rabble.ca Canadian federal election blog

Lament for a nation

By Trish Hennessy, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

As Canadians living in a free and open democracy, we hit a new low yesterday.

It was Canada’s 40th federal election – an election waged during perilous economic times, globally and domestically.

And yet, only 59% of eligible voters came out to vote. That represents the lowest voter turnout in our entire democratic history.

And so, today, I write this lament.

This is a lament for the generations of strivers and visionaries who came before us to build a nation that at times has been the envy of many other nations – largely because of social programs and international peace stances that Canadians voted for in healthy, robust numbers long before this, the day of disengagement.

This is a lament for the democracy so many men gave up lives to protect, on battlefields in foreign lands during demonically turbulent times.

This is a lament for an active, engaged citizenry – the kind that keeps democracies alive, atuned, on the cutting edge.

This is a lament for election campaigns decided on issues, not solely and shallowly on nice looking sweaters and perceptions of something closely resembling leadership.

This is a lament for election campaigns that steered away from Bart Simpson low-brow humour (like puffin poop) and reminded us of our higher selves, our greater potential.

This is a lament for the days when people cast a vote, because they could and because they cared.

This is a lament for the days before strategic voting, that grand idea that looks good on paper but has never achieved its desired goal in Canada and never could. It is a cynical use of our democracy and turns more people off than it turns them on.

This is a lament for leadership that used to turn people on. That used to tell us what we could do with our great nation. That offered hope and vision and a new future for generations to come. That gave us something to vote for rather than against.

This is a lament for the Canada I know and love. A Canada that reached a new and unimpressive low yesterday. May that low be our very last.