To the Editor,
Our local press generally keeps an equal playing field for all parties. Perhaps needing a nudge now and again, but that’s about all.
The election date has yet to be set, but party leaders have already come calling. Tom Mulcair has been and gone, and last weekend Elizabeth May held two town hall meetings. The word of mouth is that these events were well attended, 150 at Eagles Hall in Ladysmith, and 250 on hand at Oliver Woods Community Centre in Nanaimo, both capacity audiences.
But only those who were present learned what Elizabeth May and our local Green Party candidate, Paul Manly, had to say. To my knowledge, there hasn’t been even a mention in either paper that Elizabeth May was in Nanaimo, let alone an account of what she said.
Only consistently getting out more information will help to change voter turnout in Canada.
So that’s the nudge. In the interests of democracy, whenever a party holds a town hall meeting here in our Nanaimo-Ladysmith riding, what is said needs to be reported and commented on in our local press.
Edwin TurnerNanaimo
