Undecided voters weigh options in close federal race

For Creighton Widdis, the federal election is about trust — and he still isn’t sure where to place his.

“It’s really hard,” said Widdis. “I change my mind about 10 times a day.”

Widdis, 42, is one of Regina’s undecided voters. He’s been doing mental gymnastics as he struggles to decide in the hours before election day. He’s put off by what he calls Liberal “corruption” and “scandal,” especially over the Snc-lavalin affair, but can’t easily bring himself to vote for Conservative economic and social policies he doesn’t support.

“Do I punish the Liberals for corruption, which they promised not to do?” he asked. “Or do I vote for the Liberals because I don’t trust the Conservatives, thus condoning any potential corruption that happened.”

The Greens or the NDP haven’t been able to resolve his dilemma. Neither, for Widdis, seem like “viable” options.

Then there’s the Goodale factor. Widdis lives in Regina—wascana, the only Liberal seat in the province. He called incumbent Liberal MP Ralph Goodale “a good guy.”

“Even though I like him, as a member of Parliament, a vote for him is a vote for a party that’s done some questionable things,” said Widdis.

Party promises haven’t won him over either, since he’s not sure who has the credibility to follow through. In the coming hours, he’ll be watching whether the leaders take the high road or the low road.

“If they seem to conduct themselves professionally then that will be a big deal for me,” he explained. “If they just get nastier as it gets to crunch time that’s going to take away from any credibility they have.”

Asked what he’d do if he were voting right now, Widdis could only speak in probabilities: 40 per cent Liberal, 40 per cent Conservative, 20 per cent Green.

“The Liberals have kind of betrayed my trust, but the Conservatives haven’t done anything to build it,” said Widdis.

STRATEGIC VOTING

Doug Casimel is a strategic voter, and he’s holding off on any commitment until the bitter end.

“I want to cancel out a Conservative vote,” he said.

His first priority is the environment. He wants to vote Green, but he likely won’t.

Casimel, 50, said he’ll be studying a website that helps strategic voters decide which candidate has the best chance of defeating a Conservative. For now, in his Regina—lewvan riding, that seems like the NDP. But Casimel will keep checking votewell.ca right up until election day.

Like Widdis, Casimel feels betrayed by the way the Liberals handled the Snc-lavalin affair. He was especially disgusted with the treatment of former justice minister and attorney general Jody Wilson-raybould

“That just knocked down the liberals for me,” he said. “I think the Liberals need to be humbled a little bit,” he said.

ONLY ‘BAD’ CHOICES

Jason Buchaner wants to see a minority government. Whoever wins the keys to the Prime Minister’s Office, he thinks they’ll need a “referee” to hold them in check.

For him, politicians aren’t easy to trust. The 2019 federal election campaign has done little to disabuse him of that belief.

“I think everybody’s either scummy or a bad choice,” said Buchaner, 40.

He lives in Balgonie, in Conservative leader Andrew Scheer’s riding. Asked who he voted for in 2015, he lowers his voice. He seems ashamed to say it: “Trudeau.”