Why BC needs a regime change is not what you may think…

Welcome back.  I’ll start by saying I shall point at differences in political parties.  If you expect me to tell you who to vote for though, you are at the wrong place.

What I will tell you is how to analyze who is the best for your riding, and our province.  Do I support a particular party?  Sorry, you’d be wrong.  What I support is informed and engaged voters.  Be willing to question everyone and everything.  Find the right answers, the best answers.

But what about the title?  It’s easy, but because I’m an older woman, I enjoy a good conversation.  Make yourself comfortable, sit down, stay a while.  I may spend plenty of words on this, it’s something I am passionate about.

In Canada’s democracy we become complacent.  We don’t like change.  Maybe all the what if’s, maybe’s, or we might get into the I don’t like change.  Do we remember everything is changing all the time?   If we sit down, do nothing, someone else will change things for us.

Change is drifting across the world first with Brexit, then the promise of change that elected President Trump.  But if we don’t know all the issues, or who can actually deliver their promises, we will end up with something that’s not in the best interest of British Columbia.

Stories after Brexit revealed many in the United Kingdom didn’t know what exiting the European Union meant. They had voted for it without knowing the consequences.  Americans voted to repeal Obamacare while wanting to keep the Affordable Care Act, not realizing they are the same thing.

In the USA, a provision restricts any President to two terms in office.  It’s actually a wise rule.  It is about checks and balances.  Would we want to restrict terms here in British Columbia?  First we do it by voting a party out of power after a term or two.  It’s also wise to do here.  Laws need not be changed.

But won’t that disrupt services and cost all kinds of extra money?  Emphatically NO.  Governments become  entrenched, opening doors for empty promises, parroting the same promises every election just with different syntax.  Reduction of services while paying out patronage and enabling influential wealthy donors escalates.

Ruling parties may think if we get bored enough we just won’t bother to vote or just vote for the same thing over and over.  Political parties drag the conversation down to the lowest common denominator, two bullies in the mud throwing it at each other.  We tune out and say no matter who we vote for they’re all the same.

I wont argue that point, they may just be the same as what we had before.  What I will challenge you with, is that if we don’t regularly change up those leading us, it will, no matter who is in power, eventually erode into an inner circle without proper checks and balances.  Oft referred to as the good ol’ boys club.

Almost anyone seeking to be a leader or recognition risks slowly and subtly falling into this trap.  Even if they started with the most honest of intentions.  No one is completely immune to this.  Those who won’t be bought tend to fall out of the running.

Back to why I asked you over.  If we change ruling parties on a fairly frequent basis, one or two terms, we can weed out ones who aren’t doing their job. Fire those who are being influenced by corporations and wealthy donors. Those seeking preferential treatment.

Even the suggestion that this could be happening in a party is often proven easily.  Less and more restrictive access to the MLAs and the Premier by the average citizen is a sign.  If I wanted to talk to the Premier I may have to spend thousands in support of her party?

This is happening in BC.  The BC Liberal party are still in power after 15 years.  Big money influencers are those who are most likely buying the access they desire because they don’t want it to change. There is a reason for a regime change.

Thank you for dropping in.

Chat soon,

Ryanna Evans