Council of Canadians: That one vote is important

In the old days, if a man wanted to show what he believed, he stood up and he was counted. He stood with those who agreed with him and the more there were, the stronger they were. Sometimes a man stood alone and that took a lot of guts.

We’ve gone beyond counting bodies. Things are more complicated with secret ballots, polling stations and data systems. Women fought hard for the right to vote. More recently, First Nations people obtained that right too, in the 1960s, not too long ago. The new voters exercised their rights with vigilance, but things changed.

Apparently, many think that not voting is a protest against all that they see wrong with our government and our electoral system. But non-votes are not counted and non-votes mean nothing. Not much of a protest there.

We all take from our beautiful country; its highways, health care, security, opportunities, landscapes and education. We pay taxes, look after our families and some volunteer for worthy causes. But Canada needs more from us. It needs our engagement with its government. Otherwise, we, the citizens do not govern ourselves.

Everybody likes investing money in stuff; pension funds, stocks and bonds because they provide for future returns. Investing time and energy in our politics will yield the same results – better future returns and it can cost us no money. We can get tax deductions for political contributions and we can get Canada out of debt.

Don’t trust the public media? That’s OK because many cashed in their credibility a long time ago. But, with the Internet and assorted journals, there are sources galore that are objectively reporting and analysing the truth. Just a little effort and time will find them.

Much needs to change with our electoral system and we can make those changes – if we vote for them. Besides, engaging in the process can be interesting and even funny. Watch the foibles of our parliamentary debates and our senators, catch some of the politicians in their lies, read or hear their truly dumb remarks and, voila, we have our own made-in-Canada reality show.

And underneath all of that, there are some men and women called to politics who are doing their best for our country and those folks need help to support them and to keep them honest. The good ones are continuously bombarded by lobbyists, business interests and party strategies and they need to be reminded that we, the people are actually in charge.

So, it’s not just the one single vote that counts. It’s the awareness behind it. There is still time, time to look at the issues, understand the campaign promises and to decide for whom to vote. Then, after the election, stay in the game, watch those new government people and keep their feet to the fire.

André Clément is the president of the Sudbury chapter of the Council of Canadians.