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| Seats won by each party in the 2005 German federal election, an example of a proportional voting system. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| Representative Democracy (Photo credit: Travis S.) |
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| A pro-MMP poster from the 1993 referendum campaign. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| centre (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
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| English: Elizabeth May speaking at National Day of Action for Electoral Reform rally in Ottawa. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Democracy Under Fire
Electoral Reform – Personal Perspective
After more than 5 years of writing about our declining democracy and having
several times reviewed the options open to us should we ever get a
government in power willing to put the issue of voting reform before the
people I am now going to try and spell out my own wishes in this regard.
Such wishes must be tempered by some practical considerations, wishing for
things that simply are never going to happen is an exercise in futility –
perhaps this whole series on Electoral Reform should be filed under that
heading!
I will start by reiterating that I do not support Proportional
Repr... more »
Electoral Reform – The Parties Position
Its sometimes hard to see where the parties stand on any particular issue
given the hype, bafflegab and spin that issues from almost all of them at
times and the ever changing positions taken depending upon their position
in the polls or whether they are in power or not. As far as I can tell the
following is their current position on Electoral Reform.
*Trudeau* is a supporter of a preferential ballot, having made it a plank
of his leadership platform.
Liberals say they will launch all-party consultations on reform. The party
passed a resolution at its convention earlier this year th... more »
Electoral Reform – Voting Systems
I have said that simply calling for PR (Proportional Voting) is not
sufficient but that we must understand the various systems that are
generally promoted as 'proportional', and the alternatives. I wrote about
the various systems some *3 years ago* and will simply re-post part of that
article with some updates and additional thoughts here in this series on
Electoral Reform.
First however I must point out that non of the systems thus far proposed
can be compared with what is often touted as the outcome from FPTP in so
far as 'the popular vote'. We currently vote for an individual wh... more »
Electoral Reform – Proportional Representation
Proportional Representation or PR for short has become the buzz word for
those who are advocating for Electoral Reform (and that group includes
myself) but what exactly do we mean when we say we want PR? The broad
definition is “a method of voting by which political parties are given
legislative representation in proportion to their popular vote.” , in
Canada we have to add “within the limits set by our constitution” as some
provinces have a minimum representative threshold. We must also add “as
close as possible within practical limits” after all we cannot put
fractions of MPs in t... more »
Electoral Reform Needed!
In the recent Ontario Election out of every 100 (eligible) citizens
approximately 52 voted and one or two of those either declined or
(deliberately?) spoiled their ballots We have no means of knowing how many
tried to vote but were turned away due to being at the wrong poll or not
having proper ID but judging from the feedback I have received it is
probably in the thousands rather than the hundreds.
“*Unofficial results released by Elections Ontario on Wednesday showed
31,399 voters chose to decline their ballots, the highest since 1975, there
were 22,687 rejected ballots and 12,059... more »
Election Stories
With the Ontario election now history and a slight uptick in the voter turn
out I will relate a few of the problems various voters have encountered
whilst trying to vote in an effort to make both the voters and those that
run the system aware of impediments to voting during said election. Most of
these stories are specific to rural areas and related to poll location and
rural addressing issues, it may be that in urban areas such things are not
such a problem and it would seem that Elections Ontario either is unaware
of such problems or considers rural voters as less important than th... more »
Elections Ontario Struggling......
Elections Ontario is struggling to find enough staff to fill the positions
required to process your vote, this is not a particular surprise to those
who have worked the polls before, it always tough to find responsible folks
available for a one day 12 to 14hr shift with no breaks! I am not sure how
Elections Canada gets away with it but poll clerks and others who work the
polls are expected to be at their station the entire time that the polls
are open and then some must remain to count ballots or forfill other duties
related to closing the polls and clean up. Still its a chance for ... more »
Its Silly Season in Ontario
With advanced polls opening for the Ontario Election today its definitely
silly season in Ontario, we are inundated with totally meaningless TV ads
from 3 of the Partys telling us how bad the other guys are and failing to
give us any real idea of what their plan is. There is Andrea of the NDP who
forced the election by turning down the most NDP friendly budget proposed
in years, there is Kathleen of the Liberals who continues to wear the
cynical decision of the previous premier to move a power pant to gain
votes, then there is little Timmy of the Conservatives who’s kinder-garden
ma... more »
Ontario Election = Identification & Vouching
With all the publicity around the Federal 'Fair' Elections Act and the
issue of vouching it is important to know that for the Ontario Provincial
Election VOUCHING IS NOT PERMITTED. You must have proper identification in
order to vote, if you are not on the voters list, do not receive a
registration card indicating the poll location or do not have
identification with your name and municipal address on it you may have a
problem.
If you DO have the registration card you just need the *card that was
mailed to you* with your name and address on it *and one piece of
identification with ... more »
Election Act, Election Ont, Election Incentives
So the flawed “fair” Elections Act has now *passed final reading *with a
few amendments that public pressure made the Cons include but without the
dozens of amendments proposed by the opposition and without even
considering the 75 amendments that the Greens were not permitted to table.
*The Speaker upheld the decision of the House committee **tasked with
studying Bill C-23 to deny the Green Leader the right to present her
amendments.*
“*I am profoundly disappointed by today’s ruling,” said the MP for
Saanich–Gulf Islands. “This decision undermines the ability of MPs from
smaller ... more »
Garbage in, Garbage out?
Having publicly available information on the well-being of our local
communities and national numbers on employment, business viability,
population etc etc is essential not only to keep the government 'honest'
but to make local and governmental decisions affecting these things. At
first glance then it would seem that the ongoing project to make such
government data more readily available is a good thing, is it as Tony
Clement would have us believe “proof of the governments openness and
transparency”. Or, is it proof of the Harper Regimes inability to do
anything right and a further ... more »
This and That – Distractions and Obfuscations
*The ongoing Elections act cluster fk *has successfully distracted from the
latest omnibus budget from the Harper Regime, hardy a word has been seen
about the 350 page *“Harper Government Creating Jobs & Growth While
Returning to Balanced Budgets With Economic Action Plan 2014 Act, No. 1.”*.
Yep, we are back to that H*&^%$# Government thing again to describe our
Canada Government as run by the Harper Oligarchy and hardly a word about
all the hidden things about food safety, rail safety, the appointment of
judges and altering military ranks, and other stuff which has nothing to do
wi... more »
Ignorance is Bliss?
