Dear Grandpa, Please Don't Vote Conservative!

Button making at PGPIRG 

With the federal election looming I am hoping to combine my interest in food, policy and politics into an ideal candidate I can be proud of. That is to say, to vote with any party other than the Conservatives (ABC). I called my family to discuss the election, as they are in Ottawa I always feel like they have the inside scoop on things. My Grandfather is a lifelong conservative, plastic water bottle drinking, climate change denialist. Speaking to him about politics is like arguing with an arch nemesis. Our conversations go something like this:

G-pa: It's been really cold here, that's why Mr. Gore and Mr. Suzuki have been so quiet eh?
Me: Well Grandpa, cooling temperatures are also a side effect of climate change, not just warming.
G-pa: You talk about using less oil, how do you think Mr. Suzuki gets around? In a car, and you know what those need? And he flies all over the world for events, do you know what planes use to fly?
Me: He bikes to work! And buys carbon offsets and promotes change! (sigh)

G-pa: Harper has done more for this country then Trudeau or anyone, we are now in the top 5 countries because of him!
Me: Top 5 of what? He said we wouldn't recognise this country after he was done with it and boy was he right!

Me: Dad just voted Liberal, you're used to a prime minister with a full head of hair right?
G-pa: Why, does he want to start smoking the reefer on parliament hill? Bunch of criminals!

With Liz Biggar, Green Party Candidate- PG- Peace River  

Suffice it to say I hang up the phone feeling like my degree in Environmental studies will never mean anything to him. I would consider myself a success as an environmentalist if I could convince him that global warming was a real thing and that Stephen Harper wasn't the hero he was painting him as. So now that I have had time to think about it, take this Grampa! A list of reasons why you shouldn't vote conservative next Monday:

1. In March 2011 the Harper Administration was found to be in contempt of Canadian parliament, the first time in history of any commonwealth government. (Fact)
2. Also in 2011 the Harper Conservatives were found guilty of election fraud from 2006. (Fact) How are they still in power!
3. Let's us eat poison! Harper loosened regulations to allow more chemical residues on your food! Gross! It also allows companies to conduct their own safety inspections...saving us money but letting them get away with who knows what! (Fact)
4. Shut down international aid. Canada was the 6th largest aid donor to Malawi, now we contribute nothing. (Fact) Also drastically reduced Peacekeeping efforts around the world. (Fact)
5. Spent $29 billion on fighter jets! We're so in debt already! (Fact) Convenient we only have a surplus the year you seek reelection...
6. Refused to sign the UN declaration designation clean water as a human right! Is that because we have boil water advisories on 93 first nations reserves in Canada? (Fact)
7. Killed the long form census. Thinks we don't use any of that data for research! (Fact) 
8. Silencing Scientists on climate change. If we don't know about it then its not happening? (Fact)
9. Used xenophobic tactics- Now other countries are seeing our prime minister as the racist and elitist he is. See Bill C-51, Bill C-24, Barbaric Practises Tip line? 
10. Opposes Gay Marriage, get with the program, even the US is on board! 
11. Harper has eliminated or weakened almost every environmental protection or law since coming to power. (Fact) 

I could keep going but I will let you read further on- 

https://harperwatch.wordpress.com

http://www.cbc.ca/the-silence-of-the-labs

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/reasons-to-vote-out-harper

Let's face it Grampa, it isn't about you any more, its about the people you are leaving the world to. It is selfish to think that you can't do anything to change the world at your age because it is up to you to make those changes for us. The mess your generation made will need to be cleaned up, so if we could start sooner rather than later I'd really appreciate the help in voting anybody but conservatives! (ABC)

Love,

Melanie XX

"You cut the brakes on our environment so you could fast-track a pipeline, then forged our signatures so you could sign away our future." Shane Koyczan- The Cut