The Reformation

It is beginning to look like the Conservative government under Harper is heading for a period of reform in Canadian politics. Unelectable under the party name of Reform, the new conservatives are bringing a refreshing change to our federal politics. Astounding as it may be, it seems many Canadians are throwing their support behind the party that was going to rain chaos and confusion upon the citizens. Unlike the former Liberals, the new government appears to be actually doing something.

The proposal to set limits on Senator’s tenure is a good first step. Those who see the senior house as redundant are even calling for the abolition of the Senate. Upper Houses of parliament are not uncommon (pun intended), being a place for sober second thought on the changes to law or policy set by the elected members. Perhaps the Senate still has a place in or system until we better define the terms and rules for our House Commons. Fixing a four-year term will be a first good step on the way to reform. Until the first 4-year term comes into effect, the toppling of a government because of non-confidence needs the little stability afforded by having legislation pass through the Senate.

The next step ought to be the removing of the non-confidence vote which results in the calling of an election. Non-confidence for a Bill ought to mean failure of that Bill only. If this does not lead to consensus-building in parliament, then voters must get the message to their elected representatives to get on with the business of governing or face a recall.

The office of the Governess General can and should be abolished. We are no longer a colony, although at times we appear to be following along like a tail-wagging puppy to either the UK or the US. Our Minister of Foreign Affairs is quite capable of throwing parties for visiting dignitaries or arranging junkets to far and exotic places. As for reading the ‘Speech from the Throne’, Luba Goy from Air Farce can do her impression of ER II and lend an atmosphere of insincerity that most of those speeches deserve.

But before we abolish the Upper House, we need to be certain that there is some mechanism in place to control the government. Having an election every four years may seem like a control, but so much can happen in those four years that a more immediate action may be called for. We do not want to have to go to the streets in protest as that often ends with more of a problem than a solution.

We should be able to rely on the fifth estate to raise issues and hence public awareness, but it seems that the former guardian of our rights has become so populist that it no longer offers a viable voice for the public awareness to government vagaries. The media, the ultimate masters of spin, are too often seen to be doing their own spin doctoring for readership of viewers. Once driven by a desire to report the news, they are more often now driven by the bottom line, and so seek to entertain more than to inform.

At one time the Canadian news magazine which set the standard for in-depth analysis of events, Macleans has morphed into a glossy National Inquirer. Local news reporting relies more and more on filler from afar that is supposed to pass as news but more often than not, has only entertainment value. Good, incisive reporters can get themselves banned from City Halls for doing too thorough a job. Or, as in the case in Ottawa, reporters can find themselves on the outside looking in instead of milling about, shouting and prodding for sound bytes.

If not the Senate and not the fifth estate, and certainly not a populace who show up at voting polls in small numbers, who or what are the custodians of government? Certainly the Supreme Court will eventually rule on matters of constitution and Rights, but given a general dissatisfaction (warranted or not) with lawyers and judges, do we want them as custodians of our well-being? Maybe it is up to the individual citizen to make his or her voice heard.

If you want to see reform in our government do something. Instead of dialling a number to vote someone off an island or award them as an Idol, call your member of parliament. If you support the change in the terms of the Senate, tell our MP. Even though Anthony is a Liberal, he too must surely see that it is time for a reformation of our parliamentary system. You might even mention that Michaelle-Jean should be our last Governess General.