Nothing is more important than the truth.
Events south of the border, where a post-truth presidency destabilizes the global economy, threatens allies, and empowers authoritarian forces across the globe, should be a warning to all of us of the cost of abandoning truth for short-term gain.
Among the most pernicious aspects of the post-truth shift in the U.S. is the spread of election denialism. Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, yet few in the Republican Party are willing to acknowledge this, out of fear and a misguided sense of loyalty.
Once a political party convinces you to swallow one lie, you’ll swallow another, and another, and another. Somewhere along the way, you lose your connection to the truth altogether. At that point, you can be convinced to do almost anything.
Just witness the once ‘principled Republicans’ who now defend threats to invade Greenland, annexationist rhetoric towards Canada, incoherent trade policy, assaults on individual freedom, and a general atmosphere of gleeful cruelty. It all started with a seemingly ‘small concession’: Accepting Trump’s lies about the 2020 election. And now, we see where it ends up.
Canada should avoid this path. We should cleave to the truth as strongly as possible. Only by adhering to the truth can we successfully navigate reality and build the type of innovative and prosperous nation we desire. Lies may bring short-term satisfaction, but they build up a debt of unreality that must inevitably be paid.
With this in mind, it is disappointing to see a recent Conservative fundraising email implying the Liberals are trying to change election results by asking for recounts:
“A Conservative Party fundraising email alleges the Liberals are trying to “tip the scales” in riding recounts, language political watchers say is concerning as some Canadians say they don’t trust the results of last week’s election.
The email, sent to the Conservatives’ mailing list on Wednesday, solicits donations to “help us hold the line” as recounts play out.
“The Liberals are working to flip just enough seats to edge closer to a majority. We can’t let that happen,” reads the email.
“If we don’t act fast, we risk losing the gains we made on election night.”
It concludes by saying “the Liberals are fighting hard to tip the scales.””
Simply put, that’s not how recounts work.
As explained by Elections Canada, recounts are automatic when the margin is close:
“A judicial recount must take place if the leading candidates in an electoral district receive the same number of votes after the validation of the results or if the difference in votes is less than one one-thousandth of the total votes cast*. For example, in an electoral district where 40,000 votes were cast, if the difference in the number of votes for the first and second candidates was less than 40, a judicial recount would be required. The returning officer must make a request to a judge for a judicial recount and must also write to the candidates or their official agents to advise them of the recount request.
The judge must fix the date for a recount within four days after they receive the request.”
Electors can also ask for recounts:
“A request to a judge to carry out a judicial recount may also be made by any elector, including a candidate. Notice in writing must be provided to the returning officer in the appropriate electoral district before a request may be made to a judge. The request must be presented within four days of the validation of the results and must include an affidavit stating that the count was improperly carried out, that ballots were improperly rejected, that the statement of the vote contains an incorrect number of votes cast for a candidate, or that the returning officer incorrectly added up the results at the validation. The applicant must deposit $250 with the court as security for the costs of the candidate who obtained the largest number of votes. If the judge agrees to proceed with a recount, it must begin within four days of the receipt of the application. Judicial recounts deal solely with the tabulation and counting of votes. Concerns about fraud and irregularities in the electoral process are addressed through a contested election application.”
At no point in the process can a party skew or alter votes in a recount. Asking for a recount is not a manipulation of the process. At no point can a party ‘tip the scales.’
It is important to point this out because the undermining of trust in our electoral process – a process that is free, fair, and accurate – would be deeply damaging to Canada, particularly at a time when outside forces are seeking to divide us.
It is also unfortunate to see the CPC head in this direction following an election in which the party under the leadership of Pierre Poilievre won a significant number of new voters and gave voice to many Canadians who are struggling. There are real accomplishments for Poilievre and the CPC to build on, and the CPC has an important role in holding the government accountable while Prime Minister Mark Carney seeks to navigate Canada through a difficult moment in our nation’s history.
Unfortunately, the positive aspects of the CPC risk being undermined by messaging calling into question Canada’s electoral process, an undermining reminiscent of CPC HQ errors during the campaign itself.
The Conservatives – and Canada’s political culture as a whole – would be best served by a rigorously pro-truth approach that seeks to strengthen our institutions and focus on real examples of injustice and dishonesty, as opposed to coming up with face-saving excuses for an election that didn’t go the way some wanted.
As someone who spent years writing aggressive emails and fundraising messages, I don’t pretend to be a saint here, nor can I claim to have always been a steadfast adherent of the truth. But we can all grow and evolve, and we can recognize the seriousness of the moment. Our nation cannot afford to have suspicion and mistrust sown from within, as it will only empower those who want to tear our nation apart for their own profit and power.
And so, we must recommit ourselves to the truth, no matter how unpopular, unsatisfying, or inconvenient it may be. And the truth is that the Liberal Party is not tipping the scales with recounts, nor is the result of the election in question. In a world full of mistrust, we can have confidence in Canada’s electoral system.
Spencer Fernando
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