Why I’m voting Liberal in this Federal Election.

I’ve written hundreds of blog posts and articles over the years. I’ve managed to stay away from politics with exception of some criticism of Trump. One of the reasons I’ve shied away from commenting on politics is because of the vitriol I see in response to many well written pieces others write. Those are not the types of conversations I am interested in initiating.

But.

This election is too important to remain silent.

I do not like the shift to the far-right we have witnessed in the U.S. I don’t want it to happen in my great country.

I would hope it could not happen in Canada, but if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck.

I’m not a staunch liberal or a member of the liberal party, in fact, of no party. I have voted Liberal, NDP, Green (when Elizabeth May was leader), and Progressive Conservative back in the Joe Clark and Brian Mulroney era.

I base my vote on the party that best aligns with my values. I seldom vote only for the person, though it does play an integral part. If I was an American, Trump’s massively flawed character would definitely prevent me from voting Republican. In this Canadian federal election, the Conservatives’ policies and their leader, Poilievre, make it impossible for me to vote for them.

In full disclosure, this has been the case since the 2003 merger of the Progressive Conservative Party and the Canadian Alliance Party (formerly the Reform Party). When this merger took place the party shifted further right, and further right with Harper, and even more to the right with Poilievre. A large majority of older Canadians are not aware of this shift to the far-right; hence, why some of them continue to vote for them; thinking their voting for the old Progressive Conservative Party.  

I mentioned I vote for the party that best aligns with my values.

What do I value?

In short, I value social justice and equality.

In no particular order: I long for equality for women; equality and rights for First Nations; ethnic and racial minorities rights; LGBTQ+ rights; housing rights for all; equality for all, regardless of their sex, race, colour, religion, age, mental or physical abilities; the right to a living wage for everyone; a healthy and robust economy; the equitable distribution of wealth by taxing the wealthy at a rate commiserate with their wealth; a sound immigration policy that understands the value of new immigrants; the protection of our environment; the right for every child and person to be lifted from poverty; women’s reproduction rights; the right to freedom of religion; a strong health care system; protecting the Canada Pension Plan and Old Age Security; and the right to education for every person in Canada.

You get it.

Some would say my values are on the left. Well, if that’s the case, then so be it. I’d much rather stand on the left, if it means the values I hold are best represented there.

Somehow, to some, being on the left is a bad thing. The far-right waste no time trying to divide people into left and right, with of course, the left being bad. For me it’s not a bad thing. But, to me, what is bad is any movement that will not help our society evolve in a way that reflects the values I described.

I’m not going to pretend the Liberal government of the past ten years has operated in the exact way I hoped for or that I was ever a strong Trudeau supporter, but I will say their policies and actions are more aligned with what I value than the Conservative Party’s ever would have been, or were under Harper. I would not dare say the past ten years have been lost, as the Conservatives are trying to push.

They keep pushing this false negative that the last ten years have been a disaster. The arc of history has continued to bend towards justice. I don’t want to see it go backwards, as we’re witnessing with our neighbours to the south.

If the past few months and the ridiculous tariff wars initiated by Trump have shown us anything it’s that we need a strong leader. Carney is that leader. Poilievre has shown time and time again that his understanding of leadership is quite lacking, as is evident by his unwillingness to get security clearance and blocking the Canadian Press from traveling with his campaign.

I have always tried to remain abreast of the policies of our national political parties. It has always been the driver in my voting.

I urge you to review what you value.

Look into which party best lines up with your values, ask yourself if voting for them helps create a realistic chance of those values becoming government policy. I say this because though I might appreciate the values of the NDP or the Green Party, I’m not about to vote for them, this time around. They have no realistic chance of winning this federal election.

Canadians have long demonstrated their values are much more progressive than they are right-leaning. The far-right values of the current Conservative Party have shifted support back to the Liberal Party, now that Trudeau has stepped aside.

My hope is that my vote for the values I hold to be critical to our country’s future is reflected across our great nation.

Regardless of who you vote for, do vote.