Those in the know predict that Canadians will soon go to the polls to elect the next slate of federal government officials. If and when the campaigns begin, I intend to avoid watching, reading, listening to or discussing any speeches, promises, flyers, or propaganda dispensed by the candidates or their supporters. Why bother? Past experience has proved that the material, more than likely, will be meaningless. If you doubt me, read on.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper declared last week that his office had not received any secret assurances from Senator Hillary Clinton, or her representatives, that her plans for scrapping or renegotiating NAFTA were only campaign rhetoric. He could not absolve her opponent for the Democratic nomination, Senator Barak Obama from a similar act of hypocrisy.

Obama is relatively inexperienced in the subtleties and intrigue of presidential campaigns, and this may be why he got caught. We'll never know for sure about Ms Clinton. As a veteran of her husband's campaigns, she'd probably know exactly how to send a clandestine message to the head of a foreign government , so that it would be kept securely and permanently under wraps.

The overriding lesson for we, the onlookers in these political shenanigans, is that campaign speeches are not to be trusted. Politicians will promise the moon if they think it will get them elected. After, if all they deliver is a piece of moldy green cheese, they're already in power. It's next to impossible to effectively challenge them.

Besides, politicians count on the public having short memories, and often we do. However, if they start to feel too much heat, they can hire creative thinkers and pay them (with our tax dollars) to invent reasons why it was impossible for them to keep their promises. Or, they may try to say that conditions have changed, and that it's now in our best interests, and in the best interest of the country that they break their former pledges.

Lest you think it's a flaw only found in American politicians, a quick review of campaign promises by Canadian politicians will quickly alter your opinion.

During the last federal election, Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party promised that, if elected, they would not tax income trusts. On October 31st., 2006, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced that the Harper government would indeed tax income trusts.

Addressing the sad state of Canada's health care system, during the last campaign, 2006, Mr. Harper promised to implement the "Patient Wait Times Guarantee". As of the present, March, 2008, we continue to wait...

The champion of all Canadian political promise-breakers has to be Ontario's Liberal premier, Dalton McGuinty. During previous campaigns, he promised to close coal-fired electricity plants by 2007, to unclog hospital emergency rooms, to roll back tolls on Hwy. 407, to balance the budget every year, to stop school closings, and to ensure that 75% of Ontario students meet or exceed the provincial standard on province-wide tests within his first mandate. I could go on, and on, and on, but I think you get my point.

It would be refreshing if a candidate emerged in the next election who made modest promises, and made it a priority to keep every one before he moved on to confront other issues. He might even distribute a checklist to his supporters so they could stroke off every item as that pledge was fulfilled. That individual would go a long way toward restoring the public's faith in politicians, and he'd be assured of a position in government for as long as he wished it.

If such a paragon happens to emerge, please let me know. I might even read one of his flyers or listen to a speech or two.

Learn more about this author, Carolyn Tytler.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

---

Add your voice

Know something about Canadian elections: broken campaign promises disillusion voters?
We want to hear your view. Write now!