Put Electoral Reform In Hands Of People: NDP

The value added from Layton on this was to challenge the statu-quo by asking that these recommendations went *directly* to a referendum, without the usual back-pedaling. I wonder how Martin will stickhandle this. Note that Martin deserves a polite applauded for having kickstarted the initiative. I in fact almost voted Lib for that one simple reason.

Although NDP is very far from my "comfort zone", I am finally glad that I voted NDP this time around. I do not agree with most of their platform but they are likely the ones that have most to gain by giving People the upper hand. Note that the NDP may not like at all some of the stuff that People want.

Gaulois what are you refering to that the people want, and the NDP might not like? For the most part I see the NDP as the voice of the people. They don't even take donations from corporations so they definetly are not going to promote that ideology. As far as unions go, I think unions are there because corporations and greedy employers have failed to see value in their employees as human beings and therefore treat them like the machines they wish they were.

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If I stand for my country today...will my country be here to stand for me tomorrow?

The obvious one in Alberta are free markets (no state monopoly), small government and not sharing wealth with other provinces (aka transfer payments). They do generally vote conservative afterall.

Yes, but even the oil comapny polls showed 80% supported the NEP, versus 84% in the ROC. I think we're forgetting that nearly hald of the province is so disillusioned that it doesn't vote at all.

Canada, in reality is a dysfunctional dictatorship where democracy is an illusion. Canadians do not elect their prime minister. He/she is only elected leader of a political party by the members of that party. Canadians have no direct input into this decision. Only this prime minister, who is not elected by all Canadians, will decide if or when Canadians are allowed an election. Parliament only sits about 3 months a year and during the remaining months the prime minister rules the country by order in council – unquestioned authority to push his policies.


Canadians do not elect their governor general. He/she is chosen by the unelected prime minister. Canadians do not elect their senators -- appointed for life (Until 75 or die) by the same unelected prime minister. Canadians do not question their appointed Supreme Court judges who may indeed have many hidden prejudices and special interests -- feminism, homosexuality, prisoners rights. These are the same people, dressed up like bishops, who change and therefore make more Canadian laws than parliament.

Constitution

Canadians need a Confederation for Tomorrow Conference and soon. The Liberals will delay this proposal forever because of what happened to Mulroney at Meeche and Charlottetown when he and Joe Clark attempted to amend the constitution. Both Mulroney and Clark wanted an updated version of the present Charter and they wanted to give even more rights to Quebec and every feminist and left wing group in town. Constitutions should not be written to cull partisan votes from favored provinces or special interest groups and Canada should not be held to ransom by Quebec separatists.

1. This constitutional conference should be held in a small town in a remote place in the West -- away from the central-Canada pressures (Quebec with $5.5 billion in equalization (welfare) payments annually) and away from the have-not Atlantic provinces.

2. It should run in the belief that if we don't get it right this time, Canada could eventually join the US, all together or one province at a time. This has many positive and many negative factors. Canadian soldiers have fought beside US soldiers in WW1, WW2, Korea, Gulf War, Balkans and Afghanistan. The differences between Canadians and Americans are almost non existent -- same language, customs and history. Canadians have a federal health-care system and the Americans do not. This difference could be eliminated if or when the Americans get health care from their government.

Global issues have arrived with the international global economy which cannot be hidden under a sea of constant Liberal/socialist propaganda. Canada should be a politically functional democracy -- not a straightjacket of Liberal political policies.

3. A simple and easy amendment formula for the constitution should be worked out -- 3 provinces -- 25% of Canadians -- which cannot be blocked by federal politicians opposed to changes. A mandatory review of the constitution should be held every ten years on a certain date.


4. This new Canadian Constitution should be put to all Canadians in the form of a binding referendum question. The Queen, as in the present Charter, should not be asked to sign it. This is a Canadian issue and a Canadian referendum should nail it down – not a group of politicians standing around as the Queen signs a piece of paper and cameras click.

