Page 6 - INSIGHT MAGAZINE_July2024

CE0'S MESSAGE

Democracy is still what

we want and need

"The Chamber will create
the necessary momentum
to nurture and champion
success by bringing together
the elements – on all sides
of an issue – to successfully

Are people failing us or is Remember when Prime Minister Justin cultivate all that is good,
democracy failing us? Trudeau promised during his first campaign and can be good, in our
This is the question that needs answering, it would be the final ‘first past the post’
election and that reform was coming?
but sadly the answer seems apparent; community."
people are failing us, and democracy has Well, here we are today with the same

just enabled the response. formula and there are two reasons why: Today we have every “expert” in the world
First, our PM established a committee on social media who believe they know
In the 45 years I’ve followed politics, I’ve to make recommendations which what’s best when it comes to everything,
never witnessed such vitriol and outright provided one that wasn’t his preferred including the law. Some may say former
insanity as of late. I’m not directing this option. Second, Trudeau won a majority U.S. president Donald Trump wasn’t guilty
comment at just those unhinged “keyboard government which meant he didn’t have to of any of the 34 counts he was accused of,
warriors” but our leaders as well. A quick work with the other parties and could do let alone all of them, but 12 jurors of his
glance at what is happening south of the what he wanted which a reformed electoral peers decided otherwise thanks to first-
border provides the perfect example. system would have jeopardized. hand accounts from witnesses these so-
A democracy depends on most people - So, the idea of electoral reform was called “experts” didn’t have.
as in 51% - galvanized on a solution. That scrapped and for the record, I know many They say Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director
doesn’t mean every single person needs people who voted for him just because of of the National Institute of Allergy and
to exactly agree on the same path but in that policy. Infectious Diseases, should be tried for
a healthy democracy the majority must be treason because he “guessed” at what
satisfied with at least going in the same We now have a report from the National might help stop the spread of COVID. You
direction. Security and Intelligence Committee of can agree, go ahead, but with his lifetime
Parliamentarians outlining that there are a
The U.S. is a bad example of this for many “few” (defined as more than two) Canadian achievements I think I will heed his advice.
reasons, but in Canada it can play out even MPs who have worked with, or conspired, Dr. Fauci said when he established the
worse. At least in the U.S. there is a chance to work with foreign governments to 6-foot rule for distancing, it was a guess,
of having 51% of the people in favour, with disrupt our elections. Those who know so many thought he was a liar. I’m sorry
a two-party system, but in Canada it is the names are legally bound to not if you believe the way some of them do,
virtually impossible. However, that can be release them, except for one-person, but that is just being ridiculous. Should we
a good thing - unless everyone wants the Prime Minister Trudeau, because he is not imprison every mom who says if you go
corner office - because what must happen bound by the confidentiality agreement. outside without a winter coat on you will
is in Canada, we need to work together and I’m not sure I need to know the names, catch a cold, when scientifically speaking,
find that balance of support from MOST of but what I need to know is that they are you cannot catch a cold from getting cold?
the people. no longer Parliamentarians and are being
What we are witnessing now is that prosecuted. In a democracy that is not a However, as I said at the beginning of this
column, the problem isn’t with democracy
democracy is a very fragile thing. People choice, it is obligatory for this to happen itself but the people. It is people that
are getting stuck in their own rut, so to to ensure the premise of democracy is make democracy frail.
speak. upheld.

6 Summer 2024 www.cambridgechamber.com