Wednesday 12 March 2014

QC 2014: Boussole électorale/Electoral Compass

Part I
The single question on the environment is a leading/propaganda question reinforcing unfounded perceptions. -- something I would expect from the Big Oil lobby but not Radio-Canada. Environmental choices do not necessarily mean spending more but rather changing the economic paradigms which can be done via government policies.  For example wind energy is competitive with other forms of resourced based energy.

The other important element is that the clean tech sector is among the highest growth and highest job creation sectors in the world.  There are 3.5 million jobs in the European green sectors, 1.2 million in renewables now, today.  Investments in clean energy in China were $61.3 billion and $67.7B in 2012 and 2013 respectively. The German clean tech sectors employ more people than the German auto sector.
http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/hedegaard/headlines/articles/2014-01-06_01_en.htm
http://commonsensecanadian.ca/germany-shows-thriving-green-economy-possible/
http://commonsensecanadian.ca/chinas-chaotic-migration-green-economy/
http://commonsensecanadian.ca/europes-big-leap-renewable-energy-climate-action/

The $1.4B spent on Canadian subsidies for the oil and gas industry  generates 2300 jobs while the same amount invested in the green economy would support 18000 jobs. http://bluegreencanada.ca/node/175

In short there are basic economic questions here, a resource-based economy versus a clean tech economy.  Quebec and Canada are very much behind in this regard and most of its people operate in total ignorance that with each year, we fall further behind China, the European Union and the US.

If the ivory tower university types do not understand economic paradigms then they should not be forming questions on the subject -- which in the end reflects ignorance.

Part II
More generally, the questionnaire is poorly designed covering a miniscule spectrum of issues in simplistic forms, often reformulating questions in a repetitive fashion.

What the boussole does not show, for example, is the vacuum in the political choices offered.  I would like to vote for a strong team of federalist progressives but no such party exists in Quebec at this moment.  The Boussole absurdly indicates I am closest to the PVQ and QS but I do not want to vote for single issue party with a weak palette of candidates nor for an independentiste party that has progressive values but is weak on progressive solutions.

If this questionnaire was properly designed it would illustrate that a very large portion of Québécois do not like any of the choices offered.  I know more people in this category than any other.

Relating questions to  what each party's platform offers cannot address one of the most critical considerations, which is credibility.

The economic social and environmental challenges are all interrelated but one gets the feeling that those who designed the Boussole are disconnected, that is know too little about these inter-relationships to ask meaningful questions.

Part III
The economy and job creation, also linked with Part I, stands out for its absence. What kind of economy do people want? Conversely, the identity matters could be covered with one question.  As well the term identity has been simplified and hijacked by one party, the PQ and thus posing the questions in the way done by the Boussole is a leading question. The PQ definition of identity - relating it to religious symbols --  was not on the radar screen of Québécois until the PQ engaged in its malicious propaganda circus.

Part IV
For several questions, none of the answers provided applied, but "none of the above" was not provided, thus generating misleading results.

Conclusion

The boussole 2014 is full of leading questions and poorly thought out.