This afternoon, I finally took the time to sit down and have a look at the candidates running for office in my electoral district. I know my own leanings, but I want to see everyone’s platforms and so I took a look at the four major candidates: Laurel Collins (NDP), Racelle Kooy (Green), Nikki Macdonald (Liberal), and Richard Caron (Conservative). Sorry, People’s Party, Communist Party, and Animal Protection Party.

To my surprise, and then my eye-rolling cynical acceptance, I found it incredibly difficult to find most of their platforms. How is anyone supposed to make an informed decision on who they will vote for if they don’t know the values of their candidate? Politics has increasingly turned into a sporting event. I have my team, you have yours. I cheer for my team and wear their colours, and you cheer for yours. Over time, players on your team will come and go, the coach will retire and a new one will come in. But still, it’s your team. It doesn’t matter what your team does because you’ll support them anyway, because that is who you’ve always supported.

But why?!

More than that, most candidates are simply name dropping as a substitute for actual policy.

Richard Caron:

“Richard is drawn to the positive Conservative vision for Canada. He knows that Andrew Scheer, as a father of young children, understands the challenges facing young families like his. He looks forward to representing the residents of Victoria in Ottawa.” (https://www.conservativevictoria.ca/)

That is the grand sum of Caron’s platform on his website. That he stands with the Conservative vision? It is as if Caron is hoping I already know what it is. This idea that I’ll vote Conservative if I’m already a Conservative has taken the place of actually standing for something. That quote sounds more like a sound bite taken from a supporter at a Conservative rally than the words of a political candidate actually running for parliament.

I’m not going to only focus on the Conservatives, however.

Racelle Kooy does a little better. She hits on the points that matter to Green voters. She talks about Climate Change and diversity and community, acknowledging her place as a representative of her district. Nowhere (that I’ve been able to find) is there a mention to the actual platform.

“In the face of the climate crisis, of addiction, of a lack of affordable housing and decent paying jobs, we’re not going to give up on our future. “(https://www.racellekooy.com/?page_id=400)

This are important topics on which to focus, but the problems regarding housing and addiction are complex issues. Issues that every candidate will have to address. How will Kooy address these? How will the Green party address these? Nowhere does it say. The one thing that Kooy’s bio page has that Caron’s doesn’t is a link to the Green Plan, a link to an external page, found at the bottom of Kooy’s page.

Nikki Macdonald is similar to Kooy, in that she mentions some areas of focus:

“…issues such as climate change, the rising cost of living, and adequate access to healthcare.”  (https://nikkimacdonald.liberal.ca/)

However, once again, the exact platform on these (AGAIN) complex issues, is seriously lacking. The bio continues into touting Macdonald’s experience in government and then name drops her own father and his experience, which no doubt has influenced her own path, but does little to describe her own politics and plan. Like Caron, Macdonald’s page does not even link to the Liberal party’s platform. (I’ll acknowledge that at least Macdonald doesn’t just drop Justin Trudeau’s name and leave it at that, like Caron does with Sheer.)

Last of the major candidates is Laurel Collins with the NDP. Here is the only candidate who clearly states her platform. She lists pretty much the same three things that Kooy and Macdonald list (Affordable Housing, Climate Change, and Health Care), but after each point she has a short paragraph about what specifically is her platform on those issues. Towards the bottom of her page, she also links to the NPD mainpage so I can find the main party platforms such as on Kooy’s page. It is so nice to not have to hunt for a platform!

(Here’s her website, because I’ve listed everyone else’s: https://laurelcollins.ndp.ca/)

My intent is certainly not to inform anyone’s politics (aside from the fact that EVERYONE who is of voting age and is eligible should vote!), but rather to say that politics has become too much about party and not enough about the issues. Just because I’m praising Collins’ platform doesn’t mean I’ll vote for her. I haven’t made up my mind yet.  All this Opinion piece is about is that I don’t want to vote based on the likability of the potential Prime Minister, I want to vote on whether they will do right by our country and its residents. I don’t want to vote for a party because ‘they’re my party’, I want to vote for the issues and platform for those issues that I truly believe in. Therefore, there should be platforms on every candidates page. Tell me why I should be voting for you! Convince me that you’re better for my community than the other candidate!

Candidates, make politics about the issues, not about teams.