Election 2008: Regional Perspectives on National Issues

Over the last five weeks of the 2008 election campaign, many pressing issues have been discussed and debated at the national level. However, it is important to remember that Canada is a large country with a diverse economy, population and culture, and regional variations can play a large role in which issues are considered most important by different individuals and communities.

Poverty and inequality, access to health care, social security support, availability of employment, care for the environment – these are only a few of many issues on which perspectives can differ significantly from one region to another across the country. Programs to address social and economic problems on a national scale may also have a very different impact depending upon where they are implemented. We must take Canadian regional diversity into account when considering how to answer God’s call for justice, compassion and stewardship during this election campaign.

While we have primarily discussed election topics on a national level throughout this campaign, we at CPJ recognize that how issues are perceived may be significantly influenced by regional variations. We feel it is important to understand how federal election topics are viewed in different parts of the country. We asked three current and former board members – from Alberta, Southern Ontario and the Maritimes, respectively – to provide us with their views on the election through a public justice lens.

Alberta

Janet Wesselius, former CPJ board chair from Alberta, is concerned that the economy is receiving a great deal of attention in this federal election, at the expense of other issues. She writes: “Suddenly, the economy is the primary issue in this campaign and I think that is a misplaced focus, not because the economy is unimportant but because we have such a narrow understanding of what the economy is.”

She continues, “What I'd really like is for our nation to talk about a vision for what our governments should be. I think that is the issue – abstract as it sounds – that underlies nearly all the other issues that get attention, like the economy, and those that seem to have disappeared from the public view for the moment, such as health care and ecological stewardship.”

Janet believes that “the whole political system [in Alberta] seems to be impervious to the influence of ordinary people and, not surprisingly, this lack of genuine representation leads to helpless frustration and apathy and eventually to a lack of engagement.” As a result, Janet feels that a political system based upon proportional representation would encourage many Albertans, particularly youth, to be more active in the political process.

Janet sees a great deal of concern in Alberta for the environment and believes there should be more discussion about the meaning of ecological stewardship. She asks: “Do we have any notion of ecological justice? The tar sands and the option of a carbon tax do get some play in this election, but once again, the focus is so narrow and it constrains both the debate we can have and our sense of the options. I see this most clearly in the lack of attention paid to land use and oil and gas production. In the exclusive attention paid to the oil sands, we miss the related issues of becoming a society that is de-populating its food-producing communities and consequently we are increasingly losing our agricultural skills.”

Nova Scotia

Emily Hutten, a CPJ board member from Nova Scotia, also knows many people in the Maritimes who are concerned about agriculture and a lack of government support for farmers. She describes talking to farmers who are struggling to survive and wonders how the issues of agriculture, food safety and security are being addressed in this election.

Poverty is also a significant issue of concern for many in her region. Emily writes: “From talking with people I work with here in Halifax and in rural Nova Scotia, I know that there are many who want to hear about how change will come for the many living in poverty in Canada. Housing – developing much needed safe, affordable housing – is essential to people here. People want to hear about plans for a federal poverty reduction strategy.”

Ontario

Maria Pâez Victor, one of our board members in Toronto, views the presence of Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan is an issue that is not being given the importance that it deserves in this election campaign. She believes that, as Christians, we have a responsibility to question why our government is in a combat role in a foreign country, and that our involvement in Afghanistan presents a “huge moral question” that should be discussed. Maria is also concerned about the state of the economy in the United States, and believes that there should be a strong government role in the regulation of the private sector.

Maria – like Janet in Alberta – feels strongly that there should be more discussion during this campaign about an overall vision for Canada as a country. She believes that it is not enough to look at individual issues. As voters, we should be asking ourselves what kind of country we want, what we value, and what kind of vision we have for our country.

Your community: what’s important?

In these last few days of the election, we encourage you to look at topics that have been discussed on a national level during this campaign and ask questions about how they relate to your own community, city and province. What kinds of federal government programs would benefit the poor and marginalized in your community? How can government policies seek justice and promote ecological stewardship in your city?

By asking questions such as these to our candidates and political leaders, we can foster a society in which every person, regardless of where they live, can have equal access to basic needs and live with respect for creation.