The General Election is THIS WEEK, boy did that sneak up on us and the anticipation of polling day brings to my mind an old proverb; ‘When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.’ So, roll up roll up to watch the auditions for the new ringmaster!
Here, in our little corner of the world, a general election hits a little different. Our votes don’t elect the ringmaster; we elect a few acts to appear on the same stage for a bit of regional colour, or we elect acts that decline to appear in the show altogether.
This year, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet any of the clowns who are auditioning for their part in the circus. To date, and I know there is still a small window of time for me to eat my words, not a single candidate has knocked on my door. I have had the usual campaign material through the letterbox, but I can’t interrogate that. I can’t stand toe and toe and eyeball to eyeball with a piece of paper. These clowns, sorry candidates, are going to represent me for potentially the next 5 years and they have not yet pounded the pavement in my street to my knowledge. What has happened to canvassing in the last couple of election cycles?
I know most people hear a knock at the door and ignore it unless they have an Amazon parcel due, but not me. I answer the door, I am still curious. I would be impressed by a candidate taking the time to audition. They will probably regret it when I open my door and my mouth, but it would be character building for them.
If politicians don’t canvass, how do they know what is important to us? If we don’t look them in the eye and say, “what will you do for me?” then how will they ever feel the accountability that an MP should feel? How do we get candidates canvassing again?
I feel there is a little bit of ‘let sleeping voters sleep’, ‘out of sight, out of mind’, ‘I may not get their vote but no one else will either’… or am I just too cynical? But if the candidates aren’t fighting to engage voters, then voters won’t engage? Oh, how I wish I could get people to care about the circus again!
In reality, I’m the clown, voting in elections to try and shape our government and by extension our future. Either way, the old adage goes, ‘if you want to see the show you got to buy a ticket’, so I will buy mine by redeeming my vote this Thursday, come join me, roll up, roll up!
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