A Little Democracy is a Dangerous Thing
Draft 1, 2005/05/25, Draft 2, 2006/11/23, Draft 3, 2006/11/24, Draft 4, 2006/11/26, Draft 5, 2006/11/29, Draft 6, 2006/12/01, Draft 7, 2007/01/08, Draft 8, 2007/01/12
By Brian Staples, 780-4668042, brianstaples@shaw.ca
The Dark Side. Does it really help…to light a winter candle?…softly comes a yes.
The May 23, 2005 “Looking Ahead” editorial page of The Edmonton Journal carried a cartoon showing Belinda Stronach going over to the dark side a la Star Wars. Unfortunately, the cartoonist got it wrong. All our political parties are under the influence of the dark side. Every aspiring democracy on the planet, with the possible exception of the Nordic countries, is plagued by financial scandals because public governance must heavily rely on private donations to finance political parties. Certainly in our own country, people who run for public office at all levels are all forced to raise private monies to finance their campaigns. No wonder we have had the Sponsorship scandal, and have had similar incidents throughout our history. The most current of such incidents was the proposed $5,000 a plate dinner to help pay the costs of our new Alberta Premier’s leadership campaign. Fortunately, the Premier had the wisdom to reverse that decision. In truth, we are all responsible for such scandals because, as a community, we have failed to publicly finance all aspects of our community governance, whatever the level of that governance.
What an ironic name for a scandal, the “Sponsorship” scandal. Who do we think sponsors the leadership campaigns of our would-be Premiers and Prime ministers, and the campaigns of our Members of Parliament, MLAs, Mayors, Councillors, School Boards members and so on? If our elected people are forced to seek out private sponsors, the private interests of those sponsors will always be a consideration of our elected community leaders, whatever the size of that community. The reliance on private sponsorship for filling the ranks of our public leadership councils or assemblies is a fatal flaw of our democratic system.
What, then, must we do? Surely we must first devise principles to become the basis of the actions needed to achieve democratic governance where the public interest predominates over private interests. We need public discussion on this matter that was almost totally ignored in the gnashing of teeth, and political finger pointing that preoccupied us as we fomented over the Sponsorship scandal. In 1938 the American thinker, Charles Ferguson, wrote a little book to encourage students at his university to form small groups for
discussion of political issues of the day. His thesis was that democracies do not work well without an informed and involved citizenry. His book was called, “A Little Democracy is a Dangerous Thing.” The sponsorship scandal can be a catalyst for democratic renewal in Canada. We need thoughtfulness, discussion, research, public involvement, and cross fertilization of ideas all directed toward making Canada a fully realized democracy, a country where a lot of democracy can be an inspiring thing.
Below are some thoughts, principles and practices for establishing public financing of public
governance and other democratic reforms. The central objective is creation of a truly effective and efficient democratic regime in the True North.
Principles. Waiting for the wind…to bring the scent of summer…foolish optimist.
1. Public Finance of Public Governance. All aspects of the public election and governance systems in Canada must be wholly financed by the public taxation regime of Canada. Citizens should contribute to the democratic process with their intellect, passion, time and energy, not with their financial wealth. Every one of us has equal value and that must not be dependent on wealth. If elected assemblies and governments in democracies are to be “of, for, and by the people,” then they must grant fully adequate public monies for the functioning of the political parties across the electoral spectrum which provide the membership of those assemblies. Otherwise, by definition, such governments are not “of, for and by the people.” An extremely important benefit will be the diminishing of the undue influence of the wealthy. The controlling influence of the wealthy (and, therefore, powerful) is among the greatest of weaknesses in democracies around the world. How can we have governance “of, for, and by the people,” when it is significantly financed by a small number of powerful people with their own vested interests in mind? We can not! (Much appreciation is extended to Mr. Chretien for his ground breaking $1.75 per vote cast legislation to finance Federal political parties. This paper calls for more holistic public funding for all levels of governance. )
2. Availability of the Full Political Spectrum. All reasonable political ideas on governance must be made available for consideration by the people during each public election in Canada. At the present time, the party or candidate that raised the most private money has all the advantage. We need fair elections where platforms of all political parties are given equal exposure.
