Andrew Coyne’s latest piece laments the increasing deterioration of democratic norms and contempt for both individual rights and parliament in both federal and provincial governments. While parts of it have already been covered or are well-trodden ground, such as C-15’s exemptions, omnibus bills or the increasing use of the notwithstanding clause, other parts of his article cover less slightly less well covered ground. Such as the federal bill C-5, which like C-15, grants ministers a “Henry the VIII” like clause to exempt certain projects from all regulatory requirements.
But Coyne’s criticisms are not just aimed at the federal government either. He lists the Albertan government’s increasing use of the notwithstanding clause, the BC Conservative Party’s leadership crisis and the rising Parti Quebecois who will gain a majority with just a fraction of the popular vote as further proof of this deteriorating democratic situation. As Coyne ends his opinion piece with:
>MPs unable to hold their leader to account. Parliament prevented from properly scrutinizing legislation. The Charter neutered, and the courts muzzled, for nakedly partisan purposes. And a wildly unrepresentative electoral system that is hurtling the country toward another unity crisis – or rather two.
I, just in my humble opinion, think he’s rather right and we’re probably heading towards trouble democratically.
!ping Can&Democracy
quiplaam on
The notwithstanding clause is the most hilarious dumb constitutional article. “You can’t violate citizens rights, unless you really want to”
JoyofCookies on
I’ll be very honest that there’s a lot of people on this sub who will clown Canadian political institutions for not delivering change / results fast enough, while at the same time clutching their pearls over the executive having ‘too much authority’
Every time the Liberals provide themselves with the ability to get around slow, inefficient processes by providing their ministers with additional powers, it seems to be accompanied with “Well, I don’t trust the Liberals to make the right decision because they’re the Liberals”, and then turning around and acting shocked, *shocked* that things aren’t moving fast enough.
Underlying all of these concerns about Liberal ministers having expanded powers to actually get things done is honestly to me sour grapes from Tory partisan over the fact that the Conservatives spectacularly managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory to the point their own leader lost his own seat and find themselves in opposition for the fourth election in a row.
The country is in a mood to build things and move quickly, and Tories only being comfortable with the mechanisms for doing that being place when it’s Team Blue at the helm just shows to me how these concerns are grounded in partisanship and wanting the Liberals to fail, rather than a genuine concern about democratic backsliding in this country.
5 Comments
Sooo whats the takeaway
Newsstream link: [https://www.proquest.com/canadiannews/docview/3280898031/64DB1E617E6544C0PQ/](https://www.proquest.com/canadiannews/docview/3280898031/64DB1E617E6544C0PQ/).
Andrew Coyne’s latest piece laments the increasing deterioration of democratic norms and contempt for both individual rights and parliament in both federal and provincial governments. While parts of it have already been covered or are well-trodden ground, such as C-15’s exemptions, omnibus bills or the increasing use of the notwithstanding clause, other parts of his article cover less slightly less well covered ground. Such as the federal bill C-5, which like C-15, grants ministers a “Henry the VIII” like clause to exempt certain projects from all regulatory requirements.
But Coyne’s criticisms are not just aimed at the federal government either. He lists the Albertan government’s increasing use of the notwithstanding clause, the BC Conservative Party’s leadership crisis and the rising Parti Quebecois who will gain a majority with just a fraction of the popular vote as further proof of this deteriorating democratic situation. As Coyne ends his opinion piece with:
>MPs unable to hold their leader to account. Parliament prevented from properly scrutinizing legislation. The Charter neutered, and the courts muzzled, for nakedly partisan purposes. And a wildly unrepresentative electoral system that is hurtling the country toward another unity crisis – or rather two.
I, just in my humble opinion, think he’s rather right and we’re probably heading towards trouble democratically.
!ping Can&Democracy
The notwithstanding clause is the most hilarious dumb constitutional article. “You can’t violate citizens rights, unless you really want to”
I’ll be very honest that there’s a lot of people on this sub who will clown Canadian political institutions for not delivering change / results fast enough, while at the same time clutching their pearls over the executive having ‘too much authority’
Every time the Liberals provide themselves with the ability to get around slow, inefficient processes by providing their ministers with additional powers, it seems to be accompanied with “Well, I don’t trust the Liberals to make the right decision because they’re the Liberals”, and then turning around and acting shocked, *shocked* that things aren’t moving fast enough.
Underlying all of these concerns about Liberal ministers having expanded powers to actually get things done is honestly to me sour grapes from Tory partisan over the fact that the Conservatives spectacularly managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory to the point their own leader lost his own seat and find themselves in opposition for the fourth election in a row.
The country is in a mood to build things and move quickly, and Tories only being comfortable with the mechanisms for doing that being place when it’s Team Blue at the helm just shows to me how these concerns are grounded in partisanship and wanting the Liberals to fail, rather than a genuine concern about democratic backsliding in this country.
Archive link for the unwashed masses: https://archive.is/25B0Y