Tories are in contempt of Canadians
If democracy requires an informed citizenry, those citizens also require access to reliable information from multiple sources.
Democracy does not merely consist of casting a ballot. Deciding who to vote for requires a minimum level of political sophistication. This means information about the candidates should be available. During the last election, when candidates missed debates, they should have automatically been disqualified from candidacy. How can voters be informed otherwise? Don’t constituents deserve some respect?
Troubling during the last campaign was Mr. Harper’s arbitrary limit on how many questions he would answer. How is the country to engage with a potential governing party when, during its campaign, it avoids at all costs unscripted encounters with voters?
By not showing up to debates, candidates are abstaining from political engagement, they are publicly stating that public and political discourse are of no importance.
The Conservative government is in contempt of Parliament, a report by a committee of MPs tabled Monday concludes. The government’s failure to produce all documents requested, or to provide a satisfactory explanation for withholding them impedes the ability of MPs to carry out their duties, the report said, and the government is therefore in contempt.
If failing to provide vital information, impeding the meaningful operation of Parliament is considered contempt of Parliament, then the Conservative Party’s failure to engage constituents during election campaigns should be considered contempt of Canadians.
Min Reyes, New Westminster
COMMENTS
Let's keep comments:
We ask that all participants own their words by logging in with their Facebook account. It's a simple process that will take seconds and helps keep our comments free of trolls, cranks, and “drive-by” commenters.
We reserve the right to remove comments from anyone using screen names, pseudonyms or false identities. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.