Civility in politics.
It is a phrase with something of a loaded meaning, I will admit. While it brings to mind stoic politicians treating one another with respect in a bygone era, it can also be used to criticize those pushing for social justice and change or protesting against the infringement of their rights.
Breaking it down, civility simply means a willingness to engage in genuine discussion with a sincere desire to find a middle ground. Compromise and a willingness to work together to solve problems is a foundational aspect of democracy.
Its a hardly a hot take these days, I will admit, to observe that compromise and solving issues hardly seem to be a priority for many of the world's politicians. In Ottawa, our elected officials have resorted to petty name-calling, while down south in Washington polarization has gotten so bad legislation in the best interests of lawmakers constituents will be scuppered to avoid giving the other side a win.
That's why I found it quite refreshing to attend the District of 100 Mile House's All-Candidates forum last week. For those of you not in the know, earlier this year longtime councillor Ralph Fossum announced his resignation from council leaving his seat open with over two years left to go in his term. So the district has called a by-election to fill the seat which takes place all day on June 22 at the chamber office.
There are four candidates seeking to fill Fossum's shoes: Marty Norgren, Dave Wishnowski, Cameron McSorley and Lori Fry. They all come from diverse backgrounds but are united in their desire to take a more active role in shaping the future of our community.
One thing that struck me as I listened to them answer questions from the public on policy and plans was the respectful nature with which they all conducted themselves. They didn't try talking over one another, tearing each other down or exceeding their time limit. Instead, they focused on explaining their ideologies and policies, even finding common ground on many of the issues such as housing, attracting new business investment and recreation.
After so many years of listening to politicians more interested in telling us why the other guy would be worse rather then what they'll do to make our lives better, it was nice to simply hear people talking about what they think could be done to help 100 Mile House and the South Cariboo grow. Some ideas were common sense and others a bit lofty, but the majority were ones that resonated with the 20 or so people in attendance.
Now I cannot and will not be telling you who to vote for, but I would encourage everyone who reads this column who can vote in this by-election to do so. Democracy works best when we the people engage and put leaders in charge who will actually be civil and work together to better society.
Indeed that goes for this coming provincial election as well. While I suspect that civility may fall by the wayside as the B.C. Conservative Party, B.C. United and BC NDP square off, cutting through the noise to the policies that will actually benefit you life is hard, but worth it.
So I hope that I will see you all at the polls this year and that you'll all support candidates willing to debate, in a respectful manner, the issues that really matter and come up with solutions.
