Promises, Slogans - A Disrespect to Voters

I truly believe that if democracy meant more than a tick on the ballot in an archaic voting system every four years, media and voters would not tolerate the juvenile nature of massive election promises. They would be seen for what they are: incredible, unaffordable, and populist attempts to catch the passing gaze of an otherwise asleep populace. Sure, there are many people in Fort Garry quite engaged in politics in many levels of the society, be they school, workplace, community groups, but then every four years: out trot the talking heads at election time, and the media chases them around, without much criticism of the ridiculousness of the whole charade.

Let's look at today's announcement: McFayden says "We will bring back the Jets!" What else will the Tory resurrect from their government days? They brought us frozen food for healing in hospitals, let our parks be logged, and now they seek to rethermalize the Jets? I don't know about you, but I have seen ticket prices for NHL games around the league and am happy to not be chasing those playoff memories, when I could be spending my money on local arts, spending warm spring evenings bicycling around town, playing sports, attending public meetings.

McFayden shows a lack of understanding of young people if he thinks that psychologically we will keep young people close to making six-figures here if they can attend Jets games. Translation: we need a playground for the elite because Winnipeg is not good enough as it is for them. We need a lifestyle image created outside of Manitoba - outside of reality really, on TV. That is not the leadership this province needs but desperate populism.

Not too different from the NDP hiring out of province to rebrand Manitoba as Spirited Energy, as if Manitobans ourselves could not have come up with a slogan to express our diversity, our endurance, our creativity.

The No Difference Party ('new' and 'democratic' having long ago taken sick leave) meanwhile has become mired in empty slogans after 8 years of governing like Conservatives. "Green and Growing" basically seeks to capitalize on the two biggest themes in our society - the old and the new. "Growing" is a testament to economic growth, the unanalyzed mantra of our economy - growth at any cost.

Growth means growth in GDP and is a quantitative measurement, telling you how much we produce, how many patients we treat, how much we recycle, etc. It does not tell you if people are living more healthy lives, have more leisure and less stress, or if our waterways are being systematically gutted by policies based on profit margins, acquiescence to large corporations, and a 20th century centralized mega-project mentality. Read economist Herman Daily's Farewell Speech to the World Bank to consider how economic reform is possible. There are other indicators out there, qualitative ones, that Greens would adapt.

And NDP "green"? As if it is easy enough to just put on green lenses as in the government greenwash ads, and all our ecological missteps would magically disappear. Still Manitoba Hydro forges ahead with megadams rather than adjust Hydro rates to create a disincentive for consuming so much. And why are the lights always on in large buildings, even in an atrium on a sunny day? This the agenda that turned Lake Winnipeg into a giant freshwater reservoir.

The slogan 'forward, not back' borrows terms from the traditional international Greens vision of 'not left, not right, but forward,' coined by the earliest Greens, the German die Grunen. Meanwhile, "forward" in this case means leaving the car running and driving on, but without a clear direction in mind. In means forward into the abyss of overconsumption, the end of Lake Winnipeg, and forward with the Hydro agenda, regardless of whether the Northern Flood Agreement was ever settled with the people of Cross Lake. Forward with a road and bridge over the Bloodvein River, without first protecting the East Shore Wilderness from industrial activity, the largest remaining intact tract of boreal forest left on Earth.

Greens would rethink progress, focusing on well-being, not growth.

We would have forced the hog industry to prove the sustainability of their industry before permitting massive growth, and not hold superficial hearings 8 years into the mandate, following the shifting of onus of proof onto proponents of development under the precautionary principle (more on that later).

We would engage all Manitobans through citizens assemblies and regular constituency forums, so that Manitobans can help set goals for this province, not advertising executives in Toronto board rooms.

If we were the ones setting the goals, the old grey parties' leaders would not stoop to such superficial promises at election time, but would run on their records, which we would be more clear on.

We Manitobans deserve better. We are not gullible and we need to know that not only can we change policy and change direction, but we can also change the way we elect politicians and set policy in this province. Electoral reform, an actively engaged citizenry, and a governmental policy of substance: these would be at the heart of a Green government.

The way promises and slogans are flying around here, 'Green and Growing'/Bringing back the Jets puts Hugh and Gary2 in good company with Pinnocchio. Unfortunately we will only hold them accountable with a single X on a ballot four years from now, and not six months after the election and not a year later. But by then the damage of short-sighted policies will have been done - again.