What Canadians Told the Spicer CommissionSection 9 of the Spicer Commission Report, titled Responsible
Leadership and Participatory Democracy, includes the
following opinions of the commissioners of the Citizen's Forum on
Canada's Future on what some people thought was lacking in the country: "One of the strongest messages the Forum received from participants was that they have lost their faith in both the political process and their political leaders. They do not feel that their governments, especially at the federal level, reflect the will of the people, and they do not feel that citizens have the means at the moment to correct this. Many of them, especially outside Quebec, are prepared to advocate and to support substantial changes to the political system if these would result in a responsive and responsible political process, and in responsive and responsible political leaders. "Participants' desire for these changes is related to a loss of faith, on their part, that the existing political system will make decisions which reflect their values and aspirations for the country [our emphasis]. To the extent that reforms can be made which would restore this faith, participants' demand for direct participation in decision-making would be less. In other words, they would like major decisions affecting them to be made in a responsible manner, and in a manner that is responsive to both the expressed views and the general well-being of citizens. (p. 96)." Some of the responses of the citizens that the Forum published as part of its report follow: "Honesty and spirit of service to the people -- none of the other issues can be addressed without such a good-will from all parties. At present Parliament is a 'charade' of political gamesmanship." (From a couple in their 70's, in Ontario) "The group wants our elected officials to get off their collective butts and start 'leading' this country." (From a group in Manitoba) "We can't be fooled into thinking that all we need is to find the right formula and everything will be fine. Our political leaders are bankrupt, and lack vision or mandate." (From a group in Manitoba) "There isn't a thing we can do. We vote in a government that says they will make things better or whatever else they say... When have they kept a promise? But it doesn't matter what I think. I am 14; no one listens..." (From a junior high school student in Ontario) "Just terrible the way they carry on in Parliament like unruly children. Bad tempered brats, no control, quarrelling between parties. Why don't they get together and use their better ideas." (From a group in Ottawa) "Political priorities are not necessarily national priorities... Grassroots organizations should be consulted to a greater level." (From a group in New Brunswick) "There is a vacuum of leadership, with no clear vision and purpose, to our national destiny, and graft, corruption and inefficiency prevail, in a burdensome bureaucracy of legality and taxation." (From a letter from Quebec) The report emphasizes that the theme underlying all the comments heard by the commissioners is the demand for responsive and responsible leadership to deal with a wide-range of problems: "...on management of the economy, on treatment of Aboriginal peoples, on constitutional change and the place of Quebec in the federation, on bilingualism and multiculturalism. In all these areas, citizens have told us they do not feel governed according to their wishes and their fundamental values. (p. 98)" On the media: "...commissioners were often told that the media must take a considerable share of the blame for focusing on our divisions, for not doing enough to convey basic, reliable information, and for failing to show us to ourselves in a constructive manner. A group discussion participant in Islington, Ontario, put it succinctly: Media: a major source of misinformation and confusion. "In many cases, participants expressed the view that what they saw as the media's emphasis on confrontation and editorializing distorted the presentation of issues and increased the chances that problems would turn into crises: "The media has done as much harm in reporting on such things as Quebec separatist feeling and on Meech Lake. The media has blown things out of proportion and sensationalized," said a group in Manitoba. A participant in Merville, BC said, "[the] media must stop emphasizing our differences and concentrate more on those things which we have in common which unite us." The Forum commissioners then conclude: "It is clear to us that Forum participants are charging not just political leaders, but also the media, with a responsibility to adhere to fundamental Canadian values in fulfilling their role in our future." The Forum commissioners report that most participants believe in the values of "equality, fairness and co-operation" (p. 99) but that they feel the media and those who govern are not upholding these values. The notion of equality is for individuals, for provinces and regions of Canada. There is, as well, a strong rejection of privilege for any province. The lack of fairness was emphasized by various groups such as Acadians, Aboriginals, anglophones in Quebec, francophones outside Quebec, westerners and easterners. Others emphasize the need for co-operation if we are to achieve the type of Canada we desire. There is a general feeling that this is an improbable country with a large area and a small population, strung out in a line of cities bordering the U.S. Participants felt that co-operation must be active among Canadians, not