Its old news that the Harper Regime eliminated the long form Census thus
also eliminating reliable information on the economic and social status of
various areas and communities across the country. Nor should it be news
that like many other departments (with the notable exception of the PMO)
their budget has beencut. Statscan’s budget has fallen by $29.3-million in
the past two years, and its staffing has fallen by 767 people, or 18.5 per
cent, in the same period, excluding the census and surveys paid for by
outside clients. Its been hard enough in the past to get up to date stats
o... more »
Meaningful Changes or Lipstick on the Pig?
In the unholy rush to jam their Unfair Elections Act through before the
majority of Canadians realise just how bad and self-serving piece of
legislation it is the Harper regieme has asked the Senate Legal and
Constitutional Affairs Committee to “pre-study” it. In short order the
Conservative-dominated committee has come back with a number of changes
that it would like to see, remember this is just a “pre-study” not full
hearings and that the House of Commons has yet to finish its initial study
of this bill. The House Affairs Committee studying the bill will conduct
one more day of h... more »
Prerequisites for Democratic Legitimacy
Anita Vandenbeld author of an article called *‘Imposing Legitimacy: The
Dilemma of International Democratic Development’*for LawNow magazine and
former director of parliamentary affairs for Jacques Saada, the first
minister of Democratic Reform in 2004, recently wrote an article on the
legitimacy of bill C23. In it, in contrast to her previous article where
she raised the question of how democratic institutions become legitimate in
the eyes of a population, she now asks how do democratic institutions *lose*their
legitimacy?
Here are some extracts, *read the whole thing at Ipolitics... more »
Winning at All Costs.
I think we are all sick of the win at all cost mentality of our political
parties and their leaders, this mentality is not restricted to just the
Harper Regime, although it is certainly most prevalent with that group of
oligarchs, but can be seen with very few exceptions in all parties and both
provincial and federal politics. I recently came across *a piece from
Scott,* a recent graduate of the University of Saskatchewan with a degree
in Political Studies who puts it like this:-
*"*
*Almost all of the political parties in today's system seem to be more
concerned with winning ... more »
Citizens Protest Unfair Election Act
Many of my reader will be aware that last Tuesday a number of citizens
gathered in front of Conservative MP's Offices across the country to show
their opposition to the Unfair Elections Act that is being railroaded
through the legislative process by the Harper Regime. One such non partisan
gathering sponsored by*LeadNow *took place in front of my local MP's
office, that of Larry Miller, where folks from several opposition parties
and local non partisan groups spoke to the crowd. Kimberly Love of the
Liberals and Karen Gventer of the NDP spoke of the injustices - the removal
of votin... more »
Electoral Integrity of Act Questioned.
When 19 international Scholars from six democracy’s across the world add
their voice to the over 150 Canadian scholars and almost universal
condemnation of the Harper Regime's attempt to introduce partisan bias into
our election rules and to reduce the powers of the world respected
Elections Canada then you know something is very wrong with the proposed
legislation.
Here is their open letter which clearly sets out SOME of the problems with
this Bill:-
*We, the undersigned, international scholars and political scientists, are
concerned that Canada’s international reputation as one of... more »
Undemocratic Democratic Reform
Are changes to an electoral system in a democracy valid if they are brought
in by a less than democratic process, are they in fact valid if the very
'independent' body charged with overseeing said electoral system is
excluded from the process? Are they valid if recommendations from said body
are ignored, debate within our parliamentary system on such measures is
curtailed, concerns by parliamentarians and democracy experts across a
broad range of political and non partisan stripes fall upon deaf ears? Are
they in fact actually antidemocratic if they are not generally accepted by
tho... more »
Harpers Orwellian Regime
Arising from *George Orwells* novel *Nineteen Eighty-Four* published in
1949 the adjective *Orwellian*describes a totalitarian dystopia
characterised by government control and subjugation of the people. Orwell's
invented language, *Newspeak*, satirises hypocrisy and evasion by the
state: for example,the *Ministry of Truth* oversees propaganda and
historical revisionism. When writing this Orwell believed that British
democracy as it existed before 1939 would not survive the war, the question
being "Would it end via Fascist *coup d'état* (from above) or via Socialist
revolution (from ... more »
Five Years of Frustration
Five years ago this week I started Democracy Under Fire due to concern of
the way in which the new Conservative Government was ignoring democratic
and parliamentary conventions. This was just after their reelection as a
result of the lowest *voter turnout* in Canadian electoral history, with
only 22% of eligible Canadian voters casting a vote and prior to their most
glaring abuse, which being the proroguing of parliament to avoid a vote of
non confidence in Sept of 2009. During the the first few months I took the
time to examine and more fully understand our system as it was intended... more »
Political Participation and Perception
In their latest report *“By Invitation Only:Canadians’ Perceptions of
Political Parties”*Samara, the measuring democracy people, identified six
key roles of political parties’ functions in three main areas. In a survey
concentrating upon the areas of Elections, Engagement & Policy they asked
their respondents to rate the performance of Canadian political parties on
each of them. The results indicate that political parties are not doing
well in any of these areas.
1. Recruiting candidates and competing in elections - 43% grade
2. Encouraging people to vote – 46% grade
3. Hear... more »
The Undemocratic Election Act
“*The things in it that are good could have been so much better, but the
things that are bad are unforgivable in a democracy.”*
Recently Green Party Leader Elizabeth May had an opportunity to speak to
the Commons Committee considering Bill C23, The 'Fair' Elections Act. What
follows are some extracts from that presentation, for a full transcript and
audio of that speech *please go the her MPs website.*
Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to be able to speak to Bill C-23 today.
I want to pause and say that when we have these rushed processes with
closure on debate and an abbreviat... more »
The (UN)Fair Elections Act
As is usual with so many of the Bills proposed by the Harper Regime the
'Fair' Elections Act has so many changes buried in the fine print that it
is almost impossible for all but the most dedicated and knowledgeable
researchers to really understand the implications of it all. Whilst there
is little doubt that some changes were needed (in particular in view of the
robocall issue) I must question that our election Act was so problematic
that it needed a 247 page rewrite, and that just for the CHANGES to it!
I intended to read the whole thing as I was, and still am, very suspicious
of ... more »
The Fair Elections Act
The Conservative government will introduce changes to the Elections Act
this week that caucus members expect to restructure the office in charge of
investigating violations. “It’s the Fair Elections Act,” Poilievre said.
