We’ll forgive you if you haven’t got it marked on your calendar, but in case you haven’t noticed the signs already, a new season is upon us. No, not spring. We are now roughly six months until the provincial election, which means “silly season” has arrived.
The provincial government is churning out press releases announcing new programs and projects and extolling the government of the day, along with press releases re-announcing old ones that have long been up and running.
It’s an unsavoury tradition in Canadian politics that spans parties of all political stripes. A polite reminder: Every dollar announced for government projects in a pre-election bid is one that ultimately comes from your own pocket.
The BC NDP currently enjoy a substantial lead in the polls, and the ascent of the BC Conservatives opens real debate about whether they are splitting the right-wing vote or whether BC United is.
It may very well be that the NDP cruise their way to another majority, but political history is replete with obvious predictions that have failed to come to fruition and stories about governments brought down by their own hubris.
It is at this time that we all must get engaged and fine tune our B.S. detectors. Silly season may only be six months long, but the consequences of the decisions we make this October will live with us likely for a four-year term and beyond.
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