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Ontario Election – It’s Time for a Strategic Protest Vote

By Gary Morton 

   As this election stumbles slowly forward, most of the issues hidden behind the murky waters of the faith-based schools issue, it is looking like the Liberals will squeak through with another majority.

    A majority they certainly don’t deserve. They’ve been lack lustre if not all that bad, but who wants to vote for a continuation of the HEALTH TAX and other broken promises. The Liberals have even failed on health care, their key issue. P3 or privatized hospitals are being built around Ontario with cost overruns in the hundreds of millions per hospital. After a huge media extravaganza and Liberal promises the aged are still languishing in homes in soiled diapers. A simple health problem that was never fixed. In the poverty area the Liberals have committed to study benchmarks to eliminate poverty rather than raise assistance and minimum wage rates and kill the health tax now. There is just too much the Liberals could have done but didn't. And too many areas where they failed. They are more expensive nuclear than green and more a party of the privileged than a party of working people. Students can't afford their high tuition fees and the public can't afford another round of broken promises.

    It’s time for a protest vote, because that is what will make you as a voter feel better. And you are definitely going to feel bad on October 11^th. Going out to get the morning paper and seeing news of a Liberal majority is about the same as going out and finding a burning bag of dog crap on the step.

    So who to vote for? Well … news of a Tory victory (it’s not going to happen) would be like going out Oct 11^th and finding a dump truck full of manure on the lawn, because you’re a single mother and that’s what the Tories expect you to eat after they cut benefits further. A vote for the PCs would only be appropriate if you are to the right, find the NDP and fringe parties untenable, and need a way to hold your nose and vote for someone.

    If you lean left or are mainstream and are not very happy with the Liberals, cast your vote for the NDP. They do have some better policies for students, the working poor, the environment and other things.

    Then again the NDP might not be your martini, and you’ve always been a closet green but have been holding back your vote. Or maybe you’re really radical and have been waiting for the moment to vote Communist. They are promising to double welfare and ODSP rates, and a 15 dollar minimum wage.

    So make it a protest vote and a strategic one … if you’re in a riding where the Liberals aren’t too strong vote for a solid anti Liberal option. In some cases the NDP, in others the PCs. There are many strong Liberal ridings and the best option there may be to vote for the fringe candidate of choice as the Liberal candidate will win anyway.

    Remember to vote Yes for MMP, because it is a protest vote against the unpleasant majority governments Ontario has suffered from over the years, and it will give the people representation according to their vote. There really is no fair argument for the current system and the enormous number of unearned seats majority governments gain.

    That way you’ll wake up October 11^th with some satisfaction … and if enough people have followed your example there’ll be no Liberal majority and your actual newspaper will be out there on the step.

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