Counting the number of days of a very long campaign now seems less relevant than reversing to a count-down to Election Day. 23 days to go!
It is such a relief to be back home in British Columbia. I was in two all-candidates meetings today (“All Candidates” being a more theoretical concept, as the Conservative candidate did not show up for either and the Liberal candidate only came to one). One was on Pender Island, the other was closer to the boundary with Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula. And in between I went to a farmer’s market and canvassed in Victoria with Jo-Ann Roberts.
I was asked about the niqab at the farmer’s market. People who were upset about a woman covering her face turned around on the issue. IF only we could have a sensible conversation nationally the way we can in a farmer’s market.
Explaining the facts helps:
1) There is no power under the Citizenship Act for a minister to dictate what clothing people wear;
2) The Citizenship Act encourages people to wear national traditional costumes;
3) Any woman wearing a niqab must uncover her face to another woman to verify her identity before taking the oath; and
4) The ministerial order demanding no one take the oath with a face covering has been struck down by two levels of court decisions. The Conservatives appealing again is just a huge waste of public funds with the goal of distracting people from real issues.
It is not hard to encourage a respectful discussion. So sad how many politicians prefer to fan the flames of fear and prejudice.