Jets and Jails and Fairy Tales.

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Photo Credit: Trashy's World


So I said I wouldn't be posting again for awhile but I lied.  That's right. I told a big one, a falsehood, misspoke, told a whopper.  Yup.  That's what I did.  But now I get to spin it. See it's OK because I've decided to go into politics and so I'm practicing for that day!   It is unimportant.  See the other guy went to Harvard and doesn't clip his ear hairs so lying to you isn't relevant.  Do you hear me?  He also went to Oxford.  That's bad.  And he's going to tax your iPods.  So me lying.  No biggie.  Just forget about it.  I have a kitten.

I'm only half kidding because that's how it kinda went down.

I covered the election last night in the local riding as part of the regional coverage by local television. I went from party to party and interviewed all of the candidates. I was in the NDP party room when they reached 100 seats and it was goose bump thrilling. I was in the Conservative room when they announced that the majority government had been formed by the Conservative Party and that was also a celebration moment.  For them. We had trouble locating one of the candidates all night. We started calling him Polkaroo because we weren't sure he existed.  We did find him eventually.

It was a fun experience.  My first election as a reporter...I kept wanting to say "now back to the future" instead of "now back to the studio" but I managed to play it straight!  I also had the strange urge to tweet pretend results but resisted!  And the food was great!  The Green Party had a keg of beer and locally grown oranges(wow, in Ontario..I'm fascinated).  I won't compare the parties but I mention the Green Party only because they had a KEG of BEER!  Like Vote GREEN...we have beer should be their party motto!  Perhaps it is.  Their leader, Elizabeth May won her seat and I'm very happy about that!


I'm generally not a nervous person but a Conservative Majority government makes my hair straighten and my hands shake.  So now what?  We get jets and jails?  What do I do?  I'm so confused.  Now I have to decide if I'm gonna get my pilots licence  or knock over a liquor store?  The liquor store has more appeal right now after last night's results and hey, I don't have to register my gun right?  Plus those super prisons sound mighty cosy. 

All joking aside, last night's election was an eye opener.  I look at the map and see Conservative seats in areas where you know there isn't anything the Conservatives care about.  Poor rural areas where there are no large businesses and social programs would be most desirable.  The NDP is now forming the official opposition and the Liberal party tanked. The Bloc in Quebec was nearly annihilated last night by the NDP and both leaders of the last two parties have stepped down.

So the good news.  The voter turnout was up.  People obviously want change as indicated by the surge of NDP seats.  There also needs to be a better way of getting a majority.  It should not be that a majority is achieved with 40% support from the Canadian people who voted.  This is just wrong.

It did not go my way.  And I'm worried about the country now because the Conservative government has its eye on a course that is not what I envision this country to be.

I want a government that works for the people.  All of the people.  A balanced government that finds a way to fund social programs while still caring for our soldiers when they are off fighting or peacekeeping in other countries.  I don't want to just lock up the criminals in super jails.  Instead I want a society that fosters fairness for all at a young age, that encourages support for families and offers education for all.  I guess I want that "just society" that Mr. Trudeau spoke of all those years ago.  Years later I heard his son, Justin,  say "Life's not fair, but it ought to be."  That is what I want for this country.

If you want to invest your tax dollars in anything invest some of it in the people of this country.  What if all were able to be educated. What if there were no stress over money or housing or health.  Would not the people be happier and more content? A well educated society would be more engaged in their communities, their families and be  better able to build this country with their businesses.  Would we need as many jails if the people were content?  Because it seems that the criminal element is bred from discontent and a sense of desperate injustice.  It isn't 100% of course.  Rich successful people commit crimes too but for the most part it's a sense of feeling disenfranchised that breeds criminal activity.

And you're screaming "TAXES" and I say..yep.  But if you are educated and make more money, had to pay for less stuff..well..wouldn't you be able to afford more taxes? 

And I'm a writer.  The arts are important to me.  I want creative beauty celebrated.  I want art galleries and music supported.  I want the gift of creativity nurtured in all of the people who are that in their souls just as I want those with a love of medicine, business, law and natural born engineers to be able to follow their passions without impairments such as financial need.  Imagine if every kid could play hockey for free if he wanted to!  The talent  pool would be incredible!  Imagine if every student could be educated no matter what their economic background.  What if everybody had a shot? 

In spite of the results last night I am still in a very good mood.  I am buoyed up by the fact that it appears that Canadians do want change!  I'm excited that Quebec is sending a message that perhaps it does like being in Canada and that gives a sense of unification of the country.  I am glad because I like Quebec in Canada too.

So if you think you're gonna thrive under this government, well, that part is the fairy tale.  This government created a deficit and brags about its economic record though there was a surplus when they first came to power.  They claim stability when what they mean is "control" as in nobody gets to ask the Prime Minister a question.  Ever. The only one who will get to live happy ever after in this fairy tale is the Prime Minister, surrounded by a myriad of pictures of himself.  Mirror mirror on the wall, whose the fairest one of all?  The mirror will say "you oh fair one," for fear of finding himself sharing a loft with Helena Guergis as they try to figure out what the heck went wrong and why they were let go without reason.

I am moving in a couple of months to Newfoundland where the only blue I want to see is that of the pristine Newfoundland sky over the magnificent Atlantic Ocean.  Red is my favourite colour but I've been known to like certain shades of orange at times.

Now back to my regularly scheduled break from blogging and back to my novel writing. 

Oh Canada. We'll fix you up right next time around.  Meanwhile fighter jets for everyone and they're a steal at $65 billion...or so...roundabout..something like that....we still don't know exactly.  Sigh.  It's gonna be a fun four years.

Carolyn R Parsons

Be the change you want to see in the world~Mahatma Ghandi