Canadian Politics: Canada's Election and Checks and Balances

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

That's the lesson that Canadian should learn from the 2006 federal election. Throw out the corrupt Liberals, but demand that the Conservatives put in place the checks and balances in the Canadian parliamentary system that are missing.

These include only a few simple measures, none of which require an amendment to the constitution.

Here's what needed:

1. Place the Treasury Board outside of cabinet and give it sweeping powers to inspect, expose and rollback excessive spending when necessary. The Treasury Board was an independent watchdog until Mackenzie King made it a cabinet position answerable to the prime minister. Watchdog became lapdog.

2. Remove the Privy Council Office from the Prime Minister's Office. This was another measure by Mackenzie King, which enhanced a Liberal dictatorship, which defanged the Governor General who was left by the British in charge of making patronage and other appointments. This measure, putting the PCO into the PMO, seeded several generations of Liberal-leaners on the bench and civil service.

An independent Privy Council Office with appointments made at the pleasure of a committee of Parliament, proportionate to party representation, would clean up Canada within a few years.

3. Remove non-confidence motions except for fiscal votes. That would free up backbenchers to vote as their constituents wish. Parties should use whips sparingly, not constantly as is the case in Canada. In Australia and Britain, Whips are on around 20% of the time. In Canada, the Liberals use Whips all the time.

Obviously, there are many more. Here's a sampling of what other conservative/democrats suggest: See progressive right or blueblogging soapbox or smalldeadanimals or a view from the right or the good fight for starters.