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The Harper Government has taken a beating in the election campaign, thanks in part to offensive candidate videos and its tone deaf response to the Syrian refugee crisis.
But much still needs to be done to ensure the Conservatives are defeated on October 19, political strategist Kathleen Monk told BC Regional Council today.
“We can talk about the Bozo eruptions, but our work is not done,” she said.
Monk pointed out that Unifor was the first major union on board with support for Engage Canada, a coalition of Liberal and New Democratic supporters who set aside their differences to concentrate on discrediting the Conservative brand in Canada.
“We focused on making the Conservative unelectable in this country,” Monk said.
Monk encouraged members to keep up their efforts to defeat the Harper Government. Past elections have shown that positive polls during a campaign do not always translate into victory on Election Day.
“This election is important because we can show Harper that we don't have to follow his path anymore,” Monk said.
“We still have a lot of work to do. That’s our government, that’s our Parliament.”
Simka Marshall, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students in BC, said youths are often among the most progressive voters, and encouraged delegates to work with young people to get them out to vote.
“Shaming young people about voting doesn’t get them out to the polls,” she said.
It is more effective to show young people that their vote can make a difference, she said, and to help them to navigate the new rules in the Elections Act to ensure they can vote. It can also be effective to include young people in election work, as many organizations are already doing.
“They are saying, walk with us, work with us, and vote.”
