There’s a Canadian election (or two) coming?

Manitobans have two elections coming this fall but aside from the odd lawn sign, it doesn’t seem like people give a damn. Then again, does it ever?

It’s somewhat of a refreshing change compared to our friends down south. After all, their election is over a year away and we haven’t stopped hearing about it since, well, 2016.

I appreciate that Canadians aren’t so gungho about the election process. It either means they’re happy with the state of their community or they feel there are better things to get fired up about.

It appears that Americans love being divided and doing battle with each other. Canadians, I believe, are the opposite. In fact, we don’t like seeing people verbally sparring so we just tune out.

Is that the right thing to do? Probably not. After all, the future of our neighbourhoods depends on elections.

The mudslinging is just beginning. There’s controversy that one provincial party appears to call another party’s leader an ass in one of their ads. It’s that sort of tone that makes Canadians look the other way and pretend the name calling isn’t happening.

Maybe the difference in Canada is that voters don’t stoop to the level of the people we elect into office. And maybe we don’t get involved because we look at them as full of hot air with nothing positive to say.

During Winnipeg’s last civic election, I interviewed the mayoral candidates and one of my rules was “no mudslinging.” If a candidate started to refer to someone else, I shut them down right away and told them to stay on topic. I compared it to a date on The Bachelor.

“This is your five minutes to tell us about you. Why waste the time telling us about how bad the other guy is?”

I haven’t made up my mind on the upcoming elections but I’m hoping to speak with each of the party leaders before I cast my vote. It might even come down to who is the most pleasant to speak to. I’ll keep you posted.

That’s my point. What’s yours? Tell me at www.speakfreewithjb.com.