- The Harper Con-undrum raises a very good question: "Why don't we have Recall legislation Federally!"

Submitted: 10:23, PDT, 24 Oct.'10 CBC News
Campbell to focus on economy, HST in TV speech, CBC News, October 23, 2010
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/10/23/bc-campbell-tv-speech.html

It seems to me no coincidence that Campbell is going on TV now when the beginning of the Recall efforts starts 15 November. Where, in the ridging chosen, the proponents must get 40% of the voters signing the petition within 60 days of it being issued ( I think, Recall and Initiative Act)

The Recall legislation is a great innovation in Democracy and addresses two concerns - the government brings in major policies that they didn't campaign on and, the government conducts itself in a fashion that is contrary to the public good.

Campbell and the BC-Liberals are being assailed for both - introducing the HST mere weeks after an election in which this was not one of their election planks. Also, after Vander Zalm's Herculean efforts with the very successful petition, which the BC-Liberals ought to have taken as a hint, Campbell agreed to a referendum but then pushed it off for a year, something which many people might argue is not in the public good.

Obviously Campbell's strategy is to weather the storm and by the next election everyone will have resigned themselves to the HST. And, the longer a policy like the HST is in place the harder it is to reverse it.

This 'loop-hole' in our style of Democracy is exactly what the Recall and Initiative Act is intended to address.

The HST was promoted by Stephen Harper and the Federal Con's in order to claw back some of the 12 billion a year they so partizanly, and not-rightly, cut from the budget when they reduced the GST two points.

When you consider that the BC-Liberals are really Con's at the Provincial level and not a true 'Liberal' Party, it was no surprise Campbell agreed (the Ontario Liberals, a true 'Liberal' party on the other hand were simply bought off with 3 billion dollars - these payments Flaherty is now blaming for the excessively huge Federal deficit).

Given that there were apparently internal government report(s) on the HST issue before the election it is not hard to imagine that there are many people in BC that feel Campbell had this hidden agenda and did want to announce it during the election because he simply didn't want to lose it.

All I can say is 'Here, Here for Democracy!"

Now let's recall Stephen Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada.

The Harper Con-undrum raises a very good question: "Why don't we have Recall legislation Federally!"

Perhaps a private member's bill introduced by the Opposition.

Now that would be apropos.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html