Canada's Democratic Deficit

[Guest eureka]

Actually, the division of powers is not at all clear. It is the lack of clarity in areas that were not even dreamt of in 1867 that has led to the mess and the assumption of many powers by the provinces that they were never intended to have, and could not possibly have in any national context.

The fiscal imbalance claim is so much malarkey and is another provincial attempt to usurp national powers. Every province has all the taxing power it needs to meet its responsibilities. Some provincial leaders just want to have a central government to to tax and collect so that the "blame" can always be laid at Ottawa's door.

I posted on another thread that the provinces in Canada spend as great a share of the national income as does the federal government. That is three times what the states in the US spend and reflects the far greater and most extraordinary powers of Canadian provinces - powers that, as I said above, the Constitution was written to make sure they did not have.

I think there should be no more "Sweetheart" deals for Quebec like that given by Mulroney (not Trudeau) over immigration funding. In fact, no more such deals for anyone.

Is no one interested in taking a stand for thr survival and unity of Canada and for taking it backwards in jurisdictional matters to give the central government the power it needs to administer a nation.

August, I agree with you that there is another crisis ahead. I wait impatiently for it to come. Then, there may be a forced coming together of people from across Canada to fix what they have been led to believe is not broken. The chief fix needed is to cure Quebec of its ethnic ambitions: ambitions that are at the heart of Canada's ehtnic malaise.

When that is done, the other provinces will fall into their natural place as provinces not the autonomous states that Bakunin thinks they should be and that he thinks Quebec is.

[Bakunin]

In my opinion, Bakunin, two errors. First, there is no magic solution. After all, Quebec must pronounce itself. It must decide. A negotiated deal was possible 20 years ago. No more. Second, Quebec suffers from the Quebec disease. This is an endless debate between federalists and sovereigntists. God knows now if Quebecers are social democrats or not.

C'est vrai qu'il n'y a pas de solution magique a part peut être l'indépendance totale, tout les pays regroupant plus d'une nation ont des problèmes, une bonne parti des québécois n'accepterons jamais un gouvernement encore plus fédéraliste alors j'imagine que le sort du québec est entre les mains des canadiens... c'est a eux de décider si ils sont pret a faire ce compromis.

J'ai dit social démocrate, j'aurait peut être du dire progressiste, côté économique en général on ai plus a gauche que le reste du canada.

Une dernière chose, je ne sait pas si tu le remarque mais je sent que les choses change drolement au québec depuis le scandal des commandites et l'élection du gouvernement charest, la grogne de la population est généralisé elle frappe les politiciens de pleins fouet et les québécois se remettent en question. Mon cégep est en grève en ce moment alors j'observe cette grogne de près.

Les gens en ont marre des politiciens malhonnête et de leur fausse promesse, ils en ont marre des dépassement de coup dans tout les dossiers même qu'ils sont déjà en train de s'imaginer les pires scénarios avec le nouveau chum. Ils ne sont plus capable de sentir Jean Charest, a 70% de personne qui ne l'aime pas, il va bientot rejoindre george bush comme personne la plus haïs au québec. Les libéraux fédéraux sont aussi haïs plus que jamais. J'imagine que le peuple québécois est sur le bord d'exploser un peu comme ce qui c'est passé dans les années 60, je suis très optimiste, je crois que la vague de changement qui s'en vient sera pour le mieux que ce soit économiquement socialement ou politiquement.

Au fédéral, pour qui Charest va voter ?

Les conservateurs bien sur... C'est une preuve que les conservateurs sont vraiment déconnecter de la réalité québécoise si Charest est intéressé par ce parti.

[bbacon]

I find it very amusing but very telling to read some of the posts here describing Canadian politics or the Canadian system as democratic. Which country has the head of a foreign power as it's head of state. Which country's leader is elected by his own party and then elected by 30,000 voters in his own riding and proceeds to speak for 30,000,000 people. Which country then allows this person with a very small mandate 30,000 votes to appoint all their senators from a long list of flakes and cronies. Which country then allows this person to appoint all judges to the Supreme Court without any review at all. He then proceeds to make some 3,000 additional appointments including judges in all the provinces from his list of friends and supporters. He owns the National Police the RCMP because he appoints the head of the RCMP. The voters do not have equal votes the deck being stacked as well. It takes 4 votes from say Alberta to equal 1 vote from the east. As for those suggesting partition of the Provinces that would probably result in a lot of blood shed and is a very foolish thing to even suggest. Canada was never historically ran from the centre that started with the egomaniac Trudeau and will lead to the destruction of Canada. The country is just to big to be ridgidly controlled from the centre. The BNA Act although never a Canadian document the original belongs to a foreign power England is very clear in defining the powers All section 91 lays out what is the jurisdiction of the head of the United Colony of Canada. Section 92 lays out what is the jurisdiction of the Provinces. The problem is that Ottawa does not obey the law. The Provinces created Ottawa not Ottawa the Provinces. Ottawa does not even own the land that the Parliament buildings sit on the people of Ontario own that land. Last but not least the Premier of Canada at the City of Ottawa appoints his own Phony Rubber Stamp the GG to try and lend credibilty to the corruption that he is the Unelected King of, the United Colony of Canada. The very best thing for the ROC would be to support Quebec going Independent when the next referendum comes along in the next year or two. I know I will send my money and support.