3. Every Assembly Member Must Count. We must maximize the social and political impact of each elected Assembly member in Canada. At present this does not happen. We are not tolerant of the give and take needed in a democratic government that is the government of all the people. Our first past the post system gives the spoils to the winners. Power ends up in the hands of local Board or Council Chairs, the Prime Minister or Premiers and their Cabinets. Certainly at the senior levels of government, elected representatives are essentially window dressing unless they are in the Cabinet. All members of our assemblies must have significant influence in those assemblies. This influence must prevail whether majority or minority governments are in power.
4. Party Leadership Chosen by Nominated or Elected Candidates. In our system of responsible government, leadership people are frequently chosen by the broad party membership. Leadership campaigns are often riddled with bought votes of new members who have only a passing interest in the party. Leadership candidates seek out corporate or union support to finance their campaigns. Once in office, leaders are not responsive to their caucuses, but to their sponsors, thus depreciating the value of our elected assemblies. Leaders of democratically elected bodies should be elected by those bodies at the local level of governance. At the Provincial and Federal levels, Party leaders should be selected by nominated candidates of each party, and confirmed by those candidates that were successful in the following election. This will mean that those elected people will have a leader accountable to them. The idea is to disseminate political power rather than concentrate that power in the hands of the leader. In regard to the effects of concentrated power, Ed Checkland, the first chair of the governing council of Athabasca University, used to say, “Power makes you arrogant, and arrogance makes you stupid!”
5. Proportionality. As someone who is native to Alberta, I have never had the privilege of voting for a candidate who was on the government side. Only two parties have been in power during all that time, fast approaching seventy years. Most governing parties are elected by forty to fifty percent of the voters and about fifty to sixty percent of those eligible actually vote. So, a minority of voters elects a majority government which acts as if it were elected by a majority of voters! It implements a policy supported by only a minority of the population. But democratic governments should govern in the interests of all the people. We need, I believe, a form of proportional representation in our governments, particularly at the Provincial and Federal levels.
6. No Third Party Financing . If, during our elections, all citizens were to receive a single
document containing the election platforms of each party or each candidate at the local level , it should not be necessary to have campaigns within campaigns on special or third party issues such as pregnancy termination or same gender marriage. Such single issues are too often used to blackmail candidates to adopt a third party issue at the expense of the overall platform. Third party, single or special interest issue matters can be raised in the policy committees of the political parties, in the press and media, at all candidate forums, or in letters to the editor, etc. However, third party financing of special interest issues should not be permitted to skew the results of voting for candidates or their party platforms. Such special interests often have a particular religious bias. Religion should play no role in public governance of fully realized democratic societies which value freedom of religion, but also, freedom from religion.
7. Standard Electoral Periods. In our system of responsible governance, when a governing party is defeated on a matter of substance, we have elections. Such shortened term elections weaken the motivation to compromise by all parties in our assemblies to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of citizens. We need term certain election periods. With the defeat of an incumbent government, the Governor General or Lieutenant Governors should ask other combinations of parties to form the government to attempt to finish the term. Only after two such attempts have failed should a mid-term election be held. This provision should become a mandatory aspect of responsible government in Canada, rather than be a discretionary decision of the Governor General or Lieutenant Governors. Within minority governments, this will provide motivation for compromise with other political perspectives to pass legislation that meets the needs of larger sections of the population.
8. Best Practices Elections. How many election forums have you been to where the leading party does not have a candidate present? What an insult to the electorate! How many TV ads have you watched that are from the party in power. Where are alternative views? Why is it some candidates have money for signs, handouts, advertising, organizers, while others do not. Are good ideas the prerogative of the incumbent parties only? I think not. True democracy will only flourish and inspire people where a wide variety of ideas and initiatives are judged on their merit, having been clearly communicated to the people. This is not now the case in our country. We can, and must, do better! The Canadian public needs to be fully aware of the best practices in democratic governance used around the world. And, on a continuing basis, we need to incorporate, upgrade and be inventive of such practices.
9. Post Service Public Protection. The public interest must be paramount in the actions of elected members of our legislative assemblies during and after their terms of service in those assemblies. Provisions are needed to encourage elected members to put that public interest ahead of the influence of private or special interests. These provisions must go beyond the current practices of disclosure and divesting of conflicting financial investments, and banning conflicting corporate or other involvement in activities for short terms once public office holding is concluded. It is recommended that all elected officials be provided with fully adequate public pensions based on length of public service. A proviso would be that once those elected officials leave office, they are not allowed to collect these pensions if it can be demonstrated they have used their public positions for their own gain during their service and for a term certain period of at least five years after their public service. An effective system for identifying professional lobbyists is also required.
