I was going to write a critique of the French language debate before I realized that most of the criticisms hold true for both debates. Instead, I'm going to describe my ideal political party. It's merely a shame that it's never existed. To date, at least. Perhaps some smart politician is scanning blogs at the moment, and will take a hint.
The PlatformThe party should be one that is socially liberal, but fiscally conservative. While this may sound like a contradiction, I feel that there are a large number of Canadians who would vote for such a party. They're turned off by the corruption and spendthrift ways of the Liberals, while being suspicious of the social agenda of the Conservatives.
Health CareWhether we like to admit it, there is always going to be a public system and a private system in this country. The reason for this is because you cannot put everything that's healthy into the public domain. Good nutrition, exercise, stress management, and many other aspects of preventative medicine do not fall under government purvue. I would argue that prevantative medicine can be the most effective medicine of all, and yet it is omitted from the public system.
The purpose of the public system is to cover all reasonable necessities for everyone. Things that go beyond the necessities (except those covered by employer plans or Blue Cross) would be considered luxury care. This might include a more elaborate hospital room, home care, or provisions that would not be considered essential.
The one thing that I feel Canadians have no desire to see is the emergence of private health insurance and HMOs. These are prominant aspects of the American system of health care, and the primary reason that American health care is less effective than Canadian, despite a higher per capita spending on services.
First and foremost, the way clinics operate needs to be re-evaluated. Salary caps and claw backs (the policy of taking back a portion of a doctor's salary when the health spending cap is exceeded) need to be stopped if we're to encourage new doctors to enter the fold. This should be done in concert with a program to recognize foreign doctors' qualifications as soon as feasible. Furthermore, a study in Alberta has shown that by making patients responsible for their own health prior to surgery, wait times can be reduced dramatically. This is definitely another method of treatment that's worth adopting.
The most contentious issue of health care is the private delivery of essential care. Should we allow someone who has more money jump the queue for essential services? I say yes, but only for conditions that are not life threatening. If someone needs to have knee surgery in one week rather than three, then they can pay for it - and pay an additional tax that will go toward improving the public system.
This is a difficult choice to make, but reflects the fact that there is already a private system available to Canadians: the United States. We must allow facets of our system to become competitive if we wish to retain Canadian doctors who would otherwise go south for a higher salary. The best way to do this is to do all we can to bring more money into the Canadian system, without compromising the essential services that form the backbone of the public health care system.
EducationWe have heard a great deal about putting more money into the education system, but little about how that money should be spent. The priority now should not be seeing that students have as many schools to choose from as possible, but that they make their choices in an educated manner. Too many times have I seen students that have rushed into one program amidst an absence of information, only to be forced to change their program once they realized that they were not in a field that they loved. Too many times have I seen a student pressured to go into university, when the trades are desperately short on manpower.
I feel that the most important way to improve education is to bring a national mentorship program directly to Canadian schools, and allow students to see first-hand what options are out there. Too often, guidance counsellors are forced to deal with students who are in danger of dropping out and being expelled to worry about finding the perfect program for the silent majority. By matching students with workers from the real world, they'll not only have a better sense of what work interests them, they'll also have a better sense of where the best opportunities lie.
AccountabilityMost of what Stephen Harper lays out in the Federal Accountability Act makes sense. He proposes the following:
-Ending the influence of big money in politics by banning corporate and union political donations, and limiting individual donations to $1000.
- Tough new lobbying rules and an end to the revolving door that allows former ministers, political aides, and top bureaucrats to turn around and lobby the government.
- Giving more power and teeth to independent watchdogs such as the Auditor General and Ethics Commissioner, protecting whistleblowers from reprisal, and strengthening access to information laws to give citizens the right to know.
- Appointing an independent Director of Public Prosecutions to protect criminal prosecution from political interference.
I would take this even further:
- Making campaign donor lists public domain.
Also, I would institute a 1-800 number that Canadians could call to report government ineptitude or inefficiency. Sort of like Customer Service for the Government of Canada. Any time you see government waste, you call the number to report it. Have to open a window in your government building because no one will fix the heat? Call it in. See an MP triple-parked while he runs in to grab a bagel? Call it in.
Too many Canadians feels as though government is a train wreck that's just going to keep going, no matter what they do. Bringing in tougher measures of accountability is the first step in making the political process more engaging for all Canadians.
Gay MarriageThis issue has already been decided. There' s no need to hold another vote.
Marijuana
Marijuana should be decriminalized.
EnvironmentIt's clear that the federal government needs to take a greater interest in orchestrating Kyoto, and in reducing the growing levels of Canadian carbon dioxide emissions. I feel that the best way to do this is to offer cash awards to companies who are capable of reducing, storing or eliminating CO2 emissions.
One of the most basic economic principles is that the market responds to incentives. When companies can receive millions of dollars for an inventive method of improving the environment, that's when we're going to see real progress on the environmental front.
DefenceIt's clear that the nature of warfare has changed greatly over the course of the past few decades. Canada is primarily engaged in asymmetric warfare, which is the kind of warfare found on most Peacekeeping missions. What the Canadian military needs most of all is support in becoming indepedant, and in handling existing and emerging threats.
First off, Canada needs its own strategic airlift capability. It's going to be expensive, but it's a blow to both national pride and military effectiveness when we need to charter airlift capacity from other nations. Or, in some cases, Air Transat.
The Canadian military needs to be given the resources and equipment to align itself with this reality. This means less heavy armour and artillery, and more intelligence and support for infantry. The new G-wagon and the LAV III are both excellent examples of real equipment that's making a real difference. Intelligence is not only a key aspect of Peacekeeping operations, it's also vital to ensuring arctic sovereignty.
Child CareIt's time to orchestrate a national childcare program. The most effective (and quickest) way to do this is to allow for parents to submit receipts from childcare facilities for reimbursement. This way, the government can regulate the type of services provided, but allow for the market to offer the services in an efficient manner.
RepresentationOne of the main reasons that the Bloc has done so well in Quebec is because the Quebecois do not feels that their views are being respected in Ottawa. This party would allow every vote to be a free vote. This would allow Members of Parliament to represent their constitutents before their party.
Crime and SecurityHandguns would be banned. Stronger sentences for gun crimes would be encouraged, but not at the cost of imposing expensive mandatory minimum sentences. More resources would be devoted to dealing with organized crime, particularly relating to gang violence.
That's it. If anyone can think of any aspects I've missed, please feel free to drop me a comment. That's assuming that you're still reading, at this point.
