Belinda light

[cakadu]

I don't know - give more power to the elected officials sounds good in theory, but doesn't necessarily cut it in practice. More than once we have seen this espoused only to have the issue of the day come up and the veiled threat of the leader - support me or else. What ever happened to representing the views of your constituents, no matter what?

I'm not convinced that Martin wants to change anything. Look at this touring the country on his "I am mad" tour and then look at the "penalties" meted out to the men from the 3 crown corporations fingered in the sponsorship scandal. Two he suspends without pay - great - they were suspended from last Tuesday until today and if they can come up with a plausible reason why they should not be fired, they could have their jobs back within days. Now let me see, 5 days on a $250,000/yr salary is a real punishment. The other has his pay until he is investigated some more. Come on.

For me, the Reform/Alliance/PC MP's lost just about all of their credibility when they voted to have their pensions increased (and take them) after they realized that they were going to be there for the magic "6 years" in order to get a pension.

I think they go there with the best of intentions and get sucked into that vortex known as Ottawa.

Mr. Conned is right - we have not heard Belinda say anything about what she will do if defeated. This isn't a case of getting to start out at the top and a bored ex-housewife needing something to do.

[ivbinconned]

In the U.S., congressmen and women and Senators will often vote against party lines. There is only one reason for this! It is because of the power given to the people through initiative, referendom and RECALL.
A representative cannot afford to coast.
With our system, we in Western Canada are really only onlookers. Serfs in our colonial system!

[cowman]

Linda in case you never noticed all the other parties are lined up at the pension trough? Human nature is human nature. It is a rare person who will work for less than the next guy out of the goodness of their heart? So yes, they are politicians...what can you expect?
Like Ivebinconned I am a totally convinced seperatist, but we also live in the world? We make the most of the situation? Sure I hope someday Albertans and westerners will see the light but that isn't happening right now so what can you do? I can't force raymond or Linda or anyone else to get with the program?
Now I frankly don't care whether Belinda or Tony or Steven get elected Conservative leader. I have come to the conclusion that my own Conservative MP is basically a dud, but I don't know who else is running for the Liberals or NDP. I've never voted Liberal or NDP in my life, but I might consider it if the candidates are interesting. I usually vote for radical types but I don't know if we have any of those either?

[cakadu]

Cowman - yes they are what they are, however one of the loudest drums that the Reform beat when they first came in was we don't want the pension, the fancy house etc., etc., etc. and then it all changed - it wasn't a big surprise. For the record, it didn't surprise me at all.

I am still of the opinion that you operate with integrity - not just some of the time, but all of the time. Will that have me finishing last - maybe, but at least I will still be able to look at myself in the mirror every day and that is far more important to me than any amount of money, power or prestige will ever be.

I think there is a lot of truth to the adage that "politics corrupts."

[cowman]

"Politics corrupts"...without a doubt! We send of these good enthusiastic people, who believe they can do some good, and we get back a cynical person who is just in it for a fat paycheque. I sometimes think the worst thing you can do in the world is vote for somebody.
That isn't to say there aren't people who can rise above it all, but they are rare indeed? I do believe my old former MP(later luitenant governor) Gordon Towers was a man of integrity and truly not in it for the buck? William Aberhart(Alberta premier) died a pauper, and I suspect Tommy Douglas was a man of integrity, although I can already hear the screams of protest on that statement. I might not have agreed with what he believed in but I can respect his belief and his committment and his honesty?

[ivbinconned]

cakado your statement means you would qualify as a "statesman" not a "politician!"

Western Canada's participation in the federal political process reminds me of a story I once heard about two ladies that went to visit the Zoo. When they came to the lions cage, there in the cage were several lambs scampering around, quite oblivious to their plight.

So the ladies went to the Zoo keeper and asked him "how do you get the lions and the lambs to get along so well", "well" he said, "that’s easy, all you have to do is replace the lambs every two or three days!"

That’s Western Canada's history. CCF, Socreds, NDP, Progressives, Reform, Alliance and now a full 360 back to where we were in 1987. We squirm and squirm trying to bring forward our grievances in one form or another only to have our well intended and articulated concerns and leadership scorned by the eastern media and the eastern political lions. And the intellectual midgets with in the western party caucuses are too sucked in, to know it, or too dishonest to admit it.

The higher the threat to the eastern power base, the dirtier the attacks will become. We can no longer deny the truth that our reason shows us. A new and radical approach is long over due.

[cowman]

My one wish in life before I die is to see a free and independent west! Not likely to happen but I'd go to my reward happy!

[ivbinconned]

Amen...and have a good sleep cowman.