What Will it Take to Win My Vote?
October 10, 2007 | 04:10 PM
With a provincial election creeping up on us, it's time for me to begin exercising my democratic responsibility and start sorting through the policies, and the promises, and the media hype, and bring all of that information down to a single 'x' on the ballot. I'm a first time voter and I want to make sure that my vote is informed, well thought out and critical.
So, what is it going to take to win my vote? Well, it's going to take a party that is dedicated to the important issues that all Saskatchewanians are concerned with going forward. Healthcare, the "booming" economy, and the growing aboriginal population (to name a few) are going to be big on the minds of voters at election time, and the way each party handles these issues will give us a good idea whether or not they can be trusted with our votes.
We're at a very exciting time in our province's history right now. We're on the verge of becoming 'the next Alberta' in terms of economic growth, and it will be interesting to see how the parties are going to handle the pressure of taking Saskatchewan into its most prosperous years. To win my vote, the candidates are going to have to make me believe that they are willing to spend money to make money. A conservative (style, not party) approach to economic growth in this election just isn't going to cut it. We are at a time of great opportunity and must act now. As a university student, I want to feel confident that this province is as good a place as any to find a job and to do business when I graduate. I'm under the impression that this province has great potential for economic growth, and whether or not that is true, I think that many other people in our province are under the same impression. How the parties handle these high expectations will be a determining factor in getting my vote.
Saskatchewan's health care system will inevitably change to some form of a two-tiered system in the future, and it's going to be interesting to see how the candidates in this election handle the issue. The party that wins my vote is going to have to be prepared to face this challenge head-on. I'm not partial to a certain type of healthcare system as of right now, but I do expect a good explanation for why each party stands behind their policy. The party that does the best job of clearly stating and defending their vision for the future of healthcare in this province will win points with me.
I want to get in a bit about the growing aboriginal population in our province. Although the stats surrounding aboriginal employment, education, and poverty are issues we would sometimes rather overlook, it is paramount that the parties are willing to address these issues in a respectful but honest manner. As the native population becomes increasingly more urbanized, it is our government's responsibility to provide work, education and housing opportunities that are conducive to the integration of the two predominant cultures in our province. The party that gets my vote will need to have a realistic and compassionate approach to the issues facing our aboriginal population.
I've touched on three of the main issues for the upcoming election, and I look forward to seeing how the candidates present their ideas and handle criticism surrounding these issues. But having said that, my vote will go to the party that has a well-rounded campaign and doesn't use the hot-button issues alone to get votes. It might be tempting to win over extremely right-winged or left-winged voters by promising extremely right-winged or left-winged changes, but ultimately the party that is willing to earn my confidence in their entire platform will get my vote. I, like many other voters, will be judging each party by what they say regarding the key issues in this election, but more importantly, I will be looking to learn what they stand for as a party through the way they deal with these key issues. In short then, to win my vote, it's going to take a party who's policies on the main issues lead me to believe that they are committed to creating a well-rounded platform based on solid values.