10. Gender Equity. The most telling indicator of the civility of a country, province, religion, or organization is how women are treated therein. Canada has many kilometres to go in ensuring equity for women in regard to its governance systems. While women are in a majority, the number of elected women at the provincial and federal levels is less than one third of the memberships in our houses of assembly. We do much better at the local levels of governance. We must ensure gender parity.
Goal and Governance of EDG Canada. You mean one robin…really does a spring time make…crazed idealist
To make workable these kinds of ideas for a lot of democracy that inspires the public, some form of mechanism is essential.
I believe we should build on the institution we now call Elections Canada. Elections Canada’s mandate will need to be expanded. I will refer to this new version as Elections and Democratic Governance Canada (EDG Canada).
The goal of EDG Canada should be to ensure that we have the most effective and efficient forms of democratic elections and governance possible in Canada based on the principles cited above. Under an Act of the Parliament of Canada, EDG Canada should be governed by a council of at least two hundred Canadians selected by a stratified, random sample of willing citizens chosen from all provinces and territories in proportion to their populations. Half should be men and half women. Terms for each member should be substantial, say five years, but they should be staggered. This size of council is needed to ensure the council is truly representative of Canadians in an organization that determines the very essence of democracy in our country over time.
EDG Canada should make extensive use of subcommittees and of electronic communication among its council members to reduce travel for ecological reasons and to be as fiscally prudent as possible without jeopardizing cohesiveness among its members. The executive officer and staff of EDG Canada should be accountable to this governing council. EDG Canada must be arm’s-length from the Government of Canada. The functioning of EDG Canada should be open to audit by the Auditor General of Canada.
Functions. Not yet a cynic…by the time the autumn comes…hopeless romantic.
EDG Canada would have four functions:
1. Democratic Finance. EDG Canada would be responsible for development of a system that publicly and exclusively finances all political parties and elections at the Federal and Provincial levels in Canada. In that regard it should determine criteria, based on sound democratic principles, to determine what qualifies a prospective political party to be eligible for such public finance. These criteria should also be developed for prospective political parties, where they exist, at the local level of governance. Individual candidates for election at the local level would also have their campaign and operational costs covered by EDG Canada.
2. Conducting Elections. EDG Canada should be solely responsible for administration of all elections in Canada at all levels. They, for example, would be responsible for printing and distributing to each elector comparative platforms for all parties and candidates, based on party and candidate preferences. In regard to the foregoing, each party and /or candidate would be given equitable space for their publications. EDG Canada would arrange all forums and debates appropriate for each election. It would be a requirement that each candidate be present for such events, unless there are extenuating circumstances. EDG Canada would fairly and equitably finance and arrange all media exposure for candidates at all levels of governance based on content preferences of the candidates. Candidates and Parties would be free to arrange for volunteers to do as much door to door, telephone, and electronic campaigning as they determine is desirable and feasible.
3. Democratic Policy and Auditing. Once established with the mandated powers as suggested above, the EDG Canada should also be advisory to all levels of government with recommendations on democratic governance policy, processes, finance and institutions. A number one priority must be gender equity in our elected assemblies federally and provincially. As an example, equity could easily be attainted by having electors vote for two candidates of their choice in each riding, one man and one woman.
4. EDG Canada should have fully adequate funding for effectively communicating their recommendations to Canadians. Governments which are the target of advice from EDG Canada should be compelled to respond publicly and promptly to the advice they have received from EDG Canada. EDG Canada should also be mandated to do extensive research on democratic methodology and other domains that can make democracy work in the interests of all Canadians. This research should be broad in scope, going beyond the conventional governmental focus to include such areas as democracy in the workplace and in our homes and families. If we do not practice the principles and processes of democracy and shared decision making in our everyday lives, we can hardly expect democracy to be exceptional in our governing processes.
EDG Canada should have the power to audit the existing democratic functioning of all levels of government in Canada, and make public the results of such audits. EDG Canada should recommend conflict of interest guidelines to all elected bodies and audit the effectiveness of such legislation once in effect.
