Chandler feels like me

He still saw no real connection between his vote and how Canada is run. Democracy, as he said repeatedly, has different dynamics: consensus building among citizens around a specific issue; informed and well-researched submissions to civil servants and cabinet ministers; influence from lobbyists.

‘I am not drawn to electoral politics,’ he said simply.

And if you don’t vote, you can’t complain? ‘I am not impressed by that argument,’ he replied.

Knowing he’s a practising Roman Catholic (I’d driven him to mass with his grandparents), I said: ‘Look, voting is like taking part in the Eucharist; it’s a symbolic and representative act. It’s not an end in itself, because to be a Christian you’ve got to be more fully engaged in your faith, and to be a citizen you’ve got to be more fully engaged in your civic society. But the sym- bolism of the vote is important.'”