*WEDDING.BLOG.LINK*

So, PM Stephen Harper is acting on one of the Conservative Party platform promises, by announcing this week that he will introduce a bill for fixed election dates. He would really like to include legislation to have senators elected (instead of the current 'appointment' system), and he'd like to have them serve fixed terms as well.

I can think of a few (notably, they are important ones) where having fixed poll dates makes a lot of sense. Female politicians, for example, often lose some pretty important battles because of the physical and social demands of having children; this can be seen as an unfair advantage that men have in terms of being 'ready to go' at the drop of a hat, and women in politics would undoubtedly benefit from the increased foresight, and the life planning that would be possible, afforded by fixed poll dates. (I personally feel that taking this stand is a little too 'humans are animals'-ish for me. The issue here is how men are expected to participate in their family life - it's true that women are physically incapable of running for office while in their last trimester, but why are men considered so 'ready to go' when they have pregnant wives to care for, and jobs to work, and houses to run, financial strains, emotional strains.... I certainly wouldn't consider myself capable of running for office while expecting a baby.... anyway)

I can think of lots of reasons why fixed poll dates seem like the worst idea ever, too.

We all knew this was coming though. A few provinces do this already (BC, Newfoundland, maybe another) and I know at least the NDP support this initiative too. Maybe the other parties do as well.

Personally I think it's kind of stupid. Obviously the best example we have to look to for comparison is the 'States, where they have fixed federal poll dates. The CBC tells me that voter turnout there is at an all time low, and they're ranked one of the worst nations in the world in terms of democratic involvement of its citizenship - so let's not lie to ourselves about creating a more vibrant democracy by affording the populous foresight. In fact, I personally believe it will breed apathy. Perhaps this is Harper's objective. (this wouldn't surprise me after denying us the privelege of filming our soldiers coming home, and the way he's been treating the national press gallery which can only be described as assinine.)

I think it's the wild scrambling mind of an economist who thinks he sees years and years of minority governments ahead of him. He believes that in terms of government, stability is currency, and like a true economist he's changing variables around in order to maximize curency. This has nothing to do with the benefit of the state, or its people.

Fixed poll dates may truly be the way to go, but policy so powerful should be put in place because it is good policy, not because this jerk put together a slim minority parliment and wants to effectively hang on to the reins as long as possible.

I can see some good things coming from fixed poll dates, but I would have some serious provisions:

1. Motions of no confidence still bring the government down and send us to the polls. I think it would be hard to change this fact without altering the constitution. (I hope to God he's not planning on altering the constitution!)
2. Emergencies (war, famine, plague/disease, civil upheaval (like the native-Caledonia thing but bigger) mean there is no election. Perhaps a postponement clause like "government may choose to postpone until spring" or something...
3. Minority governments simply don't have to follow the fixed date. It's foolish to expect fixed dates to apply to a minority parliment, or you're effectively turning the minority into a majority. In fact, I don't think you've truly got a majority government unless you are up in the 60% range anyway, so maybe the fixed poll dates wouldn't apply unless the vote showed this clear majority.
   
4. In line with #3, Harper should have to give up his current government before any of this comes into effect. So far he's been talking like he's going to put this in and then hang on for 3 more years! F@CK YOU! This merely exposes the true objective of this plan (to gain/maintain power) and illustrates more clearly than ever before what a complete asshole he is.

I feel like I have lots more to say about this, but mostly I just want people to think about what fixed poll dates would really mean, and also what this move would symbolize, before we just go ahead and let Harper move this through the house.

I have lots to say on the topic of elected senators as well. We'll have to save that for another day I guess.