The Problem of Empowerment of the People RemainsIn the style of all the cartel parties, Premier-elect John Horgan claims that he has received a mandate from the people of BC to rule as he sees fit even though at best his government received only 45.08 per cent of the votes (as of October 29) based on a paltry 52.4 per cent turnout of eligible voters. His so-called mandate is thus based on the votes of 23.62 per cent of eligible voters.
This hardly constitutes having the consent of the governed for the NDP program. Since it came to power in 2017 the NDP minority government has shown itself a willing and able representative of the international financial private interests that covet the natural and human resources of British Columbia as can be seen in the LNG Canada and Site C projects, amongst others. On October 22 the Globe and Mail reported on an interview with Horgan in which he explained that his decision to call the election was influenced by advice he sought from the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Jim Pattison Group, the second largest private company in Canada with interests in all of BC's major industries. Not even the NDP executive, members, or the MLAs were involved in the decision to call the election. The decision was made by the Premier and a handful of unelected advisors. It is safe to say that feelings of alienation from the political process amongst electors are more widespread than ever, based on the election itself and the marginalization of the polity from any say in matters that affect them. This is most sharply felt by health care workers and families of residents in long-term care, teachers and other education workers and workers in the hospitality industry who have strenuously protested the failure of the government to take social responsibility for decisions announced. The working people have been completely shut out of participating in responding to the pandemic and have just become the target of orders from on high.
The vast majority of British Columbians were excluded from the decision to hold the election, from any discussion of the problems facing the polity and solutions that would favour the people. The experience brings home, once again, the need for new arrangements, for political renewal to put an end to the marginalization of the people and for a new direction for the economy based on meeting the needs of the people. Note1."Economic
Recovery Plan for BC: Restructuring State Arrangements to Strengthen
Provincial Pay-the-Rich Economy," by K.C. Adams, TML Weekly,
October 3, 2020. (Photos: TML)
This article was published in Article Link:   Website: www.cpcml.ca Email: editor@cpcml.ca |
On top of that,
many voters in that 23.62 per cent disagreed vigorously with the
calling of the election in the midst of the pandemic, considering it
opportunistic and anti-democratic and nothing more than a power grab.
Both calling an election and the campaign showed a disregard and lack
of appreciation of the plight of the people as a result of job losses,
stresses on health care professionals and workers, teachers and
education workers, students and parents, homelessness and the
ever-increasing opioid crisis, and the very real fears of a resurgence
of COVID-19 and repeat of the tragic deaths, suffering and isolation of
residents in long-term care homes. Many voted with reluctance for the
NDP fearing that a Liberal government would be even more brutal.
While some are
expressing hope that now that the NDP has its majority it can be
persuaded to act in the interests of the people and the environment,
the plans of the Horgan government were already outlined in the
"Recovery Plan" issued just days before the election was called.[