1/ It is truly astounding the number of intelligent, politically astute, truly progressive Candians who, election after election, are persuaded by market research polls, peer pressure, and fancy campaign ads to lend their votes to the Liberals *just* to stop the Conservatives.
2/ Here's the thing. On occasion, a United Front is needed to stop a truly bad leader or party from winning. But voting for Liberals *every single election* just to stop the Cons is like relying on tape to stop a leaking sink. Eventually you need to actually repair the leak.
3/ If you're a progressive and you actually want to see universal pharmacare/dentalcare, a Guaranteed Livable Basic Income to eliminate poverty, electoral reform for a stronger democracy (and permanent end to threat of false majorities) etc. then you cannot keep voting Liberal.
4/ Liberals are ultimately agents of the status quo; they'll only ever deliver incremental change. Yes that means sometimes they'll pass the odd progressive policy like childcare (which only came in a minority gov under NDP pressure). But with Cons they'll block so many others.
5/ We're at a moment in history when we NEED big, systemic changes to our social safety net, to strengthen our democracy and to address climate change. The party of incrementalism has proven unable to do that. We have a chance now to elect an NDP government to meet the challenge.
6/ Forget about the polls. Polls reflect sentiment at a moment in time, and have margins of error. If you're allowing market research firms to decide your vote for you, then you need to re-evaluate your values. If every person voted their conscience we'd upend the status quo.
7/ The other thing is, the failure of the Liberals to address the legitimate grievance of the working class is giving rise to the Far Right. Neoliberalism & vulture capitalism have hollowed out the social safety net and exacerbated wealth inequality to levels unseen in centuries.
8/ By allowing such dramatic wealth inequality to rise, by allowing wages to stagnate and cost of living to skyrocket, and by allowing more people to fall into poverty, centrist parties like the Liberals are causing many disillusioned voters to seek out more extreme alternatives.
9/ We have seen how at ever opportunity the Liberals have voted with Conservatives to prevent the closing of tax loopholes, prevented a Wealth Tax, blocked pharmacare and dentalcare, and allowed Canadians to keep living in poverty. If you're a progressive you cannot support this.
10/ So enough with the excuses. This time, when we progressives form a United Front it needs to be behind the NDP. We cannot keep on our current path because eventually our metaphorical sink will burst, climate disaster will reach us, and the Far Right will form power here.
11/ So please, progressives - get out and vote. Encourage your family and friends who are indifferent to politics to get out and vote. Let's end the Liberal-Conservative duopoly and elect a truly progressive NDP government to deliver on the bold changes we need. #Elxn44 #cdnpoli
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