5. Democratic Education. EDG Canada should be charged with a role of educating Canadians about democracy in all its facets. This should be done in a collaborative way with educational institutions and agencies of all kinds right across Canada. Charles Ferguson was right. A little democracy is a dangerous thing. We Canadians are not well enough informed about the issues and intricacies of governance in our country. None of this kind of change can work without the type of education available to all Canadians that Dr. Ferguson proposed for his university’s students in 1938 in his book, A Little Democracy….
Feasibility. There will come a time…when each bud of the spring can …no longer be still.
In regard to the feasibility of establishing EDG Canada, it could be established through the financial power of the Federal Government. They could set up EDG Canada by law for Federal elections and make benefits optional for Provincial and Local governments and/or candidates to receive monies for campaigns, party operations and so on. This is not unlike what happens in Federal elections in the USA were candidates can opt to take Federal “clean” money for campaign expenses if they pledge not to take any private donations.
An argument can be made that such a large organization as EDG Canada would be a bureaucratic nightmare. In this context, “bureaucratic” is a pejorative term. The idea that government and bureaucracy are, by definition, bad, implies that government should not be “of, for and by the people.” Government should be the arm of the community. If it is not performing in that way, such a government should be voted out of office. Under Principle 1, Public Finance of Public Governance, is the observation that every one of us has equal value. Further, none of us has earned the genetic makeup that can give genetically lucky people advantages. And, the wealth of the market place is dependent on there be being many people active in that market place, in other words, that there be a community to make the market place work. It is totally desirable and feasible for a government (community) organization like EDG Canada to be a vital force for the community good, and, furthermore, to be a model of democracy in its own work place.
In darkest winter…after the ultimate no…there will come a yes.
Brian Staples is a former Mayor and School Trustee (Devon, Alberta). He has been an army officer, teacher, Superintendent of Schools and public official responsible for the development of Alberta's Further Education Councils and Designated Community Schools. Staples is retired and Chair of an Edmonton social action group called SALT, made up of seniors. He will take anyone sailing at any time.
Draft 1, 2005/05/25, Draft 2, 2006/11/23, Draft 3, 2006/11/24, Draft 4, 2006/11/26, Draft 5, 2006/11/29, Draft 6, 2006/12/01, Draft 7, 2007/01/08, Draft 8, 2007/01/12
By Brian Staples, 780-4668042, brianstaples@shaw.ca
The Dark Side. Does it really help…to light a winter candle?…softly comes a yes.
The May 23, 2005 “Looking Ahead” editorial page of The Edmonton Journal carried a cartoon showing Belinda Stronach going over to the dark side a la Star Wars. Unfortunately, the cartoonist got it wrong. All our political parties are under the influence of the dark side. Every aspiring democracy on the planet, with the possible exception of the Nordic countries, is plagued by financial scandals because public governance must heavily rely on private donations to finance political parties. Certainly in our own country, people who run for public office at all levels are all forced to raise private monies to finance their campaigns. No wonder we have had the Sponsorship scandal, and have had similar incidents throughout our history. The most current of such incidents was the proposed $5,000 a plate dinner to help pay the costs of our new Alberta Premier’s leadership campaign. Fortunately, the Premier had the wisdom to reverse that decision. In truth, we are all responsible for such scandals because, as a community, we have failed to publicly finance all aspects of our community governance, whatever the level of that governance.
What an ironic name for a scandal, the “Sponsorship” scandal. Who do we think sponsors the leadership campaigns of our would-be Premiers and Prime ministers, and the campaigns of our Members of Parliament, MLAs, Mayors, Councillors, School Boards members and so on? If our elected people are forced to seek out private sponsors, the private interests of those sponsors will always be a consideration of our elected community leaders, whatever the size of that community. The reliance on private sponsorship for filling the ranks of our public leadership councils or assemblies is a fatal flaw of our democratic system.
