Premier David Eby announces new student housing in Burnaby, July 12. (Image Credit: Flickr / Province of BC)
One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Batten down the hatches — it’s election time

Jul 18, 2024 | 6:00 AM

IF ALL OF THE RECENT SPENDING announcements by the NDP government of David Eby haven’t put you in election mode, look to Ottawa, where Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been challenged by some of his caucus to bolster his ratings or consider stepping down.

You want more? How about France, the U.K., India and several other countries who have had hot and heavy election campaigns?

And I would have had to have my head in the sand not to say anything about the situation in the U.S., where former President Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt and emerged as some kind of saint. He and his supporters are claiming some kind of divine intervention. Whether you subscribe to that theory or not, Trump has now gained a big foot up on Joe Biden.

No question that Trump raising his fist in the air as he was being hustled offstage by Secret Service officers was a powerful photo opportunity that puts Trump in the limelight, ready to unleash his autocratic plans to the world if he wins the vote November 5th.

Despite the many years I’ve been a newsman, I have come to hate elections and the campaigns surrounding them. I’m tired of having to announce promises from various parties that I know will never be fulfilled. Bold new initiatives that look great on paper but have very little substance or an endgame in place. No concrete ideas beyond the same old, same old.

Having said all this, I may pay a little more attention to the campaigns this year because there is so much at stake, and the campaign issues could provoke a lot of discussion and, worst case scenario, protests that can get out of control quite easily.

At least we won’t likely have a mayoral election in Kamloops this fall. But don’t worry, you’ll have enough to keep you busy, whether it’s watching all the ads or yelling at your TV to get those damn ads off the air.

No matter how you look at it, these next few months will be full of either the smell of roses or the smell of cow pies. We’ll see how things pan out.

I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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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 Pattison Media.