Tonight, Canadians were able to watch history being made. History is any event which is in the past, but the ones that are remembered, the ones that make history, as they say, are the ones that have the biggest impact, the ones that make a difference, whether for better or for worse. Tonight was a turning point, and for better or worse, that is yet to be seen.
We live in an amazing time, one where all 26 million or so of us were able to fit into the House of Commons. It was truly a spectacle being able to watch such a pivotal vote unfold before our eyes, even if the result was distasteful. It is not often that one gets to witness a vote with so much hanging in the balance, and it is especially interesting to watch how our politicians behave during such, to see if they truly understand the gravity, or if they think it is just another political opportunity.
I have heard it said by many of my fellow citizens that they are sick of the way things are going in Ottawa. They are tired of the tactics, the behaviour, and the stonewalling. I have this to say to them; welcome to democracy. We live in an amazing country, where people can go with their passions, where they can do what they think is right. Chuck Cadman cast the deciding ballot tonight, an independent, not of any political party. Even though it was the speaker who broke the tie and voted for the government, it was Chuck Cadman who helped it get to that point. This could only happen in a truly free country.
This writer was for the ‘no’ camp, and is indeed a little depressed. Having said that, isn’t it great that we live in a country where every vote counts? Isn’t it great to live in a country where we can see arguing, and debate? We are free, people, and this is the exact same thing that happened in the House during the creation of our country. Our country is still here, and so free debate, and political posturing, remains. Canadians should not be turned off when we have men and women with so strong a passion for their beliefs.
Having said that, it has not all been honorable. The characteristics of this period that are not becoming are the things that Canadians should truly be upset about. We have seen political betrayal and expedience of the worst kind, we have seen a sitting government go on an irresponsible spending spree to guarantee it’s survival, which has resulted in the devaluation of our dollar on international markets, we have seen a sitting government, (for those of you in college, that is the Liberal government), try to buy and bribe opposition members with appointments and position, positions that Canadians should be sure that are filled with people who care about the importance of the position, not people who have been bought, and we have seen a sitting government further lie to the Canadian people, by promising billions of dollars that they told us they didn’t have.
Unfortunately, we probably have another year of this bunch. That will be the part that will be hard to watch. Hopefully, Canadians who truly care about our country will be able to convince those around them that they deserve a whole lot better than a criminal element running their country. My friends sometimes believe that politicians are all crooks, and that it doesn’t matter who you vote for. Do you feel this way? Then the ones that we know are crooks must be removed from power, they must be defeated, and only you can make that happen. If we do what we ought to, then perhaps our children won’t be so negative about the government that they will one day form.
