Trudeau's claim to empower MPs another lie

[Argus]

A lot of MPs, including Liberal MPs, have decided not to run again. It's odd for government MPs to not run after just one term, but some of these people apparently had the idea they would count for something, and that they'd have power. Neither is the case.

There is a belief among some departing MPs that the promise made by the Trudeau Liberals that they would be the voice of their riding in Ottawa, rather than the other way around, has been broken.

“I don’t feel we have lived up to that,” said one Liberal MP who has decided not to run again. He said he has become disenchanted over the course of the past four years by the regimented nature of party politics in Ottawa.

“Stephen Harper centralized power into the Prime Minister’s Office, but I don’t think this prime minister has done anything to change that. I thought I would have a lot more of a say. But a lot of decisions are made by non-elected officials,” he said.

Trudeau claimed that rule by cabinet was back when he was elected. That is not how it has worked out, according to any number of Liberal MPs. “Too much power is centralized — way, way, way too much power,” said one senior member of caucus who is running again.

https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/john-ivison-for-18-liberal-mps-the-love-affair-with-politics-is-over/wcm/c34d2b71-060a-4f84-aa16-025d86c7f1a6

[Moonlight Graham]

This is a problem inherent in our system that's allowed to happen.  We need new laws to take power away from the party leaders and give it to the MP's.  MP's should be equal in power when it comes time to vote on legislation, unless it's a confidence bill/motion MP's should vote as they wish.  This power hierarchy sucks for democracy.

Edited August 11, 2019 by Moonlight Graham

[Rue]

8 hours ago, Moonlight Graham said:

This is a problem inherent in our system that's allowed to happen.  We need new laws to take power away from the party leaders and give it to the MP's.  MP's should be equal in power when it comes time to vote on legislation, unless it's a confidence bill/motion MP's should vote as they wish.  This power hierarchy sucks for democracy.

In theory I agree but in reality how do we assure that? It seems in every political system a power clique evolves around the leader, i.e., President or Prime Minister turning everyone outside that clique into a useless hanger on. Its interesting in that BOTH Harper and Trudeau have the same style of a very tight clique running everything.

Interestingly Justin's father delegated a lot of power to trusted Ministers, i.e., Donald MacDonald, Marc Lalonde, Gerard Pelletier, Jean Marc Pepin, and Herb Gray. 

Mulroney apparently only trusted Mike Wilson. 

We all no Harper ran a tight ship with no Ministers really talking to the press and now with Trudeau with the exception of his Foreign Minister and Ralph Goodale, everyone else is under lock and key. Bill Morneau his boyfriend after doing yoga and inserting his foot repeatedly up his derrier and out his mouth you never see on his own anymore.

Tight cliques of unelected behind the scenes manipulators is a fact of politics. Think about it. Even with all these behind the scenes puppet masters Trudeau still has come across like a bafoon. Its easier when you have someone with some form of intelligence which whether we like it or not Diefenbaker, Pearson, Mulroney, Harper even Chretiens had. Trudeau could not possibly be a PM without handlers pushing and prodding every move. He has an i.q. of 6.

 

 

[eyeball]

4 hours ago, Rue said:

It seems in every political system a power clique evolves around the leader, i.e., President or Prime Minister turning everyone outside that clique into a useless hanger on.

This is the "right-wing" that was defined in the post revolutionary France. It is not an ideology. It is strictly a function of power that exists in virtually every governed society.  The left is simply put... left outside that circle of influence. At least until the circle gets so tight and exclusionary that it needs to be destroyed.

Then the cycle starts anew.  But it always ends up in the same place and state. 

[WestCanMan]

On 8/10/2019 at 4:45 PM, Argus said:

 

“Stephen Harper centralized power into the Prime Minister’s Office, but I don’t think this prime minister has done anything to change that. I thought I would have a lot more of a say. But a lot of decisions are made by non-elected officials,” he said.

 

1) alarming

2) Butts?

[SpankyMcFarland]

It’s depressing to see so many parliamentary committee votes cast on strictly party lines, and we all know MPs are not expressing their own opinions. Everybody wants to avoid trouble with the PMO.