To the Editor of the Sackville Tribune-Post:

September 23,2010

I don’t usually declare my political view publicly, but for the first time I feel an urgent need to speak up.  That is because I believe the current provincial election actually offers us a chance to make a real difference with our vote.   Up till now, I have been frustrated to the point of cynicism by politics in this province.  In the past, while we have been served well by excellent individuals (Peter Mesheau comes to mind), the two-party political system in Fredericton is so depressingly mired in old-time corruption and cronyism that for many of us our vote has come to seem almost meaningless.  And while I don’t think this situation will change overnight, I do believe that this time around, we actually have both a candidate and a party that are equally worthy of our vote.  Those who attended last Thursday’s all-candidates debate will know that the unexpected “fourth” choice, our very own town councillor, Margaret Tusz-King, who is running for the Green Party of New Brunswick, is by far and away the best choice for those of us truly concerned about the long term future of our community.  As one of my neighbours put it, “after that debate, you feel almost a moral duty to vote for Margaret and the Green Party.”

Why?  Well, first because we all know Margaret herself would be worth voting for, no matter what party she was representing, due to her proven track record as our tireless and effective town councillor, including her recent work helping to protect our precious water supply from the dangerously unregulated practice of hydro-fracking.   But equally important is the fact that the Green Party is the only party clearly willing to face the inevitable and enormous changes that are already upon us in our climate, our economy, and in the larger forces of the world.  It is a party that has developed a detailed and comprehensive plan to reclaim our local economies, to re-foster local food production, to protect local medical care, and to return to the values of community trust and cooperation that will guarantee the sustainability of our way of life for generations to come.  None of the other parties are actually willing to pay the political price necessary to face all of these issues squarely and intelligently, and to truly plan for “the seventh generation” and beyond.

So this is not a “one issue” party.  A quick glance at their platform will dispel that notion once and for all (just check their website).  Some people worry about “vote splitting,” but this assumes we can actually predict how others are going to vote, and whose vote we are going to split!  Instead, if we all voted for the candidate we actually believe is the best one, we might just end up with the kind of representation we need in Fredericton to make a real difference in our community.  Not only that, but if everyone who secretly believed the Green Party has the best vision for the future ignored the idea of “strategic” voting, we could actually make history in Tantramar by being the first riding anywhere in North America, at any level, to elect a Green party candidate.  And I believe we have a real chance to do this, right here, right now.

So that is why I feel strongly enough to declare my political views publicly for the first time. At the very least, I encourage all citizens of Tantramar who are fed up with provincial politics to take another look, because we actually have some real choices in our riding this time around, and your vote can finally make a difference.   And it is my view that difference can best be made by voting for Margaret and the Green Party, so that we can start right away to build in earnest the future that our children deserve—and their children’s children.  We really can’t wait any longer for real change to begin.

Robert Lapp,
15 Estabrooks St