Get it in Writing!

Ever had a Politician come to your door and tell you how their party will make your life perfect if only you vote for them?  If you live in New Brunswick you better get it in writing.  This week the New Brunswick Liberal Government has come under fire about promises made to the Coalition of Seniors' and Nursing Home Residents by our new Premier, Brian Gallant.  One of his Cabinet minsters and Atcon 6'er, Donald Arsenault stood up in front of the media yesterday and with a straight face said, "Show me in the Liberal Platform during last year's election where we broke our promise to seniors."  Jacques Poitras was there and made this report: http://www.cbc.ca/news/senior-care-changes-not-a-broken-promise-liberals-argue-1.3044118

Poitras discusses in this piece that these same Liberals complained about this same practice being used by the then Premier David Alward, who made election promises about an emergency drug plan being ready in a one year time frame.  When he failed to deliver by 2013, the election ready Libs called him out on it and learned a valuable tactic it seems. 

John, you are likely thinking, how is this news?  Politicians lie all the time.  This is a known fact, why are we even discussing it here?  Great point by you, the reader, I must say.  You are 100% correct.  Our leaders seem to constantly be at odds with what they promise to get elected and what they feel they must do to remain in power.  Just means, in my opinion, that big change is needed in the way we elect and re-elect our leaders.  

Lets first discuss who our leading parties have been in this province. Liberals and Conservative parties are the only two who have formed governments.  Yup, that is correct.  We have never been led by anyone who isn't Blue or Red. Here is the full list of results since confederation: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_post-confederation_New_Brunswick_general_elections I would even take it one step farther and say that as much as these two parties "seem" to argue and differ, they are really very similar in their results.  This makes New Brunswick a One Party system, in my opinion.  We are all victims of this long line of incompetence that has used nepotism, cronyism and total and abject misuse of the public trust to put us in a truly dire fiscal situation which I don't think either party can see a way out of.  I have been attempting to struggle thru the Atlantic Institute of  Market Studies report on the debt history of our province.  To me, Section II is the most telling, especially our provincial credit rating.  http://www.aims.ca/site/media/aims/AIMS2014-NB%20Debt%20Study,%20Final%20%28prepared%20for%20publication%29%281%29.pdf 

I am no financial wizard.  Left to my own devices I spend all my money  and then wait for my next paycheck.  Sadly, I am more fiscally responsible than our governments have been for the last...Ever years.  They continue to borrow money they have no way of paying back.  Latest evidence, Liberals 900 million dollar infrastructure plan.  

Paving roads isn't the answer.  We need a way to generate revenue that we don't have to pay back.  And to that end we need to change the way we elect and allow governments to be re elected. 

I think everything should be on the table.  Maximum terms in office, mandatory voting, dropping the voting age to 16 or even changing the way we actually elect our MLA's.  Yes I am talking about the "dreaded" Proportional representation.  Not saying PropRep doesn't have issues, like you vote for a party and not a candidate, but hell look what we have been working with so far!  As it is we vote for two sides of the same coin.  With PropRep every party in the last New Brunswick election would have won at least one seat. 

As you can see this certainly would have changed things.  Liberals would likely have been held to promises not covered in writing because if they hadn't lived up to them the Green/NDP/PA alliance could have moved to support the PC's who then could form a government. Most importantly almost 52% of the votes cast in our latest election didn't actually elect anyone.  We have a large proportion or residents who are not represented in our Legislative Assembly. 

What we most need in our province is an engaged electorate.  Voter turnout is at an all time low, and I think it has a lot to do with some of the things I have covered over this essay.  We feel under represented.  We feel like our vote doesn't count, and to a certain point we are right.  And that is why we must all come out in the next election and vote and make sure our power is felt by those we choose to lead us.  Don't just vote for Blue or Red because your parents did.  Really engage in what the candidates are saying.  Read the parties platforms, yes even the People's Alliance platform.  It was the one that had the most real concrete numbers in the last election. Speak to the canvassers that come to your door.  If you don't get the answers from them call and speak to the candidate themselves.

Since we still use the old system of the ancient Greeks I will leave you with this quote from one of the most well known of them...