When I vote and when I think of politics, foremost in my mind is how to demonstrate the most compassion. We have too many vulnerable people in our country, people who suffer from illnesses, poverty, alienation and other harm. We have the resources to be so much better, to treat each other with the love and kindness that pain demands. We also have the opportunity to act with wisdom, to see how our resources can help best and to act deliberately to make our communities better.
Improving healthcare, inclusive of mental health, alone touches every life in Canada. Improving child care shapes our entire society, making families stronger and better tied to our communities. Protecting our environment means ensuring our lives are fuller both today and for generations to come. Improving immigration expands the richness of our culture and economy, but also is part of our role as a good neighbour.
In this election and, I imagine, every election to come, I will be voting for the NDP. This party has stood for the values I hold dearest and has been unwavering in its commitment to improve Canada. We need to embrace the fact that we can be better, that we must demand more of ourselves. Whatever the outcome of vote tomorrow, we are better served when we hold ourselves to higher standards and when we engage in the hard work of making each other’s lives even a little better.