A Chilling Effect on Public Discourse, Democracy

Canaries in Coal Mines?
British Columbians are no strangers to political parties bouncing voices of conscience out of caucus. We’ve seen this before.

In 2002 former B.C. Liberal MLA Paul Nettleton was expelled from the party caucus after he made public his concerns that the ideologically conservative Campbell government had secret plans to sell B.C. Hydro.

Since then we have indeed seen the balkanization and selling off of chunks of B.C. Hydro, and, right now, there are a number of battles going on over the control of our vast, public, water and water-derived power resources. (See Ashlu River Info, and news on Kitimat’s fight with Alcan)

In fact, Gordon Campbell’s government has taken hypocrisy to new levels with his unprecedented attack on democracy this fall, as he declared there would be no fall sitting of the legislature. The spin from government was that there was nothing to do. The reality is that Campbell is violating his own promise to operate a more open and accountable government, tearfully delivered when he was first sworn in as Premier. Crocodile tears.

Now Garth Turner has been pushed out of of the federal Conservative caucus, and word is there’ll be no return of the prodigal son. In August Turner successfully fought off an organized attempt by others to take the nomination for his riding. Was his ejection from caucus done to pave the way for a Charles McVety-approved candidate? Or was the timing more to do with today’s expected announcement from the Minister of Environment, Rona “I’ll do Industry’s Bidding” Ambrose?

Among many policy areas, the environment and global climate change were hot topics for Garth Turner, and on these issues his opinion are clearly against the Conservative caucus tide.

Perhaps Mr. Turner’s expulsion is like one more dead canary – a sign of toxic things to come.

Party discipline is well and good, but in applying the concept, it cannot be taken so far as to stifle all public debate. Canadians are not of a uniform mind on any subject of importance, and certainly Conservatives are not either. Expelling members for speaking their mind on issues of the day sends a chilling signal to parliamentarians at all levels: shut up or you’ll be buried alive.

Speak your mind, get politically killed. Opposition getting effective? Want to drive an unpopular agenda? Shut down parliamentary proceedings to avoid messy debate and disclosure.

In this environment, how is democracy to flourish?