EDITORIAL – Just who am I supposed to vote for on October 19?
(Image: Mel Rothenburger)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
THERE ARE THREE candidates in my Kamloops-North Thompson riding.
I know the BC Conservative candidate Ward Stamer. Worked with him on the TNRD board. Outspoken guy, shoots from the hip.
I’m middle of the road when it comes to politics but I could vote for a reasonable rightwing party. How could I, though, vote for a party that thinks bringing back plastic straws is a serious policy. A party led by a man, John Rustad, who doesn’t believe climate change is anything to worry about.
Who declared the other day that, if elected, his government would tell police not to enforce laws on hand guns and semi-automatic rifles.
So, on the other side of the spectrum is the BC New Democratic Party led by David Eby, who has recently gained a reputation as a flip flopper on some important issues. One is the gas tax, aimed at cutting fossil fuel usage and emissions. Eby was all for it but it’s not popular, so now he says he’d do away with it in B.C. if the federal government does it first.
So far, the Eby government has made poor progress on the doctor shortage, street crime and the housing file. His strategy on the latter relies heavily on removing zoning rights from cities and it’s a bad approach.
The NDP candidate in Kamloops-North Thompson is Maddi Genn. Never heard of her. That’s not to say she wouldn’t make a good MLA; I just have no way of knowing that. So far, I’ve heard her quote party policy but would she be a good constituency person? Don’t know.
The Greens are represented by Tristan Cavers, a name that might sound familiar because his brother Donovan is a former civic politician in Kamloops. Tristan Cavers is a last-minute place holder for the party. Nobody even knew he was on the ballot until days after the nomination deadline, because he filed at the last possible minute.
I like the way Green leader Sonia Furstenau talks about policies. She’s articulate and believable. Sadly, she almost totally ignores the Interior of the province, focusing on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. I can’t vote for a party that doesn’t give much of a fig about where I live.
Last night’s (Oct. 8, 2024) televised leaders debate was helpful but didn’t do much other than confirm what I already knew and thought about them and what they represent. So where does that leave me as a voter?
Leaders debate the issues.
I’m not sure yet but I’m having trouble with the usual strategy of choosing the least objectionable from those available. This time, I can’t even do that. For the first time in my life, I’m seriously considering spoiling my ballot, and we have Kevin Falcon and his stupid dynamiting of the BC United for that.
Maybe if enough people spoiled ballots, it would send some kind of a message. Not that it would change anything. Spoiling a ballot is only one step above not voting at all, and I believe strongly in the need to get out and vote. So, it would amount to my own personal expression of disaffection with current B.C. politics. Is there any point?
I strongly suspect none of the three candidates in Kamloops-North Thompson could have defeated Todd Stone. At the least, picking from among four candidates of widely divergent views would have been easier. Now it’s about choosing from three uninspiring options.
I will be approaching Oct. 19 with a feeling of frustration I’ve never experienced in any previous election. I imagine a lot of others feel the same way. We have Kevin Falcon to thank for that.
Mel Rothenburger is a former regular contributor to CFJC-TV and CBC radio, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a recipient of the Jack Webster Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Webster Foundation Commentator of the Year finalist. He has served as mayor of Kamloops, school board chair and TNRD director, and is a retired daily newspaper editor. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Very well said Mel. I’m in the exact same position in my riding of West Kelowna-Peachland. Sadly, I have made the difficult decision to not vote in this election.
Gordon Wilson, where are you? Remember the true centrist breakout party of 1991, the Liberal Party of B.C.? We need that back again to serve the moderates of this province.
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I live in the same riding as the Armchair Mayor so many of the same questions have arisen. In my work life of telecommunications, I got to know both Ward and also his Dad. Ward was always a “straight-shooting, here’s what I think” kind of guy. His Dad was more mild mannered. I could live with either one of them as MLA and not feel guilty haven’t voted for either of them.
