How do we represent ourselves?
With some difficulty! In this story it is related that the Federal government intends to expand the House of Commons by another 30 MPs - that's just what we need another bunch of trained seals. Eighteen more MPs for Ontario, not all in Tory territory, may yet be another ploy for the Harpercrits to get nearer to the majority they lust for. But think about it just how much common sense is in this. The reason for it is to rebalance large ridings and make smaller ridings more representative. But why do we not establish rules that will allow larger ridings and keep the same number of MPs?
On another front we have municipal councils that, in my mind are too small. Seven councillors to run Northumberland is ridiculous, where is the reasoned debate pondering such weighty County questions? There is none. A small coterie of busy councillors is shortchanging the voters. Too often we have items on the agendas being passed over because of the lack of attention and the desire to placate staff positions, after all if the council directs reports to the staff they cannot then just dismiss the report when it comes back.
So the sad situation is this: we have too many MPs in Ottawa and not enough councillors in Northumberland, each situation producing a frustrated voter base and a contented bureaucracy.
On another front we have municipal councils that, in my mind are too small. Seven councillors to run Northumberland is ridiculous, where is the reasoned debate pondering such weighty County questions? There is none. A small coterie of busy councillors is shortchanging the voters. Too often we have items on the agendas being passed over because of the lack of attention and the desire to placate staff positions, after all if the council directs reports to the staff they cannot then just dismiss the report when it comes back.
So the sad situation is this: we have too many MPs in Ottawa and not enough councillors in Northumberland, each situation producing a frustrated voter base and a contented bureaucracy.
5 comments:
I agree about the desirability letting federal ridings get more populous rather than multiplying. I would even be willing to reduce the number of politicians by eliminating the senate. Perhaps that would focus a single a single chamber into being more responsible, and remove their ability to point a finger at the other chamber as being the cause of never achieving anything.
However I think the suggestion that we might have more local councillors to increase the quality of debate and diversity of opinions is a good start to a debate about reform, but it might not be the solution to getting higher quality but would probably deliver more of the same. Not all municipalities have a lot of look-alike councillors. Perhaps the desire to re-elect old familiar faces is another side of Cobourg's reluctance to accept non-white newcomers either as residents or visitors, on the fallacious assumption that white faces are somewhat more reliable. Although I feel great affection for Cobourg I would like to see a bit more diversity in both its population and its council.
If Cobourg had a ward system of electing councillors it would make it possible to have a more focused competition between two or more contenders. It would break up the “block". Of course the current council is never going to agree to such an idea, precisely because it might be effective. Basically we are going to have to accept the reality that we get the council we vote for. People who want change are going to have to actively campaign for the people they think would be better. This worked last election to get two new faces out of seven. In the next election we will have to try even harder.
To try to alter the electoral system to get a change is somewhat like gerrymandering, and certainly sounds like accepting the idea that procedural tricks are more effective than honesty and clear policies.
I too would like a silver bullet, but in the absence of one I am determined to campaign strongly for some alternative candidates ( and to re-elect the two fresher existing ones). I hope that this debate and many others will encourage more people to become less cynical and more active. So --- tell me I am naive and idealistic, but come up with some more effective solutions.
Never mind the ward system, - the bar across the street from Vic Hall can serve as a kind of upper house for the career-minded incumbents. The seats over there are appear permanent.
"Perhaps the desire to re-elect old familiar faces is another side of Cobourg's reluctance to accept non-white newcomers"
That supposition is a big pile of post-nutritive disposal substance.
I`ll vote for the human that renames
Highway of Heroes
to
Sighway of Sorrows.
(I would like to see a bit more diversity in both its population and its council)
What kind of racist paternalism is this to suggest that we need non-white skinned individuals?
The only diversity worth considering is the diversity of ideas, not skin colour, creed, or other tribal criteria.
There is a dearth of diversity in most forums throughout Canada, including the placid flaccid contributions of most commentators to this blog.
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