It’s been a weird one. I took a long drive down Farmstead south of LSL, today and checked out several smaller streets for signs. There weren’t as many as social media leads you to believe. If signs are indicative of anything, it’s as if not many people care about the election. That a vote is more a daily chore to checked off than an actual conscious thought of being able to actively express an opinion, and choose a government. And that’s not healthy for democracy at all.

That attitude is no surprise. There hasn’t been a single, dominant issue that’s really gotten people’s attention. Everyone was upset about the proposed 413, but it didn’t gain much traction. There’s still a pandemic going on, but barely a whisper of how Ford handled it (or didn’t). And that’s where it could’ve been won. Haven’t heard much about Bill 124, and the treatment of nurses/teachers/public servants- that’s another that should’ve gotten traction. Little on climate change, or environment, or healthcare, seniors, or education. If anything, there should be too much being discussed not too little.

The local campaign has felt flat to me, but at the same time has had weird background dynamics. I suspect there hasn’t been a debate to feature all six candidates for MPP. Have heard that the incumbent hasn’t attended a lot of them, which is apparently a party policy. It’s also felt like a two-horse race between the Liberals, and PC’s, and some people might not be aware of the four other choices on the ballot. By the way, those parties are: New Blue (John Spina), Consensus (Masood Khan), NDP (Katherine Cirlincione), and Green Party (Oriana Knox).

And speaking of the local race…. usually I have a good hunch on who’s going to win by this point in a campaign. As of today… I don’t. I’ve heard of PC supporters that would vote New Blue because they can’t stand the idea of another four years of Ford. So they may be players here. Parm Gill is an incumbent cabinet minister, and Sameera Ali a popular Municipal Councilor. It feels like a toss-up.

Random Thoughts:

Of Underreported stories- this strategy of not attending debates, or doing much media, is a safe one if you’re a frontrunner. It also damages transparency, and increases cynicism. If a government can’t/or doesn’t want to answer questions at an election time, then when will it? And what does it have to hide? It may leak votes, because the only time politicians are the most visible provincially is during a campaign. The visuals of having activists arrested, and refusal to answer questions are another sign of an unhealthy democracy.

Of strategic voting: This comes up every single campaign. This time, it’s the “who has the best chance of beating the PC candidate” idea. Our system isn’t built for this, and it may take too much of a compromise. The last time a party won like this was Bob Rae and the NDP who were unprepared to govern, and have probably ruined NDP chances every election cycle since.

Of Issues that weren’t: I’ve gone through them above. The most surprising might be the 413, but it could also be urban sprawl. Many communities including this one are undergoing an official plan amendment, and seeking the best way to manage growth as well as climate change. Healthcare is another one that needs its due, and long drawn out conversation, preferably across party lines.

No matter what the choice, a final decision will be made Thursday.