Given the Conservatives penchant for naming bills in an Orwellian fashion
we had best keep an eye on this one. I suspect it will be more of a
“Government Control of Election Investigations Act”.
It has been reported that* “The bill would remove the Commissioner of
Canada Elections, where the investigators work, from Elections Canada and
set it up as separate office” ... more »
An Independent Senate – We can but hope!
*“I call upon the Prime Minister to publicly commit, as I have today, to be
guided in all future Senate appointments by an open, transparent,
non-partisan process, and once appointed, have senators sit independent
from the political parties that serve in in the House of Commons.*
*Justin Trudeou Jan 29 2014*
By now you all know that in a surprising and brave move the Liberal leader
has released all the former Liberal Senators from any connection from the
Liberal Caucus saying that “only elected Members of the House of Commons
will serve as members of the Liberal Caucus. “ Whilst this... more »
The War on Information Continues.
It has been revealed that in addition to the*'consolidation' *of the
Department of Fisheries and Oceans libraries, where reports say that
despite assurances that much of the material would be digitized a large
number of books and papers have been destroyed without such backup, the
Libraries of Heath Canada are now under attack.
*The CBC reports that Health Canada scientists *are so concerned about
losing access to their research library that some are squirrelling away
journals and books in their garages for colleagues to consult. This after a
report calling for the libraries to NO... more »
Best of Both Worlds
A guest article by Jared Milne.
Politically, 2013 wasn’t much different than previous years. In Toronto,
Rob Ford accused his opponents of wanting to keep the “gravy train” going,
while his opponents accused him of hypocrisy and failing to live up to his
promises. In Ottawa, the Conservative government accused the opposition
parties of wanting to drastically raise taxes to pay for their political
promises, while the official Opposition accused the Conservatives of
slashing essential services and transfers to Canadians. In St. Albert,
critics of the city government’s current directio... more »
Response to Minister of Democratic Reform
Just two days before Christmas the GPC received a letter requesting a
response on their ideas for electoral reform to be received before Jan 4th.
The timing of the letter and the requested response makes the genuineness
of the request suspect. We wonder who else was or will be invited to
respond and what their response was or will be. Despite the almost
impossible time line Elizabeth May of the Greens did reply with several
much needed suggestions. Here is her response in full:-
*Dear Mr. Minister,The President of the Green Party of Canada, Paul Estrin,
received a scanned lett... more »
Ministry of Propaganda and Disinformation
On Thursday the Prime Minister’s Office posted Thursday episode 1 of what
it calls “24 Seven” — a weekly roundup of Harper’s events and
announcements, and those of his government. And which I will NOT post a
link to!
This appears to be another effort by the Conservative government to bypass
the mainstream media and communicate its “message” directly to Canadians
thus further avoiding those pesky reporters who keep trying to ask
questions. Expect the access to the PM to decrease from only in tightly
controlled rabid supporter filled rooms to never, and the use of Harper
spokesclown... more »
Silence of the Labs
Silence of the Labs is the title given to the Fifth Estate presentation
coming up on CBC this Friday which anyone concerned with the future of
Canadian scientific research, indeed the very future of Canada, should make
a point of watching. Whilst I do not know what their investigative
reporting will reveal their brief description gives us a good idea.
“*In the past few years, the federal government has cut funding to hundreds
of renowned research institutes and programs. Ottawa has dismissed more
than 2,000 federal scientists and researchers and has drastically cut or
ended progr... more »
2014 – The year we 'loose' our democracy?
Whilst some say that it is already gone and that we are being subject to an
Oligarchy well on its way to a Dictatorship, a view that I find it hard to
argue against, there is still hope. The recent push back by a small number
of Conservative MP's gives me a little hope, Michael Chong’s introduction
of a private members bill to limit leaders’ powers is one such small step,
Bruce Hyer's brave & principled step to quit the NDP caucus due to being
forced to vote as dictated by the party whip and more recently to join the
Greens (the only party to truly respect and promote true democracy)... more »
Quantity not Quality
Quantity not Quality is apparently the Harper regimes measure of 'success'
Mr. Van Loan recently extolled the virtues of the 34-day fall session,
which started late because of prorogation and was adjourned early. He said
2013 was the most productive year on record, with 40 bills receiving Royal
Assent. “ “That’s something we can all be proud of. It shows how Parliament
is working better than ever right now,” he said.
So it seems that passing bills that have had debate curtailed or where the
Harper regime has dictated that “their” MP's shall vote for it regardless
of their constitue... more »
A Gift of Democracy for Christmas
*For those who may not know Leadnowis “an independent advocacy organization
that brings generations of Canadians together to achieve progress through
democracy.” They are particularly focused upon building “a stronger
democracy that protects our environment, creates economic opportunity while
increasing equality”*
*Leadnow has become THE organization for those concerned with these things,
and who cannot be, to support and become involved with and their “plan' is
outlined below as distributed with their latest fund raising appeal. It is
an unfortunate reality that it is going to take ... more »
Santa is Canadian & Harper is an idiot?
We know that our Government scientists and bureaucrats are not able to make
any public statements without being 'approved' by the Harper regimes spin
machine in the PMO so we will probably never know if the study and
collection of data for the Arctic claim was indeed complete two years ago
or the victim of another of Harper’s antiscience cuts. What we do know is
that he said two years ago that the data collection was complete and that
just a few days before the ensuing submission was due to the United Nations
Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf Harper suddenly said *the... more »
Backbenchers Grow a Backbone?
Many of us have been sounding the alarm bell for some time about the amount
of power and control the Prime Minister and the PMO have over both the
daily working of parliament and more particularly the amount of control
exercised over MPs and senators elected or appointed under the Conservative
banner. Now it would seem a few backbenchers have finally become tired of
following orders and want to do what they were elected to do, represent
their constituents without having to rigidly follow the scrip provided by
the PMO.
“*Tired of being a $160,200-a-yearvoting machines, the group of
... more »
A Created Crisis?
