My Platform: Electoral Reform

The fact that you can be optimistic about a majority government in Canada with only 40% of the vote means that far too many Canadians are going unrepresented in Parliament under the first past the post system. In addition to that cynicism about Government is not only rampant but in too many cases justified.

Some form of mixed proportional representation is needed to insure that all Canadians are represented in the parliament. I would, and already have suggested one system that I think would improve representation and encourage greater voter turnout.

Beyond fixing the size and shape of the parliament I think it's vitally important to increase the independence of Members of Parliament. Voting your conscience or voting with your riding rather than your party should be your prerogative as a member of parliament and not something given as a gift by your party leader. Harper promised and failed to deliver a free vote on almost every issue. There should be a free vote on every issue. If a party leader cannot command votes from his or her own party based on the merits of their case, perhaps they should not be leader. Just as the PM needs the confidence of Parliament the leader of each party should have the confidence of their MPs - without threats or coercion.

Finally there is the issue of cynicism and corruption. Breaching the ethical rules of the Canadian government and bureaucracy and/or breaking the laws that you are elected to make and enforce should be listed among the most serious crimes in Canada. If people do not have faith and confidence in their government and public servants the country cannot, on any level, function as it should. In other words peace and order are dependent upon good government.

I would propose a set of laws covering breach of public trust that would cover criminal actions as well as serious ethical breaches. These laws would be applicable to elected representatives as well as bureaucrats and all government employees or contract workers. Being convicted of a breach of public trust, all by itself, would mean that that individual could never again run for office, be appointed to office, lobby the government, be employed by the government, seek government grants or contracts or work in a leadership position with any company that worked on government contracts. Additionally being convicted of a breach of public trust in relation to an actual crime would result in a doubling of the sentence in addition to the above mentioned restrictions. Sentencing for public officials should be in keeping with sentencing for other individuals involved in similar crimes. If these measures sound harsh they are, and are meant to be. As I said this should be one of the most serious matters in Canadian law.

Next up on the list is education, which is vital not only to the Canadian economy but to Canadian democracy as well...coming soon

---

Previous:
My Platform: Introduction
My Platform: Arts and Culture
My Platform: Poverty
My Platform: Business and Industry
My Platform: Crime
My Platform: Carbon Tax
My Platform: Labour and Workplace Reform

My email to the Canadian Press

I am writing this as a citizen and my rights to free press to express my disgust with how supporters of the Anti-Coalition today stood on Canada's Parliament Hill, my Parliament, with families allowing their children to carry signs saying "Bloc Scum". Today proved that ignorance breeds ignorance and I'm disgusted the Canadian media have done nothing to teach the citizens of this country about the history of our country, our Parliament system and the history of why sovereignty of Quebec is building and will probably surpass the normal riff of Quebecor's as this proves what an ignorant people we have and over the years the media have not reported in a bi partisan manner as they are supposed to but in a money grab calling themselves journalists. Our fundamental freedoms outlined in our Charter of Rights and Freedoms section 2 (c) Freedom of peaceful assembly, (d) Freedom of association,

This protest today represented neither.



Our soldiers are on their way home in coffins draped in the Canadian flag while fighting side by side with our allies, including Quebec soldiers also who have died in the Afghanistan mission. One of the best and most distinguished battalions came out of Quebec, the French Canadian 22^nd Battalion in the Second Contingent, Van Doos with this unit winning over 150 medals.



The supporters who Stephen Harper breeds along with himself have spit on our Canadian Armed Forces, have spit on the veterans who have fought and died for peace and have spit on both my French and British heritage that helped create Canada of what it is today, standing in our Capital on our Parliament Hill that is supposed to signify Peace and Equality, something I'm ashamed of today but was proud of yesterday knowing our soldiers fight and die with courage all in the name of peace and peace keeping.



Stephen Harper has done nothing to denounce this hatred he has bred and had the nerve to stand in Petawawa and give a 35 minute calling card to our soldiers but allows this behaviour to go on in our capitol and on our Parliament Hill. The Governor General has done nothing to stop this hatred from spreading and is now causing complete civil unrest as this civilian will now not rest until Stephen Harper is out of office and crawls back under the oil slick he emerged from taking with him all the CCRAP he created.



Every citizen in Canada has the equality right that is outlined to say:



15. (1) Every individual is equal before and under the law and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination and, in particular, without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or mental or physical disability.



Outlined in our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms outlines in Official Languages of Canada



16. (1) English and French are the official languages of Canada and have equality of status and equal rights and privileges as to their use in all institutions of the Parliament and government of Canada



I would like this sent out to all media outlets and if the Canadian media does not show the rest of Canada and Stephen Harper the ignorance breeding in our society, I will hold the Canadian Press and Media completely responsible for not doing their job protecting the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that every citizen no matter how they vote deserves.



Stephen Harper should stand on the podium and speak only English if this is what he breeds, I am tired of his complete hypocrisy of himself and the CCRAP party and supporters behind him

and what he has now caused in splitting the unity of this country apart.











Sincerely,





Amanda Walton-Gaston

President

Northern Ads

Nabweekly.ca