Time honoured values held close to the hearts of all Canadians are being held hostage in Ottawa under the guise of an Omnibus Budget Bill, Bill C38. Don’t forget its name. This bill could forever change the landscape of our great country should the juggernaut of an unrelenting Conservative majority have its way in the next couple of weeks.
Bill C38 is anything but a budget bill. The Harper political power brokers have put more parts into this bill than a jumbo LEGO set. This clumsy, confusing 452 page bill rewrites 70 laws, ranging from old age security, employment insurance, immigration... even repealing the age old Fisheries Act and replacing it with a mere shell of its former self.
Is it all right to shove due diligence and democracy to the back of the bus in favour of partisan politics with little regard for your constituency? Apparently so.
When Kootenay-Columbia Conservative David Wilks recently shared his concerns about the economic-driven, overloaded Bill C-38 with his constituency, it didn’t take long for word to reach Ottawa. Shortly thereafter his website clearly stated: ”I wish to clarify my position with regard to Bill C-38... I support this bill, and the jobs and growth measures that it will bring Canadians.”
Holy Flip Flop, Batman. Have we come to a point in Canada where Democracy will have a hard time finding the front of the bus any time soon...if at all? If the constituency is no longer represented by whom they elected, no longer has a champion to fight their battles, no longer can count on the leaders to bring their message to Ottawa... then no longer can we call ourselves a true Democracy.
For Mr. Wilks to have chosen to depart the moral high ground by plunging to the murky depths of partisan politics clearly illustrates that short term political life takes precedent over all else.
We need to send a message. This isn’t the way Democracy does business.
When election time comes we need to remember Bill C-38. We need to remember David Wilks.
We need to send a message: we need to send Mr. Wilks to the unemployment line... in the great name of Democracy.
Steven Rice
TNRD Director
Blue Sky Country