Vote Independent – Make Your Vote Count!
There is one area, Mr. Casey said, where, since becoming an Independent, he has noticed an improvement in his work as a member of Parliament. That has been in his ability respond directly, and more quickly, to the needs and concerns of his constituents. “I have absolutely no loyalty to anybody except my constituents,” he said. “Today I don’t have to be concerned about what somebody might think in some office somewhere about a position that my constituents feel strongly about anymore.”
Bill Casey
Canada 2008 – The Good News And The Bad News
First, The Bad News
It is easy to understand voter frustration and sense of helplessness. People understandably view politicians as dishonest and self-serving. They correctly assess that the purpose of politics in Canada is to benefit politicians and parties. It is difficult to see how ones vote matters in the existing process.
If you vote for a party candidate, your vote will not matter. You WILL waste your vote. Party candidates have an allegiance only to their party. They will NEVER be allowed to break ranks with the party (remember Garth Turner and Bill Casey).
The world consists of stronger and weaker democracies. At the moment, the monopolization of the political process by the parties, means that Canada is a weak democracy when we consider the responsiveness of party MPs to their constituents.
Now, The Good News
Canada is a democracy with more opportunity and more potential than most!
Let’s celebrate the fact that:
it is easy to start a political party in Canada. The Conservative Party (which has its roots as Preston Manning’s Reform Party) is only about 20 years old. Imagine being able to create a party and become the Government of Canada within a 20 year period.
The Bloc is a party that was started in the 1980s and was once the Official Opposition. Quite an achievement for a new party.
Anyone Canadian can run as a candidate (although apparently not for a party). This opportunity doesn’t exist in to many other countries.
Canada is a country that protects free speech making it possible to criticize governments
There are few other countries in the world where this is possible. Canada is a great country with extraordinary potential. The key is for Canada to live up to the potential.
To repeat, it is possible to start a new party (that if nurtured can make a difference), run as a candidate without being a member of a party and spread your ideas. This is a great freedom.
Along with great freedom comes great responsibility. Canadians have an individual and collective responsibility to participate in the process. For some this means that they will vote. For others it means that they will run as candidates. For others it means that they will contribute to political discussion.
If you don’t participate you will leave the field wide open to the parties and their candidates. Sooner or later the parties will erode the tremendous potential that exists for Canadian democracy. As Lord Atkin said:
“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
In order to fulfill its potential, Canada needs clear, independent thinkers. Canada needs people who will:
Speak freely about current events. Think about the kind of government we want. Become an independent thinker. Encourage others to think independently.
Vote independently for the Candidate that best serves their needs. In many cases this will be an independent candidate. A vote for an independent candidate is the best chance of making your vote count!
Run as independent candidates. If you don’t run then people will be able only to vote for party candidates. A vote for a party candidate is a guaranteed waste of a vote. Independent candidates give people a way to make their vote matter!
Although the parties believe that:
“The business of the public is not the public’s business”
if you are still are still reading, you know that:
The business of the public is the responsibility of the public.”
A vote for an Independent candidate is the only responsible choice.
Vote for an independent candidate. Give your vote a chance to matter!