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Political parties need to rethink their approach |
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Tuesday, 09 October 2007 |
In this day and age, politics is not an easy sell.
Getting young people involved in the political process and retaining involvement over a person's lifetime is a major task.
There are always going to be those people who are interested in politics, no matter what approach is taken by the various political parties. They are tried and true, sticking to their party of choice and taking part in every election process.
On the other end of the spectrum, are the people who have no interest in anything political.
They do not want to hear the arguments, they do not want to listen to the campaigning politicians and they do not bother to vote.
That is not to say they are a hopeless case and should be written off but it is not likely they will show any interest, unless something major changes in the way politicians appeal to the electorate.
Increasingly, it would appear the majority of the population is turned off by the political process.
Too many people feel the major decisions are made behind closed doors among a select few who are in the know and have the right connections.
The political parties of the day, be they federal or provincial, are out of touch with the average citizen.
To assume, because these citizens are not coming out to vote or take part in the political process, that their disinterest is rooted in stupidity is to simply assume wrong.
Political parties have become so narrow minded in their treatment of the electorate that they fail to see that the political process, not the actual candidates, are turning people away.
If the politicians do not make the political process open and accessible, the voters will turn away or turn to other alternatives.
Take the recent PC nomination meeting for the Little Bow Constituency as an example.
Voting was slated in one location and one location only. While geographically, it was as close to centre as possible between the northern and southern ends of the riding, demographically it was out in left field.
It simply was not accessible or convenient for the electorate to participate from across the constituency.
It was particularly inconvenient for the young potential new voters and the seniors who did not want to be driving for a couple of hours, at night, all the way to Vulcan.
Of course, here in the Cardston-Taber-Warner riding, Taberites were also criticized for not getting out to vote. It has been many years since a Taber candidate has won the PC nomination, and that trend may continue if voter apathy trends play out the way they have been.
If political parties do not make a shift in their approach to the wants and needs of the electorate, they may soon find the electorate will look for alternative ways to make their impact on the political process.
With a provincial election on the horizon, possibly next spring, and a federal election always looming with our minority government, let's hope the electorate will be engaged. |
