FELDSTED - It seems that our government and party leaders are determined to spend every dollar they can beg, borrow or steal in order to live large

The 2019 federal election campaign to date can be summed up as: "trivial pursuit".

Our political party leaders claim to be concerned over hatred expressed by members of the public and fear for their personal safety. They need to take a deep breath and consider:

SOURCE --- Wikipedia
(Based on File: Canada Election 2015 Results Map.svg)

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?

We have suffered a summer, early fall and over half of an official election campaign watching political party representatives hurl insults, manure, and yes, hatred at one another in an unending stream of vindictive lust for power. Now they are frightened by citizens who express similar views!

This evening (October 7^th) we will be treated to another “debate” which will quickly deteriorate into a verbal slug-fest that ignores our primary concerns. We are tired of political party manipulations. We are worried over the rising cost of living, ever increasing taxation, the costs of housing, economic instability, the possibility of a recession and our government fixation on a climate change.

It seems that our government and party leaders are determined to spend every dollar they can beg, borrow or steal in order to live large. That results in frustration and anger, not hatred. Political parties and politicians who refuse to consider our best interests as a priority have earned our wrath.

Political party leaders, their campaign teams and party officials do not live in a parallel universe apart from society. We have had several candidates in this election disqualified by political parties for making remarks considered politically incorrect.

The only people who can disqualify a candidate from representing the people are the people eligible to vote. That is how democracy works. We do not elect a political party.

Political parties claim to screen applicants for candidacy to find people of good character. Watch several episodes of “Question Period” and you will conclude that the screening is not working.

Every candidate should meet three criteria:
... financial security – not so indebted that bribes are attractive;
... no record of serious crimes; and
... no record of sexual offenses

After that, it is the people’s choice. Political parties must not decide who we get to choose from as our representative.

Recently the NDP insisted that the Conservatives disqualify a candidate for having made anti-gay remarks. They dumped the candidate claiming that no one with such views could serve in the party. What happened to the concept that a candidate for office represents the constituents in an electoral district, not a political party? Who decided to bury democracy?

The ingrained self-centered smugness, of political party officials, does not allow them to recognize that “hateful online election chatter” is a signal that they are failing Canadians, and we are fed up with their arrogant, snobbish refusal to heed our concerns.

They are neither our betters nor superiors. They still pull on their pants one leg at a time.