I am just an average Canadian voter, but over the years I have had more than my share of brushes with the political elite who have devoted themselves to making Canada the wonderful place that it is to live. Unlike current conventional wisdom, I have a lot of respect for people who devote themselves to the service of their fellow citizens. The people in politics that I know personally, and have met in passing, have without exception, been individuals who cared more about society than themselves. And, to a person, I have known them to be open, gregarious, and genuine in their views and pronouncements. Through more chance than design, over the years I have had the privilege to meet both Lester Pearson and Pierre Eliot Trudeau as a sixteen year old Centennial traveler; shared a glass of sherry with Michael Ignatieff at a garden party hosted by his father at Trinity College; argued constitutional law with Stanley Knowles (I lost!); introduced Joe Clark at a history teachers' conference; debated bilingualism with Jacques Parizeau; campaigned for Jack Layton for Mayor of Toronto; worked with Jean Chretien; wrote a speech in Regina for John Turner; worked on a board chaired by Tom Hockin and sat on various airplanes next to Barbara McDougall, Peter McKay, Stockwell Day, and Stephane Dion. Ironically, the only negative experience that I have ever had with one of our political leaders was being shoved out of the way in the boarding area of the Winnipeg airport, by a member of the entourage of, the then Leader of the Opposition, Stephen Harper, as he deplaned on a flight from Calgary on a cold November night.
My point is, I have always taken for granted that it is my right, as a Canadian citizen, to have this open and casual access to the women and men who lead our country. In a pluralistic democracy like ours, it has always been an expectation that legitimate disagreement, respectful dissent, and open debate made us stronger as a nation.
So what has happened to us? We have a Prime Minister who won't let you in the room without an invitation and a security screening; a leader of the opposition who restricts press access and plays fast and loose with the prospect of open debates on policy without prior approval of the participant list; a former PMO Chief of Staff who was more concerned with constructing a "scenario" about a miscreant Senator than letting the truth get out; and, a professional media whose idea of covering a campaign is more about "counting coups" among the candidates, than it is about informing the voting public about details of policies and proposals.
Many pundits have complained about the ten long weeks of campaigning that we have ahead of us. But I am not one of the complainers, because these days election campaigns are the one time that our politicians are required to come out of their protective cocoons and interact with the people who put them there and depend on their insight, dedication, and integrity to take our country forward.
My plea, to politicians of all stripes: Please take this opportunity to genuinely reach out and engage with your fellow citizens. Don't work to suppress voter participation, strive to enhance it! I wrote an wistful tweet this spring encouraging Albertans to equal the voter participation levels of Prince Edward Islanders. It was retweeted thousands of times - people want to know that their votes make a difference, but they can't if you don't use them.
I am hereby declaring a national contest to see which constituency can encourage the highest level of voter turnout. The prize? A truly representative House of Commons!
Who's in?
My point is, I have always taken for granted that it is my right, as a Canadian citizen, to have this open and casual access to the women and men who lead our country. In a pluralistic democracy like ours, it has always been an expectation that legitimate disagreement, respectful dissent, and open debate made us stronger as a nation.
So what has happened to us? We have a Prime Minister who won't let you in the room without an invitation and a security screening; a leader of the opposition who restricts press access and plays fast and loose with the prospect of open debates on policy without prior approval of the participant list; a former PMO Chief of Staff who was more concerned with constructing a "scenario" about a miscreant Senator than letting the truth get out; and, a professional media whose idea of covering a campaign is more about "counting coups" among the candidates, than it is about informing the voting public about details of policies and proposals.
Many pundits have complained about the ten long weeks of campaigning that we have ahead of us. But I am not one of the complainers, because these days election campaigns are the one time that our politicians are required to come out of their protective cocoons and interact with the people who put them there and depend on their insight, dedication, and integrity to take our country forward.
My plea, to politicians of all stripes: Please take this opportunity to genuinely reach out and engage with your fellow citizens. Don't work to suppress voter participation, strive to enhance it! I wrote an wistful tweet this spring encouraging Albertans to equal the voter participation levels of Prince Edward Islanders. It was retweeted thousands of times - people want to know that their votes make a difference, but they can't if you don't use them.
I am hereby declaring a national contest to see which constituency can encourage the highest level of voter turnout. The prize? A truly representative House of Commons!
Who's in?
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