What, then, must we do? Surely we must first devise principles to become the basis of the actions needed to achieve democratic governance where the public interest predominates over private interests. We need public discussion on this matter that was almost totally ignored in the gnashing of teeth, and political finger pointing that preoccupied us as we fomented over the Sponsorship scandal. In 1938 the American thinker, Charles Ferguson, wrote a little book to encourage students at his university to form small groups for
discussion of political issues of the day. His thesis was that democracies do not work well without an informed and involved citizenry. His book was called, “A Little Democracy is a Dangerous Thing.” The sponsorship scandal can be a catalyst for democratic renewal in Canada. We need thoughtfulness, discussion, research, public involvement, and cross fertilization of ideas all directed toward making Canada a fully realized democracy, a country where a lot of democracy can be an inspiring thing.
Below are some thoughts, principles and practices for establishing public financing of public
governance and other democratic reforms. The central objective is creation of a truly effective and efficient democratic regime in the True North.
Principles. Waiting for the wind…to bring the scent of summer…foolish optimist.
1. Public Finance of Public Governance. All aspects of the public election and governance systems in Canada must be wholly financed by the public taxation regime of Canada. Citizens should contribute to the democratic process with their intellect, passion, time and energy, not with their financial wealth. Every one of us has equal value and that must not be dependent on wealth. If elected assemblies and governments in democracies are to be “of, for, and by the people,” then they must grant fully adequate public monies for the functioning of the political parties across the electoral spectrum which provide the membership of those assemblies. Otherwise, by definition, such governments are not “of, for and by the people.” An extremely important benefit will be the diminishing of the undue influence of the wealthy. The controlling influence of the wealthy (and, therefore, powerful) is among the greatest of weaknesses in democracies around the world. How can we have governance “of, for, and by the people,” when it is significantly financed by a small number of powerful people with their own vested interests in mind? We can not! (Much appreciation is extended to Mr. Chretien for his ground breaking $1.75 per vote cast legislation to finance Federal political parties. This paper calls for more holistic public funding for all levels of governance. )
2. Availability of the Full Political Spectrum. All reasonable political ideas on governance must be made available for consideration by the people during each public election in Canada. At the present time, the party or candidate that raised the most private money has all the advantage. We need fair elections where platforms of all political parties are given equal exposure.
3. Every Assembly Member Must Count. We must maximize the social and political impact of each elected Assembly member in Canada. At present this does not happen. We are not tolerant of the give and take needed in a democratic government that is the government of all the people. Our first past the post system gives the spoils to the winners. Power ends up in the hands of local Board or Council Chairs, the Prime Minister or Premiers and their Cabinets. Certainly at the senior levels of government, elected representatives are essentially window dressing unless they are in the Cabinet. All members of our assemblies must have significant influence in those assemblies. This influence must prevail whether majority or minority governments are in power.
4. Party Leadership Chosen by Nominated or Elected Candidates. In our system of responsible government, leadership people are frequently chosen by the broad party membership. Leadership campaigns are often riddled with bought votes of new members who have only a passing interest in the party. Leadership candidates seek out corporate or union support to finance their campaigns. Once in office, leaders are not responsive to their caucuses, but to their sponsors, thus depreciating the value of our elected assemblies. Leaders of democratically elected bodies should be elected by those bodies at the local level of governance. At the Provincial and Federal levels, Party leaders should be selected by nominated candidates of each party, and confirmed by those candidates that were successful in the following election. This will mean that those elected people will have a leader accountable to them. The idea is to disseminate political power rather than concentrate that power in the hands of the leader. In regard to the effects of concentrated power, Ed Checkland, the first chair of the governing council of Athabasca University, used to say, “Power makes you arrogant, and arrogance makes you stupid!”
5. Proportionality. As someone who is native to Alberta, I have never had the privilege of voting for a candidate who was on the government side. Only two parties have been in power during all that time, fast approaching seventy years. Most governing parties are elected by forty to fifty percent of the voters and about fifty to sixty percent of those eligible actually vote. So, a minority of voters elects a majority government which acts as if it were elected by a majority of voters! It implements a policy supported by only a minority of the population. But democratic governments should govern in the interests of all the people. We need, I believe, a form of proportional representation in our governments, particularly at the Provincial and Federal levels.
