Improving Canada's Politic

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Improving Canada's Political System

Just some Thought's For Consideration

Canada and Canadians deserve much better than what they are getting out of Parliament. I believe that it is the Party System that is to blame. Political parties exist only to serve their own interests, not those of the people of Canada.

Political parties have become a hindrance to good government by controlling all facets the political system and has left the voter forced to choose which party has the most common interest toward his point of view. But, the voter has very limited choice. Political parties tend to polarize issues in order to garner more support and as a result have diminished the drive for leadership, sapped out the oratory from those who who could be nation builders and as a result created a very apathetic nation; especially among the younger generation.

Canada has a ‘Political System’ in need of fixing.

On lobbying.

Lobbying is the practice of influencing the way MPs or MLAs vote in Parliament or the Legislature, the process whereby individual voters try to persuade their elected representatives to adopt a particular stance on an issue.

As it stands today, MPs and MLAs can be lobbied by members of their constituencies, by fellow MPs or MLAs, by their own political party, or by outside pressure groups. Lobbying is most often carried out by commercial lobbying companies that are employed by organizations and businesses to represent their views to Parliament. Commercial lobbying is contrary to the fundamental principal of democracy.

Commercial lobbying often attempts to over-ride the common collective will of the people. Only the abysmally naïve would think Canadian lobbyists rely solely on moral persuasion and sweet reason to press the causes of their clients. Bribery is much too easy, BS poker anyone.
Read: Bribery: The Acceptable Crime

All lobbying should only be done at the constituency level at the local constituency office of the representative and only by residents of the constituency which he or she represents.

Political Parties.

Political parties do play an important role for politics in Canada. They collect ideas and viewpoints and formulate administrative strategies. Parties are voluntary associations of people who hold broadly similar opinions on public questions. They are a way people with similar ideas can join with others to express their opinions.

In political science terms; Interest Aggregation is the process by which a party brings together various viewpoints on an issue. Interest Articulation is the defining and expression of a group's needs and wants in a way that the public and political system can understand. A political party can help on both counts by developing enough common ideas among enough people so that common consensus can be brought to bear within the political system.

Where political parties are a hindrance to good government is when parties become controlling of the political system and go beyond aggregation and articulation and coerce the peoples representatives to vote in the House or Legislature contrary to the collective constituency mind.

Never in all of political history has any political party been or ever could be the political mind of most of the people on all topics. In the present party political system, the voter is forced to choose which party has the most common interest toward his point of view. One may like one parties approach to fiscal policy but disagree entirely on social or morality issues. Political parties tend to polarize issues in order to garner more support.

The voter is basically forced to grit his teeth and mark his X on the ballot. Better if the voter had a choice of who can best represent his constituency, basically the best listener, interpretor and communicator.

The goal in our present party system is to win elections with a majority of seats in the house. Often it is possible to win a majority government with only 40% of the popular vote. Very few elections are won with a 50%+ majority. Why should any of the major parties capable of forming a government put heart and soul into a minority government when they know that by playing politics they can wait until the polls are favorable and then call an election.

Again we must ask; “What is Good Democracy?” Is it electing a representative who will vote according to the popular will of his constituents or the representative who will vote according to what is best for his constituency?

Political parties are reimbursed for election expenditures

The rule states:
“a candidate is eligible to a reimbursement of 50 percent of his or her actual election expenses that have been paid if he or she has been elected or if he or she obtained a number of votes equal to 15 percent of the number of valid votes cast in the electoral district in which he or she was a candidate
where a registered party has obtained a number of votes at least equal to:
- two percent of the number of valid votes cast at the election; or
- five percent of the number of valid votes cast in the electoral districts in which the registered party endorsed a candidate,
transmit to the Receiver General a certificate setting out the amount that is 22 1/2 percent of the amount of the registered party's election expenses.”

This reimbursement rule greatly favors mainstream political parties and guarantees advantage over independent candidates and fringe parties in elections. Is this fair and good democracy?

The present rules of the House of Commons for its recognition of a group as a party is to have 12 elected members. The House of Commons or a Provincial Legislature should not recognize any political parties and treat all members equally, that is fair democracy.

In the words of Chief Justice McLachlin, “The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy and the rule of law and cannot be lightly set aside. Limits on it require not deference, but careful examination.”