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
Continue readingTag: Open and Accountable
Democracy Under Fire: 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
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: 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
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: 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
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: 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Members of Parliament receive conflicting, outdated information about how billions of tax dollars are being spent each year, and get little opportunity to review fiscal plans.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
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: 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
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Is Cooperation Necessary or Possible?
There has been much talk of late about cooperationbetween 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
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: 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
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: It Stinks On The Hill
Justin Trudeau’sperceptive description of one of the Harper Regimes mouthpieces gotme to thinking! Out here in rural Canada we are used to theoccasional smell wafting up the hill from the nearest agriculturalenterprise but it is no big deal, a fresh breeze will come alongshortly and dissipate the odor. Over on
Continue readingDemocracy Under Fire: Senator Banks Speaks Out.
Senator
Tommy Banks recently wrote a longish article about the choices we
face next Monday, whilst found in at least one place under the
misleading title ‘Conservative
Senator Speaks out’ (Senator Banks
is a Liberal
Senator) the opinions expressed
a…
Democracy Under Fire: The Frustrated Voter!
It is
frustrating listening to all the promises as to what our politicians
will do if elected when we cannot even get a clear picture of what
they did when in power. With the previous government having been the
most secretive and controlling in Canadi…
Democracy Under Fire: Will our Constitution Survive?
I think it is sad that the majority of
Canadians don’t understand the basic workings of their own
government. This ignorance speaks to a major failure of the
education systems across the country as well as to the apathy
brought on by relative pro…
Democracy Under Fire: The Harper Legacy – Part 2
The Rise to Power,
In Opposition and Before 2004 – 2006
When the 38th
parliament fell in Nov 2005 the mantra from Mr Harper was about
bringing in an “Open and Accountable” government and
early in 2006 he was given a chance to do that. It wa…
Democracy Under Fire: Standing Up for Democracy
The following letter has been recently published
at http://plblack99.blogspot.com/
, I do not know Mr Black and can only say that I agree wholeheartedly
with him, we must indeed focus upon the attacks by the Harper regime
upon our democratic instituti…
Democracy Under Fire: More Contempt, More Secrecy, More Stalling
I have been trying hard
to NOT turn this site into an anti Harper Regime rant but it is very
difficult given that said regime is constantly providing more
ammunition to reinforce the position that they are indeed an
antidemocratic bunch that will igno…
Democracy Under Fire: Information is Essential.
With a federal election
possibly in the offing in the near future I have been checking up on
the actions of my current member of parliament. In doing so I have
found two great sites that allow you to do just that far easier than
on the official govern…
Democracy Under Fire: Democracy in Peril?
“I am no fan of hyperbole. The notion
that democracy in a safe, successful, wealthy country like Canada,
constitutionally dedicated to “peace, order, and good
government,” could be “in peril” may strike some
readers as over the top.” So
sa…
Jacked Up: Open and Accountable to who?
Because after promising openness and accountability, as well as strong leadership, I haven’t seen any of the above from Harper’s Conservative government. Apparently, neither have the federal watchdogs.
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