Special Interest Groups

5. Special-interest groups, lobby groups, unionists and federal bureaucrats should have no input in this Constitutional Conference.

6. It should be a constitution for Canada and Canadians -- not an international Charter for “everyone” in the world, as per the present Charter of Trudeau and Chretien and loved by all international socialists.

7. All aboriginals living in Canada should be recognized as Canadians. (They are not now.)

8. The present Charter -- which Quebec refused to sign and which gives special rights to special people -- should be abandoned.


9. All Canadians -- not "everyone" in the world -- should be equal before the law and their governments. (Not now.)

Property Rights

10. Canadians should have property rights in their Constitution, anywhere in Canada and should not be deprived of property without proper and legal compensation. (Not now.)

11. Canadians may sell their property to anyone they please whenever they please.



Supreme Court

12. Supreme Court judges should be questioned by provincial appointees about their competence and prejudices prior to taking up their appointments. These provincial delegates should also have the power to turn down these appointments with reason.

13. Supreme Court decisions should be based on common law and case law -- not the abandoned Charter, which gave special-interest groups, special rights.



Immigration

14. All immigration, as in Quebec and Switzerland, should be a provincial or a municipal issue.


15. Illegal immigrants should be kept in custody until they are deported as soon as possible. This should not require lawyers and courtroom appearances.

16. New immigrants (With a 5 year wait for Canadian citizenship) who are convicted of any criminal offence should be deported immediately or on completion of their jail sentence. Illegal immigrants, who have been deported and return again, should receive a mandatory 10 years in prison and again deported.


17. Canada should have a ten-year moratorium on immigration. No more acceptance of refugees unless each individual case is presented and discussed in parliament.

Canadian Political System



18. All elections should be by date. All elections federal, provincial and municipal, should be held on a specified date, at the same time.

19. The prime minister should only be allowed two terms in office.

20. All federal politicians should have fixed terms in office -- no more than two terms in any political office -- no more Canadian Chretiens, Cuban Castros or Mugabes in Zimbabwe. No more prime ministers for life or those attempting to manipulate the system and stay for life.

21. Politicians who, having served two terms in office, should not subsequently be allowed to hold a position within government administration or a position in the private sector directly dealing with the government.

22. The Canadian Senate should be a triple E Senate -- equal, 2 from each province, effective, and elected.

23. The Governor General should be elected at federal elections.

24. All Canadians should be allowed to vote for the person who wants to be prime minister of Canada -- not just his friends in his political party.

25. All Canadians, like Australians, should be required to vote or pay an additional tax.

26. The present "first past the post" voting system should be abandoned in favor of a "proportional representation" system. With this system the majority of Canadians would be represented in parliament -- not the majority Liberals who only represent less than one in four Canadians -- 41% of the 61% who bothered to vote.

Referendums

27. Canadians should have binding referendums when a specified number of signatures can be achieved.

28. An issue on a referendum that fails should not be allowed on another referendum for 10 years.

29. Canadians should be allowed a binding referendum to dump or recall the prime minister if enough signatures can be achieved.

The process to put a referendum into operation should favor the people – not the politician.

Crooked Politicians

30. Politicians whose conduct is under investigation should be sent subpoenas -- not an invitation as Chretien received from the APEC inquiry. Politicians who are under investigation because of conflict of interest should not be investigated by an Ethics Commissioner or an RCMP Commissioner who were appointed by that politician as in the Shawinigan shenanigans caper.

31. The RCMP commissioner should be appointed by a committee of provincial delegates -- not the prime minister who's ethics and criminal activity may be under investigation.


Taxes

32. The National debt -- $600 billion -- should be reduced to zero.


33. All government budgets should be balanced.


34. The government should have tax-and-expenditure limits. MPs or a prime minister who fail in this category should have their salaries reduced by a set amount.


35. The Canadian dollar should be on par with the US Dollar or the US dollar should be adapted as Canadian currency. If the Europeans can travel all over Europe and use the same currency, Canadians should be able to travel this continent using the same currency or one that is equal.


