My political debut on TV was last night: a one hour panel discussion on Rogers Cable (York Region) with myself, and area candidates from the Liberal and Conservative parties. I believe the audience is several people.
The Liberal was Bernie Farber, on leave from the Canadian Jewish Congress and running in Thornhill. The Tory was Farid Wassef, on leave from his work as a pharmacist, and running in Oak Ridges. I'm on leave, so to speak, from ministry. It occurred to me the sacrifice of income all three of us are making to run for office. All three of us are concerned about our neighbours and our province. I may not be a perfect judge of character, but it seemed that both Mr. Farber and Mr. Wassef are in it for good reasons (even if their political philosophies are off base). And yet the cynical will dismiss us all as "crooks" or worse. As first time candidates all, we couldn't be accused of being slick.
It's a somewhat strange experience, being part of such a panel. The audience is nowhere to be seen, yet close enough to see every tic and twitch. To whom does one address one's thoughts? "Don't look at the cameras!" was the advice from the producer. We all sat on stools more or less in a row, so we tended to look at the host, Jamie Young, and sometimes at the person whose point we were challenging.
The conundrum of talking/debating on TV aside, it went pretty well. There was lively discussion. The other two kept on each other about the respective records of the Liberals and Conservatives, or proposing new spending or new tax cuts. I went to the root of issues such as health, education and jobs over and over. Mr. Farber used to be a social worker in Ottawa. He agreed with me about the kind of things, such as poverty, that really determine our health as a society. Mr. Wassef agreed with me at one point. That felt good, though I wasn't ready for it from a Conservative, so it threw me off for a second. Everyone seemed surprised that the minister mixed it up in a debate on politics. Have they never heard of Tommy Douglas?
When I started to get nervous, I reminded myself that people were counting on these kinds of ideas getting out there. It had nothing to do with me "performing" well. The New Democrats have a better analysis and better ideas for true progress as a society, and those ideas deserve to be out there, which was my task. I engaged Mr. Wassef in the corridor outside the studio. I don't know if he will get in or not. I took my deep concerns about the effect of vulnerable people and the economy should Hudak and the Tories form a government to him again, one on one. He seemed genuinely interested in the discussion and my concerns, and asked me to be in touch after the election. Naturally, I thought of a dozen things I could have said and meant to say on the air in the couple of hours after taping finished.
So it has begun--my entry into the public discussion. Alas, now that I'm an expert on televised political panels shows, I don't expect to be on another one during the campaign. Sic transit gloria mundi, as the ancient sage put it. Now you see 'em, now you don't. The thing that lasts is the argument, the fight, the struggle for real equality in our province and on our planet. "The people united will never be defeated." Believe it.
If you happen to catch the show ("Perspective") in repeat, let me know your thoughts.
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