The whole debate about the reform or abolition of the senate would not be
getting the attention it is currently getting were it not for the somewhat
overblown concern about just three senators expense claims and Harpers
request to the courts to find out if he can do away or substantially change
the upper chamber without broad agreement from the provinces and Canadian
taxpayers. Is this much like the “dysfunctional parliament” that said
'leader' referred to when trying to justify his decision to shut down
parliament a few years ago? Is the 'crisis', as with much of the ongoing
infigh... more »
Information is Power
The senate expense investigation and who knew what along with the PMs
efforts to rid himself of these now disgraced conservative senators that he
appointed has all but eliminated other news from the headlines. There was
however some mention a couple of weeks ago of Canada's information watchdog
Suzanne Legault's recent report and remarks wherein she points out that the
freedom-of-information becoming “a system in crisis, where departments are
unable to fulfil even their most basic obligations under the act”.
It is interesting to note that, if I remember correctly, the whole
Duffy-Wa... more »
An Insidious Sickness
Canadian Democracy is sick. It has been showing alarming symptoms for some
time now, they range from the inability of a large portion of our MPs to
speak out without first consulting the PMO and a failure to listen to those
with opposing or alternate opinions, to totally ignoring the rules and
conventions built up over years of parliamentary debate and development,
and a total lack of ethics and honesty. A *new symptom appearing just this
week* is the removal of independent and small party MP's right to intervene
at the report stage of proposed legislation and at the Con convention t... more »
Rules and Conventions, Lies and Punishment
I will not dwell in great length upon the ongoing soap opera that is the
'Senate Scandal', there is quite enough commentary out there without my
adding to it. I will instead examine how and why such thing are even
possible in a 'democracy' and I contend that it is, at least in part
because the 'rules' are not clear, documented for all to see, and that no
clear penalties exist for those ignoring the rules and conventions that do
exist.
Be it what does or does not constitute a legitimate expense for a senator,
or an MP for that matter, and whether partisan content in a speech makes
... more »
TV or Democracy
With the next set of promises recently presented in the House after several
days of targeted leaks of some of the content which highlighted 'more
choice of cable & satellite TV channels' I wonder if Canadians are really
as shallow as the Harper Regime seems to think. Can we really be bought by
a promise to give us more choice in selecting TV channels and similar
meaningless goodies, is this such an important thing that it needs to be in
the throne speech and have legislation brought forward to force the
companies concerned to open up more choice, a move that will cost taxpayers
noth... more »
Voting for a New Voting System.
Of late there seems to be an increased interest in bringing forward a new
way of electing our 'representatives' in the House of Commons no doubt
brought on by the possibility of the Harper regime winning another majority
with a minority vote in 2015. Given their expertise in spinning the truth,
using taxpayers money to beat their own drum and fool most of the people
most of the time this is a real possibility.
There is little doubt that both electoral and *parliamentary reform *is
needed and that the debate about what is needed and how to accomplish it
will be difficult and divisiv... more »
Save Democracy from Politics
The title says it all, our very democracy is in danger of being totally
subverted by partisan actions which are aimed at keeping or gaining power
with little regard to the well being of Canadian peoples or our country.
Elizabeth May is correct when she says there is no consensus on how to
achieve the replacement of the flawed and highly biased first past the post
electoral system. I fully support the Green party in their long held view
that the system is broken and requires a major reform and applaud Ms May's
efforts to leave partisan politics behind and seek common ground in moving ... more »
Dysfunctional Legislatures
Is there any such thing as a fully “functional” legislature in Canada? I am
starting to wonder. I do not follow all the various provincial maneuverings
but it seems to me that many of our governing institutions across the
country are in disarray. Certainly the only time our federal government can
be called somewhat functional is when the legislature is not sitting, which
situation appears to be the *preferred option of the Harper regime* and *now
the BC government.* I cant speak to the rest of the provinces but it seems
to me that they will take note that if they can effectively sile... more »
Prorogued Again........
Prime Minister Stephen Harper says he intends to prorogue Parliament, which
means the House of Commons will not resume in September as planned. Harper,
who is currently on a week-long swing through northern Canada, says a
speech from the throne will likely be delivered in October, kicking off a
new parliamentary session.
The prime minister says most of the promises the Conservatives made in the
last election have been fulfilled........
He promised we would not recognize Canada and in that regard he has
fulfilled his promise. Naturally the fact that many of the Conservative
Senators e... more »
Standing Up for Nature and Democracy
This week Forest Ethics Advocacy, *launched a constitutional challenge* to
new requirements in the *National Energy Board Act* that have the effect of
silencing citizens concerned about tar sands pipelines. As pointed out by West
Coast Environmental the severe restrictions placed upon public comment by
Bill C-38 whereby any citizen wishing to comment upon such projects, even
those directly affected, are effectively prevented from doing so. Whilst
SOME restrictions MAY be necessary in the interests of such hearing not
going on forever, the restrictions now in place are clearly undemoc... more »
What Jeff Said.......
Even if it could, Senate reform shouldn’t proceed without the provinces –
or the people
To the surprise of everyone in the Ottawa bubble, Her Majesty’s Minister of
State for Democratic Reform, Pierre Poilievre, held a press availability
Wednesday not to slam the Liberals for some alleged sins, but to actually
speak to an issue of policy substance: the government’s Supreme Court
reference on Senate reform.
The minister discussed the factum the government has presented to the court
outlining its position, marking the first time the words “Pierre Poilievre”
and “factum” have appeared ... more »
Be Careful What You Wish For!
Abolish the Senate? Be careful what you wish for, we all know that it has
become highly partisan and some of those appointed feel they are entitled
to their entitlements and take even more, reform is needed but do away with
it entirely? I maintain that it is not the institution that is the problem
but the people who are appointed to it and the manner of appointment,
despite his appointment of many undeserving and unprincipled conservative
flacks to ensure that he can jam questionable legislation through Mr Harper
would like nothing better than to remove this impediment to his plans. ... more »
Electoral Fraud Occurred!
But no results overturned.........
*Just hours ago the long-awaited Federal Court ruling on election fraud was
released...*
*In a clear and bold statement, **Judge Richard Mosley wrote: "I find that
electoral fraud occurred during the 41st General Election*
*."While his ruling stopped short of annulling election results, this is a
powerful victory for **Kay Burkhart**, **Ken Ferance**, **Yvonne Kafka**, **Bill
Kerr**, **Sandra McEwing**, **Tom Parlee**, **Jeff Reid**and **Peggy Walsh
Craig*
* – the eight brave Canadian voters who launched their legal challenges and
the thousands ... more »
Summer Sabbatical
After closely following the decline of our democracy for more more than 4
years and posting over 200 articles at Democracy Under Fire detailing just
a few of the ways in which the Harper Regime and others continuously demean
and diminish the democratic systems built up over many years I am
frustrated and tired of beating my head against the wall. I am finding it
increasingly hard to discuss or comment upon such issues in a calm and
rational manner and am taking a summer sabbatical from that effort whilst I
regroup and recharge, how I do this without totally withdrawing from
watchin... more »
The Good' The Bad and The Ugly!
