Recently, I have had the chance to actually canvass my local riding and talk with people on a one to one basis, while asking them how they vote and what affects their choice. The responses and encounters I have witnessed have left me quite worried.
Many people have no idea what the hell is going on with politics in general or in some cases are oblivious that an election is even occuring. Now, granted this is to be expected when an election as fast as the one we are going through now happens, but the sheer number of people have left me speechless...almost.
In the past I was quite content with supporting both NDP and Liberal ideology and governments, however I must say that this election has changed all of that. Another main reason why I have decided to take the partisan plunge, is due to the sheer disgust I have for the current Liberal government and the PC opposition. I mean, those reading this most likely feel similar to me, because you cannot make up the absurd actions that have gone on.
Analysis Time!
If you are wondering who to vote for and need a little help, this next part may greatly assist you...or it may turn you off from voting all together, either way, I recommend you continue reading.
Tim Hudak
I thought it was fitting to begin this analysis by talking about the Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak. This choice was not hard, since everything that has come out of Tim's mouth has attracted a lot of attention lately anyways.
I truly believe that Mr. Hudak has come out on the far right this election, because he is hoping that the results on June 12th will allow him to follow in his bigger buddy Stephen Harper's direction.
In a situation where your political opponents risk splitting the vote among their direct and occasional supporters, it makes so much sense that an individual wanting to become premier would take a hard stance on many very important positions. While Tim Hudak's words may seem asinine and they are, they guarantee that a dedicated hard core group of very right wing supporters will be voting for him no matter what. In fact, his words are so dangerous that they almost guarantee as fanatical a following as they support ideologically.
You have to understand that Tim Hudak worked very closely with Mike Harris during the "Common Sense Revolution" in Ontario. So much so that he has waited for the day that he would be placed in a position allowing him to further these ideals and create his own attempt at Common Sense 2.0.
If you are deciding to vote PC this election, you must also decide if your own personal ideals follow as hard a right as the individuals you are potentially selecting. A vote for PC is a vote stating that the extreme right is good for balancing a budget and that cutting back on government's size and impact will in fact do more for our society than it would endanger. This type of thinking is perfectly fine for individuals that want less intrusion into their own life and believe that everything must be achieved on your own without help, something that isn't wrong on its own. If you are someone who believes in going to the hospital and not paying for service or allowing your children to go to public school, this decision becomes much more complicated and thus more difficult.
Andrea Horwath
If Andrea Horwath's NDP party had a theme song, it would most likely be "I want to hold your hand" by the Beatles. This excellent song is more of a recommendation than it is an insult however, as it seems Ontarian's need their hands held just to consider the possibility of an NDP government.
Personally, I believe voting NDP is not only right for the moment, but for the collective consciousness of Ontario. We have seen so many examples of foolish remarks and borderline criminal activities from our provincial government that a change is needed. A change that will allow all parties to reevaluate not only where they stand on the political spectrum, but who they stand for.
I commend Andrea for taking her party to a new level in it's existence. No longer is the NDP a socialist idea from a very optimistic person. It is now an official party within Canadian politics that should be taken seriously. Jack Layton made this clear in the last federal election of his career and life.
Many NDP supporters are worried because of the recent letter Andrea received from more senior party supporters, but I say only that this letter and their concerns are not relevant. If both the Liberal and PC parties were able to have a review conducted from their original founders/supporters, I can only imagine the wording and length such a letter would entail.
The NDP's platform also appears to be the most coherent. It puts the most important part of the political system first...the people of said system. If your worried about school cuts or wait times in hospitals lengthening, you need not if an NDP government is elected. Andrea has been promoting exactly what this province needs to not only jump start its economy, but give its people a better quality of life.
Unfortunately, Andrea needs to work on her presentation skills, because lately while she has had some excellent encounters, most of her public appearances come off as attacks ads more than messages of change. Someone gave me an excellent recommendation today that I believe would help correct this, Andrea needs to bring attention to finance minister hopefuls in her potential government and show the people that her caucus is not that of the Bob Rae days, because if anything is holding the NDP back, it is the not so distant memory of the Bob Rae government and its overall spending habits.
Still, with that being said, if Andrea's government ends up boosting education and health care with a billion dollars, do we hang our heads and cry or do you take a breathe of fresh air as the money is spent on something useful and not on cancellation fees for a poorly planned gas plant?
Kathleen Wynne
I will admit that when Kathleen Wynne was chosen to lead the Liberals, I was excited. In fact, I was eating sushi with friends as a nearby t.v displayed the announcement live. As excited as I was however, I also had a fear linger within me that her great fortune and the recent retirement of Dalton Mcguinty could not have come as a result of entirely positive news, a fear that would later materialize into a sad reality for our province.
Governments are allowed to make mistakes and will almost always commit them as they are made up of human beings. However, when a government makes 3 big mistakes and continues down the same path of reasoning in an attempt to maintain power...something needs to be done.
The Political Road Map believes in the proper direction of a government and it's people in order to build and maintain a healthy and prosporous society. When a government that commits borderline illegal actions, then continues to fight everyone in order to prove its legitimacy and "hard work", the direction and priorities of that government must be questioned.
Kathleen Wynne came out today and announced that she is open to a possible coalition with the NDP if required, something I find very odd considering just yesterday she was talking about how horrible the NDP are.
If you are thinking of voting Liberal, you need to take a step back and make sure you review some of the big events that have taken place over the past few years. Some homework is definetly required before you can finalize that decision.
When a government is in power to long, that power has the potential to corrupt it and throw it off course. With Dalton McGuinty stepping down and all of the scandal, it really shows that the Liberals need a change and a time out.
My Recommendation
If you want what is best for Ontario, I recommend you take my direction and vote NDP. Not because they are something hip or different, but because their platform is very similar to the Liberals suggestions, but includes a serious difference. That difference is something the Liberals cannot argue they possess right now and that is trust. We cannot trust a government that has gone to great lengths to fool its voters into thinking its actions were minor, when a lot of taxpayer money has gone missing. The NDP have some great ideas that they have been fighting to get noticed and now many of those ideas have been adopted by the Liberals.
Vote NDP and avoid the PC's, the memory of Bob Rae's government may still linger, but compared to the actions of the other choices, cannot come close to the justify that Andrea will follow the same path or do anymore damage than already has been committed.
Until Next Time!
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