In my first blog post I had explained that Jack Layton was the only leader who stood to make gains during the campaign because he is the only leader that people trust to be on their side and tackle their problems. I believe that this has been proven true.

We have a choice to make, between more of the same with the two traditional parties or a real change in the way we do politics. We can elect a leader who wants to work towards results that will benefit everyone or a leader who choses to favour big profitable banks and oil companies at the expense of everyone else.

In the end, what’s most important if we want to see this change materialize is to get out and vote.

I shouldn’t speculate before the votes are counted. Maybe the NDP are on the verge of a last-minute collapse. Maybe Liberal voters are more commited than NDP voters this time around. Who knows?

Yet if the polls hold, then we are perhaps on the verge of a historic breakthrough for the NDP. A third-place finish for the Liberals would be unprecedented.

Many have called it the death of Liberal Canada. I disagree. Over the past several elections, there hasn’t simply been a massive rise in NDP support that has drawn votes away from the Liberals. Rather, it is the Liberals’ big red tent that has been eroding from both sides.

This isn’t the death of Liberal Canada. This is a wake up call for Liberal Canada. If we don’t heed the call, then there will be serious consequences for both our party and our country.

This is a protest vote against my party for failing to provide a credible alternative to Mr. Harper. Protest votes happen. It happened in 1990 in Ontario. It happened in 2007 in Quebec.

Rebuilding is going to be tough and it’s going to be an uphill battle every step of the way. But I know that we can do it. In order to succeed, we’re going to have to redefine our party.

I’ll keep these comments brief and will save most of my thoughts for the weeks ahead. Let’s wait to see what happens tomorrow night first. The results may provide an array of post-election possibilities. The choices that my party will make in the weeks ahead will be crucial for its survival.

We need to remind Canadians why we need a Liberal Party. We won’t be able to do that if the NDP forms the next government of this country. I am certain that my party will make responsible decisions beginning on May 3rd. Liberal Canada’s future is very much at stake.

In the meantime, keep calm and vote Liberal.

Over the past week, I have had many conversations with people about their political views and many arguments about what factors to take into account when you vote.  Do you vote for the candidate of the party you believe is the best, or the leader that you support the most?  Do you vote for a candidate based on their abilities and experience?  What if that candidate belongs to a party you do not agree with?

As a resident of Calgary Southwest, when I vote, I am able to directly vote for Stephen Harper as my Member of Parliament.  My brother, on the other hand, currently lives in the Toronto riding of York Centre.  When he votes he is supporting a representative to Ottawa, the party they belong to and the leader of that party.  As they are not the same person this can be a complicated decision, and one that voters across this country are faced with.

When you decide who to vote for, the first decision that has to be made is which candidate you feel is best suited to represent you in Parliament.  For this reason it is important to consider who this person is, why you feel they deserve to work for you, and how their past experience is beneficial to our country.  If you vote solely for the party you support, and do not consider the candidate, you are doing yourself a disservice.

I will use York Centre as an example because it represents the choice most Canadians have tomorrow, a choice between the Conservatives (Mark Adler), Liberals (Ken Dryden) and NDP (Nick Brownlee).  You may be tempted by the recent reports that the NDP are surging throughout the country, and you want to be a part of “change to Ottawa”.  You believe that “Ottawa is Broken” and must be fixed.  If this is how you decide to vote, understand that your NDP candidate is currently “a student, who has taken time off to work and save up money”.ⁱ

Perhaps you are someone who feels that Mr. Dryden has served your riding well over the past few years, since taking office in 2004.  The next question you have to ask yourself is whether or not he belongs to a party that you believe will take Canada in the right direction.  In addition to the experience that Mr. Dryden has, he has also chosen to run under the Liberal banner.  This means that a vote for him is an endorsement for a leader who has been very unclear throughout the campaign about where he stands on certain issues.  It means a vote for a leader who in 2002 described Israeli settlements as “crusader forts” and Palestinian villages as “Bantustans”.ⁱⁱ A vote for Mr. Dryden, as competent and experienced as he may be, is also vote for a leader who has made these asinine comments about Israel.

Throughout the conversation with my brother, he pointed out that the Conservatives have not provided anything “new”.  The other parties offer change and hope, they ask you to “rise up”.  Conservatives are boring; they aren’t going to give me $4000 to go to school regardless of my financial situation.  They aren’t going to force banks to limit the interest rate on my credit card.  All they are campaigning to do is the same thing they have already done.  But the Conservative Party does provide change.  Change from being taken for granted by the Liberal Party for decades and change from instability and frequent elections.

Mark Adler was born in York Centre and received degrees from the University of Toronto and Carleton University.  He is the President and Founder of the Economic Club of Canada and author of a series of books on cross border shopping.  Mr. Adler has the experience to represent Toronto in a new way.  He provides York Centre with a choice for a stronger economy.

When you cast your ballot for a Conservative candidate, you aren’t voting against another candidate.  You are voting for stability, you are voting for representation and you are making a positive difference!  It’s Up to You.

