The Written Word: Rafe Mair Oct.6th

Friday, October 06, 2006 03:40 AM

In my last column, I spoke about how Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia get screwed by reason of the fact that the census runs behind redistribution, plus the fact that under our goofy laws no province can ever lose MPs meaning that distortions develop to the disadvantage of growing provinces. This is why it’s so wrong to have limits that in themselves skew the system...

In Wednesday's Toronto Globe and Mail on the op-ed page there was an interesting article by Gordon Gibson, a very experienced viewer and maker of public policy, on Alberta separatism. When the meeting asked how many would, given the chance, join Canada today it was greeted with howls of derisive laughter. No Albertan in his right mind would enter such a bargain.

There is no viable separatist party in either Alberta or BC but in assessing alienation it’s no less for that. And readers in Central and Eastern Canada ought to know that British Columbia and Alberta are as unalike as chalk and cheese but with this in common – they’re tired of Canada. Others can be fooled by display of patriotism in the far west not realizing that the O Canada! We sing is for a very much different Canada that presently exists. We don’t see Canada as “two founding nations” – a piece of historical rubbish that’s at the root of much of our trouble. Our historic Canada has the CPR then the CNR pillaging our resources then selling them back to us at process way higher than could be obtained below the nearby border. They see a Canada which has always been run by Central Canadians for the principal benefit of Central Canada. They see a system where less than 40% of voters thus only 25% of eligible voters get 100% of the power meaning that the country, when there’s a majority government, which is most of the time, is run by politicians who don’t know and don’t care about far away provinces.

The danger here is that British Columbian separatism will be assessed by the present or absence of a separatist party. That’s looking in the wrong place. What they should be asking is whether or not it matters a damn to British Columbians who wins a federal election. In truth it doesn’t matter who it is, we’re outside with our noses pressed against the window pane looking in.

It is not just Quebec we should worry about.

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Posted on Friday, October 06, 2006 03:40 AM in Views by Rafe Mair

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Comments

Posted by: kimbo on October 6 2006 9:21 AM

I dont agree with Rafe on this one. Now that the western Provinces are holding their own they start to complain about how the Eastern Provinces are taking advantage of our prosperity. What about the years when the East did have the larger population who had the advantage in those years.

So we complain about the CPR and the Cn in the past. Here in the west we have a natural resources based economy so what do we do we give all the profits to off shore corporations so that we can get a few tax dollars from the people who work in the industries. And its those corporations that are pushing the buttons to end our society in the name of profit. WE sit back and mouth their destruction of our federation.

We are nothing but a bunch of whiners and forget that we are part of a Federation. We come up with hair brained ideas like an elected senate all in the hope of getting more profits and more tax dollars. But I guiess the family approach to nationhood is no longer cool.

Cheers

Posted by: Chadermando on October 6 2006 2:10 PM

I think Stephen Harper is bought off by the Jason Kenny types who have an agenda to make Canada a subsidiary of a zionist America taking its orders from Henry Kissinger himself, just like the Bush regime south of the boarder. Anyone that thinks todays conservative party owes anything to the people of BC that built the foundation of that party is mislead by an alligence to a party of power over the principles that the grass roots calls for.

The liberals on the other hand are pawns of the Power Corp offshore elite who govern Canada by and for the multinational corporate interests. The conservatives used to share this Power Corp camp, but reform ended that, and now after the merger it is a cross between the Power Corp elite and the recent takeover of the zionist appoligists wiping reform from relevance for the convienience of power.

Canada is a country controlled by party politics, and all one has to do to control the country is to fund the leadership of a party until you control the party, then use propoganda to bring that party to power. The people of Canada have very little say in this process because of the system in place.

IMO the system is completely broken. A start would be an elected head of state via one vote per citizen of Canada. Next regional representation needs to be protected via an effective Senate. In addition the MP's should be elected by a system similar to the BCSTV to ensure the citizens of Canada have the final say and not the party leadership who decide on the slate of candidates for their party. We need to empower our politicians with the power of legitimacy that is derived from the will of the people so they can stand up against party leadership that is controlled by off shore corporate entities who wish to undermine Canadian society for their own profits.

I have no problem with sharing tax dollars if done in a democratic way. Canada is not a democracy as it is constituted today. Canada today is a nation ruled by off shore multinational soft money and propoganda. This is why BC doesn't matter to the Canadian government, and why Northern BC pays for things like the beetle epidemic, Kemano theft of water resources, and the Vancouver Olympics. If we were a democracy it would all be different and we would have a say that counts in these matters.

Posted by: diplomat on October 6 2006 4:25 PM

Lefty:"Stephen Harper is quickly forgetting where his reform party started."

Harper left the Reform Party at a very crucial point in time when he couldn't be top dog right away.

He is a well-trained (by Mulroney) Conservative, through and through.

I don't think that he ever really supported the grass roots idealism of the Reform Party, the way Preston Manning actually lived it.

Behind the present Tories is the same old Mulroney establishment, make no mistake about it.

Posted by: Gofaster on October 8 2006 6:57 AM

If you don't like our country,do something about it, or, pack yer bags and git....

Posted by: diplomat on October 8 2006 4:00 PM

Nothing wrong with our country, Sir/Madam Gofaster!

It's the incompetent deceitful politicians who should pack their bags and git...in my humble opinion.

Posted by: Palopu on October 11 2006 7:31 PM

Harper makes a much better Prime Minister than a lot of them we had in the past. He has only been a Prime Miniser for less than a year and all you yahoos are expecting miracles. There is no doubt he has made some mistakes, however he has also made some good decisions. In any event he is a much better Prime Minister that Paul (Mr Dithers) Martin. or Jean (Mr Scandal) Chretian, or Brian (Free Trade, GST) Mulrooney or some of those other hacks that held the job. Anyone remember John (Handyman) Turner. Pierre (I can slide down a bannister) Trudeau. John (Avro Arrow) Defienbaker, Mackenzie (Crystal Ball) King. Sir John A (Pass the Vermouth) Macdonald.

I am sure that given the chance Stephen Harper will make a good Prime Minister. He has some learning to do, however he sure is better than some that we have had in the past. He's also from Western Canada, which is a bonus., and last but not least he is nobodys fool.

Sit back and enjoy the ride.