Why should the Okanagan ridings be so difficult to change riding boundaries?
Western Canadians should take a serious look at how this nation was launched: Prince Edward Island (PEI) has 153, 000 people.
PEI has four MPs and four “unelected senators.”
In their provincial legislature, they have 27 constituencies; each riding had 5666 voters.
Newfoundland /Labrador has about 500,000 people; NFLD/LAB has six unelected senators.
Nova Scotia has about 1.1 million people, NS has 10 unelected senators.
New Brunswick has about 1 million people, NB has 10 unelected senators.
BC, AB, SK and Manitoba each have six unelected senators.
Before about 20 years ago Oliver and Osoyoos were strong Conservative ridings; why would any sound thinking person believe those South Okanagan voters would suddenly be comfortable by being lumped into West Kootenay ridings; which for years had been NDP country.
The entire Canadian population is skating on very thin ice: Prime Minister Harper realized just how precarious the failing Canadian political situation was, when he appointed Senator Bert Brown: Brown was an Alberta Reform Party senator elect.
He had come second in Alberta’s first election to elect its senators. He won 310, 000 votes — senator elect Lt. Gen, Stan Waters ( the Devils Brigade fame) was first with 330,000 votes.
Brown’s principle role was in traveling to Atlantic Canada, where he tried unsuccessfully to encourage eastern premiers to switch.
Harper/Brown wanted Atlantic Canada to change to the (Triple E system) where senators would be elected, equal and effective?
The easterners preferred the status quo, where they would continue to ride for free on Alberta transfer payments and equalization funding.
Only in a failing Canada, eh?
Mulroney waited 365 days before appointing Waters to the senate; he died a year later due to brain cancer. Mulroney then immediately appointed an “unelected senator.”
That stupid selfish act by Mulroney, was one of the many reason’s why Mulroney’s Progressive Conservatives’ were nearly wiped out in the next federal election.
Jean Charest, Quebec and Elsie Wayne, New Brunswick were the two surviving PC MPs.
Regards,
Ernie Slump
Penticton