6. No Third Party Financing . If, during our elections, all citizens were to receive a single
document containing the election platforms of each party or each candidate at the local level , it should not be necessary to have campaigns within campaigns on special or third party issues such as pregnancy termination or same gender marriage. Such single issues are too often used to blackmail candidates to adopt a third party issue at the expense of the overall platform. Third party, single or special interest issue matters can be raised in the policy committees of the political parties, in the press and media, at all candidate forums, or in letters to the editor, etc. However, third party financing of special interest issues should not be permitted to skew the results of voting for candidates or their party platforms. Such special interests often have a particular religious bias. Religion should play no role in public governance of fully realized democratic societies which value freedom of religion, but also, freedom from religion.
7. Standard Electoral Periods. In our system of responsible governance, when a governing party is defeated on a matter of substance, we have elections. Such shortened term elections weaken the motivation to compromise by all parties in our assemblies to achieve the greatest good for the greatest number of citizens. We need term certain election periods. With the defeat of an incumbent government, the Governor General or Lieutenant Governors should ask other combinations of parties to form the government to attempt to finish the term. Only after two such attempts have failed should a mid-term election be held. This provision should become a mandatory aspect of responsible government in Canada, rather than be a discretionary decision of the Governor General or Lieutenant Governors. Within minority governments, this will provide motivation for compromise with other political perspectives to pass legislation that meets the needs of larger sections of the population.
8. Best Practices Elections. How many election forums have you been to where the leading party does not have a candidate present? What an insult to the electorate! How many TV ads have you watched that are from the party in power. Where are alternative views? Why is it some candidates have money for signs, handouts, advertising, organizers, while others do not. Are good ideas the prerogative of the incumbent parties only? I think not. True democracy will only flourish and inspire people where a wide variety of ideas and initiatives are judged on their merit, having been clearly communicated to the people. This is not now the case in our country. We can, and must, do better! The Canadian public needs to be fully aware of the best practices in democratic governance used around the world. And, on a continuing basis, we need to incorporate, upgrade and be inventive of such practices.
9. Post Service Public Protection. The public interest must be paramount in the actions of elected members of our legislative assemblies during and after their terms of service in those assemblies. Provisions are needed to encourage elected members to put that public interest ahead of the influence of private or special interests. These provisions must go beyond the current practices of disclosure and divesting of conflicting financial investments, and banning conflicting corporate or other involvement in activities for short terms once public office holding is concluded. It is recommended that all elected officials be provided with fully adequate public pensions based on length of public service. A proviso would be that once those elected officials leave office, they are not allowed to collect these pensions if it can be demonstrated they have used their public positions for their own gain during their service and for a term certain period of at least five years after their public service. An effective system for identifying professional lobbyists is also required.
10. Gender Equity. The most telling indicator of the civility of a country, province, religion, or organization is how women are treated therein. Canada has many kilometres to go in ensuring equity for women in regard to its governance systems. While women are in a majority, the number of elected women at the provincial and federal levels is less than one third of the memberships in our houses of assembly. We do much better at the local levels of governance. We must ensure gender parity.
Goal and Governance of EDG Canada. You mean one robin…really does a spring time make…crazed idealist
To make workable these kinds of ideas for a lot of democracy that inspires the public, some form of mechanism is essential.
I believe we should build on the institution we now call Elections Canada. Elections Canada’s mandate will need to be expanded. I will refer to this new version as Elections and Democratic Governance Canada (EDG Canada).
The goal of EDG Canada should be to ensure that we have the most effective and efficient forms of democratic elections and governance possible in Canada based on the principles cited above. Under an Act of the Parliament of Canada, EDG Canada should be governed by a council of at least two hundred Canadians selected by a stratified, random sample of willing citizens chosen from all provinces and territories in proportion to their populations. Half should be men and half women. Terms for each member should be substantial, say five years, but they should be staggered. This size of council is needed to ensure the council is truly representative of Canadians in an organization that determines the very essence of democracy in our country over time.
EDG Canada should make extensive use of subcommittees and of electronic communication among its council members to reduce travel for ecological reasons and to be as fiscally prudent as possible without jeopardizing cohesiveness among its members. The executive officer and staff of EDG Canada should be accountable to this governing council. EDG Canada must be arm’s-length from the Government of Canada. The functioning of EDG Canada should be open to audit by the Auditor General of Canada.
Functions. Not yet a cynic…by the time the autumn comes…hopeless romantic.
