Image Credit: The Canadian Press

By James Peters

Two & Out

PETERS: #Elxn43 has been all smear and no substance – but there is still time to save it

Oct 4, 2019 | 10:24 AM

JOSHUA KNAAK TWEETED THIS WEEK that this might be the worst election in Canadian history — and he might not be wrong.

It has been vapid and vaccuous, lacking both intelligence and substance.

The rhetoric has been heavily focused on trivialities and stains of character, and has left discussion of policy planks far behind.

The latest, a ridiculous attempt to make Andrew Scheer’s dual citizenship into some kind of scandal.

Sure, Conservatives have raised alarms about dual citizens before and turnabout is fair play.

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But two wrongs also don’t make a right, and two dumbs don’t make a smart.

Opinion polls are consistently showing the same issues matter to Canadians this election campaign: climate change, health care, the economy and jobs.

We’ve heard so little on those issues to this point in the campaign, and we’re getting to the point in the election campaign when saving it may no longer be possible.

The really unfortunate aspect of this substance-free campaign is that we have seen the sparks of more youth engagement than in many recent elections.

Teachers are recognizing the value of following the candidates and their policies, and tying in social media to promote engagement.

The most well-meaning of political campaign staffers will always devise strategies to target young people, and tend to be disappointed by turnout numbers.

This time around, with the urgency of climate change driving them, young people are becoming more and more engaged.

What they’re seeing, though, is pervasive cynicism, played out as so-called researchers madly sniff for whatever whiff of odour they can find in their opponents.

There are about 17 days left in the campaign.

We now know all we need to know about the cast of characters in this play, but we’ve lost the plot. Let’s find it again.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.