If you weren’t particularly looking forward to having another election, join the club.
We had a provincial election in 2017, an electoral reform referendum in 2018, and last year’s federal election. Include the municipal elections of 2018 and rumours of another federal election around the corner and it adds up to a lot of research on party platforms in order to make a wise decision on voting day.
And yet, let’s accept the B.C. Oct. 24 election for what it is: an opportunity.
In the early days of the campaign, the debate has been about NDP Leader John Horgan’s decision to call the election. Is it really necessary to have a majority government to properly govern during the pandemic, or is it opportunistic? Regardless, it would seem prudent to be suspect of politicians who say they just can’t get enough done without control of the legislature.
As British Columbians prepare to go to the polls, there is no shortage of issues that would seem particularly relevant to Catholics and people of faith, all waiting for examination and research. At the end of this column I’ll share some of this newspaper’s plans for helping you dissect them.
Economic and family issues are usually top of mind for voters, including concerns over things like taxes and childcare. This time, throw in the pandemic and you’ve got a cornucopia of critical areas the candidates need to address. Among them, the government’s response to the pandemic, especially considering it had some lead time to prepare compared to the rest of the country.
One of the most tragic consequences of the pandemic has been the rash of nursing home deaths, on top of the existing annual scandal of elderly deaths from flu and pneumonia. As the province imposed restrictions due to the pandemic, the usual neglect of seniors was compounded by isolation from their loved ones. Some say the ongoing measures are necessary, while others argue they’re causing more harm than the virus itself. (A government survey on the effects of COVID-19 restrictions on those living in long-term care and assisted living facilities can be completed until Sept. 30.)
The COVID restrictions raise added questions about individual liberty. Does it make sense for churches to be restricted to 50 people while grocery stores are not? If a vaccination becomes available, will it be mandatory in order to receive government services?
It’s also prudent to ask how much government spending on the pandemic is appropriate before the outlay starts taking its toll on other areas, including health care. And in light of the B.C. Supreme Court recently striking down privatized health care, how do the parties respond to the growing demand for health care without it consuming the entire provincial budget?
We’re witnessing a rise in restrictions on freedom of speech and growing intolerance toward opinions deemed undesirable, on topics ranging from climate change, to life issues, to pandemic response. We’ve seen speaking engagements cancelled and the Liberals attacking their own MLAs for daring to run advertisements in a Christian magazine. Are there limits to freedom of expression in 2020? If so, what are they?
The NDP government has also closed its eyes to the issue of assisted suicide and palliative care. The government’s End of Life Care Action Plan on palliative care hasn’t been updated since 2013, before assisted suicide was legalized. Health Minister Adrian Dix has spent more time trying to force euthanasia into a Delta hospice than on improving access to hospice and palliative care. Meanwhile, assisted suicide numbers in B.C. are staggering – the highest in Canada – with 3.3 per cent of people dying by lethal injection. People who are mired in hopelessness need medical and emotional help, not assistance in killing themselves, just as women facing unplanned pregnancies need support, not abortions. Where are the parties’ responses to people who feel so desperate they’re willing to kill themselves or their unborn children?
The issues go on and on ... homelessness, the opioid crisis, mental illness ...
Three election debates have been proposed, and we’ll need all three to properly discuss these issues and more. We are desperately in need of new ideas, so let’s hope they’re open to participation from all registered parties, not only the Greens, but the Christian Heritage Party of B.C.
Meanwhile, we’ll be working again with our friends at Catholic Conscience, who helped us so immensely during the last federal election. With their help, we’ll be publishing party platforms and providing insights on issues of special concern to Catholics. You can take a look at what they’re doing to prepare for the Saskatchewan provincial election next month by visiting catholicconscience.org/Saskatchewan.
Meanwhile, if you have questions or comments about the election and the issues, please share them with us at [email protected].