Playing games hurts process

After letting Islanders twist in the wind for a while wondering about a spring 2018 election, the premier finally decreed on Saturday that the election can wait. But wait until when? Not a summer 2018 election it would seem, and surely not a fall 2018 election.

Calling a provincial election in the fall of this year would disrespect the municipal electoral process in November. Municipalities already struggle to attract voters to the polls, and dual fall elections would surely cause voter fatigue to the detriment of the municipal turnout.

P.E.I.’s Election Act has been twice amended to allow fixed date provincial elections, most recently in 2008 to mandate that the next provincial election will be held on the first Monday of October 2019 or possibly later.

However, we all know that this mandate is not substantive. The premier himself has repeated the fact that only certain circumstances would allow the fixed election date to occur as it’s supposed to, and that the premier may go to the lieutenant-governor to request proroguing the house and calling an election as he feels fit.

Unfortunately, election dates have become a vehicle of political opportunism, which can be a delight to politicians and their followers, but is also offensive to voters who resent being manipulated in such a manner. Provincial elections are costly, time-consuming events, and should usually be conducted only in predetermined years. Playing games with these dates for one’s own advantage is not being mindful of the wishes of Island voters.

Peter Meggs,

Cornwall