Equal Rights for All Means Equal Punishments Too

I have nothing against Native people. I know about their history and can see why they are upset at our government for acts done wrong in the past, however, they are not above the law.

I know this is a touchy issue, and I do not want to step over any lines, but in my opinion, Native protesters that disrupt public property and infringe on others' rights should be punished like every other Canadian would be.

We watched a video in class showing Native demonstrators pushing over cars and ripping up roads. Now, in Brantford, construction sites are being torn apart and protesters are becoming violent. Yet in both of these cases, no protesters were prosecuted.

There are many protests occurring in Canada at present, but if white, black, asian etc. peoples were to demonstrate the behaviours that some Native protesters have done (such as those mentioned above), they would indeed be arrested immediately and charges laid. However, it seems that Native protesters do not have to abide by the laws all other Canadians live by. I think that is completely wrong. There are more effective ways of demonstrating. Using violence is NOT the answer.

I also think that our government is being completely irresponsible for not doing anything about these protesters. I don't care what origin or descent these people are, if they are breaking CANADIAN laws IN CANADA, then they should be treated and prosecuted the same way as EVERYONE ELSE. I think giving Natives a slap on the wrist is causing more trouble. The protests haven't ended and no one is happy.

In my opinion, our law enforcement officials and our government need to start treating Native protesters as they would any other protesters. If they break the law, they should have to serve their time and pay that price. No questions. No expceptions.

Erin

Stay True to Yourself Canada!

A headline today really caught my attention…do you know that it’s been 32 years since the death penalty was abolished in Canada? I had no idea it was that long ago…actually, though it is hard to admit, I assumed since there are still some states in America that have the death penalty, that Canada didn’t abolish this law until recently.

Maybe it’s not even the fact that the death penalty has been abolished that attracted me to this article, but the fact that we did something before the Americans…I love Canada, please do not get me wrong, but we have a tendency to lay low and follow the ways of our “neighbours to the south.” Is it out of fear that if we make our own decisions we will tick them off? Personally, I think that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. In my opinion, it seems like Canada is too afraid to take a stand against the Americans because we are too dependent on their support. I understand that having an ally like USA is beneficial, but when we start second-guessing our culture and important decisions, and look toward the south for an example to go by, we are cheating ourselves.

Canada is known around the world as a peace-keeping country and personally, I’d like to keep it that way. By staying so close to the Americans and replicating/supporting their controversial ways (ex: still fighting in Iraq), we are slowly damaging our notable reputation and eventually we are going to be seen as a subsidiary of America.

We need a leader who will defend Canada and help us redefine our core values and let the rest of the world know that the nation of Canada is independent of all others and will remain that way for a long time. Just my opinion…what do you think?

Erin

Source:
“Death Penalty Abolished in Canada.” CBC.ca. 14 Jul 08. CBC News. 17 Jul 08.

Mandatory Voting in Canada

The foundation of Canadian democracy is progressively deteriorating, giving rise to a chilling national crisis. The staggering decline in voter turnout during elections has generated negative attention and drastic measures are imperative to ensure Canada remains a truly democratic nation. I recently came across an article by Mac Harb, a Canadian member of the Senate who sponsored a bill calling for the introduction of a compulsory voting system in Canada. He introduced Bill S-22 as a “direct response to a rising electoral crisis,” as voter turnout has been on the decline in Canada since the 1960s, reaching a record low of just 60.9 per cent in the 2004 election. After dismissing the bill, the Canadian government claimed to realize the significance of declining voter turnout, and vowed to implement a strategy to encourage citizens to vote, especially youth. However, their vital plan resulted in an overall increase of only 3.8 per cent more voters in the 2006 federal election…some plan, eh? We need a better “plan”.

At first, I found myself disagreeing with Harb. However, after researching this topic further, I now support a compulsory voting system. Canada is in desperate need of some sort of action to inspire Canadians and motivate them to become invested in their country and this seems to be the most effective, logical solution.

The most common criticism against compulsory voting is that such a system would violate individual “rights”. First, the majority of people fail to recognize that technically, no one is forced to vote in a compulsory voting system. The only mandatory provision is the obligation to go to a polling place. Second, voting needs to be seen as a civic duty and not simply a dispensable right that can be refused. We have a right to a fair trial but we have a responsibility to serve on juries to protect that right. We have the right to universal health care, but we have the responsibility to pay taxes for that service. These are all examples of mandatory duties with reasonable limits that we put on our freedom to ensure the success of our society.

Compulsory voting enhances political participation and our Canadian democracy depends upon that active participation of citizens. According to Elections Canada, only one in four Canadians under the age of 25 voted in the 2004 Federal election. Implementing a compulsory voting system would enhance political participation by motivating Canadians of all ages to become more involved in the future direction of their country. The notion that a single vote truly can make a difference will lead Canadians to change their attitudes and pay increased attention to critical issues and political matters. People cite many reasons not to vote, such as lack of time and disdain for politicians, however, those who want to express their dissatisfaction with politicians or with the system by not voting will do so much more clearly by cancelling their ballot or putting an X beside ‘none of the candidates. And my life is hectic too…but I can spare 5 minutes to exercise a significant right my ancestors fought so hard for.

Compulsory voting would also ensure every Canadian voter has equal liberties despite age, race, education, gender and wealth. Research shows the lower electoral participation is, the higher inequalities are in terms of educational attainments and social class in the electorate. If voting is not mandatory, unequal electoral participation increases, and if the majority of voters are only representative of a particular group, then the elected officials are not representative of the entire country. Compulsory voting would ensure every citizen had their voice heard and, similar to a referendum, there would be no question as to what the people want.

