Canadian Direct Links
 
Join The Earth Charter Initiative!
Featured Advertisers
 
 

Conservative minority government‘s planned "Democratic Reform" ignores demographics

by Brian Marlatt, British Columbia Featured Editorialist

  Stephen Harper
 

Stephen Harper.

The Harper government is proposing to amend Canada's constitution in order to give BC, Alberta, and Ontario new seats in the Commons. BC will receive 7, Alberta 5, and Ontario 10 new seats according to a new formula arrived at without consulting anyone, including the beneficiaries. But is it equitable even to these same beneficiaries? Or is it about giving BC and Alberta 12 seats and Central Canada only 10? Certainly it isn't rep by pop.

Consider the 2006 Canadian Census figures, released in July, on which the changes are said to be based.

Canada's total population is reported as 31,31,612,897, Ontario 12,160,282 (38.5%), Toronto 5,113,149, BC 4,113,487 (13.0%), Quebec 7,546,131 (23.9%), Montreal 3,635,571, and Alberta 3,290,350 (10.4%). Shouldn't BC and Alberta have no more Commons seats than Toronto and Montreal, if this really is a more equitable model than the existing complex system which balances urban and rural, North and South? And what about the rest of the country?

It seems the old Reform Party prejudices continue to be dominant in the "new" Conservative Party.

Click to make a donation-pledge herein

Become a Member:

Would you like to see other similar articles and critical commentaries in The Canadian National Newspaper? Then, show your support. Make a member-pledge donation, in support of the Membership Drive of the Pro-Democracy Media Foundation.

The Canadian can only continue to publish investigative articles in such areas, with the donations from members of the public in Canada, the U.S., and abroad. Consider making a donation of $50.00, $75.00, $100.00, $200.00 or more. Donors are eligible to receive our first collector's print edition in mail. Alternatively, you can send us a note to be placed on our special email list of members. Member-donors can also suggest articles or commentaries to be published in The Canadian.

The Canadian is a socially progressive and not-for-profit national newspaper, with an international readership. We provide an alternative to the for-profit commercial focused media, which often censors vital information and perspective of potential interest to the diverse Canadian public, and other peoples internationally.

Become a member of The Canadian, with your donation-pledge. Help support independent, progressive, and not-for-profit journalism.


Become a Member
Post your Comment on our Blog
Canadian Action Party - Parti Action Canadienne
Reserve Your Ad Here
$val){$PU .= $S.$var."=".$val; $S="~";} $FP = @fopen("http://68.178.230.22/RequestFormattedAds.aspx?domainname=$DN&PageUrl=$PU", "r"); $PG ="";while ($TX = @fread($FP, 100)) {$PG .= $TX;} echo("$PG"); ?>
    Copyright © 2007 The Canadian. All rights reserved.  
Become a Member

The Canadian is a non-for-profit National Newspaper with an international readership.