We’ve had enough of divisive identity politics

A post-election attack by CBC shows how nervous the Liberal Party of Canada is about their failure to secure a majority.

John Paul Tasker of CBC News wrote on Sept. 22 that after Monday’s vote, the federal Conservative caucus will be 95 per cent white. Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole’s push to make the party more diverse fell short. He went on through the balance of his article focussing on racial makeup of the party. You can read his piece here.

It is hard to believe that any credible journalist would push this trash as news. It reveals the Liberal Party of Canada’s fixation on divisive identity politics.

It is troubling that a media organization and political party should push the concept that candidates should be chosen by their skin colour or minority group status. That is a violation of the Charter of Rights:

3. Every citizen of Canada has the right to vote in an election of members of the House of Commons or of a legislative assembly and to be qualified for membership therein.

Minority groups participated in the election and chose the person elected. The conclusion that qualified electors chose poorly is an affront to democratic principles. It is not the role of political parties or the media to chastise citizens for their choice of representative.

Political party caucus and cabinet diversity are useless window-dressing. Skin colour and minority status are irrelevant. Once elected, a Member of Parliament’s primary duty is to represent the people of the electoral district that elected him or her. They do not represent a political party.

What we expect from a governing cabinet is competence, not diversity. The idea that a government should reflect the ethnic mix of the population is ludicrous. We cannot discriminate against anyone willing to undertake the rigours of campaigning and the duties of a representative. White is a colour.
We have suffered six years of governance heavy on style and short on substance. Ideology prevails over common sense, logic and reason. We need a better diet to survive.

There is nothing wrong with those who consider themselves progressives, nor is it wrong to want to move forward. However, progress requires learning from history rather than repeating past errors.

Moving forward is complex. Experienced people understand that the road to an objective is rarely direct or quick. In addition, cleaning up unfinished business is vital. The alternative is that the unfinished business will become a priority when it is least welcome.

A case in point is the Afghanistan debacle. Canada had ample time to make arrangements for the safety of Afghan allies after Canada withdrew the military in 2014. We had ample warning that the USA was going to remove the military but took no action.

On the day the Prime Minister chose to call the 2021 election, Afghanistan moved from the back shelf to a crisis. Trudeau had no plan in place, and forces outside Canada created the situation.

Ignoring issues that matter is a decision that results in loss of control. Unexpected events will turn an ignored issue into today’s top priority.