Find out more about your Conservative candidate at: http://www.conservative.ca/action_centre/find_my_candidate

i http://nickbrownlee.ndp.ca/

ⁱⁱ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/apr/19/israel3

I’ll start with the positives. I have not yet heard a single constituent deny the existence of climate change, or dismiss the environment as an issue not worthy of our attention. While rarely discussed in the media, these are nevertheless serious concerns on the minds of most Canadians. At the door, I’ve met intelligent, upstanding citizens with an appreciation of democracy and well-informed political opinions.

Despite these heartening experiences, I nevertheless find myself rather discouraged by the events of the past five weeks. Locally, I’ve witnessed the kind of deceit and dirty tactics that some might argue are inevitable in the world of politics. I’ve seen the cynical use of race and religious issues, as well as vicious personal attacks from all sides in an attempt to win votes. On top of all of this, we’ve heard constituent after constituent tell us that, while they support our platform and would love to vote Green, they’re “voting strategically” this time. This hurts and offends me for a variety of reasons. I’m distressed by the fact that environment has been sidelined as an issue of the left, when it should be a challenge embraced by all parties. I’m hurt that individuals would rather vote against a party they’re afraid of than vote for a platform that they believe in. There are flaws in the system, certainly, but there’s more to it than that. It seems that our collective decision at the ballot box is increasingly motivated by fear.

On a more personal note, I’m hurt because I’ve witnessed just how hard my mom has worked on this campaign. She’ll spend a day in the operating room, and then bike off, laden down with flyers, to canvass until 9pm. On her days off, she’ll canvass for twelve hours without stopping. I must also mention that this is, by no means, a fully staffed campaign. When volunteers aren’t available, she’ll go ahead and canvass on her own. Despite being absolutely terrified of public speaking, she’s attended every all-candidates debate in our riding and has performed extremely well. Oh, and she’s barely eaten or slept in the last five weeks. Despite these Herculean efforts, the NDP candidate in our riding, who has spent the entire writ period working hundreds of miles away and is literally a name on the ballot, is projected to get more votes. I suppose that’s just the nature of a national campaign. But regardless, whatever the outcome of this election may be, I’m prouder of my mom than words can express.

On a national scale, I’ve witnessed a distressing decline in our political discourse. Everything I’ve heard at the door has led me to believe that Canadians are highly intelligent and well informed. Yet every political party (including my own) seems to find it necessary to reduce highly complex issues into simple talking points, to the detriment of the public’s understanding as well as any attempt to find pragmatic solutions to pressing social problems. Sure, we can respond to these issues with sharp phrases like “free market!” or “social safety net!”. But if we’re honest, we’ll admit that no market is truly free, just as no social safety net is exempt from its opportunity costs. These issues are incredibly nuanced, and they require evidence-based solutions that will ultimately come from the pragmatic middle ground that emerges when politicians reach across the aisle, stop bickering, and start working together for the benefit of Canada.

Is this just typical idealistic, hippy-dippy Green banter? Perhaps. But this is my plea to all of you, regardless of your political stripes. Demand nuance and complexity. Demand civility. Demand respect for yourself, your community, and your county.

And, even if you find yourself as discouraged as I do today, don’t stay home on May 2nd. Please vote. It’s your right, your responsibility, and your privilege. Red, blue, orange or green…I think the importance of democracy is something we can all agree on.

Mr. Garneau’s campaign office was packed. He gave an extremely eloquent speech on why Canadians should vote Liberal: Our party can deliver on the economy and will invest in Canadian families instead of spending money on uneccessary projects such as the American-style mega-prisons.

In light of the recent G8 misspending allegations against the Tories, there is even more evidence that a Liberal government, not a Conservative one, will be able to deliver accountability on government expenditures.

The guest of honour at the event was Liberal Senator Romeo Dallaire, of whom I am particularly fond. Sen. Dallaire, a proud Canadian, led the UN mission to Rwanda during the genocide that took place there in 1994. Since then, he has dedicated his life to attempting to eradicate child soldiers, and has written a book on developing the “will to intervene” against mass atrocities.

Being able to speak, albeit briefly, with this Canadian hero was a tremendous honour. It was also a source of inspiration.

Why do we knock on doors? Why do we make phone calls? To help create the parliament that we want to see elected. A parliament that reflects Canadian values.

Preventing such atrocities from taking place is very much a Canadian value. It is also in our national interest. Too often do areas where mass atrocities have taken place transform into hotbeds of terrorism. Too often do they contribute to the spread of pandemics. In a global world, a crisis abroad very much affects us at home.

We have failed in the past so many times to prevent mass atrocities (war crime, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and crimes against humanity). With the prospect of a genocide-inciting nuclear Iran on the horizon, Canadians need to stand up and tell their elected officials what matters to them, and what matters for the survival of our way of life.

The people you meet on the hustings may very well change your outlook on life. They may even change your life itself. If you want to have a say in building the Canada you wish to see, it’s still not too late to get involved.

The world needs more Canada. Canada needs you. In the end, it really is up to you.