In Canada, we are but a weekend away from what many people have been calling the most important election of a lifetime. Whose lifetime? I am not sure, but someone’s. That is for sure.
Going into the election, there are a lot of unknown unknowns, but there are also plenty known knowns. It is unknown as to what party will win the election. It is unknown as to if the winning party can and will deliver on their promises. Those are the largest of the unknowns.
What is also unknown is if anything substantial would change for the better were Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party to be elected to power. On the surface, it would appear as if many things would change for the better (provided your version of better includes such items as less taxes and safer streets), but we could not know until it was to occur.
What is absolutely known, however, is what will happen if Mark Carney and the Liberal Party win the election. How can I be so certain, you may ask? Well, because they are the current government of Canada and have been so for the past decade. They have the same people, the same policies, the same ideologies and the same leadership, with the exception that Justin Trudeau was substituted for one of his key advisors, Mark Carney, the architect of such policies as carbon taxes, net-zero, and a host of other gems that have resulted in economic and societal collapse, to one extent or another. To put it mildly, the Liberals enter the election with a less than stellar track record and an obvious desire to do more of the same.
The pulse of Canadians with whom I most commonly associate – namely career-aged Canadians – indicates a change is strongly desired. However, is Pierre Poilievre enough of a change or the correct change? That is the looming question on the minds of Canadians going into the final days of the election.
If change is truly what is desired, and the collective feeling is that we need a reversal of the dreadfully harmful policies of the past decade, then it would be safe to make the argument that Maxime Bernier and the People’s Party of Canada would be the recommended choice for many a Canadian. Mr. Bernier’s opinions have not wavered over time, he has been clear in the delivery of his message and has shown, without a doubt, that he is a true Canadian patriot. He does not pander to, or tailor his message to, different crowds. He does not say one thing to a French-speaking audience and then the complete antithesis to an English-speaking crowd the very next day (ala Mark Carney). He does not play dress up (ala Trudeau, Carney and Poilievre). He stays true to himself. He puts himself on full display, warts and all. His message is one that reverberates with a sizable percentage of people, whether you know it or not, yet his party polls quite low.
Why is that? I suppose it could be because you are unaware that you may strongly align with the PPC, for Mr. Bernier receives incredibly little mainstream media coverage, and certainly no positive coverage, by design. It could also be that Canadians, while stating a desire for change, fear it. Or it could be because of Mr. Bernier’s, at times, blunt and crude delivery of obvious truths. He does not sugarcoat his message and he wears his heart on his sleeve. Therefore, it is possible that his disposition may be too impolite for the general Canadian public.
In all honesty, I do not have the all the answers. Were Maxime Bernier leading a party with the exact same messaging and platform as the People’s Party of Canada, but in almost any other country, I believe they would be exceedingly popular. But that is not the case in Canada.
It is a peculiar situation, for a great percentage of people that I speak with will speak freely of the ills of Canada and the things they claim they desire to change: a moratorium on unchecked mass immigration, a desire to pay less taxes by clamping down on absurd government waste and rot, a want to ameliorate the catch and release justice system, and a desire to restore economic prowess are all items that everyone seems to desire, yet people do not vote accordingly. Those items are all positions held by Maxime Bernier and the PPC. Their policy position puts Canada first. That is what Canadians want, isn’t it?
So, this election day, think twice and vote once. Check your prejudices, as they may be unfounded. Do some research. Read each party’s platform. Examine their history (which is, of course, easiest to do for the Liberal Party as they have governed this past decade). If you like the current trajectory of Canada, you and I will have a lot that we disagree upon, but by all means, vote for the status quo. If, however, you do not appreciate the fact that, over the past decade, Canada has fallen in every measurable metric – from crime rates to housing prices, to wealth per person and economic growth, to healthcare wait times and drug overdoses – then vote for change.
I once held certain strong, yet unsubstantiated, thoughts and opinions because I simply believed what I was told by biased media broadcasts and what I read in clickbait headlines. However, many of my beliefs and opinions changed when I opened my world view, expanded my horizons, read as much as I could from a diverse field of sources, and did my own due diligence before forming important opinions.
For instance, I would have once told you that Maxime Bernier was an alt-right nutjob, not because I had heard him speak or had analyzed his policies before coming to that conclusion, but simply because a political pundit on the CBC said as much, and I believed her, no questions asked. However, I then decided to fact-check my opinion. I watched Maxime on one long-form podcast, that then led to another, that led to me reading the PPC platform, and I quickly realized that he is neither alt-right nor a nutjob but is simply an intelligent person who truly wants to improve Canada and the lives of Canadians.
Consider and question the information you are given. Be a critical thinker. If what you are being told to believe does not correspond with what you see with your own eyes and hear with your own ears, it is time to consider a differing viewpoint.
It is ok to have strong opinions, just be mindful not to hold onto them too tightly. Having strong opinions loosely held is a wonderful way to go through life. So, go forth and vote to make this beautiful nation of ours a better place.
If only CBC would allow a neutral article to be published.