It’s less than seven days until General Voting Day for the B.C. Election.
Depending on which polls you believe, if any, the NDP have either as much as an 8 point lead or the Liberals have a narrow lead. Depending on what you read, the Green Party may pick up more seats in Vancouver Island and possibly in the Interior.
This week we received a letter to the editor asking for a “None of the Above” option. Certainly, this is looking at the glass half empty.
Personally, if I look at the glass half empty, both locally and provincially, regardless of who wins, we’ll get a government that’s unqualified. The job of a politician is, at least in my current perspective, one that it’s impossible to be qualified for.
Candidates are required to be relatable to a wide range of people, from the least to the most educated, personable, experienced but not too experienced and with a strong connection to the area, all while having a thorough grasp of highly complex issues no single person can reasonably be expected to master.
Looking at the glass half full, our three local candidates all have a history of (some) community involvement and are, at the very least compared to candidates in some ridings, serious candidates. I don’t doubt that all three candidates care about the Cariboo Chilcotin and will represent, at minimum, segments of the Cariboo Chilcotin well.
I think most reasonable people (whatever that means) would concede, although possibly not on the first prompt, that all three parties have some good policies and some questionable policies.
Without a doubt, one of the biggest challenges going forward is going to be keeping the Cariboo Chilcotin vibrant. Especially in the South Cariboo, we have an ageing population and may suffer job losses resulting from U.S. trade actions and restrictions to the allowable cut.
As with many things, there are multiple solutions to this challenge and we will never conclusively know which is best ranging from fighting trade action and seeking new export opportunities to seeking to diversify.
Ultimately, it’s incredibly difficult, because of the complexity of some issues, to understand which candidate will represent your interests best.
In recent elections across the world, there are plenty of examples of people voting against their self interests from Americans dependent on the Affordable Care Act to stay alive voting for Trump to workers in industries heavily subsidised by the E.U. voting in favour of Brexit as well as vice versa (I’m sure someone stands to benefit from these things).
We hope that we have provided our readers with enough background information for everyone of you to make an informed decision.