Its been a roller coaster ride this week on the political scene, between
the Conservative attack ads and the response to them, the speakers ruling
on the right of MPs to be heard in the house and the Liberals voting with
the Conservatives on a bill to delay the signing of the china trade deal
its been hard to keep up. I will try and bring a little light to these and
a few other issues this week.
First up a couple of bits of good news, not wonderful but in these days of
nothing but negative news at least something a little positive.
The court has ruled upon former PBO Kevin Page's r... more »
The Good' The Bad and The Ugly!
Its been a roller coaster ride this week on the political scene, between
the Conservative attack ads and the response to them, the speakers ruling
on the right of MPs to be heard in the house and the Liberals voting with
the Conservatives on a bill to delay the signing of the china trade deal
its been hard to keep up. I will try and bring a little light to these and
a few other issues this week.
First up a couple of bits of good news, not wonderful but in these days of
nothing but negative news at least something a little positive.
The court has ruled upon former PBO Kevin Page's re... more »
Take Your Shirt Off for Democracy.
I am not sure that any of the major political parties gets it, but Harper
definitely does not, attacking the leader of a party as if he and he alone
is responsible for decisions of policy or as if he alone would be
responsible for proposing or passing legislation is ridiculous. Effective
perhaps, but totally without merit. True the Harper Regime is VERY
centralized and VERY autocratic but even they must surely come to some kind
of consensus within their inner caucus and thus we must criticize the
“Harper Regime” not just Harper.. There are two extremes of leadership
'style' Autocrat... more »
Hydro Line Workers
I have done my share of bitching about hydro prices and in particular the
“delivery charge” portion of my bill which exceeds the 'cost of hydro'
delivered, but given that this 'extra' on our bill pays for maintenance and
repair and the current number of lines down due to the recent ice storm I
must reconsider my stance. These front line high voltage linesmen have my
greatest respect, they are by all accounts called out in the most miserable
weather to work on potentially very dangerous high voltage lines often
suspended in a bucket 50 feet above the ground in high winds, pissing rain... more »
What Price Our International Reputation.
Cost of supporting the United NationsConvention to Combat Drought and
Desertification (UNCCD) and not becoming the only country in the world to
confirm to the international community that Canada cared nothing for
climate action, nor for the fate of Africa. $290,000/year.
Cost of those 'Economic Action Plan'Ads $21,000,000
Enough said!
This is Democracy?
As per Bill C-38 – last springs omnibus budget bill....
Members of the public who want to send a letter with comments to the NEB
about a pipeline project must first apply for permission to participate –
by filling out a 10-page form that includes a request for a resume and
references.
Under the new rules, any Ontario resident who lives along the 639-km
pipeline route who wants to send in a letter about their concerns must
first apply to the NEB for permission to send in a letter. *As of today,
the public will have just two weeks to fill out a 10-page form* which asks
for a resume a... more »
An exercise in futility?
I am increasingly coming to the conclusion that my efforts in these pages
to shed some light upon the various attacks upon our democracy, the ever
increasing centralization of power in the hands of a few, our right to
details of government spending and decisions, and our right to express our
opinion upon those decisions both publicly and at the voting booth is an
exercise in futility. I am fairly certain that the majority of those that
read this blog are already well aware of such antidemocratic moves by
governments and whilst the Harper Regime leads in such malfeasance it is by
no ... more »
Kevin Page Reflects upon the Past 5 years.
A must read published in the Star.
“ *I took the job when it was agreed that a few amazing and fearless public
servants would join — namely, Mostafa Askari and Sahir Khan. We signed in
proverbial blood. We vowed to give Canada a true legislative budget office.
Nothing less. I chose career suicide. It was a very small price to pay.
After all, I had lost a son; I was “out of range.” *
“*Our institutions of accountability are in trouble. Parliament does not
get the information and analysis it needs to hold the executive (the prime
minister and cabinet) to account.” *
“*What’s in it for... more »
Is Politics a Team Sport?
Recently a Conservative MP became the first MP in more than a decade to *raise
a point of privilege against his own government*in questioning why he was
denied an opportunity to speak by his own party whip during question
period. Whilst the item that he wished to speak about (selective abortion)
is rater controversial it was the Government Whip Gordon O'Connor response
that was the most revealing. *He told House Speaker Andrew Scheer that such
matters (deciding who may speak to the house) are the exclusive purview of
the parties*, and, as such, firmly outside his jurisdiction as guar... more »
The Silence is Deafening
As our hero Kevin Page is *replaced as the Parliamentary Budget Officer by
the Parliamentary Librarian*'temporarily' whilst a 'process' takes place to
perhaps replace him with a less open and honest individual more amenable to
the Harper Regimes obsession to control the message *we learn that
Librarian staff have been silenced.*
“*Federal librarians and archivists who set foot in classrooms, attend
conferences or speak up at public meetings on their own time are engaging
in “high risk” activities, according to the new code of conduct at Library
and Archives Canada. Given the dangers... more »
Is “Judicial Activism” a Problem?
A guest article by Jared Milne.
For years, conservative writers have been complaining about what they call
“judicial activism”. Writers like Ted Morton, Rainier Knopff and Robert
Martin sharply criticize judges whose rulings, based the Charter of Rights,
make social policy that elected politicians are reluctant to challenge.
Social activists use the courts to try and impose changes on society that
are difficul, if not impossible to overturn. Issues that would normally be
debated by elected officials are now seen as being beyond discussion.
Martin claims that this activism undermines... more »
Government Web Sites to be Reduced or Eliminated
Recent leaked documents have confirmed that Tony 'Gazebo' Clements has been
asked by King Harper to drastically cut the number of government websites
available to Canadians. Initially, the number of sites will be slashed to
six, with the ultimate goal of consolidating all online Government of
Canada information into one big website.
*The Huffington Post reports *that a PowerPoint presentation that outlines
the federal government's Web Renewal Action! Plan is available in two parts
*here*and *here*). Scheduled to roll out at the end of this month, the plan
will bring about some major ... more »
PBO Position Finally Advertised
Just a few days before Kevin Page's contract expires the Conservative
government is *advertising for a mid-level executive *to fill the spot
meanwhile the Parliamentary Librarian will take over as interim budget
officer.
