Welcome to the parliamentary system. This is not the US, where each elected representative can independently cast their own vote, regardless of party affiliations. When you vote in Canada, you are putting your political desires in the hands of your MP. You don't get the benefit of changing your mind, or requiring your MP to do something different if your mind changes (at least, not until the next election).
You think that this will change with a different party in power? IT has nothing to do with the party, or your supposed "corrupt" government (try Latin America if you want to really look at corrupt gov'ts). It has everything to do with the parliamentary system, and that cannot change without cracking open the entire foundation of goverment (which would be scary in the hands of a party that has never before held office). The reform party would be just as bad (worse, I suspect, because they're all a bunch of right-wing idiots who think they know all the answers, without actually having had any experience). ..Cameron PS. I would like to get the contract for that $59 million. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Scott MacLean" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "MacLean List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, March 20, 2003 10:47 AM Subject: Nazi Canada > What kind of bullshit is this? Cretin threatens that if the MPs actually > fulfill their mandate (representing their constituents) by voting against > the gun registry funding bill that he's trying to ram through, that he will > expel them. He's essentially forcing them to do as he wants, instead of > what the people demand. > > We need to get rid of this corrupt government NOW. > > > Vote against gun registry at own risk, PM warns MPs > $59M spending request: Chr�tien threatens to expel MPs who oppose funding > > Bill Curry > National Post, with files from The Canadian Press > > Thursday, March 20, 2003 > > OTTAWA - Jean Chr�tien warned Liberal MPs yesterday they could be expelled > from caucus if they vote against a bill next week that would give another > $59-million to the controversial national firearms program. > > In the weekly closed-door caucus meeting, the Prime Minister told MPs he > considers the vote a matter of confidence in his government, meaning a loss > could trigger a federal election. > > Mr. Chr�tien did not spell out specific consequences for those who vote > against the government, but Liberal Whip Marlene Catterall told reporters > such MPs could be kicked out of caucus. > > "I think that when Canadians elect a Liberal government, they expect us to > fulfill the policies on which we ran, and that means that those people who > ran on those policies and supported the gun registry in two elections are > expected to support it," she said. > > One Liberal MP also said officials from the Prime Minister's Office > reminded some dissidents an MP who is kicked out of caucus will not be able > to run as a Liberal if there is a snap election. > > In December, MPs unanimously rejected a $72-million request for the > program. The government had said that vote would be a matter of confidence, > but changed its mind before the vote. > > Some Liberal MPs criticized the Prime Minister yesterday for making the new > vote a matter of confidence, arguing it reinforces the notion MPs are only > "rubber stamps" unable to influence the workings of government. > > Dan McTeague, an outspoken Liberal MP who supports the gun registry, > nonetheless disagreed with the government's expulsion threat. > > "We know that there has been that heavy hand used in the past. I know > there's a lot of people in my region in Toronto who are still miffed at the > expulsion of [John] Nunziata," he said. "It's nice to say we campaigned on > these things once, twice, three times ... but I don't think this will leave > a very good taste in the mouths of Canadians if they know their Members of > Parliament are subjected to that kind of response." > > The expulsion of long-time Liberal MP John Nunziata in 1997 for voting > against the government over the GST is the only occasion when Mr. Chr�tien > has used his power to kick an MP out of his caucus for opposing the > government. Over the past year, dozens of Liberal MPs have voted against > the government without consequence. > > Central Ontario MP Paul Steckle said he will vote against the government on > Tuesday, but expressed frustration with the way the government is > interpreting the backbench dissent. Mr. Steckle argued his vote will be a > show of non-confidence in Martin Cauchon, the Justice Minister, for > mishandling the file, not in the Liberal government. Mr. Steckle also > predicted his Liberal colleagues are in for a rough ride at home should > they approve the $59-million request. > > "Obviously when you're among your family of colleagues it's pretty easy to > stand together, but it's when you have to go back home and face the > electorate on a one-to-one basis and when you get called to a meeting where > there's maybe 400 people and they take a different view than you do, it's > pretty hard to win elections when the people are against you in a crowd > like that," he said. > > Following yesterday's caucus meeting, Mr. Cauchon held an open briefing for > Liberal MPs on improvements the government is making to the program. The > meeting won over some MPs, including Julian Reed of Halton, Ont., who was > one of the six MPs who met this week with Wayne Easter, the > Solicitor-General, to express concerns with the program. > > "I feel that gun control is still valid and that we should forge ahead and > make it work," Mr. Reed said. "We can correct the deficiencies, I think." > > Northern Ontario MP Ben Serr�, who has opposed the gun registry since it > was proposed in 1995, said the program will go ahead and his colleagues > will approve the funding request on Tuesday. > > "I would suspect a few [MPs] will be absent, a few will vote against and > the bill will be passed," he said. "I'm still against it. I still think > it's a billion-dollar boondoggle. The policy of gun control per se is not > wrong, but we had the wrong approach, we had the wrong people running it > and the registry itself is a non-starter. It's not going to accomplish > anything." > > The showdown came after a half-dozen dissidents circulated a letter this > week urging their colleagues to challenge the "moral bankruptcy and failure > of the Minister of Justice" by voting against the spending request. > > The letter was signed by MPs Roger Gallaway and Joe Comuzzi of Ontario and > John Efford and Lawrence O'Brien of Newfoundland. They were joined by > Senators Anne Cools and Herb Sparrow. > > None of the six spoke up at yesterday's meeting, colleagues said. > > But two others who did not sign the letter -- Mr. Steckle and his fellow > Ontario MP Rose-Marie Ur -- took the floor to voice passionate opposition > to continued funding for the registry. > > The registry has been under attack since December, when Sheila Fraser, the > Auditor-General, delivered a damning report on cost overruns in the program. > > She estimated it will end up costing taxpayers $1-billion by the time it > concludes its first decade in operation in 2005. The original estimate when > the registry was established in 1995 was $2-million. > _______________________ > Scott MacLean > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ICQ: 9184011 > http://www.nerosoft.com > >