36. Mulroney’s GST should be cancelled.

37. All taxes should be collected by provincial governments who should then send a cheque to Ottawa to support the much-reduced Ottawa government.

38. Special treatment for special favored provinces should be abandoned.


39. Canadians need to know about the vast number of taxpayer funded travels of politicians and bureaucrats outside Canada -- information that is now denied.


40. All elected officials in Canada, their appointees and bureaucrats should only leave Canada for designated and preplanned international conferences -- no more constant foreign junkets that are hidden by the Access Act.


41. All itineraries of politicians should be available to the public immediately and on the Internet.


42. Travel allowances for MPs should only be within Canada and only include the MP himself. This travel should be at the most economical rate.


43. Canadians should have a flat tax. All Canadians, rich and poor, should be taxed at the same rate.


44. All foreign aid either loans or grants -- should be passed by Parliament each time for each and every loan or handout.


45. All grants to special interest parties or corporations should be directly through parliament and receive public scrutiny. All money directed to special foundations in order to indirectly fund special-interest causes, should be brought before parliament. The Auditor General should be allowed access to all these books.


Reduced Federalism

46. Approximately 90% of federal bureaucracies should be abandoned or downloaded to provincial governments. The number of MPs should be reduced by50%. HRDC, CIDA, EDC and the Ministry of Culture should be abolished immediately.


47.The issue of bilingualism, Francophonie, callback of useless or corrupt politicians and multiculturalism should be put to the people in the form of a binding referendum question.

Parliament


48. Members of Parliament must be allowed to represent their constituents -- not the present system where they are merely disciplined trained seals in the guise of parliamentarians.

49. All votes in Parliament should be free votes. The wants and the needs of constituents should be uppermost – not party policy and agenda.

50. Pay and perks of politicians in office should be equal to lower management in the private sector.

51. MPs should be taxed at exactly the same exorbitant level as other Canadians for all their incomes.

Access to Information
52. Canadians should have access to all government information other than restricted defense information.

53. The daily whereabouts of all MPs should be published.


54. All foreign travel of all MPs and the reasons, should be passed in open Parliament and published immediately.


55. The names of MPs absent from Parliament and the reason, should be published each day.

What you see should be what you get.

56. The TV camera in Parliament should be allowed to view the whole picture -- not just the 3 or 4 MPs strategically situated in front and behind the one speaking.





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When the people are afraid of the government, we have tyranny.
When the government is afraid of the people, we have liberty.

Good post, shamus11.

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"When we are in the middle of the paradigm, it is hard to imagine any other paradigm" (Adam Smith).

Lots of good stuff in there. I certainly note the Reform or Western influence. Somewhat weak in the areas of helping minorities, including First Nations.

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"We are all in this together somehow, some more than others somehow"

Supreme court Justices should not make law, only uphold what people have created. Common law should be the law of the land not Maritime law. I agree the amending formula needs to be fixed otherwise the thugs will continue to rule as a ships Captain. Any Politician should be open to public scrutiny as we expect they should be of sound moral charcter. Homosexuality is a no brainer as well as lesbians. This is a direct attack on the family which is the corner stone of any civilized society. Also lobby groups and minority groups need to be curtailed as they seem to be getting the lions share. This country was built on Anglo Saxon law and our Countries laws should not be for sale or change by special interest groups. When you immigate here you should live by our law not your concept of what our law should be. Immigrants should not be allowed into our Government until three generations have lived here. That is always been the standard rule. Its time Anglo Saxons were heard. I am not racist but feel this is an important issue. Try any of this in a foreign country and you will be invited to leave. We are being labelled as Racists for standing up for what is rightfully our heritage. Also if the Magna carta is an eternal document why are Canadian people being subjected to unsavory judicial miscarriage of justice and our legal and inalienable rights are being manipulated and abbrogated????Sirgalahad.