#1Jun 11th, 2009
Taxation and social services. One party will increase taxes and improve social services, only for another party to reverse it, for the whole process to repeat itself anew.
Immigration. One party will increase quotas for another to decrease quotas, for the process to repeat itself again after a few elections.
Other issues, however, eventually gain at least some popuar support for years to come, and prove reasonably resilient to elections. Examples include:
The introduction of the Blue Berrets under Pearson, still in use to day from time to time, and even adopted by other nations to varying degrees.
The introduction of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms under Trudeau.
The introduction of Official Bilingualism.
The creation of the Territory of Nunavut.
NAFTA? Maybe. it has survived both Conservative and Liberal governments so far.
Now while I don't like all of the changes above that have proven more resilient, at least they were issues that were aimed at the long-term, and so not likely to face election debate election after election. Sure the debate will come up, and sure they may fall over time, but they are not one-term issues.
I'm hoping that a few candidates this election could bring up some ideas for other such long-term issues, either to challenge those that have become estalbished already or to present new ones, but not just focus on the usual 'one-term' issues that we know could be reversed by the folowing election.
What kind of 'long-term' issues would you hope to see brought up next election? Or do you prefer to be debating mroe or less the same issues election after election?
