Proposed Alliance/Pc party

[countryguy]

I was watching the national news the other night and there was a story about the plight to try to stop the merger.What I found interesting was a comment Steven Harper made.He said "I will not let some FARMER from Saskatchewan stop this merger," referring to David Orchard.

Now it sounds to me like Mr.Harper does not rank farmers very high on his list.I am somewhat dissapointed by this.I thought they were a party from the west,for the west.If they ever happened to get elected what could this mean for agriculture?

When you look at the whole political game right now you have one party (PC/Al) looking to gain momentum and pick up votes in the east and another party (Lib) looking for votes in the west.Maybe the party actually looking for votes in the west will do something for the west?

This for me is going to be a tough decision to make.As much as I have grown to DESPISE the Liberal party maybe we should give Paul a chance????

[cowman]

I hope Paul Martin is everything he claims to be. I truly believe he is our last hope.
In Alberta it is almost sacriledge to suggest voting for a liberal unless you live in Redmonton!
However we've been voting for a variety of Reform/Alliance clowns for quite a few years and what has it got us? The original Reform package was a good one but they have watered it down so much over the years that it is basically right back to what the PCs stood for. Of course the reason was to garner votes from the east but guess what...no one voted for them!
As far as I am concerned Alliance/Reform/Conservative are a bunch of losers who won't win anything! Oh they'll still get their seats in the west but I doubt anywhere else.
Paul Martin has a chance to save the country...I hope he's up to it.

[cakadu]

Interesting comments gentlemen. What does "saving the country" look like for you? Can you give some examples? I'm always interested in hearing what people's vision for the future looks like. There are many ways to point out what is wrong, what would make it look right?

The Australians have a saying about having Buckley's for hope - which after hearing the story, translates into slim and next to none. What would be needed to turn things around?

[rookie]

Possibly another 25 million people out west and the seats in office to go with them... until then, what would change tne current state of politics in Canada ?

[lonewolf]

I don't know guys. The reform/ alliance/ conservatives had better wake up and decide they are all on the same side and maybe there will be a chance that they might take their rightful place as government. I mean urban Canada is in a great position because of mulroneys Gst. cretien just sat back collected a big salary and let west fued over whether conservative or reform was better. Boy I think we will be paying for this dopes policies for a long time down the road.

[carebear300]

I don't know for sure all the things that should be done different but to start with somebody should put incomes of farmers back in synch with the rest of society. I know what Sask Power linemen made twenty years ago and I know what they make now. I wish that farmers were so fortunate and I don't know that they have to be guaranteed a set amount of dollars but should have a reasonable chance of making that kind of money. I do think if there is any justice in this country that the farmer that has three quarters of a million dollars invested should have some hope of obtaining that style of life. How you do that I really don't have any idea so guess shouldn't have said anything.

[cowman]

Saving the country: Time to get out my soapbox!
First of all we need a system that treats all provinces and territories equally. In rights and in finances. No more special deals for Quebec or the Ontario heartland. No more trade policy that sacrifices one region for the benifit of the others.
Next we need a country that is fiscally responsible. Not spending our hard earned money of silly ideas that come out of Toronto and Montreal...gun registry and Kyota.
Thirdly we need Ottawa to stop taking away provincial rights through the use of our own tax dollars...medi-care, education, social services.
And lastly we need a system where all Canadians get their chance to share in the wealth, not just the power elite in the golden triangle.
Probably a lot more things need to be done but I've listed some issues that if they don't change eventually we are out of here. The west really doesn't need Canada but Canada does need the west! We're getting tired of paying the bills while being treated like a simple cousin!

[StrawBoss]

We live in a democratic country and the majority will always rule.
There is the same problem in all democratic countries where the population is not evenly spread out.

One solution to the east / west problems, is each province should have the same number of seats in the federal government and maybe move the offices to a more central location. ( like in Manitoba )

Also have an elected senate and no politician to run for more than two terms. That would eliminate the political buddy system.

No donations from large corporations, unions or lobby groups this would make the playing field more even across the country. A reasonable and equal amount of tax dollars to be used by each politician for election campaigning.

Threats to separate should never be considered in a democratic country. We joined confederation because we couldn’t stand alone, so why start tearing it apart now. I don’t think we should threaten each other like a bunch of warlords.

[cowman]

Strawboss: I guess my main problem with your definition of democracy is the statement "majority will always rule". You sort of forgot the part about the rights and protection of the minority?
Thus you have Alberta that has been used as a cash cow for the "majority"?
Thus you have a situation like the NEP which legally stold $100 billion of Albertas resources! And incidently gave $100 billion to Quebec. Now this is fair? Has anything really changed? Will Kyota do the same thing?
This type of unfairness is what must change if this country will be saved. There has to come a time when we need to ask ourselves "Why are we here? What's in it for us?"
The Alberta Agenda is the first step in our divorce from Canada!

[countryguy]

StrawBoss,everything you said is right on the money,except the last paragraph.

My feeling is that Canada would benefit greatly from an American style political system.That way every part of Canada would be represented equally on top of every person being represented.Representing just people leads to the catering of the highly populated areas leaving the rest of the country out in the dark.

A two term leader would also be nice as it would be tougher for the dictatorship we are now just getting rid of to form.

When you really think about it politics in Canada is all about money for the elected officials.It's a simple game here.Cater to the most highly populated areas for two terms and voila,you just won the lottery!

[StrawBoss]

I am trying to suggest ways that I think would partly rectify the east / west problems, just coffee shop talk.

Each province should have the same number of representatives in parliament.

All elected politicians in parliament have the right to vote by secret ballot on important issues to eliminate intimidation by party leaders.

Nonpolitical committee to determine the politician’s wages and pensions

One police force across Canada, and paid by the federal government with laws that have no boundaries.

All Canadians have a chance to vote on important issues, like gun control, Kyoto and capital punishment, and if the vote shows a good majority then it becomes law, not just a recommendation for the government to consider.

Yes we should look at the past, but also try and understand that the federal government has the duty to provide services to all people, so they rob the rich and give to the poor. I know---- I know --- they waste our money due to poor management and corruption.

I said, the majority will always rule in a democratic country and yes we all have the same rights and that’s in our constitution. Let us not mistake rights with financial equality, because the rights are given to us and we have to work to be equal.

Quebec is trying to separate for all the wrong reasons ( trying to become little France ) because it doesn’t make economic sense.

[cowman]

Democracy without rights to the minority is mob rule...the very worst sort of government.
If all the provinces had an equal number of votes what would change? How would this protect Albertas rights?
If a majority of the people made the law why wouldn't they all vote to share the oil and gas that Alberta has? Would this be fair?
Our provinces have let the federal government take away a lot of our rights! Consider Quebec...they have stood up for their rights under the constitution. Why haven't our provincial politicians done the same? We need to be a confederation of ten equal states with the federal government only taking care of those things that are in the national interest. Ten little Quebecs if you will! The days of one or two provinces paying the freight for the rest has to end.
Financially the west would be better off in a seperate country. Ottawa is not our freind, they are our enemy! We will never be free until we throw off our shackles! Just like the USA did when the British were oppressing them?