Well we may not be as flashy as the US political elections but we sure do got a lot of dramz happening up here.So.
On Oct 14th us Canucks had an election and for the second time in as many years we are now lead by a Conservative minority government... a minority government nevertheless, but a government elected by the people.
Of my ten years as a registered voter I have never seen an election where people were so on the fence as to who to choose. The lines were blended as parties fought to represent what they wanted and what they feel the people wanted. I will just say that for the first time ever I voted Conservative. I can see and respect why many people would not agree but I feel it was the best decision and stand by my choice. I have not liked the agenda the Liberals have been taking ever since Cretien left and although I agree with many of the NDP ideals (and don't see why haters are still referred to the fast ferry incident from 1997 as the reason not to vote for them. They fucked up. So have every other party we have). Anyways I digress as do not feel Jack Layton is a trustworthy candidate, or the most out of all if any could be deemed "trustworthy".
It's a time of political unrest in Canada. I love the Green party (and agree there has to be a stronger position in the government both federally and provincially on the environment) and have voted before when not sure how to vote, but lets face it. The green party vote is the 'wasted ballot' here in Canada.
So, to wind down a long wordy road of my political background I can now say my vote and my democratic right is being pushed and bent at this very moment, as an opposition government is currently poised to overthrow the government in power.
How?
Well since the Conservative government is a minority the Bloc Quebecois(separatist party), Liberals and NDP have all formed a governing party together to overthrow the government this week until 2010. It's the pirates of politics in 2008 if you will. What. The. Eff.
I don't realistically see how it is expected to work and I don't agree with this opposition from the government which is currently going through approval of the Govenor General before taking place next week. This is not entirely due to the fact that I voted Conservative but to the fact that we are just supposed to agree that the Oct 14th election DID NOT HAPPEN. If that's the case I ask Mr. Dion to give me back the gas money spent going to the polling station as well as the thirty minutes spent waiting in line. I accept cheques and money orders, thankyouverymuch.
If anything it weakens our countries image in the eyes of other nations as it is hard to take a nation seriously when there is so much political unrest. As well as it is hard for the people of the nation to feel their vote is taken seriously. In a time of political uncertainty and during an 'official' recession I am wanting to lean on my government and know that they have the interest of the people in mind. The employment, health care, education and and the economic sectors should be in the political headlines not gossipy columns about closed door meetings between the Bloc Quebecois and NDP.
I was explaining it to a friend yesterday and the only terminology I could come to think of was to compare it to food (like most of everything else in my life that revolves around food or sex or tv). I then came up with the shittiest anology I can think of.....
It's like there's a dinner party for 14 and everyone has to vote on one dish to be served at the party. Six people decided on eggs whereas the other people could not decide and brought their own things to the dinner party. Decisively people either like or hate eggs (they give you protein.,..but cmon it's dead chicken fetus and they're smelly). The other people brought Mangos. Olives. And Pickles. Rather than eat their own thing and focus on the fact that even though it was the minority that decided, it was in fact the people that decided on eggs and eat them they decided to mix their food into a giant casserole of mangoes and pickles and olives. Yes, it will overthrow the eggs but it's shit and we all know it's shit. However the people are more proud of the fact that they do not have to eat eggs than recognize that the dish they are serving to people is shit and will not mix nor will it taste good.
Right now our government is the equivalent of a shitmix casserole in the making and I am saying no thanks, throwing down my fork and sticking up my middle finger. For the first time in my 28 years I have lived in Canada I feel my vote does not count and I'm just idly sitting by watching a political uncertainty that I did not ask for nor did I ask to pay for.
Rant over.
