Is ‘there’s strength in numbers’ a crock of bs?

In the last few days, I participated in two online events hosted separately by 2 private citizens to introduce political candidates to the voters of Kitchener Centre for the November 30 by-election.

A refreshing change.

Of the 18 registered candidates for the KC by-election, only 5 participated in each of these two online events. None were from the Liberal, NDP, Green or Conservative

parties. As the candidate for the Ontario Libertarian Party, I represented the most established party - the OLP was formed in 1975.

I enjoyed meeting the other candidates. Each Zoom event became an informal, friendly exchange of ideas and perspectives. Most candidates were new to politics except one who has run 109 times and never been elected. All spoke freely and confidently about the many problems in Kitchener, Ontario and in Canada.

These online meetings were offered in a refreshing format with a “grass roots” feeling.  The people I met online on Friday and last night were regular guys who I could consider friends.

By comparison, the typical  “all candidates events” in which only the ‘big parties’ are invited are always choreographed to portray an importance and significance that is misleading and superficial at best.

The truth about “electoral democracy”.

Every one of Ontario’s 124 electoral ridings is home to about 100,000 citizens (give or take 20,000). The winner of each election is the person who is “first past the post” in a race to get the most votes. Someone can win with only 30,000 votes and be proclaimed the official representative of all 100,000 residents when, in fact, the minority chose someone else. I refer to this as our “bully by the majority” form of democracy.

It's too bad that “anti-bullying laws” do not apply in electoral politics because we Libertarians, who simply want Less Government and more Freedom of Informed Choice would have bankrupted the “biggest bully parties” in the courts long ago.

The reality will inevitably sink in.

When the new Member of Provincial Parliament is crowned in Kitchener Centre on Thurday, she will claim a seat in Ontario’s Legislative Assembly at Queens Park along side the other 123 MPPs.

The current number of elected Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) for each political party in Ontario's Legislative Assembly is as follows ¹:

| **Party** | **Number of Elected MPPs** |

|-----------|----------------------————---|

| Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | 79 |

| New Democratic Party of Ontario | 28 |

| Ontario Liberal Party | 9 |

| Green Party of Ontario | 1 |

| Independent | 5 |

| Vacant seat(s) | 2 |

Source: Conversation with Bing, 2023-11-27

What’s the big deal?

The most active political parties in the Kitchener Centre by-election are Liberal, NDP and Green. Their candidates are vying to replace an NDP MPP who resigned after 5 months on the job.

Did she quit when reality hit home she realized that hers was just one small voice in a cacophony of 124 dominated by Conservatives?

Was the realization that her woke NDP “social justice” priorities were ignored by the majority of MPPs who did not sympathize with her passions?

And what about voters?

Is voter turnout low because most voters “have done the math” and realized that their vote is toothless? Clearly, their newly-minted MPP will soon know that her election promises to the citizens on Kitchener Centre are not worth the paper they’re written on. Within weeks after taking her seat amidst 123 other MPPs will she begin to feel that she is “shouting in the wind” to no avail.

Let’s do the math for the voters, shall we?

Ontario is home to about 15,000,000 Canadians. 124 elected provincial representatives form a committee, the Ontario Legislative Assembly, to create or amend legislation in their role as “law makers” on behalf of all 15 million people. This committee collectively decides how much public money gets allocated to each special interest community who, inevitable, are the ones that possess the “strength in numbers” to successfully lobby enough MPPs to pass bills into law.

The rock bank Queen sang “The show must go on”, a theme reminiscent of the circus leader in a bygone era who urged everyone to buy a ticket or miss the “greatest show on earth”.

“If you don’t vote, then you have no right to complain” is the oft-hear admonition to vote, but when citizens vote with their donations, their feet and engage in public protests, those votes aren’t counted.

Consider the nation-wide Truckers For Freedom in 2022.

Where were our elected representatives when millions of Canadians voted with their voices, feet and wheels? I’ll tell you. Like our cowardly Prime Minister, they were complaining into a journalist’s microphone accusing millions of peaceful patriots of being a “dangerous fringe group of radicals and misogynists who should not be tolerated in Canada”.

Did you feel represented by your “right and privilege to vote” when you heard those words?

No?

I thought so!