With less than one month to go to the provincial election, all the players of the drama are in place.
Some – like the BC Conservatives – have been rehearsing their lines loudly and longly. Others – like the Green Party and even the NDP – are just starting to make their presence felt on the stage.
And then there are the BC Liberals, who seem to have been in a situation of almost permanent campaigning since Gordon Campbell stepped down as leader some two and a half years ago.
What is now needed to complete the show is the presence – and the voice – of the people.
And what we should remember at this point – all smoke and mirrors, scriptwriters and noisy claques to one side – is that this is far more than theatre.
We, the electorate, are not simply an audience. We are employers, and the politicians – no matter their party affiliations or ideological alignment – are the applicants hopeful of being hired as our representatives.
Their pay will come out of our pockets, and their decisions will have a very real impact on the course of our lives for the next four years.
Like any employer, we have the right to ask questions of potential employees, and make note of straightforward answers, as well as evasions and attempts to obscure the truth. And, as with any employment decision, a number of factors must be weighed.
Does the candidate seem experienced enough for the job? Do his or her goals seem realistic enough?
Has the candidate demonstrated capability or incompetence during past terms of employment? Has this person proven trustworthy?
Can we afford to hire an individual on the basis of who that person knows, or what views he or she espouses around the water cooler, or should we choose our employees more on the basis of how he or she has performed in the past?
Our participation in the election, particularly when ballots are cast, is vital to the process. This is more than a matter of the usual lecture about civic responsibility, low voter turnout and the importance of stepping up and being counted.
As employers, if we feel our previous hires have not been equal to the job, we must – if only out of self-interest – choose replacements that seem best to suit our needs.
But if, by the same token, we feel our wishes and aspirations have been properly represented over the past four years, we must, in all fairness, give a vote of confidence to our current employees.
The choice is ours.