Earning my vote doesn’t come easily

A long list of issues I am concerned about will guide me as I head to the ballot box June 2 to vote in the provincial election. I’m voting for the party I believe is the best to deal with: a lack of affordable housing and rent;

a health-care system that has been pushed to its brink during the pandemic;

the high cost of living; the protection of our environment when it comes to decision-making in the building and development of our infrastructure;

finding solutions to narrow the income inequality in our province. A good start is a minimum guaranteed income and low-cost, high-speed internet for all in the province, north and south.

I’m also looking for three things in a candidate: accountability, transparency and civility.

Being a politician should not be a full-time career as some have made it out to be. A politician is accountable to the people who elect them. They are there to represent the interest of the people of the riding and not the party ideology. They must never forget the electors are their actual boss.

Transparency is important in a democratic society. Be honest and truthful with us. Everyone makes mistakes, but apologies go a lot further than coverups. Deals and decisions that affect all of us should be transparent and debated upon. Transparency is needed to combat corruption, nepotism and wasteful spending. Independent government audits should be reinforced and solidified and access to government documents should be made easier for the public.

With Trump-style politics sneaking across our border with the United States, I cannot emphasize enough about the civility of our politicians. Words and actions of our politicians do matter. You may not agree with the views of another person, which is fine, but you do not have to call them names or belittle them. The more we let negative politics permeate our elections, the more damage we are doing to our democracy for future generations.

Any candidate vying to be the premier of Ontario should be a leader for all and not for some. They must do what is best for the province. I am looking for a leader who is not afraid to listen to and adapt ideas from opposing parties if that improves the lives of the people in the province.

Voting is the most important principle of a democratic society. Your vote really does matter. And thank goodness we live in a country where your right to vote as a citizen, if you are 18 years and older, is made more accessible and easy in comparison to our neighbours to the south.

Our parliamentary system of government is not perfect, but it is the form of government that we have. And like my mother used to say, “Do your best with what you have.”

Your vote matters. When you vote, your vote may go toward the winning party that forms the government or the party that forms the official opposition or to a third party. A third party, like we have witnessed with the NDP in federal politics, has been able to use its clout to promote ideas it believes in.

The opposition parties are essential to holding the government accountable on everything. Tyrannical and authoritative governments have no one to hold them accountable. Those who dare try to hold such governments accountable are routinely jailed, tortured or killed.

Voting is the most fundamental principle of democracy. We are lucky to live in a nation that makes it easy to vote and encourages us to do so. So please go out and vote.

Our democracy is relatively new and fragile. Just like a small tree planted in the ground, we have to protect it, nurture it and contribute to it so that it grows and serves future generations.