Apathy rules

The message is clear. Voters are simply not interested.

Last Thursday's Meet the Candidates evening was a great success for those who attended; they were treated to a lively and informative evening that neither dragged nor got tedious. In fact, in terms of discussion, it was one of the best candidate events to date.

But for those of us who organized the event and encouraged as many people as possible to attend, it was a letdown. Barely more than 40 people showed up to hear the platforms of five candidates. The 150 seats set out for the audience looked so empty by 7:30 that only a shortage of time prevented us from placing a FREE BEER sign outside.

This was not something we could blame on the weather or a conflicting public event of greater popular interest. Instead, the obvious culprit was voter apathy — the most powerful adversary in any election campaign.

This is a sure sign of a low voter turnout on Dec. 8, but right now the whole country is abuzz with the distinct possibility of another federal election. That would certainly attract the least number of voters ever, because, frankly, everyone is fed up with the constant campaigning.

A federal election call would mean the fourth campaign in Westmount in as many months. Don't forget, last summer's federal by-election was originally called in July, but just before the Sept. 8 voting day the government called a full-scale election, which meant another five weeks of campaigning leading up to the Oct. 14 voting day. That was quickly followed by the current provincial campaign, which brings us up to next Monday — and the current volatility in Ottawa means that another federal election may be inevitable.

But if you feel sorry for yourself, having to go out and vote yet again, think of MP Marc Garneau, who began attending public events and shaking hands last January, when he was selected to replace Lucienne Robillard. If an election is called, Mr. Garneau will have spent an entire year campaigning — with less than two months off during the provincial campaign. This distinction would not be the proudest of his many accomplishments, but it may land him in the Guinness Book of World Records, or at least Ripley's Believe it or Not, as the only candidate in Canadian history to spend a calendar year on the campaign trail.

See you at the polls — or maybe at the next candidates' meeting.