Elections Saga-From London, to Vancouver,.

It seems like elections are afoot everywhere. I landed in Vancouver on 15th of April, only to realize that I will be lucky enough to catch the provincial election and actually vote in advanced polls. I had d barely had time to recoverrean from my jet lag when Prime Minister Theresa May, who became a default PM after David Cameron’s resignation following the Brexit referendum, announced a snap election to be held in UK on June 8th of this year. She is hoping to gain legitimacy as a PM by becoming elected by the will of the people. At first I thought the elections were on May 4th and that really upset me, as I would not be there to vote in the elections, however I soon came to realise that the May 4th elections are the local elections. It seems that since I have moved to the UK, I have been voting every year. Last year, I had an opportunity to vote in the now historic Brexit Elections. To the disappointment and shock of many Londoners, including myself Britain voted itself out of the E.U. The aftermath of this decision led to a drastic fall in the value of the pound, needless to say, my Europe adventures meant a greater hit to my wallet, but worse than that was the climate of hatred, Islamophobia and racism. Countless episodes of racially motivated violent attacks such as acid attacks and knife crimes were on the rise. The irony is that these incidents were not limited to people of European descent; it became open season for all immigrants irrespective of race, colour and religion. Given the current climate of Islamophobia,Is it was only a matter of time before physical attacks affected the Muslim community of UK. Being a visibly Muslim woman, I felt myself being constantly on high alert and becoming extra vigilant and aw aware of my surroundings. This increased vigilance was despite the fact that London is a very metropolitan, progressive and relatively sa safe city. It also isn’t a city that voted Out, however despite that, people in London were not immune from the racism that seemed to have swept the nation. I want to explain that despite not being a British citizen, I was allowed to vote in the Brexit elections and can vote in elections held at all levels of Government as being part of the Common wealth and being a resident in the UK. This is indeed a great privilege as people of European descent and with European passports were not granted a voice in the Brexit elections. Brexit brought with it a nightmare of a task to initiate the process of leaving the E.U. Chancellor Angela Merkel had taken a hard stance against defiant Britain and made it very clear that Britain will not be able to reap the same benefits of being part of the membership of E.U. whilst not being a member. You can’t possibly have your cake and eat it too and I for one agree that Britain shouldn’t be allowed special privileges. The announcement of the snap election resulted in the pound gaining value and almost coming back up to its pre-Brexit value. The reason for this was simple; a vote against the Conservative Government would mean a vote against Brexit. This was confirmed by the statement made by European parliament president Antonio Tajani: “If the UK wanted to stay, everybody would be in favour. I would be very happy.” PM May has also announced that there will be no televised debate. Lack of access to information often results is lower voter turn-out; and fortune tends to favour the parties on the right when voter turnout is lowa calculated risk that could make or break May’s career on June 8th. This is also why going out and voting on May 9th in the BC provincial Elections is also crucial, if British Columbians want in the Provincial Assembly. Now, on the other hand, I have the opportunity to be part of the BC provincial elections after 4 years. In the last election, I was here and working during the elections and therefore had a very good grasp on the issues facing the province. I will admit to being a bit out of touch; however the right to vote is something I take very seriously and am so glad that I will get to exercise it whilst here. This elections; I am like any other average BC resident, and will have to approach the elections through research. It seems British Columbians have had enough of Premier Christy Clark, who continues to make promises and continues to break them. With the announcement by US president Trump of a 20% tariff slapped onto Canadians lumber, this has now become an election issue, which all parties will be forced to address. The renewal of the agreements reached can have drastic impacts on the BC’s economy. Many places in BC are becoming increasingly unaffordable, with Vancouver leading in being unaffordable. Housing prices are at an all-time high, wages have not increased at the same rate as increases in MSP premiums, Hydro, and ICBC premiums. These are just some of the issues facing ordinary British Columbians, which impact the overall quality of life. Tuition fees have constantly been rising every year, making post-secondary education out of the reach of middle class families. Allll theh partiesi h have releasedl dh theiri platformsl f which can be accessed on their websites. The BC Liberals are making promises to cut taxes, invest in schools, hospitals, transit and roads, and aiming for 9 consecutive balanced budgets, while the BCNDP are promising to remove MSP fees, build affordable housing, remove tolls on Port Mann and Golden Ears bridge, eliminate interest on student loans and freeze BC Hydro and ICBC rates. Political pundits are predicting a larger than expected impact of the Green party in this election and are definitely going to bring an added excitement to the BC election. As Muslims living in BC, we have to recognize the importance of voting in any election. As can be seen from the platform of every party, matters being presented are those that impact the lives of each and every one of us. Learning about party platforms and the issues within your constituency is the first step to becoming an informed voter. Going to community debates, and tuning in to media broadcasted debates is another step to becoming more informed. But, if you want to see real change and impact, I highly encourage everyone to volunteer time during this election either with the party of their choice, or with Elections BC. Canada is our home now and what happens in our elections is just as important to us, and the only way we can ensure our voices are represented is by going out on Election day on May 9th or on Advanced polls days on 29th and 30th April.