Most Canadians think this was a very important federal election. Let’s celebrate what was done well and acknowledge potential improvements.
An election is similar to a contract. Politicians make an offer of specific policy and how they plan to govern and then the voters accept their favorite offer by voting for their preferred candidate.
Another positive was having the leaders’ debate and despite having different platforms, there was civility and respect. Politics can get nasty but that is not the Canadian way.
Now for the bad. The Liberals did not release the details of their election policy until after the advanced polls had started.
The conservatives did not release their detailed plan until after the advance polling had concluded. Therefore, just over seven million people voted without seeing the specifics of what they were voting for.
By holding back their detailed plans until after the debate and after the voting had started, both of the two major parties showed little respect for democracy. Asking millions of people to vote and then showing them the details of what you stand for is a significant failure.
That might be a good strategy for politics, but it is not a good strategy for democracy. Why are voters required to make critical election decisions while information is being withheld?
Despite my acknowledgement of the shortcomings of this election Canadians are fortunate to have a strong democracy. I have great respect for those that take the time and effort to put their name on a ballot.
Politicians play an important role in our cherished democratic process.
Peter Watson, of Watson Investments MBA, CFP®, R.F.P., CIM®, FCSI offers a weekly financial planning column, Dollars & Sense. He can be contacted through www.watsoninvestments.com
