Friday, 25 June 2004
Who I will vote for - THE COMMENTARY
Planta endorses Conservative in Vancouver Kingsway
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER - For weeks now, I have struggled with the choice as to whom I will vote for in Monday's election. In my own riding of Vancouver Kingsway, I have thought carefully as to who I'll vote for, whether it'll be the Conservative's Jesse Johl, or the NDP's Ian Waddell.
I am not a fan of the Liberal Party of Canada, so voting for their candidate was at first inconceivable. I did get a letter from David Emerson with a copy of the Liberal platform and the so-called BC Agenda. I actually read the literature he sent, and surprisingly enough it did weigh on the decision I made. Even though I went into this election thinking he was nothing more than a carpet-bagger, I now think otherwise, and I admire his initiative in entering public life. I was unable to obtain a hard copy of the Conservative Party's platform, though I would have liked to have had that to read, review, and compare. I got a note from Jesse Johl telling me to download his party's literature off of his website, which is hardly encouraging.
Ever since the writ was dropped I have gone back and forth as to whom I will vote for and endorse in my riding. Choosing from amongst the NDP and the Conservatives is a stretch, going from one end of the political spectrum to the other. I am comfortable with the Conservatives, and I happen to like Stephen Harper. He isn't necessarily the most charismatic guy on the block, but one can get over that. I was once a member of the Canadian Alliance, and this newly constituted Conservative party, is a relief to many who abhorred these last 11 years of the Liberal status quo.
Why then would I even consider voting NDP? Well, it has nothing to do with Jack Layton and his charisma. Frankly, he looks like a guy you'd see at 2.00 in the morning hawking software in an infomercial. I was also a member of the NDP years ago, but I left it for the Alliance, because I don't think I was ever left-wing, rather I liked the people who were idealistic enough to run for the NDP. And obviously, that sentiment applies to the guy running in Kingsway, Ian Waddell. Waddell, a former MP and a former cabinet minister in the provincial government, strikes me as the kind of MP who like his fellow NDPers Svend Robinson and Libby Davies, among others, would bring attention to the concerns of not only their riding, but issues of national concern. Though I disagree with the NDP's position on NAFTA and the war in Iraq, and dislike their discontent towards the American government, I appreciate that they're giving voice to the concerns of Canadians who don't like George W. Bush. Even though, I like Bush myself, and would probably vote Republican were I an American, I think the NDP has done a stand up job in criticising the Americans.
Between the Messers. Johl and Waddell, I considered their experience. Johl is younger than Waddell, and though I wouldn't hold his youth and inexperience in politics against him, Waddell's own resume points to someone who would be a credit not only for his party and caucus, but also this riding, which has suffered for years in the shadow of Sophia Leung's basking in relative anonymity. Waddell would make a great addition to the caucus that Jack Layton will lead in Ottawa, and by virtue of the race in Kingsway, he'd actually have a shot in winning the seat. Also, whether I voted Conservative or NDP, it still would be a vote against the Liberals, whom I've never really liked.
A week or two before the vote, I thought about who I'd vote for, and I was still undecided. I had narrowed it down to Johl and Waddell, but with the package from David Emerson, the least I could do was take the time and read his material. It made for good reading, because in it are the Liberals's plans for the nation, as well as a catalogue of their achievements in office. Not just because I dislike the Liberals, I decided then and there not to vote Liberal if for the fact of what they weren't saying in their campaigning. The campaign we've seen from the Liberals has been one of disappointment. And that's coming from people who used to be feisty Liberals, like Warren Kinsella for one. Instead of going on about their government's achievements (if any), they have resorted to a campaign of smearing the Conservatives and Stephen Harper. That is no reason to deserve re-election frankly. By virtue of the rhetoric spewed by Paul Martin, and the fact that Liberals have conceded that Harper could form a government after Monday, it is obvious that the Liberals have been waging a campaign that's rooted in wanting to stay in power and little else. When Paul Martin tells Canadians to vote for him so he can fix healthcare, he doesn't refer to what he's done to fix it in these last ten and a half years. Where is the talk of the fine achievements as writ in the Liberal platform? Rather, the stump speeches given by Liberals have been entrenched in the talk of scaring Canadians away from Stephen Harper. As I said previously in this space, there is a lesson in the Ronald Reagan funeral of a couple weeks back. To appeal to the people's hopes is far better and more winning than appealing to their fears.
