When politicians do things they ought not to, many people ask “but what can I do”? One effective thing each of us can do is write letters. One letter might spark an editorial or article in a major newspaper. 1,000 letters will become a news story.
And despite what we think, politicians do at some level care about what we say, because they are always only one election away from oblivion. Take the time to send letters when you feel moved – don’t rely on someone else to take that step.
The nice folks over at The Demos (from Greek, meaning “the common people”) have built an easy to use tool to make it easy for anyone to send a letter (via email) to a number of politicians or news organizations.
(And I bet if I send The Demos folks the names of all the Conservatives that voted, in the last parliament, for anti-floor-crossing legisltation, they’d consider putting up a new check-box that sends an email to them all! And save me from having to write that software myself!)
Continuing on with last week’s random quote series, here are a few more from within the on-line Recall David Emerson petition
I am a very strong Tory, but I believe that Mr. Emerson should step aside and run in a By-election as a Tory and let the people have their say. Adam Weatherbee, #20,379
As somone who persuaded young voters in Kingsway of the importance of voting I was horrified that they should experience the cynicism of some elected leaders.Susan Gordon, #18,080
Not a good start to democratic reform for the Conservatives. Gerry Byrne, #6,499
I teach at a secondary school in Vancouver-Kingsway. Students don’t trust politicians to start with. How is Emerson’s behaviour going to help us inspire the next generations of voters to get involved in democracy? Ian Weniger, #11,722
Conservative (registering support for Emerson’s resignation)Robert Wood, #34
Failure to demand the resignation of Mr. Emerson will only result in proving to Canadians that all the hype made by Mr. Harper to effect real change in our political system. I guess its business as usual. Victor Tomiczek, #17,738
stand up for democracy!Jean Abou-Saab, #18,122
Distancing himself from the Conservative pack who remain silent on the Harper-Emerson affair is Member of Parliament for Halton Garth Turner who did not hesitate to weigh into the Emerson controversy:
Time will judge this move ruthlessly. Second, help me fight for changes to the system that will put an end to both political treason and unelected politicians. Garth Turner, MP Halton
After making his views very public on camera and in his weblog, Turner was summoned before “serious looking people” and eventually chewed out by Prime Minister Harper… for standing up for democracy. Imagine that.
I don’t know Mr. Turner personally – his time in the party predates mine, but if he is even half the person that is expressed in his writing, his constituents are very lucky and I am envious.
I am a democrat who believes everyone in the House of Commons, including the cabinet members who make up the government, should be elected. They should sit in Parliament as they were elected. If they decide to change parties, they should go and get re-elected.
It would be a great idea for Mr. Emerson to do that, and hopefully he will decide thatâs the right course of action. Given his new high-profile and powerful position, one would expect voters would be impressed enough to elect him as a Conservative. But maybe not. Thatâs their choice. Garth Turner, MP Halton
Mr. Turner’s weblog is refreshingly open – you always know what he thinks, whether or not he agrees with the Prime Minister or his party. Many Canadians had high hopes that more of our Members of Parliament, from all parties but especially the governing party, would be like Garth, but so far we’ve been terribly disappointed.
Courageous democrats like Garth Turner need our support, no matter what party they support. Encourage good members of parliament with your calls and letters even if you live far away from their riding, for they need to keep hearing that they are on the right track.
Media Highlights for Tuesday March 21 2006
March 21 (Editorial, Toronto Sun) How about a law against hypocrisy?
We never thought Emerson violated the code of conduct. But we do consider him to be a crass political opportunist, just like Belinda Stronach was when she crossed from the Tories to the Liberals last year in return for a cabinet seat from Paul Martin.
As for Harper, while we agree with him that his deal with Emerson was not an “ethical” issue in terms of Parliament’s code of conduct, his initial refusal to co-operate with Shapiro (he later grudgingly backed down) is not a good sign. Especially not from the leader of a party that made such a huge deal about Stronach’s defection. It makes Harper appear to be a hypocrite, advocating one standard for prime ministers and MPs in opposition, another when in power.
The way to stop floor-crossing is simple – a law requiring any MP who renounces his or her party in between elections to resign or sit as an independent until the next election, when he or she can be judged by voters.
But of course the issue at hand is all about ethics, its only a “technicality” – the scope of the commissioner’s mandate – which puts this ethical issue out of his reach. Since no one in Ottawa is defending our democracy, the people have shouldered the burden and are not about to give up.
March 20 (CBC News) No rules broken in Emerson affair: watchdog
Video: (RealVideo | Quicktime)
The Conservatives’ proposed seven-point Accountability Act “is absolutely silent on this issue,” [NDP MP Pat] Martin pointed out.
