Sounds and Fury – Federal Election 2021
The following article is a letter sent to each of the five Federal Party Leaders and copied to Her Excellency The Governor General of Canada on August 13, 2021. The letter was also distributed to several media outlets.
Sounds and Fury – Federal Election 2021
Allow us to introduce ourselves. We are a volunteer gathering of citizens concerned about our democratic processes. The prorogation antics of the Harper Government stimulated the formation of our Citizens Democracy Forum. Our participants span a diverse background: farmers, teachers, service workers, politicians, librarians and many more. Formal education ranges from grade eight to Doctorate and political affiliation covers all main parties. As a forum, we operate in a totally non-partisan manner. Ethnicity includes indigenous, immigrant and first, second, third and beyond generations.
Our governance is simply a Mission Statement: no constitution, no by-laws, no bank account and no board of directors or officers other than a Lead and a Communications Co-Ordinator. We operate in accordance with the Laws of the Land and are self-directed and accountable to the Forum.
Our website www.citizensdemocracyforum.org contains many pertinent articles, links to other organizations and forums and interesting, topical books and references.
Our work includes: study, information sharing and presentations to the community, local government, members of parliament, the Senate and the press. One particularly significant study was regarding Proportional Representation.
This study, over several months, and some twenty plus drafts, of incorporating information and experiences from around the world culminated in a simple, doable, document for democracy. The document was presented to the Commission on Proportional Representation before the government of the day chose to not honour the promise that 2015 would be the last first-past-the-post election. The document can be found at: https://citizensdemocracyforum.org/submission-to-the-special-committee-on-electoral-reform/ .
Notwithstanding first-past-the-post remains pertinent and prominent, we are now focused on fiscal and monetary policy. The COVID pandemic has necessitated and proven that the government has the ability and willingness to finance programmes to provide for all society’s essential needs. The only limitation is our human and natural resources and the need to manage inflation.
The constant pressure of the one percent and mega-corporations for ever increasing financial returns at the expense of the planet and the general society, coupled with the propagation by the corporate news industry, must neither intimidate nor deter our political leaders from introducing and acting for the well-being of society and the planet. It is our considered opinion that taking the right path must not be swayed by politics.
There has been much study and considerable recognition both within and outside of Parliament that equity and balance be the practice in both decision making and application. There have been many promises made, too few kept. These should be the agenda for going forward, starting today. It is unfortunate that responsible governance must take a hiatus for an election.
Notwithstanding the which party is in power following September 20th, or whether that party is in a majority or minority position, some of the totally public funded programmes needed are:
- Universal Basic Income:
- Create a margin of financial equity
- Reduce, if not eliminate, poverty
- Basic Health Services for all including all modalities:
- Vision, hearing, chiropractic, mental, naturopathic and others
- Education:
- Early childhood through college and university
- Housing:
- Co-op and/or Not-for profit (this will help remove housing real estate as a GDP indicator)
- Public Infrastructure Ownership:
- Infrastructure is for the benefit of society to meet societal needs, not corporate interest and profit
- The present infrastructure bank does not ensure public needs or public ownership
- Climate Change:
- The overarching issue at this time is the safe habitation of the planet must be seriously addressed immediately: 2050 is too late!
- We have created, up to this time, the ways and means, “hopefully unintentionally”, to pollute and overuse this planets resources.
- Surely, we can create {with intent} a democratic society/economy to “make right”!
- Governance Evaluation – Constitution:
- Relationship of federal, provincial and municipal
- Indian Act (Obsolete and undemocratic)
Submitted for consideration by representatives of the Citizens Democracy Forum.
Respectfully,
John Carley, Lead, Citizens Democracy Forum carlean@kingston.net
Clinton Halladay, Communications Co-Ordinator CDF ceh@kingston.net
Steve Kirby, Member CDF
Colin Creas, Member CDF
Toby Stewart, Member CDF
Dave Berofe
Jim Earl