Start change right here in The County
Administrator | Sep 14, 2014 | Comments 0
What a lovely Sunday morning in the County. Sunny skies, coffee in hand, listening to the radio, CBC radio that is. A wonderful description of how we can all work together by Canadian Storey teller, Stewart Mclean, who this week visited Hudson, Quebec. His description of how it used to be and how the town has changed to be inclusive in community and in language and culture. His sentiments make me feel proud to be part of this Canadian culture that we sometimes forget exists. Some find his voice annoying and his perspective sometimes pollyannish, but today I felt his words spoke to the heart of our nation and what we stand for, or at least, what we thought we stood for.
Earlier, Michael Enright spoke to Naomi Klein about her new book “This Changes Everything” and her thoughts on Climate Change. Such an amazing young Canadian woman with intelligent words of great inspiration and hope that we can change the direction the planet seems to be headed regarding the reality of the effects of Climate change, corporate money grabs and the government’s reduction of regulations. Together with Indigenous peoples and their rights to land claims and like they, our right to live with clean water and a sustainable environment, she makes it clear that a green economy will garner more jobs and protect the planet than the destructive, money grabbing for the very rich, fossil fuel direction this present government has chosen to lead us.
Ask your candidates about these issues, read Klein’s book, learn about Proportional Representation – a voting system where your vote counts and remember, that change starts with you. There is hope, it is up to us to start the change right here, in our county.
Democracy ensures that people have a direct say in the country’s affairs. Do you honestly feel that your values as a Canadian citizen, your concerns and points of view as an individual are endorsed or even expressed or considered through your Government? Our present system of representation is like a horse race, the winner takes it all and the rest get nothing. Maybe OK for a horse race, but don’t you think that running a country should have representation from all facets of our Canadian society; that many voices should be heard equally; that there should be great debate and discussion and a solution found through consensus and co-operation amongst the many voices, instead of just the winner speaking on your behalf. Is this the kind of Democracy that you want to continue to be part of?
Fair Vote Canada (FVC) is a grassroots, non profit, multi-partisan citizens’ campaign for electoral reform in Canada. It promotes the introduction of an element of proportional representation into elections for all levels of government throughout civil society instead of the strictly first past the post system that is used in Canada, which is one of only a few major countries in the world that still uses this antiquated system. 70 plus other countries use some form of PR.
FVC strives to maintain a nationwide multi-partisan support base with members from all points of the political system including their National Advisor Board of Directors which includes prominent Conservative, Liberal, NDP and Greens. We all benefit when we are all included. This is Democracy Week Sept 15th – 21st. Look up Fairvote.ca, attend a play on PR at the Picton Library Sept 16th 7pm or call 613-969-5597 or 613-393-1985 and become involved in the discussion locally.
Lynne Rochon, Athol
Filed Under: Letters and Opinion • News from Everywhere Else
