By Lloyd Mackey

THEY ARE young people from two Christian-based Kelowna-area high schools. Both lean conservative in their views.

But in opposing the idea that three opposition parties could  form a de facto coalition to take over the governing of Canada, Michael McDonald and Meagan Ritz insist that if it was the Liberal party that was governing in a minority, they would support that government.

Ritz, 16, and a grade 11 student at Heritage Christian School, was the inspiration for an anti-coalition rally that drew 350 people to Rutland Centennial School December 6.  

She says her previous involvement in matters political has been limited; but she has learned a fair amount from her brother Cam – who has worked for several politicians and is now with the Lung Association of Canada.

“Cam has been a real help to me in gaining an understanding of the political world,” she says.

Her activism, until recently, has been in Christian mission and development. As part of Mission Creek Alliance Church, she has done volunteer work for Kelowna-based Hope for the Nations in some African countries, as well as in Peru.

In the latter country, she worked with young people from both the U.S. and Canada. “We went to the slums of Lima with a group of 600. We washed people’s hair and cleaned out lice, among many other things.”

Ritz became concerned about what was happening on the federal scene on  two counts: the whole idea of an opposition coalition, and the possibility that such a coalition could bring down the government, which had just been elected – albeit with a minority.

Part of trying to pull together the December rally involved making contact with Ron Cannan, MP for Kelowna-Lake Country.

Cannan had a few suggestions for her, with respect to getting speakers and arranging logistics. But he maintains that Ritz’s initiative is what made it work.

One of the suggested speakers was Michael McDonald – who, at 15, recently joined Cannan’s constituency association board. Like Ritz, McDonald is both conservative in outlook and non-partisan with respect to the current federal governance issue.

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To him, the issue is to get the government and opposition working together, to resolve economics issues and get the federal budget through.

Noting his own view that being a conservative in Canada is like being a Democrat in the United States, McDonald sees Al Gore and Barack Obama as role models.

He is libertarian in the kind of conservatism he espouses. And he believes his faith  helps shape his political views; he is a member of St. Theresa’s parish.

“My religion I cherish as important. You have to look at what would be best for majority of people, [but in so doing] don’t lose the morals and values that come from religion. It is a challenge,” he says.

McDonald’s speech at the two-hour rally drew a standing ovation. He told the crowd: “As a young Canadian citizen today, I am worried about the future of our country. I want to grow up in a country that remains democratic, a country that is united. I love democracy, and I love the electoral process.

“The idea that we, the people vote for a party, regardless of which one it is – and the party that gains the most votes, by all Canadians, is the party that governs – is an idea that I and many other Canadians deeply cherish. We do not want to lose that; that’s why we’re here today.”

Now, McDonald and Ritz hope that the new Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff and Prime Minister Harper will be able to work together in the cooling off period, to get the budget through and the economic impasse resolved.

January 2009