Leo will vote for the first time

The author speaks to his nephew, now old enough to vote in the provincial elections

Eric Paradise
Bromont, Quebec

Hi Léo, at 19, you are going to vote for the first time at the provincial level.

I take the initiative to give you some pointers, as you tend to consult your old uncle on important issues such as the draft, the chances of the Oceanic making the playoffs and Vladimir Putin’s ambitions. I must tell you that to assume your convictions in the voting booth, it’s a little more complicated than to draw for the hockey pool.

First, know that you will vote for only one candidate who represents our riding, one of the 125 in the province. Here in Brome-Missisquoi, among other things, you will have to choose between Isabelle Charest (the Minister of Sports) and Alexandre Legault (QS) whose sign you stole (shh!) four years ago. The checklist will be longer, because there is the PQ, the PLQ and the PCC.

Only one of these will win depending on the number of votes amassed in the constituency. Like in hockey, whether he wins 8-0 or in 3^e extension, it’s “all or all”, whoever wins will represent us in the National Assembly. When all the constituencies have elected their candidate, the party with the most seats will form the government and select its ministers from those of its party who have been elected.

I imagine you’re starting to see some flaws:

— whether a party narrowly loses in several constituencies, its votes will not be reflected in the exercise of executive power;

— it is possible (it almost always happens) that in the end, the party which forms the government is not the choice of the majority; worse, he may have fewer total votes and still form the government.

party line

Imagine that to organize a big family reunion, your sister, your father and I present menus (vegetarian, carnivore, flexitarian) and that we go to the vote to choose what we will eat. Your sister wins. If we use our Quebec voting system, your sister will impose tofu and legumes on everyone.

You say to yourself, like me, that the meal should rather reflect our common preferences and that we should cook the dishes according to the percentage of the preferences expressed. Sure. But know that it is even worse in our political system, because there is the party line to respect. Imagine that by winning the vegetarian vote, your sister would also win the musical choice for the whole evening, the theme of the disguises, the day and time of the party. It sucks even more, doesn’t it?

So, despite your stolen sign, you may want to vote for Isabelle Charest. As minister, she skilfully negotiated with the QMJHL against fights, she is very present in the area, it’s honorable. But the party line means that by voting for her, you also vote for the ridiculous third link project (she automatically agrees), you vote not to recognize systemic racism (she cannot recognize it, despite obvious), you vote to ignore the fate of woodland caribou, you endorse the Minister of Pollution and forestry companies, etc.

It’s pocket, we like her, Isabelle, but she is tied to the positions and decisions of her party…

You say to yourself then that you could vote for Alexandre from QS, which I confess to strongly consider, me the old liberal center right federalist who had nevertheless voted for Yes in 1995. Alexandre, spontaneous carpooling in the region, it is him. He is very keen on the environment, the community and the future of young people… Let’s imagine for a moment that this vote is not lost and that a great wave puts QS in power. The planet will breathe better, the Quebecers who are in the worst shape will be better off, the children will all have a place in CPE, but we will have to do without Eric Girard the great accountant, we will probably go into deep debt, Christian Dubé will not be able to finish his sudoku with the health system, we start on completely different bases for a number of files that have never been completed for 30 years. You can make the same reflection with the PLQ, the PQ and the PC.

Allow me to dream of a province, of a country, where every vote counts and where 15% idealistic solidarity, 12% narrow conservatives, 18% nerdy liberals, 40% identity centrists and 15% nostalgic sovereignists (according to the popular vote) must form a government by counterbalancing the powers and the ideas at the height of what the citizens have chosen, drawing the ministers in proportion to the vote and having to agree to govern in a sensible and balanced way.

We won’t make the playoffs, my Leo, we won’t win our elections either, whatever the result. I didn’t help you much, but still make this democratic gesture on October 3: it’s a bit sad to vote for so little impact, but you can say that you participated in democracy when it existed a little more in 2022. And never stop dreaming…