coalition and only the entitled or well positioned get the ear under a majority. Make your vote count, so us average folk have the ear of our elected. Let’s make them do what we do every day - figure it out, and solve those chronic problems with a thread of equity and fairness!
Jo-Anne Berezanski
North Saanich