*The lengthy job description suggests the government is clearly looking for
a more compliant budget watchdog* than Page, who has been a thorn in the
government’s side with his financial analysis and reports since the day he
was hired to set up the country’s first parliamentary budget office.....the
posting clearly wants a negotiator and a consensus builder who can b... more »
Political Stereotypes
A guest article by Jared Milne.
Right-wing Conservatives are hardworking entrepreneurs who stop at Tim
Horton’s for a double-double on their way to work, get up early on Saturday
to take their kids to hockey practice, and maintain their homes and their
cars themselves. Either that, or they’re greedy corporate monsters who
cheerfully destroy the planet and oppress the poor in order to line their
own pockets.
Left-wing Liberals, NDPers and Greens are compassionate and interested only
in helping the poor and caring for the environment and fighting for social
justice. Either that, or t... more »
Ohh Canada!
*The following short excerpts from some news and opinion this week need
very little further comment!*
It’s this simple. If you don’t have money to maintain our Coast Guard
stations and our fisheries monitors, you don’t have money to squander on an
Office of Religious Freedoms.
......................
Do you remember when Canada was seen as a friendly, socially progressive
country? Well, perhaps not, but I will bet that your parents do.
We have lost ground and are now a reactionary anti-science- pro military,
right wing led and controlled country.
...........................
In the ... more »
Will our 'watchkeepers' be watching in the future?
As the frustration level builds with the ongoing lack of accountability and
response to concerns about various watchdog departments and officers the
number of articles condemning this 'governments' approach to these things
increases. Its getting so hard to keep up that once again I will simply
post a few clips from a few that have caught my eye.
You will have read my concerns about the renewal of the Parliamentary
Budget Officers mandate and perhaps were aware that the NDP brought a
motion before the house to extend Mr Pages tern untill such time as a new
officer was appointed. Natu... more »
The Senate is not the problem
Its not the institution, its the self serving and partisan people appointed
to it....
Recent events *have once again brought calls* for the senate to be *abolished
or reformed *and whilst the latter is no doubt needed, the former is not
IMHO on the cards if for no other reason than it takes time for *the
process to take place.* There is nothing in the constitution that forces
the Prime Minister to appoint conservative hacks to warm the seats, there
is nothing to stop the Prime Minister from asking the provinces for their
'recommendations' as to new appointees to represent that provi... more »
Let the Games Begin ...... Again!
With our Federal MP's now back in the House and the Ontario Legislature
about to resume under a new leader I am not optimistic that we will see any
change in the political gamesmanship and constant efforts of each party to
trample each other in the blind rush for power. We here in Ontario just saw
a particularly fine example of this from one Tim HarperHudak and his
provincial Cons.......
Within hours of her victory on Saturday evening, Ontario premier-designate
Kathleen Wynne was the target of two new Progressive Conservative attack
ads that labelled her “*another McGuinty Liberal O... more »
PBO contract expires soon.
The Library of Parliament who are responsible for filling the position when
Mr Page's contract expires in just two months has only now “*issued a
Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking the services of an executive search
firm** to assist with the recruitment and selection of candidates for the
PBO position.” *they then propose to “* issue a contract to a supplier who
will then prepare the recruitment strategy and detailed work plan,
including a list of activities and timeline.”. *Given the speed with which
government typically moves on such issues it is clear that this position
will re... more »
Sunday Morning Reading
I have been struggling lately to organize my thoughts enough to write my
regular Sunday morning commentary, not because there is no enough to write
about on the democracy front but because there is too much. Fortunately
there are many others who are more than capable of filling the gap and this
week I will simply refer you to a few of their recent posts.
*First up Norm Farell quotes George Monbiot*
*Northern Insight: The smartest guys in the room got it wrong*
“the richest 100 people now hold wealth near equivalent to the United
Kingdom's GDP. “
*Then Owen Grey is well worth reading*... more »
Democracy 'Satisfaction' dropped 20%
Its been a while since I gave Samara the democracy measurement folks a plug
but a recent visit to their web site encouraged me to have another look
around and you should too.
Their most recent report titled'Who's the Boss?' once again reinforces what
many of us firmly believe in that the ,satisfaction' with our democracy has
dropped from 75% in 2004 to 55% now. The only surprise to me is that its
that high but then there are still a lot of citizens not taking notice.
Their various surveys also reveal that Canadians “feel that their MPs’ work
representing constituents is falling shor... more »
Getting their attention...
Much has been written about the Idle No More movement in recent weeks and I
will not attempt to define it here for like the Occupy Movement before it
the focus of the protests is becoming increasingly unclear. For Chief
Spence it seems to be about conditions in her, and other, first nations
community’s, for others it is about bill C45 removing many rivers from the
Navigable water act, and for many, particularly the non native supporters,
it is simply about the total disdain with which the Harper regime is
treating Canadian citizens.
Whatever the central aim of these protests it is c... more »
Stand on Guard
At this time of year as we look back over the previous year and forward to
the coming year is also a good time to look at the broader picture of where
we are both personally and as a country. When compared with so many other
countries around the world that are in conflict or struck by famine,
drought, floods, earthquakes and other disasters man made or natural we
here in Canada must count ourselves fortunate. Some areas of our country
have had a taste of some of those things but generally speaking we have the
resources and systems in place to deal with such things in a speedy and
or... more »
Unwrap this for Christmas!
I wish I could present you with some uplifting and exciting presents on the
democracy front at this time of year but I fear it is not to be, there may
be hidden amongst the lumps of coal and crushed remains of our
parliamentary democracy a few items that you may be able to salvage but I
am sad to say that they are few and far between.
Here then are a few of the things that fill your stocking ready for you to
rummage through them.....
*At the top is a book, but not one that gives one a warm and fuzzy feeling.*
Asreviewed by Frances Russell at ipolotics and written by political
scien... more »
Cooperation between Political Partys
There has been much talk of'cooperation' between partys since the close
results in recent byelections and whilst I have in these pages urged such
'cooperation not confrontation' in the HoC I wonder exactly how long such
common sense will last and what form it will take in a practical sense. I
was pleased this week to see that my own local riding associations had
banded together to send a common message to the incumbent Conservative MP
one Larry Miller.
