Belinda Stronach has announced that she will not seek re-election in Newmarket Aurora. One assumes she means with any party, not just the Liberals.
[ Sorry, cheap shot!
But I couldn't resist!]
In the last election, I was regularly sidelined from serious policy discussion by the question, “how do I feel about Belinda crossing the floor?”
My answer then was the same as it is now. I didn’t really much care as I didn’t vote for her as a Conservative, nor would I vote for her as a Liberal. Not only do I not support those parties policies, but I also don’t support electing a candidate on the merits of celebrity and connections. I also believe, if we want our government to stop bowing to the interests of big money and big industry, we need to elect people who are not quite so tied to those things. I look more toward integrity, honesty, a candidate who understands the full range of issues, and a candidate who seems to have a life experience which allows them to understand the issues of greatest importance to me. (These traits are also why I have chosen to run.)
Her decision and the ease of transition clearly showed to me that there is little to choose between the two parties. I still believe this. Despite a preference of Stephane Dion over Stephen Harper, I still think that a majority for either one of them is a recipe for disaster for Canada.
As a citizen it made me angry. Not as angry as David Emmerson, mind you, but angry. I feel that voters are not being respected when their elected representative, chosen at least in part for the philosophy of the party they represent, changes stripes in mid stream. I felt that Belinda could have stayed Conservative and voted for the budget. If this was not acceptable to the party, then she could have gone independent and voted for the budget. The result of extending the minority government would have been the same. She did not have to accept a Liberal cabinet post in order to support the budget. The voters could judge next election whether the candidates concience over the party mandate was something they supported, or the voters could decide they don’t care and vote for other reasons.
And this week the question is, “what do I think of Belinda quitting?”
Again, I don’t much care as I don’t support the Liberal Party. From a competing perspective, having her quit is a good thing, since it takes away the celebrity factor. The people now in the running for the nomination seem to be more tied to the community and not to have that national or international status that Belinda brought to the table. This may turn out to be a good thing for Newmarket-Aurora residents since the election may be more about party policy and the merits of the candidates, rather than some percieved benefits from an MP who moves in high finance circles.
The results of the race will be interesting, and I look forward to debating whomever the Liberals choose.
