For underrepresented, the time is now.

North of 60 star Tina Keeper is going to run for the Liberals in Manitoba’s Churchill riding in the next election, and frankly, I couldn’t be more excited.

http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
news/story.html?id=d380b0bd-d720-490b-a5c9-f7f85605b368

I was never an avid watcher of the show, and honestly don’t know much about Keeper, but I’m resoundingly happy every time I hear that another women or visible minority is running in the next federal election- regardless of partisan affiliation.

The problem surrounding the awareness of and the ensuing complaints regarding under representation in the House of Commons is that it always comes too late, usually once the writ is dropped and the candidate numbers come and then again once the final votes are counted.

The time to make our House of Commons better resemble our population is now. It’s in the months before an election, when party riding executives are looking for qualified candidates and holding nomination races.

Too often I hear cop-out explanations where people choose to blame poor representation on leaders or political party big-wigs, “the system,” or “society.”

Well I think each and every citizen can also take a little personal responsibility for the situation and open up your chequebook to a female or visible minority candidate, encouraging one to run, or running oneself. Tina Keeper did, and I think it’s fantastic.