Making a difference

In discussion with a couple of friends last night, the question came up of what can regular Canadian citizens do if we are unhappy with what the Harper government is doing?  They have a "strong, stable, blah, blah" majority. They can do what ever they want.  The opposition MPs can't do anything about it except stall legislation and try to influence public opinion. This leaves the approximately 60% of voters who did not vote Conservative feeling pretty helpless. It adds to the sense that our democracy is broken. I came up with a short list of strategies for people who are frustrated with the sense that the country is going off the rails under the current administration.  They do have a majority and so can pass whatever legislation they want. But unless they plan on drastically changing the Elections Canada Act, they are going to be somewhat sensitive to public opinion. And this sensitivity will increase the closer we get to 2015 when they are supposed to call another election. People who are concerned about the direction the CPC is taking our country have several actions they can take. These are on my FaceBook wall but I have decided to repost them here (with some additional thoughts) for those who may not have seen them on Face Book.

‎1) Educate yourself. Pay attention to what is going on in parliament (and behind the scenes - things have happened lately without going through the house of commons). Know what the government is doing and how the opposition parties are responding. Try to understand the implications of new legislation, both immediate and into the future.  Watch CPAC (the Canadian Parliament televised coverage) once in awhile.  Question Period or debates on specific bills are the most interesting usually, and it gives a sense of the personalities and behaviours at work in our capitol.

‎2) Talk to others about your concerns. Initiate discussion on the issues. I know, religion and politics, the two things not to discuss in polite society.... I'm not saying stand on a street corner yelling, or going on at people every time you have a chance to speak. But if a topic comes up in conversation, seize the opportunity to spread a bit of the insight you gained by educating yourself and paying attention. There are so many changes in legislation looming, there are lots of openings. Retirement, gas prices, going to a national park, boating, using a library, anything to do with arts or science in Canada... the list goes on and on.

3) Educate others. Post your thoughts on FB, Google+, Twitter. Start a blog. :) Like I did. Write letters to the editor of your local paper expressing your views on current issues.  Your letter is most likely to be printed if the issue affects a significant number of people in your area (or affects your region specifically, as in pipelines in BC or EI changes in the Maritimes), if it is not too long and gets to the point quickly, if it does not contain profanity or anything libellous (in other words, attack the problem, not the person and do not use defamatory language), and if it offers an alternative to the current approach.  Likewise, call in to radio shows on the subject you are interested in.  The CBC has Cross-Country Check-up every Sunday afternoon and a local noon-hour call-in show in most regions.  Other stations have them too.  It is a good way to get your thoughts out there.  Just try to be calm and think ahead about what you are going to say.  Your message is much more effective if you are not stuttering and tripping over your words. It's not a bad idea to jot down a note or two with the core of what you want to get across before you pick up the phone. In most cases when you call in you will speak to a producer first.  Their job is to weed out the crazies, so don't be one.  You will be asked what you want to say.  Be brief but clear on what your point or question is.  Then you will be put on hold. You will hear the radio show through your phone (so turn your radio down or off to avoid feedback). This is the time to finalize in your mind what you want to say, collect yourself, take a few deep breaths, etc. When you do get on air, don't panic, don't rush through your words, just speak at a normal pace and tone.

4) Get more involved. Sign petitions - the online petition against the internet surveillance bill got the attention of the government and caused changes. I will try to provide information about current petitions in future blog posts. Write directly to your MP. If your MP is either Liberal or NDP, you can ask questions about issues (which they may use in question period in the House, it happens), express your concern, encourage them to fight various government activities. If your MP is CPC, again, ask questions, express concern, indicate that the government stance on whatever issue is in question does not reflect your opinion. Ask them, as a constituent, whether they intend to represent their constituency or toe the party line. MPs (and all elected officials) often forget that they work for us. We pay their salaries with our taxes. They are supposed to represent our interests and be our voices in Ottawa. They often do not seem to do that. Especially just now when CPC MPs seem to be on a very short leash. But David Wilks is right, even though he rapidly retracted his statements. If enough government MPs can be convinced to vote against the government on a confidence matter (such as a budget bill) the government will fall. Such a thing seems very unlikely in the face of the control the PM seems to hold over MPs. However, the chance is there and there are cracks appearing - David Wilks, Stephen Woodworth...backbench MPs are starting to show a bit of discomfort with the status quo. Open a dialogue with your MP about issues that matter to you. Our MP is Ted Menzies and I have only ever got form letters back, form letters that indicate my original letter was not even read. It's a bit like question period, where the government answers questions with whatever it feels like saying, often with no relationship to the subject of the question. However, if enough people keep telling the MPs how we want to be represented, maybe some of them will start to listen. You can find out who your MP is by using this link: Find your MP by your postal code  


Contact information for MPs is here:   Contact your MP    

5) Participate. If there is an issue that particularly impacts you, get involved in any protests that might be happening around that issue. I am not saying go out and riot. But we do have the right to peaceful protest. Protests can take a lot of forms including wearing a certain colour or ribbon, boycotting a company or service, bombarding an office with communications (letter writing campaign), making a topic trend on Twitter (e.g. #tellViceverything), or attending a rally or march. What protests do, primarily, is raise the public awareness of the issue. They can also create a nuisance or embarrassment for the target which can, sometimes, change the behaviour being protested. I will try to comment in future posts on any notable protests that are going on.

6) Vote! Assuming the CPC does not repeal the Elections Act and there is another election in 2015 (or sooner), get out and cast your ballot.  Encourage others to do the same.  Volunteer in a constituency office if you have the time. Drive others to the polls. Put up a yard sign. Go to a rally. Explain to the young people in your life how important it is that they vote.  It is a civic responsibility.  Plus, if you don't vote, you don't really get to complain, do you?

That is what I came up with as strategies for influencing government policy. I would love to hear what others might suggest.