2007-09-18

Why I Am Not Voting NDP This Election

Since I started voting in 1968 there have only been two previous times I did not vote for the NDP. Once was as a protest vote after the Waffle was expelled from the NDP and I voted CPC-ML, and the other was a strategic vote for Marianne Wilkinson (who had left the Tories to join the Liberals because of Mike Harris's regressive policies) in an attempt to unseat the sitting Tory, Norm Sterling, and the Harris government.

This will be the third time, and it is essentially over one issue. I do not usually believe in voting based on one issue but in this case I have an opportunity to vote for a party not afraid to raise the issue of one public education system for the province. It should be the NDP, but it is not. On this issue I even find myself agreeing with John Tory, rather than Howard Hampton, on the fact that the existing funding of Catholic religious schools only is discriminatory. Of course I disagree with John Tory's solution, which would only make things worse.

In the entire history of the province only the Green Party has had the political will to stand up for equality and public education in Ontario, and for that they will be rewarded with my vote.

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2 comments:

  1. Anonymous18 September 2007 at 19:11

    Though I do find it a tough choice with the public school losing funding, once a school is funded by the government then they have to disclose their curriculum.
    This is something many have not wanted to do in the past. I think this is very important (especially with today's problems)

    Rob

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  2. Anonymous25 September 2007 at 15:52

    I agree with Hampton when he says that the the debate about faith-based schools [is] a smokescreen to distract voters from a lack of education funding for which both parties [Lib and PC] are to blame (see CBC news article.)

    Personally, I choose not to be distracted, and will vote NDP. I feel the NDP's policies are more supportive of working families than are the policies of either the Libs, PCs, or Greens.

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