When recent polling numbers are looked at we see Conservatives holding a 10 Point lead on the Liberals and perhaps as much as a 20 seat lead in the legislature.
What this actually means is that those who over the years have constantly been voting against the party they wanted not to form government by voting for the other strong party really does have a new option. With 5 parties involved in this election and this dramatic a lead for the Conservatives it is high time voters started to ask themselves “is this the year I vote my true convictions” and the answer really is “yes”
The reason is that going with your true party leanings will affect the vote in a few ridings and it will likely put a presence for each of the three remaining parties into the legislature. It will likely draw support from both main parties meaning that in the end it should not affect the overall split between them to significantly as the Liberals who can readily see the loss coming, as well as the Conservatives who readily see a win coming will retain a base level of support that will be likely on par with what is presently seen in the polls. The only true difference will be the increase in presence for the minor parties which will lead to a stronger voice in the legislature for those who are looking to make a difference.
PANB has seats that are definitely in play and each of the other parties have candidates that could take their ridings with a shift in voting practices from voting “against” to voting “for” and this election with such a wide margin between the two main parties is an ideal year to let your true feeling show.
THIS IS THE YEAR WHEN VOTING YOUR CONSCIENCE IS A “SAFE” OPTION
Coming from a very non-political family I've always voted with my head and have researched the platforms and opinions of each party with as much time as I can allow. Unfortunately my spare time is limited and it seems trying to sort out the views of the PANB requires more time than I have.
ReplyDeleteI adore Kris Austin in the debates I've seen but am still left wondering what the PANB will do to fix things. Austin seems to have a clear head on what needs to be fixed, I'm just confused as to how he plans to do it.
And Carl, I haven't seen a sign, heard a peep or read what you will offer my area as a representative now of PANB versus your former NDP party.
My immediate concerns include literacy:
What does PANB plan to do to increase it in our area and NB?
Low Income Housing - I've seen these houses get two new roofs, new windows, two freshly paved driveways, doors left open in the coldest of winters knowing their heat is turned to the max and I'm not even going to go into how I see them spending "their" money. What is the PANB going to do to rectify this?
In the "working poor" category I want to know what incentive there is to go beyond it.
Thank you for your time.
i will work to address these bit by bit
ReplyDeleteas for signs and literature i am working on no budget and basically knocking on doors and doing the meetings and presentations i get asked to do is all i can do to get the message out
my parents live near a low income housing area within that riding and so i am well aware of exactly what you are talking about (tho the ones there repairs are few and far between) the heat and money issues i understand tho completely.
one suggestion we have looked at is creating a bit of a buffer so that as people increase wages made working that the entire sum is not removed from their "assistance checks" basically giving them more and more incentive to improve themselves over time.
another possible suggestion for those who are working but still stuck in housing situations is to help them get new accomodations through assistance in locating and planning moves once their "rent" surpasses rent/heat payments on a similar sized unit. This is actually something that does not necessarily have to cost money and a call can be initiated by the housing authority once a persons "rent" would surpass normal rent.
we also are looking at several different training options as well as figuring out how to recognize certifications for those who are self taught (and immigrants) and to make schooling easier for the working poor
literacy is extremely difficult to fix.
this is for multiple reasons and the big one is self confidence. Many who cannot read have spent years perfecting techniques to hide the fact and are extremely self concious about the fact and unwilling to admit it.
increasing availability of literacy courses is one way (making hours of availability far more flexible) and reducing or removing costs of these courses would be a personal recommendation.
finding ways to encourage people to participate and ways to ensure privacy to those who do not want friends and others to know what is wrong is part of the issue.
There are multiple reasons why i chose to be involved in the PANB over the NDP this time around but one of the main features was my ability to involve myself in creating policy and shaping the direction of the party ( i presently sit as 2nd vice president and regional director on top of being part of the web team) A strong reason why i wanted to be this heavily involved revolves around my dedication to the autism issue and pushing hard for improvements to that service
i am willing to answer any questions you may have so if you do need further information just contact me at carlbainbridge@panb.org