Saturday, March 17, 2012

The Stephen Harper Party vs. Democracy

Stephen Harper, you just doesn’t get it do you?

People have fought and people have died for democracy in every land around the world except possibly Antarctica.

Canadians serving in our forces have travelled to far off countries to help in the fight to achieve democracy for other people.

Canadians as private citizens have travelled to other countries to help ensure that their elections are properly done and the peoples of those lands were able to take part in fair and free elections.

Canadians believe in freedom. Canadians have risked their lives for freedom. Canadians have died for freedom.

Free and Fair Elections are the cornerstone of freedom, and Canadians are concerned that we may no longer have Free and Fair Elections.

When Elections Canada approached the Procedure and House Affairs Committee for increased investigative powers, it was your people, the members of the Stephen Harper Party that said “No”.

This request or rather recommendation was part of the Elections Canada Report on the 2008 General Election. These reports follow every General Election. I do not know if Increased Powers of Investigation was included in past reports but it certainly seems to be a good idea.

The Provinces already do this, why not the Nation?

In the past General Election of 2011 we have seen reports of automated “robocalls” claiming to be from Elections Canada directing people to wrong and nonexistent Polling Stations. We have seen reports of incomplete Voter Registration cards and now we are hearing about undisclosed bank accounts and “third party” agents hiring services for campaigns and being reimbursed for these expenses rather than those campaigns paying for the services directly.

This all looks less than above board to me. How about you?

I understand that you have a Party Lawyer investigating these claims internally.

I have a simple question for you. Would you have accepted an internal investigation of the “Sponsorship Scandal” done by the Liberals? Should we accept your internal investigation any more than you would have accepted theirs?

You claim to be the “Law and Order” Party, it’s time you acted like it.

Grant the powers requested by Elections Canada and make it law. Not in six months’ time in a nonbinding private member’s motion, in a real law now.

Give Elections Canada unfettered access to the information they need to see and do not cause any interruption of this investigation and do not use your position to try and influence the investigation.

I am willing to give Elections Canada the time to do their investigation, but only if it is done without interference from the government.

If they recommend a Royal Commission, I expect you to make that happen as quickly as possible.

If Elections Canada chooses to lay charges against individuals or organizations as a result of their investigations I expect you to allow the cases to proceed without interference.

The bedrock on which a democracy is built is the ability of citizens to participate in free elections. Any attempt to block a citizen from voting is an attack on democracy. Marking an X on a ballot is for most people the only time they get a chance to influence the government. Help us to ensure that no Canadian is denied their voice.

One of your supporters told me that if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear.

Will you join with us or have you something to fear?

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