EDG Canada would have four functions:
1. Democratic Finance. EDG Canada would be responsible for development of a system that publicly and exclusively finances all political parties and elections at the Federal and Provincial levels in Canada. In that regard it should determine criteria, based on sound democratic principles, to determine what qualifies a prospective political party to be eligible for such public finance. These criteria should also be developed for prospective political parties, where they exist, at the local level of governance. Individual candidates for election at the local level would also have their campaign and operational costs covered by EDG Canada.
2. Conducting Elections. EDG Canada should be solely responsible for administration of all elections in Canada at all levels. They, for example, would be responsible for printing and distributing to each elector comparative platforms for all parties and candidates, based on party and candidate preferences. In regard to the foregoing, each party and /or candidate would be given equitable space for their publications. EDG Canada would arrange all forums and debates appropriate for each election. It would be a requirement that each candidate be present for such events, unless there are extenuating circumstances. EDG Canada would fairly and equitably finance and arrange all media exposure for candidates at all levels of governance based on content preferences of the candidates. Candidates and Parties would be free to arrange for volunteers to do as much door to door, telephone, and electronic campaigning as they determine is desirable and feasible.
3. Democratic Policy and Auditing. Once established with the mandated powers as suggested above, the EDG Canada should also be advisory to all levels of government with recommendations on democratic governance policy, processes, finance and institutions. A number one priority must be gender equity in our elected assemblies federally and provincially. As an example, equity could easily be attainted by having electors vote for two candidates of their choice in each riding, one man and one woman.
4. EDG Canada should have fully adequate funding for effectively communicating their recommendations to Canadians. Governments which are the target of advice from EDG Canada should be compelled to respond publicly and promptly to the advice they have received from EDG Canada. EDG Canada should also be mandated to do extensive research on democratic methodology and other domains that can make democracy work in the interests of all Canadians. This research should be broad in scope, going beyond the conventional governmental focus to include such areas as democracy in the workplace and in our homes and families. If we do not practice the principles and processes of democracy and shared decision making in our everyday lives, we can hardly expect democracy to be exceptional in our governing processes.
EDG Canada should have the power to audit the existing democratic functioning of all levels of government in Canada, and make public the results of such audits. EDG Canada should recommend conflict of interest guidelines to all elected bodies and audit the effectiveness of such legislation once in effect.
5. Democratic Education. EDG Canada should be charged with a role of educating Canadians about democracy in all its facets. This should be done in a collaborative way with educational institutions and agencies of all kinds right across Canada. Charles Ferguson was right. A little democracy is a dangerous thing. We Canadians are not well enough informed about the issues and intricacies of governance in our country. None of this kind of change can work without the type of education available to all Canadians that Dr. Ferguson proposed for his university’s students in 1938 in his book, A Little Democracy….
Feasibility. There will come a time…when each bud of the spring can …no longer be still.
In regard to the feasibility of establishing EDG Canada, it could be established through the financial power of the Federal Government. They could set up EDG Canada by law for Federal elections and make benefits optional for Provincial and Local governments and/or candidates to receive monies for campaigns, party operations and so on. This is not unlike what happens in Federal elections in the USA were candidates can opt to take Federal “clean” money for campaign expenses if they pledge not to take any private donations.
An argument can be made that such a large organization as EDG Canada would be a bureaucratic nightmare. In this context, “bureaucratic” is a pejorative term. The idea that government and bureaucracy are, by definition, bad, implies that government should not be “of, for and by the people.” Government should be the arm of the community. If it is not performing in that way, such a government should be voted out of office. Under Principle 1, Public Finance of Public Governance, is the observation that every one of us has equal value. Further, none of us has earned the genetic makeup that can give genetically lucky people advantages. And, the wealth of the market place is dependent on there be being many people active in that market place, in other words, that there be a community to make the market place work. It is totally desirable and feasible for a government (community) organization like EDG Canada to be a vital force for the community good, and, furthermore, to be a model of democracy in its own work place.
In darkest winter…after the ultimate no…there will come a yes.
Brian Staples is a former Mayor and School Trustee (Devon, Alberta). He has been an army officer, teacher, Superintendent of Schools and public official responsible for the development of Alberta's Further Education Councils and Designated Community Schools. Staples is retired and Chair of an Edmonton social action group called SALT, made up of seniors. He will take anyone sailing at any time.
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