TORONTO – We are exactly 21 days away from election day in Canada. General “defining debates” in Canada’s official languages will take place approximately ten days before that happens. The usual “plan” is that by then citizens will have learned enough about the candidates that they will be able to make “informed” decisions on the basis of candidate performance in the “title bout”.
Until then, we are compelled to rely on snippets of information released for our consumption by the communications departments (war rooms) of each of the parties – directly in our email boxes or indirectly via other media: TV ads, Social Media, radio, Flyers and canvassers. They are all variations of Truth according to the candidates in question. They are all similar in that they are, in one form or another, paid advertising filtered and assuaged peculiarly to the intended audience.
That is to be expected. The debates, for those who will watch them, will represent, as much as humanly possible, the only opportunity for the truly undecided or uncommitted to subject themselves to any argument that is not characterized by the description hooray for our side.
Canadian media is probably one of the latest entries into the realm of partisan-driven press, so that descriptor was not always applicable. Today… ? Consider who is providing objective fact-base reporting and analyses. A Federal Government Report on Advertising for 2023-24 indicates that of the roughly $100 million in government advertising, less than 2% went to hardcopy newspapers and 0% to ethnic language press. According to Census 2021, 24% (10 million Canadians) self-identified as readers and speakers of a third language at home and/or work.
Language is always a sensitive issue in Canada. Just last week, one of the parties promised to increase funding to the CBC/Radio Canada by $150 million per year. That organization, its value to the Canadian identity aside, already receives circa $1.5 billion annually in government funds. Another party in the campaign has promised to defund the CBC.
The polling industry, which relies on institutional and partisan contracts (among others) to report on public perceptions and intentions [to buy or vote], serves as a useful indicator of which way the political winds may be blowing. Neither industry will be able to alter the LIVE show of competence exhibited during a debate. They will respond to issues of accountability for the past and for promises going forward.
Nothing new here. At the 4th century before the Christian era when Rome was establishing its hegemony on the Italian peninsula, Plato, yes one of the three great Greek philosophers of Antiquity, credited with great contributions to “western culture” argued against political apathy. He is credited with saying, “The price good men pay for indifference to politics is to be ruled by lesser men.” By indifference he meant disinterest or unwillingness to critique.
