I look forward with great interest to see the percentage of the Canadian population that will choose to vote, or more accurately, the percentage that will prefer to stay home.
My hunch is that with another election in so few years there is a very real chance non-turnout will only increase again.
I myself will not vote; none of the parties have communicated a platform that inspires me.
None of the parties have the testicular fortitude to tell the Canadian public the cuts that are needed to bring our financial house in order. None of the parties are willing to tell special interest groups to go away. None of them have the courage to say exactly where they stand on an issue and then stick with it, come hell or high water. None of them can give me a vision of a 5 year or ten year plan for the nation, and by that I don't mean the usual boorish information about so much $ for infrastructure, so much $ for etc etc. I mean I want a JFK-esque speech; set a goal that a majority of the country can unify and solidify and identify with. We don't need $ 16 billion in stealth fighters; let's spend $ 4 billion and put men on Mars. Identify a historic human milestone with Canadian vision. Identify an entire generation and our country for all time.
And stop the kindergarten behaviour in question period; seriously, you are supposed to be grown adults. Stop acting like hyperactive disorder delinquents. Let someone finish making their point. No catcalls. No booing. Show respect for your peers as they represent a large amount of people. If you can't behave as a responsible adult, maybe the question period should be abolished, along with the senate.
End the dictatorial tradition of voting with the party line. That is about as democratic as 1942 Soviet Union. Members of parliament were elected to represent their riding; if that voice is removed, so is democracy. If the leaders fear opinion, maybe they shouldn't be leaders. True leaders accept difference of opinion and have the inate talent to utilize the skills and views of others.
Add a 'none of the above' option to the ballot. That would get me out to the ballot box. It would show a broader perspective of voters who are simply disenfranchised with our system and politicians. A large potential serving of Humble Pie. A wake up call for our system.
