During the last two weeks we, and the citizens of B.C., have been deluged by government announcements on everything from Sparwood infrastructure improvements to Uber. There really seems to be something for everyone.
Like a PNE hawker, the government is appealing to the widest possible market.
Last week, there were announcements on technology skills, seniors’ care, affordable housing, grants galore, something for B.C. food processors, more ambulances and paramedics, B.C. farmers’ markets and a new hospice in Langley. Many of these are good and needed.
And now this week, Christy Clark says she’s launching a panel (after the election) to look into political donations. Really? We suspect it isn’t coincidental her conversion came after media reports the RCMP were looking into potential violations of the B.C. Elections Act by Liberal lobbyist/supporters.
Not to mention Clark’s other announcement of a new law to be introduced requiring bureaucrats to document key government decisions.
Again, really? It was the Liberal government’s own practice of avoiding a possible paper trail to evade Freedom of Information laws that has been an issue during the Liberal’s reign.
Next week we expect to get an announcement about a commission on government bribing its own taxpayers with taxpayer money.
We only wish.
The problem is that voters are so cynical they just shrug their shoulders when another announcement comes out about something that should have been done three years ago.
It’s politics, they say.
Well, we can’t argue with that. But if our expectations for governing have sunk this low, then there’s really only one solution. We need to have elections every year.
It would work like this: For six months of the year MLAs would sit in the legislature (probably more than they currently do) and the other six would consist of running around passing out cheques and figuring out who they needed to bribe next year. And, yes, there is that irritating problem of always having to go to the polls – but it would soon become a yearly chore just like daylight savings. And, for those who say it will cost more and result in short-term policies, we say phooey – it will actually encourage politicians to keep their promises and not to continue to count on just one segment of the population for support. If you’re up for re-election every year, you’re going to have to expand your base considerably. And it will even out the every-four-years deluge of ‘bribes.’ And, frankly, it may even encourage more voters to vote. It appears the average voter has a very short memory – certainly few seem to remember scandals that are even two-years old.
With annual elections, heck, it’ll even pop up as a Facebook memory. Something people do seem to pay attention to.
