a second
opinion

WITH only one full
week of campaigning
left, my sense is that a
lot of the media com-
mentary about this fed-
eral election is just
plain wrong.

It’s not a boring cam-
paign at all; in fact, the range
of possible outcomes caused
by so many different political
options make this election
one of the most fascinating
ever,

Neither are voters unin-
terested; in fact, most people
‘a are paying atention,

" Tt might be diffieule to
focus ona single issue and
there may be a sense of
dread as we approach voting
day, but Pm convinced that

/ the great majority of voters

: will make deliberate and

a. well-considered decisions on

ven June 2.
rm ” Still, some parties are
, worried about voter apathy,

- ie After all, we're living in
an age of extreme cynicism
towards polities and a large
portion of the general public
seem to want to cast a pox
on all politicians, It’s a senti-
ment that worries many par-
ties as they move into the
final stage of preparing to
get the vote out.

Even at this late date,

‘ i 8

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(Stn CUnet at oop. verensiremvuuresuily Dasyer HBA RAH VP NERe RERERSDLD SG. nbs SNORE -uirmaneranStin AnD SOOIRGMNCLEHRD Hem HISINEtAEC moe

public opinion polls continue
to reflect an extraordinary
number of undecided voters,
Are they hesitating because
they haven't yet made up
thelr minds) Or will they
vote at all?

In Canada we pride our
selves on maintaining a
healthy and vigorous democ-
racy, especially as measured
by voter turnout,

And we frown on our
American neighbors who
don’t bother to exercise their
franchise invery large num:
bers,

For instance, fast fall only
about half of the eligible vot-
ers in the United States
bothered to vote when
President Bill Clinton was
reelected, How do we com-
pare?

In the last several elee-
tions, voter turnout in
Canada has been gradually
declining,

In 1993 it dropped below
70%: and here in British
Columbia voter turnout was
47.8%, In other words,
almost one-third of British
Columbians who were eligi-
ble to vote didn’t care to
participate in the exercise of
choosing their federal repre-
sentative,

Here on the North
Shore, however, our voter
turnout was somewhat high-
er than the provincial or
national averages,

In North Vancouver
72.5% of voters cast ballots:
and in the old Capilano-

Howe Sound riding 73.6% of

voters trooped to the polls.
Still, more than a quarter
of those who were qualified
and eligible to vote didn’t.
And in close contests, those

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north shore news

IEWPOINT

non-participathng voters
could easily decide the out:
COME,

[t's Impossible ta predict
wha kind of voter turnout
we'll have this dime around,
lout it's interesting to specu
late about who has the most
to lose or gain in the event
ofan unenthusiastic elec
torate,

A hint: the Liberals are
doing everything they can to
prevent party workers from
growing complacent and
voters from assuming that
the government will be easily
reelected,

So much for apathy, What
about denial?

Remember how people
used to deny ever voting for
Social Credit, even while

To Pay With No Down Payment On

Everything in The Store’

Furniture “i
Appliances

D>

“MAYTAG & &

SONY

they regularly elected Socred
MLAs,

1k Was a cOnMON patter
for many years, even here on
the North Shore, Local vat-
ers would never admit te
their frends, neighbors or
business associates that they
had voted Soclat Credit, Yet,
provincial election results
offered undoubted proof
that someone must have
been voung for the party of
the Bennetts of Kelowna,

Hor else can we explain
that the Socreds sued B.C.
almost uninterrupted for the
better part of 40 years,

This curious but wide-
spread denial seems to have
come from the fact that
many trban voters found
Social Crediters a bit ta

RoM / 2

INT. akan

” For the long run. .!

cae tome. estan ms (nega SSULOTTH RETEST DSS Bush thm Haier HALEN SOARS ROSSI DSN SAPO SRSEASA SS 8

Of political apathy and denial

FOLUROGN AAO beODC DAN ONL onseneneceedsied ose be:

crude and rough-around:
the-cdges to be able to
apenty idendfy with then,

‘They were seen as coun:
try bumpkins from the
Interior, simple-minded and
unsophisticated, But their
policies were quietly and
consistently endorsed by a
silent majority of B.C, vot
ers.

Is It possible that a similar
pattern Is now emerging on
the federal scene in British
Columbia with the
Reformers?

If Preston Manning's
party holds much of its
strength in B.C, = which
seems possible — we'll all be
puzaling over who elected all
these Reform MPs once
again,

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And E predict we'll have a
challenging time trying to
answer the question of who
would ever be so gauche as
to support the Reforn
Party?

Psychologists might call it
mass denial. Bur in the priva-
cy of the voting booth, with
the benefit of a seeret ballot,
surprising things can and do
happen.

Funny how democracy
works, isn’t le

— The North Shore News
believes strongly in freedom of
Speech and "he right ofall

sides ina debate to be beard,
‘The columnists published in

the News present differing
points of view, but those views
ave not necessarily those of the +
newspaper itself:

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