Working on the Inside

[cakadu]

Bob Friesen, current President of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture is seeking a nomination as a Liberal candidate in his riding in order to effect change on the inside.

How feasible is doing something like that? I don't know if it is something that is attainable or not. It seems to me that it would be a fairly uphill struggle because you have to effect the change one person at a time and that takes a real effort.

I'm curious to know what your thoughts are or if you have knowledge of a plan like this working.

[ivbinconned]

I think it is a farce. It is the only way he can explain it away. Man has an infinite ability to explain away anything.

In Canada...if you are an MP and not in cabinet (and maybe even then), you are a nobody.

The cabinet and the privy counsel are eveything. Being an MP with in the governing party means gravy train!For life.

[cowman]

I think some of these guys get very frustrated with the politicians and want to step up to the next level. I mean Freisen worked for a long time as an agricultural spokesman and probably had a pretty good idea of what needed to be done. And then he runs into the government which doesn't really do anything? So he sees a way he might be able to make a difference?
Ted Haney is another one running for a Liberal nomination...I suspect he is in the same boat?
The problem I see is that once these guys get elected they soon find out that they still have zero influence, get further frustrated and finally give up. They either quit or go with the flow! And the "flow" can be fairly nice? All the perks? Ottawa ruins a lot of good people?
We had a very good and honest MP once in my riding. Gordon Towers. When he first ran for office my mother said she wouldn't vote for him because he was just too decent a man to be down in Ottawa with all those crooks. However I do believe he kept his integrity even after a lot of years running with the wolves!