Strategic Voting...Again?

I was shocked to see our good friends from Avaaz.org supporting a scheme involving strategic voting. I’m usually on side with their views on various subject matters but this time I think they are getting sucked into playing a game that does our country no good. Over 8 million people around the world, (including many Canadian followers) received an email by Avaaz that suggests Canadians should vote strategically in close ridings in an effort keep Harper’s Conservatives out of office. As tempting as this sounds, strategic voting is nothing more than a bandaid on a cut that needs stitches. Our democracy is that cut and it’s bleeding profusely and will continue to bleed until properly taken care of. What we need is electoral reform and Avaaz and any other proponents of strategic voting should be spending their time educating Canadians on the democratic reforms badly needed to better our democracy. Election after election Canadians compromise their values and vote strategically *funding parties that don’t match their principles in fear of one party over another getting a majority. Have you voted strategically in the past? Chances are you have, and to what avail? I would love to see the Conservatives win a majority with 30% of the popular vote, finally exposing how incredibly undemocratic a system we actually have. I’m afraid this is what it will take for Canadians to finally see that we need to reform our democracy to be more representative of ALL Canadians. The Liberals and Conservatives would like nothing more but to see Canadians get caught up in strategic voting. They usually benefit the most by increased funding to their party while diverting attention away from the root problem we face as a nation. Please remember this plea when the next election comes around and you are once again frightened into voting strategically. Unless we fix the problem properly, I’m afraid history will continue to repeat itself over and over again.

*YOUR VOTE IS WORTH $2 A YEAR TO WHOM EVER YOU SUPPORT. THIS IS HOW FEDERAL PARTIES ARE FUNDED. STRATEGIC VOTING NOT ONLY GIVES FUNDING TO A PARTY YOU DON’T BELIEVE IN, BUT IT DENIES FUNDING TO THE PARTY YOU DO. READ “CANADIAN DEMOCRACY 101” FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON OUR SYSTEM OF DEMOCRACY AND WHY IT NEEDS REFORM.

Check out this absolutly brilliant short video produced by the Young Greens...