passive. The vast majority participating in the Forum do not agree that government has been operating with their values and aspirations at heart. The commissioners say sadness and disappointment were expressed, but most commonly it was anger at the federal politicians, in particular, that they encountered. They cite the following quotations: "...lack of vision is the actual reason behind your forum. The Prime Minister, his Cabinet, his Party, indeed all parties and all the legislative assemblies all lack vision. None have been, none are capable of seeing a new future for Canada and when we call for a proposal, they admit to a lack of one." "...another problem is the Prime Minister's inability to keep in touch with the public. Most people are against Free Trade, GST, cutbacks (just to name a few) but he still rams it down our throats whether we like it or not." "Our three political leaders are not committed to intellectual integrity." "The secrecy involved in the Meech Lake process must never happen again. The government alone is responsible for the broad feeling of disunity in Canada. Its handling of issues reflecting Canadian unity is deplorable." "The people who haven't got the message -- and don't want to hear it -- are the politicians, particularly our Prime Minister. He will do his desperate best to go to the decentralized route even if it means the dismemberment of the country. If he loses Quebec, he loses his power base. The scary part is that many premiers wouldn't mind this more-power-to the provinces scenario at all." The commissioners note that there is a widespread perception that: "... the work of parliament has little meaning, since the government controls parliament and other elected representatives have little or no opportunity for significant input. Forum participants have told us that, were they to believe that the government of the day is doing things which they have voted on and approved, this might be tolerable. As it is, the actions of the government, once in power, seem to bear little resemblance to the party platform in an election campaign. [Our emphasis] Major policies are developed and enacted during a mandate which either were never mentioned or received little attention during a campaign. In the words of one participant: "... people feel there is a lack of significant communication between the general population and the government, that politicians once elected do not act as if accountable to the people." The Commission had its own ideas which the commissioners said reflected a demand of the people that there be mechanisms which require members of parliament to consult their constituents on major issues, or give the members more freedom to vote according to their constituents' wishes. One Ontario person said: "The government must be changed. We must have a system whereby our elected representatives truly represent and reflect the wishes of their constituents." A group in Ontario said: "The often repeated argument 'I was elected to make decisions and do not need the opinions of constituents' is not acceptable in a modern country with a highly educated population." Another said: "The major flaw in our country today is the abuse of democracy so prevalent at both federal and provincial levels. Our politicians are not listening to us, but are driven by party solidarity." A person from the Yukon said: "We can speak only twice a decade. Then we must suffer the indignity of being told, 'The people of Canada have elected me therefore...' We have learned to distrust this method. It is not up to politicians to effect a change in the fabric of the country... They must listen to the people rather than a battery of advisors. This cannot be done by polls. Socrates demonstrated that questions predict answers." A British Columbian said: "MPs who are elected should answer to their constituents and in the Commons according to the majority consensus of their constituents in matters of national importance." There were also voiced a number of demands for the right to recall members of parliament. "The citizens should have the power to recall a member if he fails to act in the interests of the country, and fails to present bills or argue for the rights and betterment of the citizenry and the country." "The Constitution must be amended to provide a way to impeach politicians who do not carry out the wishes of their constituents. If they are not carrying out their constituents' mandates they must be replaced." A commonly expressed opinion was crystallized in the following view: "As for the government itself, recall and direct responsibility to the electorate should be implemented. You do not rule us, you work for us. Stop being so secretive, try honesty and straightforwardness. The people of this country are thirsting for an honest government." Of the two most popular mechanisms suggested for changes, one was for more use of referenda on major policy issues. The second was the creation of a constituent assembly to draft a new constitution: "Set up a constituent assembly independent of government, with equitable representation from each province (or region) and territory, and from aboriginal groups." A writer from Nova Scotia added: "Put an end to executive federalism." (For the full report on what Canadians
told the Spicer
Commission see: A Future to
Face: A Non-Partisan Approach to
Canada's Post-Referendum Problems, 1992. For
the Spicer Commission's Report to
the People and Government of Canada click here.)
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