Naturally, as a former Alliance member, I am pleased at the effort put forth by Stephen Harper and the reception he's gotten east of the Lakehead. Preston Manning couldn't do it, neither could Stockwell Day; and both are far more telegenic than the bookish Stephen Harper. But a combination of hard work on his part, as well as the feeling across the nation that the Liberals must be sent a message, has worked in the favour of the Conservatives.
Why then haven't I been totally receptive to voting for the Conservative candidate in my riding heretofore? Well, compared to Ian Waddell, Jesse Johl struck me as vague. He seems to be riding the Conservative wave of support across the nation, hoping its tide will send him from Vancouver Kingsway to Ottawa. How can we hope and trust that he won't capitulate and become another lackey in, what is obvious will be the large caucus Stephen Harper will lead in the next Parliament? Johl did not distinguish himself in this campaign to prove otherwise. Ian Waddell, because of his reputation showed that he was able to distinguish himself, from being another MP from out in British Columbia going to Ottawa just to knuckle under the power of the whip. (Remember, Waddell had the temerity to grab the mace during a heated moment of debate in the House of Commons.)
Yet, the longer I took with thinking about who I was going to vote for; I looked around at the current state of affairs. The NDP still thinks the war in Iraq was wrong, and perhaps they're right about that. However, their solution is that troops should withdraw forthwith, which is tantamount to greater folly. The NDP's snivelling against the United States and their disregard for the military leaves one uneasy. The same NDPers who don't wish to fund the military more, are the same ones who would leave our nation's defence to the United States, and at the same time have greater contempt for American incursion in our culture; the same busybodies who don't let Canadian broadcasters carry American feeds during the Super Bowl, or who insist on allowing for split-runs in our Canadian versions of Time and TV Guide.
After getting over some initial reluctance, but now with much hope and confidence, I will be voting for Jesse Johl and the Conservative Party on Monday, the 28th of June. I voted Alliance in 2000, and so it doesn't seem a stretch, but I did have to do a lot of thinking before I finally reached my decision. Ian Waddell's presence in the race posed an appealing thought, but in the end, no matter that I like the NDP candidate personally, one must vote for the leader that he thinks would make a decent prime minister and the party whose policies that he believes in. For me, that's Stephen Harper, and that's the Conservative Party.
The reluctance in voting for Jesse Johl was merely the fact I wouldn't have minded voting for his NDP opponent. For that matter, I won't kill myself if David Emerson is elected. I think all three parties have revealed themselves to bring out individuals who are good for this constituency, regardless the fact that two of the three don't even live in the riding. I guess I was reluctant in voting for one of the three, when in fact either one of the three could deserve my vote in the end.
At the end of the day however, I will be voting for Jesse Johl and the Conservative Party looking ahead at the new Canada that has seemed to emerge in this campaign. Canadians across this country are optimistic about the future of Canada to warrant supporting a party that one year ago did not exist in its current form; and I believe are choosing to support it not just for wanting to send a message to the current government, but to instil the confidence that a strong Conservative Party will proffer Canadians a better Canada. With my vote for the Conservatives, I also hope that should be so elected, Jesse Johl will bring that fresh perspective and diligence that he promises in his campaign brochure. Everyone in this riding will expect that from him, and will expect him to distinguish himself and the people he will represent in his caucus and in Parliament.
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In the end, regardless of what party you choose, let your vote not be a vote against a party that you're afraid of. And even if you're voting for a candidate or party you think may not win, do not consider that a wasted vote. For far too long in this country, many have voted afraid of wasting their vote. Vote your conscience, and perhaps the nation will be better served. And of course, know that throughout this country, regardless of who's in government or not, on the shoulders of those 308 men and women who will go to Ottawa, rests the hope that with the passing of this election, a new beginning for Canada is ahead.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .