One of the enduring strengths of Canada is our inheritance of the British parliamentary system of democracy. While no electoral system is perfect, the way we choose our elected representatives has served Canadians well. One thing we all agree upon, is that Canada is the best place to live in the world today. Suggestions that change is necessary should be met with the healthy dose of skepticism it always is.
It is for that reason that citizens should be alarmed the Trudeau government is telling Canadians their opinion is worthless when it comes to electoral change. That is exactly the message with the refusal by Trudeau to ask for your permission directly before any changes are made in the way we elect our representatives.
Trudeau claims the last federal election, an election where over 60 percent of Canadians voted for other parties, somehow gives him the unlimited power to make undetermined changes to the way you elect your federal representative. This, under the very electoral system the new government condemns for creating artificial mandates that are not truly reflective of the public will.
It is important to point out that no province has sought to make changes to the electoral system without first going to the people. In the past 10 years, Ontario, Prince Edward Island and British Columbia have all held referendums to consider proposed changes to their voting system.
There are legitimate concerns about the secretive role American political advisors played in electing the Trudeau Liberals. That, and the leaked discussions shortly after the election to tear down the Prime Minister’s taxpayer-subsidized residence at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa to be replaced by a home that could only be called a palace. Dubbed “WhiteHouse North” by the media, with an initial cost estimate by the National Capital Commission (NCC) at $150 million, the quick denials were political spin at its best.
Does any Canadian seriously believe the American political system, with its reliance on vast sums of dollars from special interest groups to run, is superior to our own? Is Trudeau’s closest political advisor, coming from the Toronto Liberal party, trying to fix the next election?
Locally, I know I was not re-elected as the Conservative Member of Parliament based only on my promise to oppose any attempts to bring back the long-gun registry, any more than votes cast for any other party were solely based on one policy or promise, like changing how citizens get elected.
In our parliamentary system of government, the party with the most elected members has a mandate to govern. If, in the course of carrying out that mandate, they wish to bring alternative electoral systems to the people, they can certainly do that. And the only democratically legitimate method of bringing those options to the people, given the concerns raised above, is in a referendum.
As your Federal Member of Parliament, I am pleased to represent you on a variety of issues. Whether that issue is promoting agriculture, international trade, Canadian Unity, AECL, CNL, the military or jobs in the working forest, I am here to serve you! As always, if you have any concerns of a federal nature, or just want to share your views with me, please do not hesitate to contact my office. Office contact Information: Constituency Office of Cheryl Gallant, MP, 84 Isabella St., Pembroke On. K8A 5S5 or call 732-4404. There is no postage required when you write your Federal Member of Parliament.