The local paper reports that “Kimberley Love of the Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound
federal Liberal association, Scott Maxted of the local Gre... more »
Oh Canada!
Many years ago I stood proudly with other newcomers to Canada and became a
Canadian Citizen, of late I have not been so proud to be Canadian. The
Canada that I became part of was, I thought, an open and accepting and
diverse country governed as a parliamentary democracy and open to new
citizens and new ideas. I begin to question where those Canadian values
have gone, not that the people have changes significantly except perhaps
being even more diverse, but our “leaders” be they be federal or
provincial, union or business, city or corporate with a few notable
exceptions seem to have ... more »
Elections Canada slow to investigate robocalls.
Perhaps that should read `Elections Canada fails to protect our voting
system` or better yet EC protects wrong doers! Either way its pretty clear
by now that they have been completely ineffective in investigating the many
complaints from across the country regarding the 2011 election both before
and after that date.
We wonder if it were not for the Council of Canadians and the citizens who
are perusing the alleged interference with the voting process within a few
riding’s in the courts if in fact anything would be done at all. It now
appears that they are only just now attempting to... more »
Elizabeth May: Parliamentarian of the Year.
When it comes to choosing MP's who have earned special recognition for
their contributions in the House the choices, in my opinion, are somewhat
limited however that *Elisabeth May has been voted Parliamentarian of the
Year*by her peers clearly indicates her commitment to serving her
constituents and Canada as a whole in a respectful and effective manner.
Shortly after I started this blog back in 2009 I had the pleasure of
hearing Elizabeth talk to the issue of democracy and it was her depth of
knowledge and passionate defence of our parliamentary democracy that
encouraged me to bec... more »
Democracy, the Charter and Ontario Teachers
Here in Ontario there is currently a 'dispute' between the teachers and the
government as to what the teachers unions want and what the taxpayers can
afford, the government has passed legislation freezing wage levels for the
next couple of years of teachers for the next couple of years. In response
to this the teachers unions have been very vocal in their condemnation of
this action with numerous radio and newspaper ad's. At least two such ad's
say that this restriction on wages and benefits “undermines the guarantees
made to all Canadians under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms” an... more »
A Western Point of View
*A guest post by Jared Milne.*
When the federal Liberals governed Canada, Albertans were often frustrated
by what they saw as pork-barrelling, a lack of transparency in government,
few checks on the prime minister’s powers, and the demonizing of people
with dissenting views. That’s why many Albertans were so thrilled in 2006
when the federal Conservatives took power under Stephen Harper. It was an
opportunity to clean up Ottawa, to introduce long-overdue changes, and run
things transparently.
Since taking office, the Harper Conservatives have done very good work in a
number of areas... more »
Municipal Councils Follow Harpers Lead
I dont often comment upon the actions of lower levels of government here
but make no mistake that such proceeding are carried out in an open and
accountable democratic way is just as important as it is at Provincial and
Federal levels.
In his recent annual report Ontario ombudsman André Marin pointed out that
numerous municipal councils are breaking the municipal act by holding 'in
camera' meetings for many issues that should be help in public. Indeed I am
aware of several councils in my area that do so regularly and have been
aware of some that have at times held unofficial “meetin... more »
A Week of Unaccountability
I make no effort in these pages to opinionate on things as they happen,
even when limited to just attacks upon democracy it would be more than a
full time job, I do try and shed some light upon such issues after the fact
and highlight areas where future actions may impact upon our ability as
citizens to keep government in check. This week has been full of such
issues, the China trade deal that restricts our ability to enact laws to
protect our environment if they impact upon profits, the Auditor Generals
report that parliamentarians are not getting the information they need from
the... more »
Pro-rogue – In favor of - unprincipled, deceitful, and unreliable?
I don’t often write about the Provincial government for two reasons:- 1)
there is enough anti democratic stuff going on at the federal level to keep
me and a truck load of scribes employed full time just keeping up. 2) In
comparison the Ontario legislature until recently has been relatively
benign and generally within the normal bounds of parliamentary rules.
However this week as we now all know Mr McGinty *prorogued the Ontario
Legislature* for an unspecified time to “to allow these discussions with
our labour partners and the opposition parties to occur in an atmosphere
that is fr... more »
Democratic Decline: Death by a Thousand Cuts.
This week the text of *Allen Gregg's speech at Carleton University* went
viral, in it he outlines many of the concerns that a lot of bloggers,
myself included, and some journalists have been expressing for some time.
He says his concern was first piqued in July 2010, when the federal cabinet
announced its decision to cut the mandatory long form census and replace it
with a voluntary one, my concern and that of many others was brought about *much
earlier *when the Harper regime prorogued parliament in 2008 to avoid a
vote of no confidence. Late or not the stir that it has caused is mo... more »
The Gish Gallop
The Gish Gallop, named after creationist Duane Gish, is the debating
technique of drowning the opponent in such a torrent of half-truths, lies,
and straw-man arguments that the opponent cannot possibly answer every
falsehood in real time. The term was coined by Eugenie Scott of the
National Center for Science Education.
A Gish Gallop involves spewing so much bullsh*t in such a short span on
that your opponent can’t address let alone counter all of it. To make
matters worse a Gish Gallop will often have one or more 'talking points'
that has a tiny core of truth to it, making the pers... more »
Maintaining Trust and Engagement in Canadian Elections
*Extracts from a Speech of the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada at the the
Economic Club of Canada on September 25, 2012 (my bold)*
According to any international democracy index you look at, Canada's
democracy is consistently ranked among the top 10 in the world. On standard
indicators of democratic health –such as the protection of civil liberties,
control of corruption, or a free and accessible electoral process– Canadian
democracy scores very high. By all comparative standards, Canada has an
enviable record of good governance.
That being said, *we cannot be complacent. In my vi... more »
'Democracy no longer enters into it'
This week I will let a few other commentators speak to the condition of our
democracy and the Harper regimes ongoing disdain for opposing views,
parliamentary process, the taxpayers, and that promised open and
accountable thing!.
First up *Rick Mercer regarding the probability of yet another Omnibus
budget bill*on its way:-
“
*One of the most elegant pleas ever made against omnibus bills was made not
that long ago in the House of Commons by a handsome young man by the name
of Stephen Harper. He said it, omnibus bills are anti-democratic, they’re a
slap in the face to MPs and voter... more »
Harper, champion of Democracy..... NOT!
