WIN? HAVE FUN? No, the first rule in any game is DON’T CHEAT.

Many say we have a duty to vote and that this is “a freedom men died for”. I personally think this is a gross oversimplification of the motives of soldiers and the complexity of war, but inasmuch as it is true, surely it implies that we owe more than an X on a ballot every four or five years. We owe it to our country to think about the issues involved in governing it, consider seriously the options on offer, and express our views by voting this way, that way, or not at all. About 40% of Canadians are expressing their views through the third option, and political parties and pundits should take what we are saying seriously.

Only 61.1% of eligible voters actually voted in the last federal election. This was the third lowest turnout on record, and the previous federal election (2008) saw the lowest turnout ever at 58.8%. This is, indeed, something to be concerned about as it indicates a growing disconnect between voters and our democratic institutions.

Politicians and governments seem to feel the only thing that really matters is winning elections. The ideal way to do this, of course, is to faithfully represent constituents and govern well, but there are much easier ways. So what we get is shallow, intemperate and unprincipled attack ads, election fraud (the “robocall scandal” and the “in and out scandal”) and the ludicrous hyper-partisanship that drives the whole mess.

There is a little gem of sports wisdom you hear from time to time: “If you’re not cheating you’re not really trying”.  I must admit that when I first heard this line I laughed. It’s funny if the people saying it realize it’s a joke. But many don’t, failing to understand that cheating is an attack on the game itself, and to win by damaging the game is the height of folly.

The scandals we are seeing in Ottawa today, not to mention Montreal and Toronto, are outrageous because they undermine the whole project of governance. And the scornful abuse our politicians heap on one another undermines the credibility of politicians in general and the entire political enterprise.

I don’t pretend to know how to fix this mess, but the first step might be for politicians in all parties, together with their supporters, to take a little time out to seriously consider how they play the game.