IT’S YOUR CHOICE — YOU MAY NOT HAVE IT IN 2089

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com | OPINION

Good morning voters.

It’s Oct. 21, Election Day in your country.

A day you’ll have to live with for four years.

For half of it you matter.

Tuesday, you’ll return to political obscurity.

But for 12 hours, you’re more important than Trudeau, Trump, Ford, Scheer, Singh, May or Greta.

More powerful than oligarchs, one percenters, lobbyists, China, hackers and the dark web.

Don’t waste it — like a third of you do.

In this riding, you can really make a difference.

With about 76,000 eligible voters over age 18 — and possibly just two thirds voting — your odds of affecting change are a whole lotto better than Rama.

And after the most recent 26 years of being represented by the two respective governing parties, Liberals and Conservatives, how are we doing?

Isn’t this what’s it’s about?

Pity poor Parry Sound. Since 2010 it’s been the butt of riding ribbing Tony Clement gazebo jokes — the ass half of the G8 donkey — as witty wags had trouble getting past it to Muskoka.

That dick aside, Parry Sound-Muskoka has gone further downhill than Parliament Hill.

We’re as backbench as backwoods.

Once, we mattered. At least in jobs and in manufacturing and in lifestyle and respect.

Today, we’re mere pawns in country that cares little more for us than it does for our Moose Deer Point members.

Since the amalgamated riding was formed 70 years ago (in 1949 after the Second World War), we’ve had as MPs Leaf great Bucko McDonald (Liberal 1949-’57); Gordon Aikin (Conservative 1957-’72); Stan Darling (Conservative 1972-’93); Andy Mitchell (Liberal 1993-’06) and Clement (Conservatie/Independent 2006-’19).

Who’s next?

You decide today — who you want and what you want.

Which of Trisha Cowie, Scott Aitchison, Gord Miller and Tom Young will take up the challenge and broker our important future place as acid rain and waterfront stewarts on the lapping Great Lakes shores of climate change, and improve our $64,000 median household income?

It may be now or never to decide.

You may not have a choice in 2089.

Good luck, we’ll need it more than at Rama.

Even though advance polls were busy, polling clerks are expecting another large turnout on voting day, today, Monday, Oct. 21. Exercise your option for the country and your riding.

Email Mark Clairmont at mark@muskokatoday.com

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