Stomping on Democracy in Canada

After the release of the Federal Budget, Canada's Premiers warned Ottawa against encroaching on provincial jurisdiction. The letter cautioned Ottawa against "dictating terms" on what our constitution says are exclusively provincial matters.

Ottawa has basically said that if provinces want housing money, they must do as Ottawa says.

Our Prime Minister, who, in the past, has expressed admiration for China's 'basic dictatorship,' has a problem with sharing his power with anyone. It seems he will turn our Constitution on its head to ensure that he can rule Canada unhindered by our laws.

"The federal government must refrain from overreaching into provincial and territorial jurisdiction, particularly in the areas of health, education, and housing," the provincial premiers have said.

Our Prime Minister has said, "I'd always rather work with provinces. But if we have to, I will go around them and be there for Canadians."

While we can applaud his desire to "be there," breaking the law to "be there" is really not a satisfactory option. Mr. Trudeau's disrespect for laws that he doesn't like showed up years ago when, as a dope-smoking MP, he began his battle for legalizing marijuana.

Whether or not you support the legislation, the fact that our current PM admitted to breaking the Canadian laws he doesn't like while serving in our government has to concern every single Canadian. Equality requires that we all live by the same laws. If there are different laws for some people, then Canadians are not equal.

The health of our democracy is clearly shown in the power that has been placed in our Prime Minister's office. Representative democracy, where we elect someone to represent us, is left gasping for air when Party discipline is so tight that those who wish to serve as Canadian's representatives must surrender the views of their constituents to the requirement of the political party they represent. Sadly, most MPs appear to be "yes" people (to their party leaders), which leaves Canadians with no real representation in Parliament.

Mr. Trudeau was equally unapologetic when he responded with regards to housing. He stated that Ottawa needs to step in.

"Step in" is a nice way of saying stomp all over our Constitution, which places municipal matters, such as housing, under the authority of the Provincial Government.

The budget released last week offers billions of dollars to provinces that agree to freeze the fees municipalities charge developers and loosen zoning regulations.

Wait a minute! Is that coercion . . . either you do as I say or I will withhold the money I'm offering to the provinces that will obey. I remember that same tactic being used against pro-life Canadians, when it came to the Canada Summer Jobs Program (CSJP). Either organizations 'ticked the box' and affirmed that they supported the killing of the unborn or they could not take part in the CSJP.

It's starting to look a bit like a pattern here. Coercion is illegal, but, because our current Prime Minister believes that he knows better than each of us, he can just stomp on Canadian laws, stomp on Canadian equalities and rule like a "basic dictator."

Ottawa has already handed housing funding directly to cities that comply with federal requirements . . . Cities that will "tick the box."

Did you hear that? It seems that what our current Prime Minister wants, our current Prime Minister gets. No need for a little thing like the Constitution to get in the way. That's just a little bump in the road to getting what 'Big Brother' says is best for us.

According to the Mayor of Burlington, Marianne Meed Ward, "Municipalities know our communities best . . . we would prefer fewer strings attached for any funding." Fewer strings attached would be handy, but that wouldn't achieve the purpose of making cities compliant to the federal government rather than the Constitutional requirement that they are overseen by the provincial government.

Dr. Peter Graefe, associate professor of political science at McMaster University in Hamilton, ON, said that the federal government is "overreaching" what the Constitution allows. "They're reaching into areas where the Constitution doesn't say they have the power to do it."

But of course, the Constitution is just a small bump in the road for our current government.

Every Canadian should be concerned when the laws of our land are just a minor deterrent to be overcome by the government. Why? Because that is what a dictatorship is. When those governing make up the rules as they go along, then people cannot know what the laws really are. The laws become whimsical! One person dictates what will happen, and everyone else accepts that that person is THE authority and thus are compliant to the dictator's requirements.

What happens should our government decide again that Canadians require permission to travel? That has been tried for three years and most of us were affected by that in some way. We learned important lessons about blind obedience to government edicts. Is that any different from the way dictators in other countries control the movements of their people?

Our federal government is now instructing cities to be subservient to the unconstitutional demands being placed on them by the feds. If we say nothing, then those municipal governments will also become slaves to that one decision-maker-the federal government-and our Constitution will sustain another brutal blow.

The provinces are also on our federal government's hit list. Remember what was offered? If the Provincial Governments want housing money, they need to toe the line. Some provinces are putting up some resistance but for how long? If they want the money, they toe the line! Period!

It's time to expose the myth that only the three largest political parties can govern this country. CHP Canada will bring Canada back to the freedom-loving nation we once lived in.

Join CHP Canada. There's work to be done!

Public link

Please use the above public link if you want to share this noodl on another website.