Today is election day. It’s been a pretty horrible federal campaign, I think. There has been nothing but bullshit being slung by all three of the major parties. It reminded me of a kindergarten fight. “Wah wah wah! He did this! He did that!” Cue lots of stamping of feet, pointing of fingers, tears, and balling of fists.

I think the right thing to do here is to vote for the Green Party. In the past, the Green Party has been considered a bit of a joke vote in Canada… people would vote for them almost as a protest against poor choices. That’s not the reason I’m going to vote Green though. I think their party platform has evolved to become more representative of what I believe, which, in short, is that we should be responsible to our society and environment, yet remain sustainable at the same time.

Of course some of the Green policies would be harmful to me personally. Gas prices would go up, for instance. I am not opposed to higher taxes though, unless I feel like that tax money is being wasted.

Dad and I have been talking about how the economy is usually the number one election issue. Supposedly all this money will trickle down and make everything else better. Yet, look where that’s gotten us? Government books are more cooked than anything in Emeril Lagasse’s kitchen. Meanwhile, the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer. Healthcare, education, the environment and society in general is in decline.

My trip to Finland was an eye opener. The place is clean, affluent, and the population is largely satisfied with its governance. Finland is rated the number one most competitive country in the world. Guess who’s held power there since 1995? The Green Party.

I don’t actually believe that any Green Party candidates will win this time around. They didn’t have the budget to advertise, and weren’t allowed to participate in the debates. But, each vote gives a political party $1.75 from Elections Canada. Maybe next time, they’ll be able to get the word out to a wider audience. Maybe some day they’ll be able to mount some opposition to the tired old guard, and at the very least, propagate some fresh ideas. It’s worth a try.

Anyway, if you’re Canadian, and you haven’t voted yet today, what are you waiting for? 😛