The long federal election campaign continues to tick on, with no major salvos or wins for any one of the three major party leaders, who, as of last week, were reportedly in a three-way dead heat among voters.
But judging from the tepid response to federal election issues, this contest isn’t as meaningful to the electorate as this May’s hotly contested provincial election.
Politics always seems to matter to people the closer it is to their own backyard, whether it’s municipal issues like the use of photo radars or the construction of a new road, or provincial issues, like a transmission line going through rural properties or whether or not schools issue standardized tests.
But while the influence of federal politics may not be as clear to some, it still has a wide-range of influence on several facets of our lives, from taxation, criminal law, banking and currency, unemployment insurance and old age pensions, immigration and more.
Oil production continues to ramp on high, despite the market already being oversupplied, and investment bank Goldman Sachs has warned that the price of oil could fall to $20 a barrel yet before hitting rock bottom.
In the midst of that, the federal government’s impact in steering the country’s economy is critical, as is its ability to weather the storm and diversify the national economy, be it boosting the manufacturing sector, digital technology, or promoting renewable resource use and green technology. The choice of a federal party leader and government is perhaps most important right now, to choose the party one believes is best able to steer the country through another recession.
Locally, there are four candidates that are vying to represent the new Lakeland riding, including Shannon Stubbs for the Conservatives, Duane Zaraska for the NDP, Garry Parenteau for the Liberals, and Robert McFadzean for the Libertarian Party. An election forum is scheduled for Sept. 29 to give each of the candidates room to voice their priorities and field audience questions.
There is still plenty of time in this long campaign to go, get educated, and make an informed choice in the Oct. 19 election.