Party leaders have a “best before date” so I can’t rely totally on my feelings for any of the leaders. Kevin Falcon is past tense as is the party he led. Who knows who will survive as leader after this election is over?
From Grade 8 through 13, we had good teachers who discussed politics of the late 60s and early 70s. Sometimes, a person votes for the party, sometimes for the leader and sometimes the candidate; seldom all three align to the perfect match.
We shall know soon enough who will be sitting as MLAs in Victoria.
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I was leaning towards the greens because Randy is someone I could vote for vs the rest but I guess I gotta vote for Eby now just to offset ol Wilma’s poor choice.
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Never in my life could I see myself lacking the fortitude to vote my conscience, and instead vote a different way to offset the presumed vote of a person on an internet comment section. Yikes.
But please, as you will and as you must. NDP votes in this community are worth about the same as a Canadian $1 dollar bill.
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Easy peasy. Vote for Pedro.
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We have extreme left, extreme right. But what voters really want is “just right”. If Todd Stone had opted to run as an independent, he would likely take this riding with little effort in my opinion. That said, the Conservatives and their army of whacky candidates (who must be driving Peter Milobar crazy) are fading fast. And please remember that these are also federal Conservatives. Same crowd. So axe the tax, whack the facts, or whatever it is…the message is clear. Voters are fed up with BS. Prediction: Comfortable NDP victory…but the anti vax, anti gun law crowd wins locally.
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Politics should be about service, which suggests sacrifice on the part of the servant hopeful. Vote for the candidate for whom politics would be a step down in terms of income – we have far too many politicians whose “service” bumped them into an income they otherwise could not attain.
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Yup. I totally agree.
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A week ago I cam to the same conclusion and plan to spoil my ballot. I feel I must vote and in this way my vote can still be counted. I hope there are enough spoiled ballots out there to make someone sit up an notic the status quo is not acceptable. The weight of my shoulders is measurable and now my only descision is how to spoil it. Write in a name? Check them all? None? My current favourite is a big old ****. Seems most appropriate.
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100 %. Have absolutely no idea.
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Thank you, Mel, I’m in the same boat … and sad as well as frustrated.
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Maybe this will help:
If you want to vote for street disorder, open drug use, the continued spiral of community degradation and revolving door crime, a health care system in complete shambles, crack pipe vending machines, junkies with weapons in hospitals and retirement homes, led by a leftist extremist now known for flip flopping on core issues to pander for votes (some of which are taken directly from Conservatives like involuntary treatment), who thought following in the steps of states and cities that suffered a ruinous outcome for allowing unfettered drug use would produce a different outcome, and is now a true fringe party – NDP.
If you care about the environment and are comfortable with your vote being nothing more than an effective protest vote, one rung up the ladder from protest parties – Green.
If you want to stick it to the overzealous lefties that have lost their collective minds over the last 5 years, have turned out notion of society on its headz think drug use and illegal camping aren’t Charter rights, want criminals held accountable, want to stop the extreme waste of tax dollars spent on fenty junkies to get high and run wild across communities in BC, and are comfortable with some of the more zany comments made by Rustad – Conservative.
There is no centrist option this cycle. Arguably the Conservative party is closer to traditional notions of centrist ideas than other parties.
Pick your poison.
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Quite a sales pitch for the cons. Nope, not going to vote for a party whose leader is a climate denier, far too right wing for me.
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No such thing as a “Climate Denier”, just smart people who know that the Climate changing over the seasons isn’t some apocalyptic doomsday scenario because a single household didn’t recycle their plastic straws…
Yes, the environment is something to consider, but it shouldn’t be by imposing oppressive taxes that send people into poverty. Especially when it doesn’t matter what Canada does on a global scale, when larger offenders like China and India aren’t doing their part at all.
I’d rather leave it up to the Conservatives, than thinking the planet’s problems is strictly Canada’s….
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Always vote for the outspoken guy…
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