I found the leadership debate on Global TV last week to be quite fascinating. There was no Gordon Wilson moment or knock-out punch but each leader showed their unique strengths and their weaknesses.
Polls this week indicate there was not a clear "winner" in the debate, and the two main parties of note are in a close race, separated only by a small percentage beyond the margin of error. There is still, however, 18 per cent of the polled audience still unsure as to where their vote is going.
As we all know by now, polling is not an exact science.
In politics, leaders of parties come and go, and generally, we are not voting for them regardless. We vote for the party platform and what we feel will be best for our regions and we vote for whom we feel will be the best supporter of our local interests.
On the local front, our issues and interests have been publicly discussed in several all-candidates debates. I have been to a couple of them and appreciate what all of the candidates have done to put themselves out there to talk about how they would address our issues if elected.
The latest debate put on by Friends of Delta Hospital was set up like a turkey shoot. It was like we all had to get into a time machine and go back several years to believe that we need to "Save our Hospital" as the signage suggested.
Luckily, Dr. Robert Shaw, head of the medical staff association, pointed out the situation is much better now and we need to remember that community leaders and businesses here have poured millions of dollars into our hospital and that support will continue.
Health care in general is certainly an issue in British Columbia, saving our hospital is not. It has already been saved.
I voted last Saturday in the first advance polling day. It took about three minutes of my day. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the advance polls today and tomorrow.
My voting decision was an easy one this election. There are only two candidates that will have the potential to govern (make decisions) and of these two, only one represents a party and platform that I have seen succeed for a long time. In addition to that, the candidate has an extensive political career and has worked with a multitude of community groups and stakeholders. He knows the issues.
In my view, the independent candidate simply cannot match this credibility. Nor, I believe, can he possibly match the political experience and savvy of his predecessor.
Professing to have a loud voice for our constituents is a nice idea and perhaps emotionally relevant to representation, but it is not practically so.
Governments and official oppositions have the luxury of a caucus to confide in, argue with, and caucus can become aware of critical community issues throughout the province that they can collectively work to solve. Caucus helps to form policy and it has the ear of, and access to, the cabinet if they are in government. Despite best intentions, independents do not have this ability.
Where we live, and with our seemingly endless stream of critical issues, we need someone in government who can work with their colleagues in Victoria and with municipal counterparts to make things right.
Mike Schneider is founder of Project Pickle and likes to write about growing, cooking and eating food. He is a Jamie Oliver Food Revolution ambassador.
