Every election I exercise my democratic right and vote.
There are people dying in other countries for this right and that thought always motivates me to pay attention during election time.
During this federal election I was conflicted about whom I was going to vote for, but I knew I would check a box at the end of the day Monday.
Being a journalist, I’m lucky that my job allows me to interview candidates and get to know their platforms. I also attend candidate forums as my job requires. However, it makes me wonder if I would attend some of these candidate debates if I wasn’t in the field.
Before I started working in the news industry, I learned all about the candidates online. I never went to any of the forums, choosing instead to read about their debates.
Going to the debates this year made me question what direction politics is going in this country.
There are so many people in the audience who boo candidates as they speak because they don’t agree with them. People seem to be so interested in getting what they want that they aren’t interested in listening to anyone else’s opinion.
The poor political behaviour is mirrored in attack advertisements. These only serve to take away from the real issues and muddy the political waters. These ads don’t tell me what the candidate wants to accomplish in office and only tarnishes their image in my eyes.
During the all-candidates meetings, many of the hopefuls focused on the economy and creating jobs, health care, education, the environment and affordable housing. They promised these issues would be addressed, but weren’t clear how this would be accomplished.
Now with the candidates elected, we’ll have to watch to see if they live up to their campaign promises.
All of these issues need money to succeed. However, so many of the key areas in B.C. are currently underfunded and struggling to provide services.
School boards are scrambling to balance budgets and are facing the tough burden of where to make cuts without jeopardizing student learning. The health-care system needs more money to expand hospitals and clinics.
But where does all the money that is needed come from? In the end, the money comes from the taxpayers.
If we want more education funding we’re going to have to cough it up. If we want more health-care funding it’s going to fall on us. However, so many working individuals and families are already so burdened by costs of daily living, that squeezing them for more seems like a destructive path.
Taxing industry and commercial businesses is also a tricky situation. Many politicians said the money will come from the industrial sections such as oil companies. What happens when these companies decide that to save money to pay taxes they’ll just cut jobs?
The problem is every group can’t get what it wants. Everyone wants to see the areas they support receive money, but in the end it’s not going to happen. Or if it does, it will be at the expense of younger generations facing growing debt.
Our country must live within its budget instead of spending more on services we can’t afford. Several parties have committed to balancing the budget.
Balancing is hard to do when there are so many demands. It’s a sad state of affairs, but something is going to end up on the cutting room floor. My biggest wish is the cuttings on the floor made up of the salaries received in government positions. But I don’t think that’s going to happen.
This year people have a chance to exercise their voting right again in the November municipal election. And there is still speculation whether there will be a provincial election this year.
Maybe if we all exercise our right to vote and turn out in record numbers, we can effect real change.
reporter3@nanaimobulletin.com