In the lead-up to the 2021 federal election, Doppler invited local residents to tell us why they support their chosen party. We’ll publish their responses throughout this week, in random order.
Anyone who has been a leader or supervisor at any level in any organization will tell you it is not as easy as it may look. Despite best intentions, it is impossible to please everyone and not everything goes as planned. Being an elected representative, or minister, or leader of a municipal, provincial, or national government means you must deal with the full spectrum of difficult human issues and problems. So, I salute anyone who steps up to make such a huge personal and family commitment to the public good.
Every party and leader in history has had strengths and weaknesses. So, when we are doing a job interview for a political party or candidate, we must take time to consider the various kinds of education, life experiences, and strengths and weaknesses the party and its leader have to offer. Who is best prepared to deal with the threats and opportunities now facing our country? We are most likely to find those qualities in the centre of the political spectrum.
Looking back over the past five years, our national government has succeeded in dealing with the most difficult set of issues of any time in history except during the two great wars. To be fair, the Liberal Party has done not a perfect job, but a good job dealing with the most difficult US administration in history. In the most difficult pandemic that anyone alive can remember, Canada has the highest vaccination rate and by far the lowest death rate among comparable G7 democracies. Among many other things, the Liberals have passed legislation to enhance public safety by stemming the flow of weapons clearly designed for mass killing, not for sport.
After this year’s severe weather events around the globe, it should be clear to all of us that none of that will matter much if we fail to mitigate climate change. As one that has spent a great deal of time to understand the complex subject of climate change, I believe the Liberals have put us on a better path than any other country to reduce our emissions (which on a per capita basis are among the highest in the world), while creating the jobs and economy of the future. It’s always better to lead with positive change than to be a follower.
That has all been accomplished by an experienced and competent set of ministers and a positive good-natured leader who (very importantly) is known and respected by his G7 peers, and who provides overall direction but lets and expects each minister and their professional staffs do their jobs. That is what good leaders do. This is not to say that another “centrist” party could not also do a good job, but is this the time to spend a year in orientation and training? What board of directors risks changing the entire leadership of their company all at once, and expects instant good results on complex urgent problems? In my view, the Liberals are on the right track and deserve more time to finish their program.
See the Liberal Party platform here.
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