With advance polls now open, and election day itself looming around the corner, I am pleased at this time to announce my personal endorsement for the Liberal Party of Canada and, in particular, my local candidate, Kent Hehr.
There are a number of reasons that I feel the Liberal platform has my best interests at heart. Vitally important to this decision is my long-held belief that the role of government is to intervene in times of crisis, including - and this is the key point - times of economic strife. I have been impressed with the Liberal decision to NOT be overly concerned with balancing the budget; the rhetoric surrounding a national deficit has become fetishized with "balancing the books." It is refreshing to hear that a party accepts we have to spend money to implement promises, and moreover that the government can and should do so where the best interests of the country are concerned.
With that in mind, here are three key areas where the Liberal party has won my vote:
Dedicated Infrastructure Spending
The Liberal party's numbers on infrastructure spending are considerable: across the next 10 years, $20billion for Public Transit, $20billion in social infrastructure (low-cost housing, senior's residences, child care facilities, cultural/recreational facilities like gyms, parks, etc.), $20billion in green infrastructure (energy, flood mitigation, water treatment)(pg. 13 of the full platform) . These numbers are large because they MUST be large in order to make a difference. The Liberal party is the only leading choice willing to put in the required amounts and effort that would see any kind of meaningful effects in the areas outlined.
Logical Defence Spending
It is incredibly refreshing to finally hear a party support our Navy. Our arctic sovereignty is important, and it is a belief of mine that the only proper way to patrol and enforce that sovereignty is via a modern, well-equipped navy. We simply don't have the ability or resources to fly regular sorties with F-35 fighter jets over the northern frontier. The Liberal party plan to immediately scrap the F-35 boondoggle in favour of a lower-priced next-gen CF-18 just makes sense (pg. 70). The money saved can be wisely invested in a navy that can capably respond to situations on all of our shores.
What is especially encouraging about the Liberal plan for our defence budget is the emphasis on expert advice which has been ignored for far too long. Which leads me to my third point.
Reasoned, Open, Discussion
It might be a bit too far to say that our system of government is fundamentally broken; after all this election is still very much a horse race that at various times has been open to anyone. Still, it is almost universally recognized across the country that any system whereby a party can win a controlling interest in the House of Commons with roughly one-third of the country's support is deeply flawed. Therefore I am very pleased to support the Liberal party's promise to form a bipartisan, all-party committee that will look at EVERY form of possible change, including "ranked ballots, proportional representation, mandatory voting, and online voting." (pg. 27).
Though Trudeau has personally voiced a preference for ranked ballots, what has impressed me about the Liberal Party's approach to reform is its measured tone. They have recognized the need for reform, and welcome the discussion from all parties to best address how to fix our ailing system. This tone has been echoed in other areas as well.
On the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Trudeau's leadership has been calm and reasonable. Maybe this deal would be good for Canada. Maybe it wouldn't. His suggestion that his government would have to wait to actually read the terms is a breath of fresh air in an environment of suspicion and hostility.
On his ideas for legalization of Marijuana, Trudeau again advocates calm, reasonable discussion. The "war on drugs" is a costly fool's errand, and hearing a leader espouse evidence-based research and a common sense approach to what really shouldn't be a hot-button issue is fantastic.
This tenor is felt in my local riding as well. Kent Hehr, the Liberal candidate for Calgary Centre, has a demonstrable record of working in the Alberta Legislature across party lines to get the job done. Through his and fellow Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman's efforts, GSAs were passed by a Tory government that really had no vested interest in seeing GSAs passed. Moreover, Hehr's tone in the debates has been one of offering change and conciliatory dynamics in the House of Commons. The other non-incumbent candidates have resorted too often to attacking incumbent Joan Crockatt's record. While that record is abysmal, Hehr is the only non-incumbent who then moves on to add and this is what I have to offer.
It is that key turning point that I feel has been upheld by Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.
Facing down juvenile attacks from both the Conservative and NDP parties, Trudeau has defied expectations and strived for the most levelled, thought-through conversation possible in a very volatile, lengthy election.
I could go on, but a wise man said brevity is the soul of wit and as this election has already stretched far past its best before date, I will close simply with this:
If you want balance, responsibility, and a government that listens?