“You don’t find anybody picketing about the Lobbyists Registration Act or the Privacy Act or even the Access to Information Act, but we do see people dumping garbage on the lawns of cabinet ministers over the floor-crossing issue.”
CBC National news taped Shannon Steele and I on the steps of City Hall yesterday. We were there to deliver letters to Mayor Sullivan and city councillors, as well as an invitation to Mayor Sullivan to attend and speak at the Walk for Democracy on April 2nd.
March 20 (Allan Woods, Edmonton Journal) ‘Values’ not respected in PM’s pursuit of Emerson
The prime minister dismissed the criticisms as a “partisan effort.” Shapiro rejected such an interpretation of the public backlash and warned in his 17-page report of a “cynicism” about politicians among the people who have elected them.
What would Harper know of the issue? He hides from the press, hides from the people, and willingly engages in undemocratic behaviour. I challenge the Prime Minister to come out to any of our public awareness protests, rallies and events and he’ll see that the people behind this movement are not a bunch of party hacks… but are real people, real Canadians and real patriots, unlike party hacks Byng Giraud or Chuck Strahl or Deb Gray or Sam Sullivan or Gordon Campbell, or Stephen Harper himself, all of whom are defending the indefensible.
March 21 (Editorial, The Parksville News) Crossing the voters
Voters expect the person they are prepared to support will represent their interests – and for some that those interests are directly reflected by the party itself. Leave the party, and you?re persona non grata. Take those votes to another party, and you?re a target.
In a way, it’s false advertising to pass yourself off as one thing – then turn about and reveal your true stripes. In another, crossing the floor in such a manner as Emerson is a form of fraud – votes meant for one philosophy or purpose were given under false pretenses. The perpetrator should face the consequences.
March 20 (Kathleen Harris, Toronto Sun) PM clear in luring Liberal turncoat
[NDP MP Pat] Martin said the NDP will re-table legislation that would ban floor crossing when Parliament resumes. The bill would force MPs to sit as an independent and win a byelection before switching political parties.
“We believe it’s not only morally and ethically wrong and it does a disservice to the electorate and the democratic process; it should be illegal—plain and simple.”
The NDP hopes the ethics commissioner will pursue complaints against party-hoppers Belinda Stronach and Scott Brison, who left the Tories for the Liberals.
Democracy Watch co-ordinator Duff Conacher blasted Shapiro’s report, insisting the commissioner refused to properly apply the rules.
You’d think that a modern democractic system would have rules and a body that had the mandate to ensure that demoracy is practiced not just preached. Sadly, there is no one in Ottawa who will defend our democracy, which is why groups like Democracy Watch and Real Democracy have sprung up. The people have to take matters into their own hands, no one else will do this for us.
March 20 (Bruce Cheadle, Chronicle Herald) Shapiro calls for public debate on Emersons floor-crossing
Shapiro said the timing of Emersons move to the Conservatives, just days after he won his Vancouver seat as a Liberal in the Jan. 23 federal election, raised ethical questions for voters who felt their ballot “was somehow devalued, if not betrayed.”
“Although technically there has been no violation to the rules of conduct of the members code, the incident in question does raise the whole issue of whether the principles upon which it relies have been respected,” Shapiro wrote in his report.
Out of the rarified air of Ottawa, the people will tell you that they’ve not been respected, they’ve been insulted. Despite the protestations of the Prime Minister, the Harper-Emerson affair is all about ethics.
We Conservatives were supposed to be above that – we said we’d “Stand Up For Canada”, not hang our heads in silence and shame while the Prime Minister and David Emerson do something we know to be wrong.
March 20 (Campbell Clark, The Globe and Mail) Ethics Commissioner clears PM, Emerson
The commissioner wrote that the situation, in which Mr. Emerson was elected as a Liberal representing Vancouver-Kingsway on Jan. 23 and joined the Conservative cabinet on Feb. 6, made many citizens feel “that their vote—the cornerstone of our democratic system—was somehow devalued, if not betrayed.”
He noted that the principles in the preamble of the MPs’ code of conduct say that the post is a “public trust” and MPs must “maintain and enhance public confidence and trust in the integrity of each Member and in the House of Commons.”
“Accordingly,” Mr. Shapiro wrote, “although technically there has been no violation of the rules of conduct of the Members’ Code, the incident in question does raise the whole issue of whether the Principles upon which it relies have been respected.”
Neither Emerson nor Harper respected the voters of my riding, and no one is going to forget that. Next election, this issue is going to bite the Conservative Party in more ridings than just Vancouver-Kingsway.