CKNW Editorial
for April 28, 2000

OK, Mr Tom Long, you pulled off the best PR coup of the century and had the media of the country eating out of your hand. And here you are, without so much as experience on a Library Board, seeking to lead a party and become Prime Minister of the country.

Mr Long, unlike the Liberal Party,you need the votes in British Columbia. While Ontario indeed presents the biggest potential prize, British Columbia is the back bone of your Party going into the next election.

I assume that we’ll be meeting in the weeks ahead and I want you to answer some no BS questions for us and I’m quite happy to let you have them in advance.

Are you going to give us a lecture on morality? Will you set your hair on fire over gay rights? In short are you going to kiss the backsides of the Christian Right? Are you like your colleague the Member from Cowichan who believes that feminism caused homosexuality and that there is no need to be concerned about mental health in Canada. I called him a half wit to the consternation of his parishioners but, sir, it is this that has many wondering about the relationship of your new party to reality.

Now before I get to the next set of questions, Mr Long, don’t make the same mistake that Mr Manning and Mr Day have made and assume that British Columbians don’t give a damn about constitutional issues and that they’ll be put off by oneliner hunks of pabulum. Don’t make the even worse mistake of thinking that they don’t understand the complex constitutional questions that confound us. This is the province that voted nearly 70% against the Charlottetown Accord because they took the time to study it and understand the screwing they were about to take if they approved it.

Let’s talk parliamentary reform. Do you agree that we have a big problem with top down government? Are you prepared to be a Prime Minister that gives up the dictatorial powers our system has given him? There are two things you could do, without any constitutional changes, that would do a great deal to give power back to the MP and here they are.

Amend the Elections Act so that the Prime Minister no longer has the ability to remove party backing from a candidate. You need only enact that a person may file nomination papers accompanied by his own affidavit that he has indeed been nominated by his party.

Permit secret ballots in the Commons wherever 40% of the MPs then voting so demand

Those two changes would remove the hammer the Prime Minister has of taking party backing away from a maverick and of controlling the Member of Parliament’s vote in the house through fear.

Now the basic question – do you agree that it is utterly wrong in a federation such as ours that 50%+1 of the House of Commons has 100% of the power based upon 40% or less of the vote all from two regions of the country? And if you do, what are you prepared to do about it? Are you prepared to stand for substantive reform to the Senate, not just electing under the current system as your leader and Mr Day want it? Will you say in Ontario that the system stinks and is abundantly unfair to outer regions?

Are you, now that you have given some power and dignity back to the MPs, prepared to allow the caucus to select who will sit on and chair the various committees of the Commons, instead of keepin that powerful weapon in the hands of the Prime Minister’s Office?

Are you prepared to examine other methods of electing MPs – such as Proportional representation or a transferable ballot - and letting the people make the decision that suits them. Would you be prepared to allow each province to determine its own method?

Are you in favour of special designation for Quebec or are you for one federal government and 10 provinces equal before the law? In short, will you pledge that there will be no repeat of Meech Lake or Charlottetown? And will you make that clear in Ontario and Quebec?

Other things will no doubt occur to me and my listeners but I want you to understand something very clearly, Mr Long. British Columbians aren’t your normal breed of political cat. They understand the constitutional questions I have posed and their ramifications, If you answer with BS you’re in trouble. If you try to equivocate, so as not to make people in other regions unhappy, British Columbians will find you out very quickly And you’ll not get the support you need.
I’m very much looking forward, Mr Long, to our first meeting.