Top 10 Things Wrong with the Provincial Election
10. Do We Know When the Next Election Will Be?
Elections are expensive, time-consuming, makes a government a lame duck, and exhausting. Prior to Stephen Harper being elected as Prime Minister with a minority government, we had election after election. It was minority government over and over so the opposition could defeat the government at will. Harper happened to be elected at the height of our exhaustion and when all parties were broke. He made minority government work and then won a majority government. During that time, when all parties were licking their wounds, Canadians demanded more predictability and fixed Election Dates were set for Canada and for Manitoba. The fixed dates were designed to make sure that there was a year in between elections. I don't think Pallister calling an early election is illegal, but it certainly is a dangerous precedent. So, now, is the government we elect going to take us to 2024, which is the next scheduled date? My gut tells me the election will be held whenever the leader of the government thinks they have the best shot of being elected.
9. Nobody is paying attention to Provincial Election.
I prefer to watch the National news stations mostly because it is always on and I seem to be otherwise occupied during local newscasts. Even though the writ hasn't been dropped in the federal election, it is just a formality and the major news organizations have been covering it like it is full-on election for several weeks. Do you know how many times the Manitoba election has made the national news? Me neither because I have never seen it. But, it is deeper than that. For whatever reason, the apathy seems louder than usual. Of course, the provincial election is in the middle of two of the busiest days of the year for Manitobans; the Labour Day Classic and the Banjo Bowl. Nothing is going to push those events off the minds of Manitobans. We know what our priorities are and we have lofty goals. As long as we're better than Rider Nation, we are content. And if the worst should happen, well, we will surely get them next year.
8. Elections Manitoba is spending the Most $ on Advertising.
Every time you see a political ad on tv, the next one you see if from Elections Manitoba encouraging us to register to vote, vote in the advanced polls, and to vote. In Saturday's edition of the Free Press, they took out a full page ad telling us every candidate running in every riding and publishing their address. Do you know how much a full page ad in Saturday's Free Press would cost? Well, it is a lot but don't bother asking any of the political parties how much it would cost, because they wouldn't know. None of the parties have done such an ambitious advertising campaign. Also, in the world that we live in where safety and security are real issues, I am shocked that they published the home addresses of candidates. Instead of that, they might have just identified the candidates that live in the Riding in which they are contesting.
7. Wab Kinew can't translate personal appeal into his public persona.
Long before he was a political figure, I hear Wab give a key note address in front of a large audience. I was somewhat impressed and then, I went up and talked to him afterwards. I was really impressed. Last year, I attended a civic form where Wab attended. He attended as a voter and not as a political candidate. He happened to sit next to me. Well, forget common decency, I am not going to let a chance like that pass me by. I kept whispering comments and questions to him. I found him to have tremendous insight, and a great sense of humour. I liked him a lot. When he is speaking to a small group, he is engaging and forthright. When he is speaking in a large group, that charisma doesn't seem to be there. And, then, there is his criminal record. To be honest, the issue for me is not the criminal record, but the response of everyone when it it brought up. All of his supporters tell me it is not an issue and he has written about it in his memoir and I am directed to Amazon to buy his book for $34.99 plus shipping and handling. Really. He wants my vote, right? Why should I spend that money to read a book published in 2015. It is already outdated and I don't have time to read 288 pages. Do a major tv interview where you address all of our concerns.
6. It is not a level playing field.
The reality is that the Conservatives have money and other resources such as actual paid human resources. The Liberal and NDP have little of either and it shows. It is true that money does equate to votes.
5. The media is setting the agenda.
The media is putting huge pressure for each party to put out fully-costed election platforms. So, it seems everyday, a party is coming forward with another plank in their platform. A fully-costed complete election platform is someone that no one in the province, other than the media will read. I mean, really, a fully-costed platform will be so long that it will be nothing but a sleep-aid. Plus, it is essentially meaningless. It is a platform, and the realities of government often make it obsolete. This fully costed complete platforms date back to Ed Broadbent. People were able to catch on, that at the time, he had no hope of being elected, so he could promised anything because he would not be accountable. It makes the message of each Party so watered-down that it is hard to know what there central messaging is. Again, I am showing my age, but, the last clear election message that I can recall was when Brian Mulroney won his first majority government. At the time, the Progressive Conservative message was "Jobs, jobs, jobs.". It is the kiss principle.
4. No One is Getting Me Excited
Believe me, I know what is out there and it doesn't make me excited about the future of Manitoba. The only party that is presenting a positive vision is Pallister's Conservatives with their forward message. They are talking about a better future. No one else is making me excited. But, the same Conservatives who are talking about a better future in one moment are attacking Wab in the next moment, so that negates my excitement.
3. The Liberal Party is Not Presenting a Fresh Team.
I have been told that Dougald Lamont is a smart man with vision. That may be, but I am not seeing too much evidence of this myself. He appears to be more comfortable in the back rooms than out front. If he is passionate, it really isn't coming across. It is hard to listen to their "new" ideas, when they have an MLA who is past his "best before" date. And, he hasn't helped the new Liberal team. He didn't seem to help Rona Bokari and I recall seeing him on tv wearing a t-shift of another candidate at the last leadership debate. It makes me wonder how fresh the party is and how unified it is. Ironically, the Liberal party is presenting a slate which includes some hard-working and fresh thinking candidates, but it is hard to get past my reservations of the party.
2. The Conservative Party is not running.
Well, the Conservative's may be fielding a full slate of candidates, but, the reality is that Brian Pallister is running and a bunch of people are contesting seats as his minions. While all parties showcase their leaders, the Conservatives are making it all about Pallister. Esther Pallister is getting more media attention than their finance minister. Democracy works best when we are governed by a team that includes wide ranges of views. This ensures that no segments of society don't fall through the cracks. If you want to know of the danger of having one charismatic leader having too much power, ask our neighbours to the South how it is working out for them?
1. The Leaders Debate
The leader's debate showed me why Manitoba's election gets little national attention and why Manitoba only grabs the spotlight for negative reasons. We are a have not province and can't seem to catch up the rest of the country in terms of service and innovation. The debate wasn't that exciting and it showed one experienced communicator who has been coached and three inexperienced communicators. Kinew eventually stood up to Pallister but it took him a long time. Kinew also was a victim of some bad camera shots. When the tone was very serious, they seemed to show a shot of him smiling. When the tone was light, they showed a picture of him appearing angry. Just random shots but he seemed to be out of sync all 50 minutes. James Beddome should have been the clear winner in the debate but he appeared the most nervous as evidenced by clicking his pen incessantly. Everytime they showed a shot of Lamont, he was looking bored with one foot up to the side of his other foot. It looked like a yoga pose. It is hard to take him seriously when he looked like he wasn't taking it seriously. I' am sure all of the leaders were taking notes of the points raised by their opposition but I only saw two of them do it. It makes me think the other's weren't taking it very seriously. It also made Manitoba look like light-weights. I know Manitoba is full of exciting people with clear vision. What is stopping them from stepping forward?
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