Splitting the Vote - Canada Election 2019

So, here's what is puzzling me. People are upset today about the pipeline getting approved. I get that. Governments should have begun heavily investing in the transition to green energies 20 or 30 years ago. Things would be radically different now if they had.

However, here we are. We have much of our infrastructure still dependent on fossil fuels. We have a lot of people still dependent on fossil fuels for their livelihood. Approving #transmountain while committing all profits towards transitioning to renewables was a compromise.

The government is in a very difficult situation here. There are conflicting demands from different groups of Canadians, demands that cannot be met fully on either side without causing hardship on the opposite side. 

That much is obvious. What puzzles me is the people who say they will campaign against the Liberals in the election because of this pipeline decision. Because, you see, the pro-pipeline people will already campaign against him for the simple reason that he is not "conservative", and his last name is Trudeau. But the people who don't want the pipeline... you do realise, don't you, that if you convince people to not vote Liberal, we will get a CPC government? 

And a CPC government not only will NOT be on your side on any pipeline discussions, but they will also come after other things you may value, like healthcare and education. 

The CPC have proven again and again that they do not care about the environment. 

Indeed, the CPC have also signaled that they view Indigenous Peoples as more of a nuisance than anything. 

OPINION | PM's comments about missing, murdered aboriginal women show 'lack of respect' | CBC NewsPrime Minister Stephen Harper's comment that a national inquiry into missing and murdered aboriginal women is not high on the government's radar, made during an interview with the CBC's Peter Mansbri…https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/stephen-harper-s-comments-on-missing-murdered-aboriginal-women-show-lack-of-respect-1.2879154

I could go on and on about the egregious acts of the former CPC government against Canadians and Canadian institutions. Veterans, scientists, women,... They sent the CRA after birdwatchers, for goodness sake! 

Harper, Serial Abuser of Power: The Evidence Compiled | The TyeeThe Tyee's full, updated list of 70 Harper government assaults on democracy and the law.https://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2015/08/10/Harper-Abuses-of-Power-Final/

Do any of you really imagine the CPC led by Andrew Scheer would be somehow different? Especially if, as some conservative insiders have said, Harper is still calling the shots from behind the scenes? 

Andrew Scheer employs Hamish Marshall, co-founder of the Rebel, as his campaign manager. One of his advisors, Georganne Burke, helped found an anti-Muslim group. So there is racism and Islamophobia within Scheer's inner circle. 

Conservative party leadership advisor helped create anti-Islam organizationSenior members of Andrew Scheer's Leadership Team linked to anti-Muslim movementshttps://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/qvzznq/conservative-party-leadership-advisor-helped-create-anti-islam-organization

It is scarcely any wonder that Michael Cooper still maintains his position as deputy justice critic in Scheer's caucus , even after reading the Christchurch shooter's manifesto into Parliamentary Committee minutes. 

Conservatives stick by MP Cooper after Christchurch comments | The StarAlberta MP read Christchurch shooter’s manifesto into the record and Scheer’s office is mum on further reprisal.https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2019/06/03/conservatives-stick-by-mp-cooper-after-christchurch-comments.html

The truly ugly elements that we are seeing now in Scheer's caucus and among his advisors and associates is not new. Harper just did a better job of muzzling people. Now, with racism and misogyny sweeping through legislative bodies in the US, these elements are emboldened. 

Honestly, if you would rather have our health care, our education, our environment, women's rights and LGBTQ rights and Indigenous rights be consigned to the scrap heap because the Liberals approved a pipeline there probably isn't anything I can say to change your mind. The Greens, the NDP, and yes, the Liberals, all would work for the good of Canada as they interpret that. But neither the Greens nor the NDP will hold power in October 2019. 

That is an immutable fact. Conservatives always vote. They make up roughly one-third of the Canadian population. This means that if you do not want a reprise of The Harper Government, only nastier than ever, you need to vote to keep them out. 

You need to figure out which of the candidates in your riding seems most able to keep the seat away from the CPC candidate. Who has the best chance to beat the conservative candidate? And you need to vote for them. 

Because, even if we hate to vote strategically, the alternative is worse. We are under siege, just as surely as if there was a hostile army at the gates. And we will continue to be under siege, election after election, until we figure out how to change the paradigm. 

A lot of that may come through education, through addressing inequalities, through solving points of contention. We need a new paradigm. But electing a CPC government is exactly not the way to achieve progress towards that. 

The CPC have no interest in raising people out of poverty or ensuring every Canadian child gets a great education. That does not work in their favour. Their whole strategy depends on people not being sufficiently educated to see through their misinformation. 

We all want to vote our conscience. I cannot in good conscience vote for any candidate in my riding that increases the chances of a CPC government. We can't afford a CPC government. Our children and grandchildren can't afford it. Our planet can't afford it. 

And not voting is not a protest. It's not an act of rebellion. It's surrender. The CPC would like everyone who isn't going to vote for them to stay home. Why would you do exactly what they want? 

If you think Trudeau approving a pipeline is heinous, just wait until Scheer creates his militarized "resource corridor" across the country. Just wait until the CPC and the provincial conservative parties open up the constitution and charter... And rip out our rights, except for the ones they like, like "free speech" (but only for those who agree with the CPC government). Oh, and add a few, like the right to bear arms. 

Governing is hard. No party is perfect and all parties will disappoint at some point. But only one party in Canada appears bent on dismantling the things that make Canada wonderful. The CPC must not be government. 
#NeverScheer