With great fanfare, an international organization has announced it is honouring
Stephen Harper as its World Statesman of the Year for his work as a
“champion of democracy, freedom and human rights.”
It is of course a pure coincidence that this 'award' is from an
organization founded by a Rabbi and in Harpers eyes Israel can do no
wrong, however as Bob Hepburn of the Star points out “the foundation
either blatantly ignored or didn’t know that Harper is arguably the worst
prime minister in history when it comes to defending democracy and human
rights in Canada.”
Indeed the blatant... more »
Participative Democracy in Canada
*A few weeks ago I became aware* of the Online Party of Canada, a new
political party which attempts to introduce *'Participative Democracy'*.to
Canada. Their mission is “to create a viable alternative to the traditional
political system, using internet technology. Online Voting, Participative
Democracy, Competence, Transparency and Accountability”, by “re-posting
daily all the Bills being discussed in the Parliament along with the
positions expressed by other political parties on every Bill. Then we allow
you, the Canadian voter, to express your opinions and vote as if you were
an ... more »
Rural Internet Survey
Democracy requires dialog and part of that dialog should come from my
fellow rural citizens however for some that is more difficult than their
urban counterparts. Attending a townhall meeting or a rally at the local
MPs office can mean a 1 or 2 hour drive, often those living away from
sizable communities can become isolated from both their local community and
even the ever changing political world. The salvation for me is the
internet, however even now after increasing my connection speed 5 fold over
my previous dial up I have limitations on volume with incurring extra
costs.
With... more »
Compare and Decide where the problem lies..
The latest story regarding robotic phone calls during the last federal
election is that in one riding the Liberal candidates team made an error
and failed to identify themselves in a number of calls where they passed on
(totally correct) information about an opposing candidate. They have been fined
$4,900 by the CRTC for breaking telemarketing rules. Once the error was
pointed out the candidate cooperated fully with the investigation and
apologized on behalf of his staff for the error and is seeking to make the
rules clearer for both his own future election team and that of others.
... more »
In Search of Heroes
I am a little rushed this week an so will simply republish this article by
Elizabeth May who is far better qualified to speak about such matters than
I.
On Wednesday, June 13th, just after Question Period and before the tabling
of amendments to the Omnibus Budget Bill C-38, a rally took place outside
Parliament. The on-line advocacy group *leadnow.com*had called for people,
at the very last minute, to support the opposition amendments. Taking
their theme from the *YouTube of Conservative MP David Wilks* speaking
candidly with his constituents, the rally called for Conservative MPs... more »
Election Fraud Case Further Delayed.
In the ongoing court case brought by Council of Canadians challenging the
legitimacy of seven particular ridings election results, RMG the company
that worked for the Conservatives is now claiming *'we did not do it' *despite
compelling information to the contrary. The Conservatives them selves are
of course *making concerted attempts to have the case thrown out*before it
comes before the courts, invoking every legal loophole they can find. Thus
far they have not succeeded the court having ruled that “the applications
raise serious issues about the integrity of the democratic process... more »
Democracy in Decline
A study into the state of democracy in Britain over the last decade warns
it is in "long-term terminal decline" as the power of corporations keeps
growing, politicians become less representative of their constituencies and
disillusioned citizens stop voting or even discussing current affairs.
The report by *Democratic Audit *shared *exclusively with the Guardian *notes
there have been many positive advances over the last 10 years: stronger
select committees of MPs holding ministers and civil servants to account;
devolution of power to Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and
public... more »
Scrutinizing government Expenditures.
*Members of Parliament receive conflicting, outdated information about how
billions of tax dollars are being spent each year, and get little
opportunity to review fiscal plans. Those are some of the findings in a
Commons report released without fanfare recently, even as opposition MPs
railed against the Harper government for ramming through its omnibus budget
bill without proper study.*
*The recent report **STRENGTHENING PARLIAMENTARY SCRUTINY OF ESTIMATES AND
SUPPLY,* *from the all-party government operations committee**, chaired by
New Democrat MP Pat Martin, is a non-partisan ack... more »
A tale of two rulings........
*The Federal Court has rejected* a bid by the Conservatives to prevent
federal election results in a handful of tightly contested ridings from
being overturned.
"Far from being frivolous or vexatious, or an obvious abuse, the
applications raise serious issues about the integrity of the democratic
process in Canada," Federal Court Justice Martha Milczynski wrote in her
decision.
The applicants identified "practices that if proven, point to a campaign of
activities that would seek to deny eligible voters their right to vote
and/or manipulate or interfere with that right being exercise... more »
We get mail.....
One of the disadvantages of providing an email address to readers is
getting an increasing amount of unsolicited Email from 'media consultants'
much of it from U.S. 'marketing companies' and relating to their upcoming
presidential election campaigns. Most is sent directly to the electronic
garbage bin however once in a while I get some interesting stuff, from
Canadian sources.I welcome the updates from *Lead Now “a group of young Canadians taking
action together for the fair, responsible and democratic Canada that we
believe in.”*Their latest projects are detailed below and I enco... more »
Is Cooperation Necessary or Possible?
There has been *much talk of late* about *cooperation*between the *left
leaning *political partys with a view to *stopping the dismantling of
Canada* by the Harper regime beyond 2015 by *electing a different
government* at that time. What form that may take if it materializes is up
for debate but there is little doubt in my mind that if you care for this
country and want that “*open and accountable government*” that these
secretive and dishonest ideologues promised when they first came to power
then we must seriously consider such 'cooperation' in order to rid
ourselves of this reg... more »
Happy Canada Day ......Eh!
I truly hope that each and every one of my readers has something to
celebrate on this day when we look inwards at the good things that Canada
has to offer. Please remember that our freedoms, our environment, our
access to information, our social services, our parliamentary systems and
indeed our very democracy itself are all very fragile and need constant
support. Those that have been systematically dismantling these systems will
no doubt take the opportunity to make stirring speeches telling us how good
we have it and how only they are capable of taking the country forward, and
ho... more »
PMO v PBO, who will be next?
We all realize by now that nobody really knows what the financial and
social impacts of the Harper regimes omnibus Buget and departmental cuts
are going to be, and that includes King Harper and his retinue of script
readers. For some time now our fearless Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin
Page has been trying to figure out at least the financial ramifications of
all these changes, originally so that our MPs would have some idea as to
what they were voting upon (not that it would have made any difference to
the 164 Con yes men) and now simply so that we all know where all this is
t... more »
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