X The only letter that can overthrow a government

By Sheila Copps

Sometimes it feels like Canada is perpetually on the verge of a federal election.

Predictably, whenever the possibility seems imminent, media pundits moan about voter fatigue, the political literati waxes eloquent about the death of democracy, and we citizens rattle on about how much it costs to have multiple elections with no visible change in the outcome. And here’s the kicker. When the election actually happens, close to half of us won’t even bother going to the polls.

What’s wrong with this picture? In the context of a world torn by political and social upheaval, Canada is a pretty darn nice place to live. Our biggest concern usually revolves around regional and linguistic jealousies, historical French-English tensions coupled with a beggar-myneighbour attitude that dominates our political discourse. Alberta thinks Ontario gets more. British Columbia thinks Quebec gets more. Easterners think the West whines too much. Everybody hates Toronto. Atlantic and Prairie Canadians live with less and seem to be the happiest of the bunch.

But for anyone who has travelled the world, Canada’s quality of life and guarantee of democratic rights appear almost idyllic. Why then is there so little interest in defending the principle of democracy expressed in a citizen’s right to vote? Why the concern over the cost of elections when the cost of government without elections is dictatorship? Can you imagine citizens in the former Soviet Union moaning about voting? Why are so few Canadians engaged in the political discourse of our country? Do we simply assume, having lived in relative peace and stability for 132 years, that there is no need to buttress that stability by political engagement?

During my three decades in politics, I worked hard to engage fellow citizens in the process - especially young people. Here’s what I learned. About one-third of Canadians are actively engaged in some form of citizen involvement in the political process. Whether it be membership in a political party or involvement in a cause, they debate, engage and help set the country’s direction. Another third are moderately interested, but too busy living their lives to spend much time thinking about the larger world. They consider voting to be the discharge of their civic responsibility. But, heaven forbid, they will not debate public policy or even express political preferences outside of small, intimate gatherings. This group thinks it unwise to talk openly about religion or politics.

Of course, there is another, more disturbing third of Canadians who have completely tuned out. They have no faith in the system and prefer to live outside it. They abhor voting because they believe the system will not change, whatever their personal commitment. They often glean their anti-political attitudes through multiple generations. These civic dropouts live in the margins, with little hope for change and little faith in collective empowerment.

A disturbing downward trend suggests that more than one in three Canadians will not even bother to show up for the next election, whenever it is. Some have referred to this as a crisis in democracy. Others have suggested that we pass a law, forcing every adult Canadian to cast their ballot in federal elections. I prefer to view the situation as a challenge of personal empowerment. If democracy is in crisis, where are the dictators and juntas?

The claim that Canadian democracy is in crisis is farcical. As a country, we should count our blessings. If our worst problem is voter apathy, that’s no crisis. The right to vote includes the right not to. But there is indeed a long-term consequence to increased voter abstinence. Voter intentions are tied to public trust. Can our institutions - our governments - really make a difference in our lives? As more citizens vote with their feet by staying at home and refusing to care about election outcomes, our public institutions take a drubbing. Fewer Canadians today will consider careers in public service. The notion of one for all and all for one is viewed as antithetical to modern individualism.

The collective responsibility we share in voting binds us together at a deeper level. When the majority of citizens choose a government, they are invested in its success. With good reasons to vote, it is incredible that society does little to foster citizen engagement. Most provinces throw a couple of civics courses at high-school students but many won’t even include Canadian history in their curricula, preferring to focus on their own provincial story. Is it any wonder young people are the least likely to vote when the majority of them cannot even name the current prime minister of Canada?

It’s not rocket science, people. If we are truly concerned about the drop in voter turnout, we must start by educating citizens to the importance and value of our democratic history. In the past year, we have been treated to more media reports about the battle on the Plains of Abraham that pitted French against English in a 20-minute sortie in 1759, than on French- English relations in the ensuing 250 years. Clearly, separatists enjoy revisiting their defeat because it reinforces the distorted narrative that Canada is an occupying force. In the absence of the modern vision of Quebecers as full partners in this great country, that is the view that dominates in some quarters. Separatists work hard to keep alienation alive. The battle serves to reinforce a sense of distance from the rest of the country.

But we, citizens of Canada, have a greater interest in telling our story, by word and deed. If we truly believe that our shared quality of life, respect for diversity, and economic stability is to be valued, the first place we express that is at the ballot box. X is the only letter that can overthrow a government. The price paid for denigrating democracy is far greater than any cost attached to a single election. The power to vote is in our hands. Let’s use it or lose it.

The Honourable Sheila Copps is former deputy prime minister of Canada 1993-1997, and chair of the AsiaNetwork Asian of the Year Awards.