HOW DO WE IMPROVE ELECTION CAMPAIGNS?

HOW DO WE IMPROVE ELECTION CAMPAIGNS?

I am sure that most Canadians are tired of the endless, repetitive, election rhetoric that has been swirling about for the past month. With a federal election in a week we have been inundated with the regular name calling, mud slinging and finger pointing. A recent event I read about in Mexico has caused me to develop a plan that will make electioneering much more meaningful and responsible in the future. Let me explain my brilliant plan!

Eleven people were arrested in southern Mexico after the mayor of their village was dragged out of his office, tied behind a pick-up truck and dragged through the streets. Police intervened to free the mayor, who reportedly suffered no major injuries. It was the second attack by farmers demanding that the mayor fulfil his campaign promise to repair a local road. What a novel approach!

I would suggest that all political parties be required to register publicly all of their official election promises with a neutral agency. All promises would be costed out and then by election day each party would prioritize their promises. The ultimate winning party would then be held accountable to deliver on their promises within a reasonable amount of time or face dire consequences. I am not suggesting party leaders be dragged behind a truck down Sparks Street in Ottawa, but perhaps by an ATV over the parliamentary lawn! I’m joking of course, but the concept of responsibility and accountability has to become a component of currently meaningless election promises.

Election promises fit into the same category as a six year olds Christmas wish list to Santa Claus. They are both excessive and even small children know that they will not get everything they ask for, but they would still be overjoyed to have Santa deliver one or two of their top wishes. I am sure that Canadians would be just as happy to receive one or two of the top registered government priorities.

In 2015, when Justin Trudeau was filling the air with endless promises if he was elected, two of his main promises were to introduce a new electoral reform to the present system and to balance the Canadian Federal Budget by 2019-2020. Within a year of being in office, Trudeau scrapped his promise for a new electoral system because he found out how difficult it was to deliver. It was too hard work, so he just pitched it onto the scrap heap with hundreds of other failed or ignored election promises from the past.

His biggest failure, in my opinion, was campaigning on a balanced budget agenda and then failing miserably, with no consequences. Currently, the federal budget deficit is about $20 billion, a far cry from a balanced budget! If the CEO of a major corporation missed his budgetary target by $20 billion, I am sure that he would now be posting his CV on job search websites. But, Justin just smiles, and with his shirt sleeves rolled up, tosses out another dozen promises, that will probably evaporate into the cosmos after the election.

We need a system to make election promises more of a legal binding contract than a pie-in-the-sky fantasy. Then, the government might be far more effective and efficient in delivering on priority programs and initiatives than writing just another letter to Santa Claus like we do now! What do you think?

PS Although I don’t wish to appear cruel or vindictive, I can’t help smiling as I visualize the PM being dragged feet first up Parliament Hill by a woman on horseback, for breaking his election promises!

PPS Do you think Jody Wilson-Raybould can ride a horse?