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MouseHuntAn open letter to voters in Kingston and the Islands
Apr 28
I’ve been following this election pretty closely, and honestly, it’s pretty scary. The Conservatives are within spitting distance of a majority, and with that comes massive change for Canada. Change I’m not comfortable with.
A few quick examples of things Harper’s Conservatives have done while they’ve held a minority position:
- He created an Agency for Crime Victims that was only used to support a “tough-on-crime” position to get superprisons funded, doing nothing for victims at all. Canada’s crime rate is falling, why do we need more prisons? http://bit.ly/iqP47m
- In 2007, Harper cut $1.2 Billion in spending for the establishment of quality national childcare. However, he never kept his promise to cut the $1.4 billion in tax breaks he gives to oil companies (the wealthiest corporations in history). http://bit.ly/mdj61J
- At the 2010 G20 summit in Toronto – a summit to discuss what to do about the terrible economic hardships befalling the world – Harper spent $1.9 million building a fake lake and nearly $1 Billion on security for the 3 day event. 1,105 arrests were made – the largest mass arrest in Canadian history. Only 99 criminal charges were laid. http://bit.ly/mPxqBo
- And let’s not forget the fact that he prorogued parliament early to prevent threats to his government. http://bit.ly/jZp251
With that happening while he only holds a minority government, I honestly fear what might happen if he got the majority mandate he’s seeking.
What does this have to do with you though? Well, for the first time that I can remember, a whole hell of a lot might be resting on the shoulders of Kingston and the Islands.
Peter Milliken stepped down this election, deciding not to run again after a long and successful career in Federal politics. The Liberal who replaced him is not faring as well this election. In 2008, Milliken won by 7% of the vote. In 2011, Ted Hsu is projected to be ahead by 0.1%.
0.1% is an INCREDIBLY small number. There’s only 97,000 registered electors in Kingston and the Islands, which means 0.1% is only 97 people. But it’s smaller than that. In 2008, only 58,000 electors turned out, which means 0.1% is only 58 people. But it’s smaller than that. Voter turnout has been falling year-over-year.
Which means that Kingston and the Islands hinges on maybe 50 people. Maybe less.
With Harper within spitting distance of a majority government, that could mean that the fate of Canada hinges on maybe 50 people.
Or less.
So if you haven’t voted yet, please, PLEASE get out there on May 2 and cast your vote. If you’re considering voting NDP or Green, please consider Liberal candidate Ted Hsu. If you’re considering voting Conservative, please consider anybody else.
There’s a website set up to educate people about everything the Harper government has done during its term. All the slimy, inconsiderate, nasty things done in our name. It’s called “ShitHarperDid.com“. Reading it is informative, so please go give it a look before you head out to the polls. Hopefully it will only be an historical record going forward, not a breaking news source.
If you’re still not convinced, please humour me by reading this incredibly poignant article, published in The Star in 2010: “Changing Canada, One Backward Step At A Time“. This was written back when there was no immediate election on the horizon, and nobody had an axe to grind, except to point out the terrible things being done to Canada.
Thanks for listening.