Election taste test sans slogans

HBeaumont — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:19:02 +0000

Nova Scotians may need blindfolds to grasp provincial politics

Picture this: you’re blindfolded. A deep voice commands you to choose your favourite of three glasses of wine. Your anonymous tester places the first in your hand and you take a tentative sip. Immediately the taste of rural grapes tingles your tongue, but the drink has a distinct deficit of sugar. You pinch your nose and swallow.

A second glass enters your hand. It smells fresh, so you slurp it down. Uh oh. Maybe you shouldn’t have trusted its sweet aroma. You throw the glass down and gesture frantically for the third.

The musty scent of a more educated vine enters your nostrils. You down the wine while thinking it would pair wonderfully with Atlantic lobster from your local fishery.

“I’ll have another glass of that,” you say, reaching to untie the blindfold.

“You chose the Nova Scotia Liberals,” the voice booms.

“Uh oh,” you think again. “I’ve never voted Liberal in my life.”

Since it was called on May 4, the 2009 Nova Scotia election has forced voters to question their tastes. The Conservatives began the trend with an odd promise to spend liberally, while the Liberals and New Democrats followed with conservative spending strategies. Meanwhile the NDP have strayed from their socialist and environmental-leaning roots to a more right-winged approach.

Shifting party lines might be one reason Nova Scotians could see an NDP government when the sun rises tomorrow; the latest polls show Darrell Dexter poised to win a majority.

Does it matter if you’ve never voted Liberal? This is the election to challenge traditional loyalties; the three major parties have already challenged their own. So whether you’ve made up your mind or not, it couldn’t hurt to don a blindfold before marking your ballot today.

Below is an analysis (sans slogans) of the three main parties’ commitments to four major issues this election: health care, education, the environment and the economy. Some party priorities may surprise you.

Party A:

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