While visitors to CFN appear to be magnetized by language issues, here’s a question that touches us all, whatever our language. Do we deserve our government? Specifically, do we deserve a government that is poised to sell out a significant chunk of our natural resources and potentially Canada’s sovereignty to a foreign power (Canada/China FIPA), without properly consulting Canadians and without properly safeguarding our country’s environment?
A government that routinely lectures other countries about human rights and pays only lip service to human rights at home
A government that urges democracy on other countries and abuses democracy at home
A government that preaches “Support Our Troops” and disrespects the needs and concerns of veterans
A government that apologizes to First Nations Peoples for past abuse and neglects the needs and concerns of First Nations Peoples today
A government that routinely lies to the Canadian people (income trusts, the cost of F-35 jets, funding for First Nations education, Afghan detainees)
A government that ignores and/or dismisses fact-based and science-based evidence on critical issues (climate change, crime rates, long-form census, long-gun registry, etc. etc. etc.)
A government that is the first and only government in Canadian history to be found in contempt of Parliament
A government that railroads through Parliament so-called “Omnibus budget bills” which have very little to do with budgets
A government that defends its members when they break the law (Oda, Penashue)
A government that preaches economic restraint while it practices waste (gazebos, helicopters for personal use, $16 glasses of orange juice, armoured cars flown to India for the PM at a cost of thousands of $$$s per hour)
A government that violates election regulations (del Maestro, robo-calls)
A government that turns its back on Canadian citizens trapped or imprisoned overseas until shamed by public outcry to act on its responsibilities
A government that has cut or gutted programs and offices helpful to jobless youth, adult literacy, volunteers, status of women, rehabilitating ex-inmates, etc.
A government that smears and/or silences those who dare to question its policies (Linda Keen, Richard Colvin, Pat Stogran, “Taliban Jack” among many)
A government, be it noted, that was elected by 40% of the 60% of Canadians who voted—that is, by a mere 24% of the electorate. 76% of Canadians did not vote for this government
A government to which the Canadian media, for the most part and to their shame, continue to give a free ride.
Do we deserve such a government?
PJ Robertson – Morrisburg Ontario
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As long as we have the first past the post electoral system with multiple parties in play, we don’t have a democracy in any sense of the word.
I’m sure that this too can be blamed on Kebec and them dang Francophone bullies who are poised to eliminate the English language from every square inch of Canada.
P.J. I think the liberal party can change the way this country is governed, given the chance.
Oh common Stella. The federal Liberal party is in third place, where it belongs for now. If they ever quit stabbing each other in the back, and maybe start considering what’s best for Canada, they might be taken seriously again. In the meantime, we have an NDP Official Opposition that actually opposes! That’s quite an improvement over our last Official Opposition that headed for the hills whenever a confidence vote loomed.
Stella- OH boy will they change it like they did in Ontario right?
Corruption!!!!!
My belief is that we need a system that promotes more independents,then they are fighting for their constituents rather then a political party ideology.
Lieberals are done for a long time ,as much as Harper may be disliked he will be back in the next term as well.Better the devil you know then the one you don’t.
Socialism?Well that works till you run out of other peoples money!
And oh people we are out of money!
NDP-the New Democratic Block Party will never attain that many seats again as they will be directly competing with the Lieberals .
Besides it was Jack the people liked not Mulclair-Hell I like Jack he may not have Justins hair but he actually had a personality and oh ya a political platform.
I would like to see only 2 terms served as the USA ,or a max of 8 years .So we don’t get runaway government as they did with Pierre,which only creates more of a dictatorship rather then democracy.
The longer your in power the easier it is to control it!
Its not about controlling the population but guiding the country.
Yes, Stella, I agree, notwithstanding Ed the cynic and Highlander the fatalist.
The Harper crowd are taking Benjamin Disraeli’s observation — “A Conservative Government is an organized hypocrisy” — to new heights, or depths, and running Canada into the ground in the process.
Latest example of their waste: $3/4 million of our tax dollars to promote the image of the Minister of Immigration.
And watch for the investigation into their alleged voter suppression in the last election (translation: attacking the very root of democracy) coming up next month.
We ALWAYS get the government we deserve.
We don’t deserve better, JM?
Another fatalist…with a scary icon!