Voila! C'est moi.

Time to disclose where I stand on some of the issues.

For the most part, you’d probably be able to figure this out from reading some of my posts. But, I like to get it out in the open for people to see (people close to me accuse me of being an exhibitionist at heart).

Generally, I like to be critical of everything. I don’t like to fully identify with one political party/ideology. When people ask me what I am, I like to say that I adopt the great Canadian position, the center. Some issues I tend to waffle on, some I lean right and some I lean left. The party that best represents me is a pragmatic, larger tent, institutional-based party. Both the Tories and the Grits have been appalling and attractive to me depending on the issue and timing.

Political membership? I haven’t been a very faithful follower of any party to date. I have been a card carrying member of a political party, but I haven’t been overly involved. I expect, one day, I’ll shake off my reluctance to wade into the public sphere. For now, I enjoy my armchair. I’m too busy with other things.

I’ve always been suspicious and critical of staunch supporters of any political party. Blind faith in one party or another just doesn’t sit right with me. All parties have dirty laundry. If something stinks, I like to be able to crinkle my nose. I’ve declared my support one way or another only to later groan in embarrassment at what my chosen supportee has come up with too many times.

My political feelings are constantly shifting. I don’t bounce around or wildly oscillate. I’m more like a fast moving glacier. This would be a product of parties always changing and my own personal growth and reflections. I don’t want a party to tell me how I should grow, I want to grow the direction I think best.

So, the specifics. Lately, I’ve found myself drifting slightly towards the left. I have, historically, been more right on economic issues, more left on social issues and I have always borrowed positions from various points on the spectrum. Judicially, I find myself becoming more socially conscious and left. Issues respecting sexuality find me far left. I think family and the community are the cornerstones of society. But, I think the definition of family and community could use some work to catch up with the times.

I respect spirituality, but I’m not religious. I believe in equality, but I drift towards equality of opportunity more than equality of result. I think “hard working, ordinary Canadian families” are important, but I think the rich have rights too (I’m far from rich). I can be remarkably cynical, but always willing to work towards positive change and growth.

I hope this all becomes redundant, anyway. I want to write enough that people can get this sense from my writing. But, in the meantime, at least you have an idea of who what you’re working with.