Vote Liberal. Vote Trudeau. Vote Hehr.
 |
| Courtesy of The Liberal Party of Canada/Kent Hehr for Calgary Centre |
There are a number of reasons that I feel the Liberal platform has my best interests at heart. Vitally important to this decision is my long-held belief that the role of government is to intervene in times of crisis, including - and this is the key point - times of economic strife. I have been impressed with the Liberal decision to NOT be overly concerned with balancing the budget; the rhetoric surrounding a national deficit has become fetishized with "balancing the books." It is refreshing to hear that a party accepts we have to spend money to implement promises, and moreover that the government can and should do so where the best interests of the country are concerned.
With that in mind, here are three key areas where the Liberal party has won my vote:
Dedicated Infrastructure Spending
The Liberal party's numbers on infrastructure spending are considerable: across the next 10 years, $20billion for Public Transit, $20billion in social infrastructure (low-cost housing, senior's residences, child care facilities, cultural/recreational facilities like gyms, parks, etc.), $20billion in green infrastructure (energy, flood mitigation, water treatment)(pg. 13 of the full platform) . These numbers are large because they MUST be large in order to make a difference. The Liberal party is the only leading choice willing to put in the required amounts and effort that would see any kind of meaningful effects in the areas outlined.
Logical Defence Spending
It is incredibly refreshing to finally hear a party support our Navy. Our arctic sovereignty is important, and it is a belief of mine that the only proper way to patrol and enforce that sovereignty is via a modern, well-equipped navy. We simply don't have the ability or resources to fly regular sorties with F-35 fighter jets over the northern frontier. The Liberal party plan to immediately scrap the F-35 boondoggle in favour of a lower-priced next-gen CF-18 just makes sense (pg. 70). The money saved can be wisely invested in a navy that can capably respond to situations on all of our shores.
What is especially encouraging about the Liberal plan for our defence budget is the emphasis on expert advice which has been ignored for far too long. Which leads me to my third point.
Reasoned, Open, Discussion
It might be a bit too far to say that our system of government is fundamentally broken; after all this election is still very much a horse race that at various times has been open to anyone. Still, it is almost universally recognized across the country that any system whereby a party can win a controlling interest in the House of Commons with roughly one-third of the country's support is deeply flawed. Therefore I am very pleased to support the Liberal party's promise to form a bipartisan, all-party committee that will look at EVERY form of possible change, including "ranked ballots, proportional representation, mandatory voting, and online voting." (pg. 27).
Though Trudeau has personally voiced a preference for ranked ballots, what has impressed me about the Liberal Party's approach to reform is its measured tone. They have recognized the need for reform, and welcome the discussion from all parties to best address how to fix our ailing system. This tone has been echoed in other areas as well.
On the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Trudeau's leadership has been calm and reasonable. Maybe this deal would be good for Canada. Maybe it wouldn't. His suggestion that his government would have to wait to actually read the terms is a breath of fresh air in an environment of suspicion and hostility.
On his ideas for legalization of Marijuana, Trudeau again advocates calm, reasonable discussion. The "war on drugs" is a costly fool's errand, and hearing a leader espouse evidence-based research and a common sense approach to what really shouldn't be a hot-button issue is fantastic.
This tenor is felt in my local riding as well. Kent Hehr, the Liberal candidate for Calgary Centre, has a demonstrable record of working in the Alberta Legislature across party lines to get the job done. Through his and fellow Liberal MLA Laurie Blakeman's efforts, GSAs were passed by a Tory government that really had no vested interest in seeing GSAs passed. Moreover, Hehr's tone in the debates has been one of offering change and conciliatory dynamics in the House of Commons. The other non-incumbent candidates have resorted too often to attacking incumbent Joan Crockatt's record. While that record is abysmal, Hehr is the only non-incumbent who then moves on to add and this is what I have to offer.
It is that key turning point that I feel has been upheld by Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.
Facing down juvenile attacks from both the Conservative and NDP parties, Trudeau has defied expectations and strived for the most levelled, thought-through conversation possible in a very volatile, lengthy election.
I could go on, but a wise man said brevity is the soul of wit and as this election has already stretched far past its best before date, I will close simply with this:
If you want balance, responsibility, and a government that listens?
Vote Liberal. Vote Trudeau. Vote Hehr.