Editor: Now it begins. We have a new federal government and new Members of Parliament to represent you and me, and our country.
The problem is that we are at issue with any government because of the lack of representation from our local Members of Parliament, much like in the United States.
The upheaval that is taking place within both countries is happening because the people don’t have representation, they have a body who is elected to fill a void — a seat warmed at the costs of the taxpayer.
I have respect for people who wish to run for any government seat, but my belief is they should earn it.
If you get elected in to a parliament, earn my trust and my respect by representing me.
The number one priority for this federal government or any government is not the agenda they lay out in a budget or campaign on, but to represent the people within their constituency and the country — that’s democracy, that’s representation, that’s who we are. You can’t have one without the other.
Difficult? Absolutely, because it may not be in the party’s platform and it may be against what the member’s personal belief is or his or her energy level or importance. “In the last election, I didn’t vote.”
That is a statement I am sure runs deep across Canada and it certainly doesn’t make me warm at night in my bed.
If we want democracy we have to vote, but first we have to have a body of representation existing in our country and in democracy to make it a reality.
I always have asked difficult things from any elected person regardless of party, because it tells me the character of this person and how much they really believe in representing, not just the person standing in front of them, but the country we all live in.
Foremost is what we believe in and what we want for our future and children’s future, because its enshrined in us and has been fought over for centuries to achieve and in this country.
It’s called democracy. It’s representation. It’s freedom. It’s Canada
Cran Campbell,
Langley