They Call It Democracy

Many of my friends are upset over the near death of C-12 -- and rightly so. It is a disgrace that this country does not have representation by population. It is long since passed the time for reform, but reform will never come as long as the existing parties are beholden to rural Canada for power. But, rural Canada is so over-represented in the present configuration of the Commons, that the parties will always be beholden. It is a classic catch 22 and urban Canada is being screwed by it.

It is time to start a new party, one not based on the farm, but in the city. It is time for an urban party that looks out for urban interests first. It is time to jettison the dead weight of the old, rural dominated parties and declare, ENOUGH!

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Lessons To Be Learned

Chantal Hebert makes some interesting points in her column today about the lessons of the Calgary municipal election for the federal parties. By and large I agree with her, but she leaves unspoken the reality our parties have yet to face. We are multicultural, multi-religious country, led by old, white, Christians. We live in an urban country, but our politics are seized by rural issues (Long guns? Seriously?) , unless it means putting the relatives of our newest urban citizens in detention. In short, our politics caters to a Canada that is an anachronism and urban voters do not see themselves reflected in the priorities of our politicians (or indeed in the politicians themselves). Until and unless the parties begin to understand that Canada is not hockey, long guns and maple syrup festivals, but a complex urban society with real potential and problems, voter apathy will continue.

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What Frank Graves Said

Frank Graves gave this advice to the Liberals:

‘I told them that they should invoke a culture war. Cosmopolitanism versus parochialism, secularism versus moralism, Obama versus Palin, tolerance versus racism and homophobia, democracy versus autocracy. If the cranky old men in Alberta don’t like it, too bad. Go south and vote for Palin.’

Any party that truly stands for these things is half way to getting my vote (attention NDP brain trust). City dwellers have been pushed around for far too long by ignorant, bible thumping, shit kickers. It's time to say "Enough".

Update: Needless to say, Graves is being savaged by Conservative talking heads (He was just smeared by Kory Teneyke on CBC), who obviously want the CBC and other media outlets to blacklist him (though they are strangely silent about Allan Gregg's role on the CBC, I'll note). Bravo to him for telling it like it is.

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