Vote your own conscience

I recently received a call from a female stating that she was working for the Conservative Party of Canada and she wanted to know if I would be supporting them in the next election.
I honestly did not know what to say. Am I a supporter of the federal Conservative Party or more importantly, am I "allowed" to be a supporter of the federal Conservatives?
In other words, do I have Danny's "permission" to support Steve?
So, like I often do to find answers to questions I don't know, I went to the Internet. I thought I could go to www.ask.com, type in my question and get an answer. Not so. The site told me where to go.
On the federal government website you can find information about the prime minister and information on the federal government policies including the key issues of leadership, crime and taxes.
There is no mention of "our Danny" and the "ABC Campaign."
On the provincial government website you will find the following slogan: "Proud. Strong, Determined." There are also links to news releases where one can read all about the activities of Danny and his round table.
In one particle article, I read where Mr. Harper, when leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons, said "Newfoundland and Labrador's natural resource revenues should be removed from the equalization formula."
It is crystal clear. He did say it. It is also obvious that once he was elected to the most powerful job in the nation he changed his mind, and decided to put a cap on that formula which will limit the amount of revenue we will receive.
Mr. Harper has not kept his promise and Danny, by promising that Newfoundland and Labrador will give him a "big goose egg" in the next federal election vows to punish him. The phrase "there is no greater fraud than a promise not kept" is displayed on this same website, leaving no doubt how 'Our Danny' really feels. To be clear, Danny has told "Steve" that all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians will vote for "anyone but conservative" in the next federal election.
Does my opinion count? Last time I checked I still did live in a democracy.
Personally, I find it repugnant that I am being told who note to vote for. I have not been asked, I have been told.
On the other hand, I know we need to send the federal conservatives a strong message, which does present a dilemma.
After listening to last week's throne speech, all doubt was erased about how long this war of words between Danny and Steve is going to last.
In the throne speech, John C. Crosbie, the new Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and
Labrador (and former Conservative MP) referred to Danny as "my first minister" and stated the federal government has "nothing but contempt and condescension for "my government" and that we have been "dishonorably treated."
Crosbie goes on to state: "we will achieve our full potential as a prosperous and self-reliant partner within the federation with or without this federal government.
The Lieutenant Governor goes on to say, "we are to be masters of our own house and control our destiny."
But, am I really the master of my own house if I am told who to vote for?
It took a long time for women to get the right to vote in this country (we were reminded of that last week with International Women's Week) and I don't take kindly to being told how to vote.
Mr. Crosbie went on to say, "Proud, Strong and Determined, we will achieve our great prosperity by standing all together united as one Newfoundland and Labrador."
Does this mean if I vote for the federal Conservatives I am not a "Strong, Proud and Determined" Newfoundlander? If I believe the Conservative candidate in my own riding is stronger than the Liberal candidate, will I be the reason the province does not reach its real prosperity?
WOW!
This is too much pressure and a lot to think about. If I mark an X for the federal Conservatives will Danny know? Do I take the risk of being voted off the island? Will I have to follow my husband and thousands of other Newfoundlanders to Fort McMurray?
Danny told us a few months ago that Mr. Harper told him, in a private meeting, "I don't need Newfoundland and Labrador at this point to win a future election." With Newfoundland and Labrador only having seven of the 308 seats in the House of Commons, Mr. Harper may be right. Will my vote really make a difference to the outcome of the election?
It is a bad time for nationalism in this province.
I am a proud Newfoundlander and I think I live in the greatest country on earth. We have survived many a storm and we will survive this storm as long as the captain of our ship remains steadfast in his promise to lead us into the prosperity we so rightly deserve. But the point remains, do we vote for him/her whom Danny tells us to vote for because we are Newfoundlanders first? Do we vote for the best candidate, or do we vote individually, traditionally, as our parents and grandparents did, and follow our political stripe?
I say vote your own conscience and hold it dear to your heart. Maybe Mr. Crosbie, in the Speech from the Throne, gave the best advice when he said: "May Divine Providence guide you in your deliberation."
May it also guide Danny and Steve - for all our sakes.
"Ms. Haire, are you a supporter of the Conservative party of Canada?" she asked again.
Suddenly, a vision of Danny, sitting on the deck of a fishing boat tied up in one of the outports and talking on his cell phone with his finger circled in the shape of a goose egg appeared before me and said: "tell her to tell Steve that there is no greater fraud than a promise not kept, tell him to..."

Michelle Cleary-Haire is a former town councillor who works full time as a mother and teacher. She resides in Riverhead, Harbour Grace.