I think it is fitting that the first post of my new blog be about a subject that has many Canadians

scratching their heads: Federal Politics 101. More specifically I want to touch on what politics
mean to all of us as Canadians, and why I believe that apathy is boring.
My introduction to Federal Politics began at the age of 11, when I went door to door canvassing
with my dad for Progressive Conservative candidate (and a friend/colleague of his), Ken James.
My first taste of Democracy in action, dad said I charmed the voters as I handed out campaign
literature with him and attended rallies. It became a regular occurrence after that. Every election,
Federal or Provincial, I was on the streets with dad encouraging people to vote. (Not much has
changed, save for my own personal leanings.)
My biggest thrill came in 1992, just as I was heading off to the University of Windsor to study
French and Spanish. I was introduced at a PC rally to the Right Honourable, Kim Campbell. I
shook her hand and told her that one day, I hoped to become "...the second female Prime
Minister of Canada." She looked me in the eye, smiled and said, "Jo-Anne, you might be the
first!"
In my first year at University, I took my inaugural "Poli Sci 101" course, Introduction to
Canadian Government and Politics. I knew from the outset that this is where my heart was. I
found myself completely engrossed in the words of the Professor, Dr. Heather MacIvor (a self-
proclaimed "anal retentive feminist" and extremely knowledgeable, highly intelligent woman).
Preferring the Political Science studies to my languages, I made the decision before second
semester to jump ship. Political Science was my calling, the languages could wait.
Here is a brief summary of the basic things I learned in that introductory class.
What are federal politics?
Our system of Government is a Democracy; Government for the people, by the people.
We elect them, and they represent us.
The federal system in Canada is run by a Parliament; The Parliament consists of elected
officials in The House of Commons, and appointed positions in the Senate. You have no
say who is appointed to the Senate (and at times, very little say who leads the House).
Our parliamentary electoral system is modeled after the United Kingdom, and is
described as "first past the post". Candidates are run for each party in areas called
"ridings". The candidate, who wins the most votes in his /her area, wins a seat in the
House. The leader of the political party able to win the most seats or ridings becomes the
Prime Minister. (Not too confusing, right?)
We are a multi-party system. Any Canadian citizen can run for office under any party
banner. The major parties in Canada are the Conservative Party of Canada (formerly
known as Progressive Conservatives pre Alliance, Reform and PC merge), the Liberal
Party of Canada and the New Democratic Party. It could be argued that the Bloq
Qubcois and Green parties are also "major" players in Canadian politics, and therefore
I add them to our list, although the Bloq is centralized to Quebec, and the Green party
does not hold a seat in the House of Commons.
This system is flawed. The majority of voters are not always represented in a "first past
the post", "multi-party" system, especially when a minority government is attained. (I
will come back to that at another time.)
Those basics should suffice as an overview. Read: enough of the boring stuff. On to the real grit.
How do Federal Politics affect me?
Federal politics have a huge effect on our daily lives. It determines what kind of social programs
we have access to, or lack thereof; how much tax money will be deducted off our earnings, and
what return we will see for those tax dollars. For example, overspending without taxation leads
to deficits, creating a need for higher taxation in the future. Over taxing leads to less spending by
the citizens of the country, which will also have its difficulties. The choice of investment for our
tax dollars dictates the future of our finances both as an individual and a country. The Federal
Government serves as our face on the world stage. How we are perceived as a nation is
determined not only by our own personal actions at home and abroad, but also by the actions of
our elected officials and the choices they make.
Apathy Sucks!
There is a lot riding on your vote. Please, don't think for one minute that it doesn't matter. It
does! In a democracy it is the only voice you have to say, "I agree!" to whomever represents your
interests the best. It is a small way for you to say, "I live here, this is my home, and I know how
I want to see it run!" If current events say anything to you, they should be saying, "VOTE!".
People are dying for the freedom of choice we enjoy in Canada. Literally.
Beyond just the importance of your vote is educating yourself in order to make that vote really
count. My advice: don't vote rigidly for one party because it's your long standing tradition, or
how you were raised. Vote on the issues that speak to you, regardless of party lines. Listen to
what each candidate has to say. If they bore you, ask me. I'll tell you in layman's terms what
they are saying, how it affects you and debunk the lies.
Forget the myth that politics are boring. Politics are exciting. I'm serious!
Sports fans could equate politics to horse racing (first past the post), baseball (hitting a policy
home run), or hockey (dropping the gloves and throwing a good punch at the opposition, or
scoring a goal in the five hole when the other team isn't looking).
Movie and book lovers can equate politics to a good romance, drama, mystery or sometimes, a
chilling horror! Love reality TV? Some of the so called reality shows on the boob tube are
nothing compared to the drama that occurs in the House of Commons every so often. Try
watching CPAC for an afternoon. The shouting and insults could curl the toes of the best "trash
TV" lover.
Apathy is boring. And it can be deadly. If we are not careful about who we elect, it can be
harmful to us as a whole. As I stated above, politics affects us in so many ways that we need to
make informed choices. Don't vote based strictly on tradition and allegiance. Vote on the issues
that matter to you. Educate yourself on those issues and use the reasoning skills you were born
with to come to a decision worthy of your time to cast that vote.
If my interest could be piqued at the age of 11 and continue with me to this day, yours can be
too. Politics do matter. They matter to you, to me, to our parents and grandparents and most
importantly to the generation that comes after us. Our children, their children and
grandchildren! Leave your mark, and leave a legacy. Vote. If you don't, well, you're boring.