Authoritarians in my own backyard

I started really paying attention to, and actively discussing, politics all due to one major event.

Sept 11, 2001

As cliché as it sounds, that day really did change my whole outlook on life.

There was one other event, that had a similar effect, but I didn’t really realise it until my post-Sept 11 awakening. That event was the election of Gordon Campbells “Liberals” (in name only) in 2001.

Since that day British Columbia has taken huge steps backwards in terms of democracy, freedoms, accessibility, and social state. We’re lucky that China has become so resource hungry or we’d surely be in the tank economically as well.

Well, yesterday, during the opening hours of the last Legislative session before the Election in May, we hear this:

The Speaker of the B.C. legislature has taken steps to restrict the length of questions and answers in the assembly’s question period which, at 15 minutes, is already the shortest in the Commonwealth.

The new rules limit questions to one minute, with a supplementary question limited to 30 seconds, and any subsequent supplementary to 20 seconds, if the Speaker allows one.

Let me remind you, dear readers, that the “Commonwealth” includes such democratic powerhouses as Pakistan and, until recently, Zimbabwe.

I’d task the opposition parties in our BC Legislature to hold the speaker, and government, to account. But there are only 3 of them… not enough to receive funding as an official party, and they’d barely have enough time to get up off their chairs anyway!!

It is up to the People of BC to restore some semblance of democracy and political discourse when they vote in May. I don’t expect the Liberals to be defeated, but I do expect a significant opposition party… of course, maybe they’re better off with just a few anyway, since with 15 minutes they’d easily have less than 15 seconds each to talk.

This ties in quite nicely with the referendum we will be having as well on Election Day. That referendum is to decide whether to change our electoral system to one that is more proportional.

After yesterdays news from our “governing”/”ruling” party.. it is clear that this province needs electoral reform badly.

One reply on “Authoritarians in my own backyard”

  1. I think many, many citizens of North America got a wake of call like you Chris on 9/11/01. It’s not a cliche. That day produced a defining event for the dawn of the new century. I was not paying any particular attention to politics myself. World events were far away from my life. I cared only about my own back yard and my own nation pretty much. I am now light years ahead in knowledge of world events, political trends and historical context.

    Sorry your Province is in deep doo-doo. I don’t have a clue what you are talking about but I respect your concern so it must be out of whack if you say so. Hope the next election brings clarity and changes needed. 😉

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