Reward those who vote with tax credit

It has been a few weeks since our recent provincial election, but I can’t get over the fact that I’m pretty disappointed with a lot of my fellow Nova Scotians.

In this election, fewer than 54 per cent of eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots. If I understand it correctly, this was an all-time low for voter turnout. They call this voter apathy. I call it voter irresponsibility.

What were the 46-plus per cent of these eligible voters thinking?

Did they think governments get elected by themselves? Did they think their votes wouldn’t count?

I know some people didn’t vote because they didn’t like any of the leaders, parties, or candidates.

If this describes your situation, then give your head a shake! If you don’t like any of these candidates, leaders and parties, then vote for the one you dislike the least.

Not voting doesn’t mean that government just goes away. A government will be formed regardless of voters’ inactions. In this particular election, the Liberal Party and its leader Stephen McNeil won a second mandate, even if it was a squeaker; a twoseat majority.

The fact that the Liberals were returned with a considerably reduced seat count in the House is a lesson to them about how voters perceived their actions over the last four years regarding the resolution of the teachers’ contract, the reduction of the tax credit for the film industry, health care in general, the Yarmouth ferry, and a host of other files.

If you chose not to vote, then how are we supposed to know how you felt about these and many other issues?

You hear folks squawk about their rights, but where do you find these same folks when it comes to their responsibilities like voting – out behind the barn?

If your vote might have gone toward the Liberals, then you might have helped the Liberals secure a stronger majority from which to govern.

If your vote might have gone toward the Conservatives, then we could have a very different government in power right now.

If the vast majority of nonvoters had voted, they might have even have returned an NDP government.

Some of the ridings were won by very few votes.

Michel Samson lost his seat by only 20 votes. Hugh McKay won his seat by only 90 votes. Barbara Adams won her seat by 97 votes. Lloyd Hines won his seat by only 71 votes. Derek Mombourquette won his seat by only 164 votes. Bill Home won his seat by only 66 seats.

In these contested ridings, just imagine how things might have been different if people turned out and did their civic duty.

Every vote counts! As previous writers have stated, perhaps it’s time to consider mandatory voting. I’m not sure about this though. While it may get a few more people to the polls, there would be a major issue over enforcement, and I would expect even more people would be squawking about their rights being trampled.

That’s the thing, eh? People are huge on their rights, but alas, not always so much about their responsibilities. I’m afraid the use of the “stick” is not going to help.

I suggest we try the “carrot” instead.

How about, as I proposed in an earlier article, we give folks who vote a tax credit they can claim on their personal income tax return. I previously suggested a credit of $100, but let’s up that to $250.

What do you think?