For goodness sake, vote tomorrow

I just got back from having lunch with a good friend. She told me she wasn't voting tomorrow. And neither was her husband. I was appalled.

Canada is one of the wealthiest, most beautiful, terrific countries in the world (except of course, for our horrific, evil, any time any reason abortion law).

But we do have full democratic rights that some people in this country actually choose not to practice. It's called voting in elections.

In May I visited Poland. Where I toured Auschwitz. Where millions of people had no rights. Where people were treated worse than animals and slaughtered. Because of an evil and corrupt political regime. That people voted into power.

Here we are in Canada and some of us choose not to vote in our elections. This is beyond comprehension. Last election Ontario had a pathetic voter turn out rate of 48%. I think that is disgusting that half of grownups in Ontario can be so apathetic that they didn't bother to vote. They can't be grownups.

In my opinion, if you don't vote, then you don't get to complain. Don't come crying to me and tell me that you don't like the Liberals. Or you think Kathleen Wynne and Tim Hudak are both wieners. Or that you don't vote because they're all crooks. Or they're slimy. Or you don't trust them.

If you don't vote you have no right to say any of these things. If you don't vote you should be ashamed of yourself.

If you do vote, you can say all these things and I'll listen to you. Otherwise I'll block my ears and say "lalala I can't hear you".

So whatever you do or don't do tomorrow, for heaven's sake, go out and vote.

Action item for Ontario election

Since we are having an election, will you do me a favour? Will you ask your provincial candidate about the abortion exclusion clause?

Anyone who follows this blog, knows that the Liberals have been hiding Ontario's abortion statistics since 2012.

Here's a reminder, in case you forgot:

Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act See section 65.(5.7) “This Act does not apply to records relating to the provision of abortion services.” 

Bill 122: Broader Public Sector Accountability Act, 2010 See Part VIII, section 24 (17) which amends FIPPA by adding subsection (5.7) to section 65. 

This amendment to FIPPA was not debated in the Ontario legislature, was not considered at committee hearings, and was passed into law without any input whatsoever from the public, and without any public comments by a single member of the Ontario legislature. The amendment goes against the spirit of Bill 122, which was supposed to increase accountability, not reduce it.

You will also know that Kathleen Wynne and her Health Minister Deb Matthews have both refused to give me the reasons why they are hiding abortion statistics. So we have to assume it's for ideological reasons.

Kathleen Wynne even had the audacity to launch an Open and Transparent Government initiative, at the same time she was refusing to answer my questions. How's that for irony?

My own MPP Madeleine Meilleur also can't tell me the reasons for the exclusion clause, and hasn't helped me get any answers either. She told me that Minister Deb Matthews has all the answer to my questions. Yet Ms. Matthews has been spectacularly useless in giving me any answers. Ms. Meilleur also thinks that the hospitals and doctors wanted the abortion exclusion clause, when there's absolutely no evidence of this at the public hearings held,

There is no question that the Liberals have got to go.

Yet, I've also tried unsuccessfully to get Conservative leader Tim Hudak to respond to my questions about why his opposition party did nothing to stop this from happening. He, and every member of his caucus, have also stayed mute on the subject. Even after I have emailed them numerous times.

So...I am hoping that every democracy loving person in Ontario will take a minute and ask the candidates in their riding a couple of questions. Because as I've noted before, this is not a pro-life vs pro-choice issue.

I'd like you to ask them if they would work to restore our access to information rights in Ontario? If they will work to ensure, that all medical services including abortion, will be open to public scrutiny?

Because if a government in power can--for purely ideological reasons--hide information on this medical service that we know costs us at least $30-50 million a year, what other services could a government hide in the future?

Something to think about.

I can guarantee you that the candidates won't be making this an election issue. It's up to us to make it one.