Fixing Ottawa: Democratic travesties and our plans for repair
Published on April 19, 2011 by Katrina Grdasic
Scholars have defined modern democracy as a “system of governance in which rulers are held accountable for their actions in the public realm by citizens, acting indirectly through competition and cooperation of their elected representatives”. Unfortunately the Conservative Party has a different definition through news headline after news headline; the New Democrats plan to take steps to restore this accountability and transparency required for democracy. Below, I have outlined plans the NDP has proposed to make democracy a more accountable and cooperative competition rather than dwelling on the mistakes of the current government.
Prorogation of Parliament: It’s a mockery of the constitution and of democracy. We need someone who is accountable, willing to cooperate, and transparent, which are all essential to a democracy. The New Democrats plan to fix this by introducing a Parliament Act to prevent this from happening again.
Bev Oda – Forging documents: What is unclear is what the Conservatives have done to reprimand the Cabinet Minister for her dishonesty and her irresponsibility. Jack Layton has openly advocated for terminating members that engage in this behaviour rather than inaction.
Bruce Carson – Using insider access to line pockets: Once again, this illustrates the lack of accountability and lack of clarity with the Conservative government. The NDP demands more questions to be answered about this scandal to improve transparency and clarity.
Senator election fraud charges: Recall that the Senate is an unelected body, and thus not truly representative of what Canadians want. The New Democrats plan to not only reduce the current abuses, but also plan to abolish the Senate to boost a more accountable and representative democracy.
Students booted out of rallies: This excessive surveillance utilized by the staff’s party also limits participation. While democracy should be accountable, participation of citizens is also necessary for an election to be fair and free. The NDP seeks to build a better relationship with civil society and the government.
Misleading Parliament regarding G8 finances: Jack Layton is demanding a public inquiry to increase transparency. The public will has access to the government’s course of action.
How much more will we stand for? Enough is enough: it’s evident that we need a change. We need to change democracy: the common impression is that politicians are sketchy liars. Despite these perceptions, Canadian democracy has always been admired for its stability and accountability, and we need to maintain this image. Let’s fix Ottawa, and let’s fix democracy.
Sources:
What is Democracy… and what it is not (Philippe C. Schmitter and Terry Lynn Karl)
CityNews: What does Proroguing Parliament Mean?
Globe & Mail: Prorogation – a travesty yet clever
Queen’s University: Bev Oda Document Scandal
CTV Ottawa- House speaker Milliken asked to rule on Bev Oda
National Post: Ex Harper Advisor’s former escort fiancé tied to lobbying scandal
Toronto Star: Harper not ‘aware’ of all of ex-aide Carson’s convictions
Globe and Mail: Ejections at Campaign Rallies a “staff” issue, Harper says
Vancouver Sun: Tories Manipulated G8 Fund
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