There are also concrete examples to look at the success of a compulsory voting system. Thirty democracies around the world claim to have compulsory voting. Among those countries are Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Greece, Singapore, Switzerland and Uruguay, to name a few. Australia’s compulsory voting system was established in 1924 in response to declining voter turnout and now there is a consistent turnout of over 90 per cent in their national elections. Furthermore, polls in Australia show that 80 per cent of Australians support the mandatory system and do not see it as an infringement on their rights.

Adopting a compulsory voting system is the best solution for Canada to ensure it remains a truly democratic nation. There is an inherent responsibility attached to the privilege of living in a democratic society and the benefits of implementing such a system far outweigh any costs in the long run. We must change the attitudes and behaviours of the Canadian people to view voting as a civic duty rather than an expendable right and the critical need for enhanced voter participation and equal liberties must be addressed immediately in order to guarantee our freedoms. We need a signal from the Canadian government that voting is still an important element of our democratic system, and compulsory voting is our most logical solution. Just my opinion…

Erin

Sources:
Elections Canada. 2006. Report of the chief electoral officer of Canada on the 39th general election of January 23, 2006. Ottawa: Elections Canada.

Harb, Mac. 2005. The case for mandatory voting in Canada. Canadian Parliamentary Review 28, (2) (Summer): 4-6.

Will the Next Great Leader Please Stand Up?

What makes a great leader? A desire to create change? Patience and persistence? Aspiration for unity?

Whatever it is, in my opinion, we have yet to see any of the qualities listed above in a Canadian prime minister in a long time…

This country requires stability but lacks any real leadership—at least among those holding the highest positions of power in Canada. Every four years roughly 50% Canadians trudge to the polls to choose the lesser of evils to run their country. Voting is boring. The promises are boring. The party leaders are boring. Ever wonder why Canadians pay more attention to American politics than they do their own? Because American party leaders are just that…leaders. They may not be the greatest role models *cough* Bush *cough*, but they at least take a stand on tough issues and inspire change in the American people.

During election time in Canada, parties simply “promote” themselves by criticizing other parties…“I may have done this wrong, but Jimmy did this and that was much worse.” When will this ridiculous game end?

Though I do not know a great deal about Pierre Trudeau, I have learned through this course and through biographies that he was a true leader. Trudeau was not afraid to express his genuine opinions and beliefs, and he was not afraid to handle the criticism from those who disagreed with him. Trudeau understood he would never be able to satisfy the needs of everyone, but he proposed ideas and took action, both of which he believed would transform Canada and help it become a truly notable nation.

Whether or not people agreed with all of Trudeau’s plans for change, he at least brought new ideas to the table and wasn’t afraid to defend them.

Canada needs a true leader, someone who will not only inspire change, but will also create it. Opinions?

Erin

The Dion Carbon Tax

I don’t know how I have been able to avoid this topic until now, as the mass media has been buzzing about it for more than a month, but I think it is time I get up to speed. There are a plethora of articles, news stories and radio shows discussing the outlooks and ramifications of the Dion Carbon Tax. I have researched numerous pieces and decided to focus on three key questions:

What is a carbon tax? What will it do? Do Canadians want this?

First, a little history and a brief explanation of a carbon tax. A carbon tax is an example of a Pigovian tax, created by British economist Arthur Pigou. When an activity has a negative social cost, Pigou argued that it “should be taxed because that provides an incentive to stop the social harm and move to more positive alternatives” (Carbon Taxes).

Liberal party leader, Stéphane Dion, wants to implement a tax on damaging fossil fuels in hopes of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change. The so-called “profits” from this tax jive with the idea that the “polluter pays” for green initiatives. So, is this a good thing? Should Canadians support this tax?

Many environmentalists have been advocating for a way to change industry and consumer behaviour to be more energy efficient. Therefore, they believe this tax will help Canada drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately comply with the requirements of the Kyoto protocol. An article written by Philippe Crabbé, an Economics professor at the University of Ottawa, lists various reasons why Canadians should adopt the Dion carbon tax; renowned economists support it and it is Dion’s response to a Conservative request for a way to cut greenhouse gases by 60-65 % in 2050, an international target.

On the other hand, the Conservative website refers to the tax as a “permanent new job-killing tax on gas, electricity and everything else that [consumers] buy.” In an article by CBC.ca, Harper says the tax will “screw everybody” and will “recklessly harm the economy and the economic position of every Canadian family.” Others who oppose the proposed carbon tax believe it would be the single largest tax hike in Canadian history and would only serve to provide Dion with the money his party so desperately needs.

Personally, I was initially against the tax because it meant higher prices for essential energy items—and I don’t know about the rest of you, but higher anything means more working hours! However, now that I have read both sides of the argument, I am in favour of the tax. Sure, money is a tough issue, but I would rather work a little harder and pay a little extra if it meant helping to create a healthier environment for our future generations.

Erin

Sources:

“Carbon taxes: Cash grab or climate saviour?” CBC.ca. 19 June 2008. CBC News. 29 June 2008 http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/18/f-carbon-tax.html.

“Dion Carbon Tax.” Conservative.ca. 20 May 2008. Conservative Party of Canada. 28 June 2008 http://www.conservative.ca/EN/2459/100134.

Crabbé, Philippe. “Dion's carbon tax plan is brilliant.” Ottawa Citizen. 29 June 2008. CanWest Publishing Inc. 29 June 2008 http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/letters/story.html?id=89991fa0-c406-4f33-930b-928a20529558.

“PM: Dion's carbon tax would 'screw everybody'.” CBC.ca. 20 June 2008. CBC News. 28 June 2008 http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/20/harper-carbon.html?ref=rss.