Same Party; Different Voices

I am known for my politics. I am not a Conservative voter. Before Trump got into power in the US, I was sanguine about being governed by different parties. I felt that while I had my perspective and had voted accordingly, I could live with it if the Conservatives (or Liberals or NDP) gained power. Apart from the threat of separation in Quebec, I have felt the same my whole life – until recently.

Over the last few years, I have seen crazy politics emanating from the States and worse still, seen this insanity creeping into Canadian politics.

One aspect of political discourse is how politicians communicate with their constituents.

We know that all political parties campaign throughout their terms – they all want to get into power or maintain it. Part of the campaigning process involves telling your constituents what you are doing for them. And I have no problem with that. I like to be kept up to date. I like to know what my representatives are working on and not working on. It allows me to get involved, form opinions and contact my reps to air my concerns if need be.

What I cannot stand is a political style that:

• leaves me completely uninformed.
• lacks vision and clarity.
• divides based on endless repetition of deceptions and falsehoods.
• alienates constituents who have not voted for them based on partisanship.
• is based on constant harassment of competing parties.

The entire basis of a real democracy is a large pool of engaged voters who can make informed choices.

If true information is not available to voters, then the entire thing is a sham.

We have had low voter turnout lately, and in my opinion, part of the reason is that people know they are not getting the real deal, they know BS when they see it.

Cornwall’s political representation is currently Conservative both federally and provincially.

I don’t know MP Eric Duncan or MPP Nolan Quinn directly and I have nothing personal against either. When Mr. Duncan was voted in, I was ok with it – even if he was a Conservative. He seemed like a good guy who could be a good representative of Cornwall & area. I didn’t know of Mr. Quinn at all one way or the other.

While I wouldn’t vote for either of them because I won’t vote for Conservatives – they are my representatives.

And here is where things differ:

While praising the Ontario Conservative Government, Mr. Quinn’s newsletters are informative and limited to what he and his party are doing provincially and locally.  I can look at the information he provides and find out more about it in various media. I can think about it.

In contrast, Mr. Duncan’s newsletters are highly partisan and heavily focused on bashing the Liberal and NDP parties – especially the Libs. Almost all news from him/his party is given through the lens of what the Liberals are doing or not doing.

In December I got this:

In January I got this:

In the December email newsletter of just over 500 words (not including the Christmas office info), Eric Duncan refers negatively to the Liberals 14 times and Trudeau 6 times. It also includes a link to a video of Eric talking about Trudeau entitled “ Angry about Trudeau not giving all Canadians an equal break on carbon taxes?”

In the January email newsletter of 769 words, the Liberals are negatively mentioned 12 times and Trudeau himself 12 times. Apart from 85 words devoted to “Are you an organ donor?” and its little poster, the entire email is devoted to bashing the Liberal party and Trudeau. Hard copies of similar messaging are paid for by, and mailed to, us taxpayers.

I understand that from a campaigning standpoint, part of the official opposition party’s job is to show you the supposed incompetence of the governing party. Another part of their job is to tell you how and why they are better. They should be able to illustrate why you should vote for them. It should be crystal clear what conditions would improve under them and how they will make these changes.

I know that rage farming works and I understand how it works. It seeks to manipulate and divide people by inflaming them. It obfuscates the facts. It makes people too emotional to think. It amasses a group of people bound by a negative “if my enemy is your enemy – we are friends” instead of a group that is voting for something positive.

Whatever party gains power in Canada federally or provincially is the party that governs the entire country or province and all the citizens therein.  

A party that is unable to stand on its own merits versus relying solely on what its opponents are doing “wrong” is weak. A party that chooses to manipulate and divide citizens to get into power does so because it believes that it is the ONLY way it can win.

This trend towards divisive and inflammatory political rhetoric is concerning, not just for the health of Canadian democracy but for the democratic political climate worldwide. As citizens, we must call on our political leaders, demanding transparency, integrity, and a focus on collective well-being rather than partisan victories.