By Dan Dobson
It would be hard to argue against the secret ballot being the foundation of democracy.
It safeguards the right of all citizens to vote freely and in private, without fear of threats and intimidation.
Just as important for society, it ensures that no individual is able to sell their vote to any special interest group or criminal enterprise.
So, if the secret ballot is the foundation of democracy, then are we not denying and dishonouring our democratic principles every time we deny the secret ballot?
In Canada, we claim to be such a bastion of democracy but isn’t it odd that our current Canadian political party system, with rare exception, is specifically designed to deny this most basic of democratic processes to our elected representatives within both the House of Commons (Parliament) and our Provincial Legislatures.
What I find particularly offensive is that all political party leaders will stand and condemn bullying in society, yet they will defend their need to deny the secret ballot to their members, specifically so that they are able to target, threat and intimidate (bully) our elected representatives.
Ask any member of Parliament (MP) or member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) who ever voted their conscience or supported their constituents against the Party line. Let them tell you what bullying in the big leagues is all about.
What would you call threats of Party funds being withheld, demotions to the back benches, reductions in salaries or threats of being dumped from the Party all together?
Funny, that always sounded like extortion to me.
With the exception of those who run and sit as Independents, we are forced to vote for someone who is put in a position of being more beholding to their Party than the people who elect them.
Remember they are first and foremost the Party’s representative who, if elected, represents the people. Truly it’s a strange form of democracy.
Being a dictator can be relatively easy if you can be an effective enough bully. To be a good leader takes integrity, thoughtful consideration and compromise.
Something our current system seems to be sadly lacking.
If our elected representatives were required to cast all votes by secret ballot, the Party Leaders and their inner circle would no longer be able to target and bully them into submissive compliance. Special interest groups could no longer be assured that their financial support (bribes) would result specifically in votes supporting their causes.
Our leaders would have to lead not dictate and legislation might actually have to be crafted in a manner that would allow it to receive the support of the majority, not because the Party leaders dictated it, but because the majority of our representatives thought the legislation was worthy of support. Hmmm?
I guess I’m being naive but isn’t that what democracy is supposed to be all about?
Dan Dobson is a 100 Mile House Free Press reader who lives at Horse Lake.
