Time to tune out all the election spin

The promises are starting to flow from the provincial parties and the municipal candidates are filing their nomination papers.

There’s an election or two around the corner and after the past few years it’s become painfully clear how important these elected officials are. The people we elect may literally find themselves making life and death decisions on our behalf, for our communities. This year, I’m approaching these campaigns a bit differently, and I hope you’ll do the same. I’m going to ignore the memes and the social media hot takes, and I’m going to look closely at what the candidates in my riding, in my ward and for school board, are saying and at what they have done.

I’ll be looking at the individual candidates not just at the city level, but provincially as well. While the party platforms are important, right now we have six independents within the Ontario legislature, all of whom started off as party members. There is no guarantee the MPP you elect will stay affiliated with the party they started with. There is also the possibility, as with Alberta MLA Pat Rhen of Lesser Slave Lake, that even if they stay with their party you could end up with an elected representative who does so little work the entire town council writes to ask them to resign.

In the end, a party is only as good as its candidates. As citizens it is our responsibility to look these candidates over carefully. Every right comes with a responsibility.

I’ll be looking for people who are committed, caring and competent. For committed, I want to know that they did the work. If they were previously elected, did they show up for their meetings? I’ve been embarrassed by the number of meetings at Hamilton city hall that have been cancelled due to lack of attendance. The very least an elected official can do is show up.

Secondly, do they care passionately about something?

Every candidate is likely to say they are concerned about the key issues, and it can be hard to know who is just well spoken and who really does care. So, do a bit of digging. Jim Flaherty was a tireless advocate for people with disabilities. Kathleen Wynne was advocating for education long before she ran for her first position. Knowing the causes that a candidate is deeply invested in tells you there is more to their run than being drawn to the power of a seat in government.

Lastly, are they competent?

I’ve been both amazed and dismayed by how badly things have been handled provincially, at the city level and at the school board level in the past few years. Yes, sometimes the competent person looks boring against another candidate with lots of marketing money behind them, or a flair for the dramatic in a debate. But tune out the spin and read their material. Does it say anything? Talk to them and ask a few questions about your community. Can they answer you coherently? Have they done their homework? With a little careful reading and listening, you’ll find the information you need.

For me the main idea is to move away from the marketing to the real person. It can’t be all about likeability. This year, let’s not vote in someone you’d enjoy having a drink with one day. Instead, let’s vote in people who could handle an emergency. Because you never know when one might happen.