On April 28, voters will elect 343 members of parliament to make decisions on the challenges facing Canada.
They will come from different regions of the country, different cultures and different political affiliations, but their role will be to work together to govern Canada.
The emphasis on teamwork is essential. For the first time since Confederation, Canada is facing threats to its sovereignty. Those threats, combined with a tariff war with the United States, create an uneasy present and an uncertain future for Canada.
There are no easy answers, only intelligent choices.
In order to respond to the present challenges, Canadian politics at the federal level will need to change.
Unity and cooperation will be more important now than in past years, and the regional and partisan divides of the past will need to be put aside.
Multiple polls taken in recent weeks have shown 90 per cent of Canadians 鈥� from all regions, backgrounds and political affiliations 鈥� are opposed to joining the United States. This is an overwhelming level of support.
Canadians are united in their desire to see this country endure. Those elected to form the next government must be equally united in their efforts to protect Canadian sovereignty.
The members of the House of Commons will need to work together, moving beyond partisan differences.
The result should not be a one-party government, with no room for disagreement. Rather, it should be a government where a variety of elected officials are able to discuss difficult issues and reach a consensus.
When the future of Canada as a country is at stake, elected officials must put the nation鈥檚 best interests ahead of the good of their party or party leader. The stakes are too high to let partisan rifts create divisions.
Achieving a House of Commons where teamwork and consensus are valued is not just the responsibility of those who are elected. Voters also have a responsibility to cast their ballots wisely, considering whether the person they choose will be able to work well with others and whether a candidate鈥檚 party and party leadership can be trusted to act in the country鈥檚 best interests.
This federal election is important, and there is a lot at stake.
The choices made by Canadian voters will determine the government we get, and that in turn will decide whether the country can withstand some difficult challenges.
鈥� Black Press
