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| Study calls on Ottawa to work with the West - Wednesday, September 03, 2003 at 11:07 |
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Solving western alienation through 10-step program:
------------------------------------------------------------------------ The monster that is western alienation could be slain in 10 easy blows -- including senate reform, less party discipline in the House of Commons and redistribution of parliamentary seats -- according to a study being released in Calgary today. The report, prepared by the Canada West Foundation -- a Calgary-based think-tank -- lists 10 recommendations aimed at bridging the gap between disenfranchised westerners and Ottawa. The recommendations to the federal government refer to issues regularly and vehemently raised by the West, namely senate reform, distribution of federal agencies and programs, parliamentary seats and trade agreements and policies that affect the western economies. The 10 recommendations are also aimed at new Tory leader Peter MacKay, NDP leader Jack Layton and Liberal leadership front-runner Paul Martin, as the overtures to the West begin in the lead up to the next federal election. Roger Gibbins, the foundation's president and CEO and an author of the report, believes the 10 steps would help ease discontent in the West. "I think it would reduce it to the point where the West becomes less disenfranchised," he told the Herald Tuesday. "We're always going to have a degree of regional conflict and disagreement, but this (western "All we are saying is give us a level playing field." Western alienation is an often-cited sentiment, most recently fuelled by frustration over the Kyoto accord, the controversial firearms registry, the government's handling of the mad cow crisis and the wheat board. A Canada West survey conducted earlier this year showed 71.3 per cent of westerners felt the West is either poorly or very poorly represented at the federal level. A similar survey in 2001 found 70.3 per cent of westerners felt the West had less than its fair share of influence on important national decisions. The latest report, The West in Canada, identifies the main causes of disenchantment using the 2003 and 2001 survey results, as well as several research projects and input from Canada West staff. Some of the recommendations may come into play before the impending federal election, such as the redistribution of parliamentary seats and the engagement of the proposed Council of the Federation. The council would consist of Canada's premiers. Other recommendations, such as an audit of the regional distribution of program expenditures, could prove more difficult. Gibbins admits there is no "silver bullet" aimed at eliminating western alienation, but said the recommendations put forward could be implemented. "We didn't want to set up an agenda that was bound to fail," he said. "We didn't want to say 'here are 10 things and we know you're going to fail nine of them.' I think these are doable." David Taras, a political scientist at the University of Calgary, said the 10 recommendations would go a long way to easing tension between the West and Ottawa. He said most could be implemented at the federal level. "It's possible, it's reasonable . . . the question is what will the response be?" he said. Taras said the 10 recommendations -- in particular easing party discipline to give MPs more freedom in the House of Commons -- are squarely aimed at Martin, who has courted the West in recent months. "It's an audience of one, and it's Paul Martin," he said. "He has been talking about parliamentary reform for a long time. At some point, the jig is up. If Canadians are to take Martin seriously, then he really has to act on party discipline, that's what he's been promising. "Canadians expect him to move on this issue. He has made so much noise about ending western alienation that he can't afford to do nothing. He has to act on some of these issues or there will be quite a bit of anger." Either way, Taras said the issue of alienation has to be dealt with for the sake of Canada's parliamentary system. "At some point, the government has to reflect the people and their interests, and if it can't do that, then that's really dangerous," he said. "If the federal government is seen as not delivering again and again and again, and it's costing us, then that adds up." Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper told the Herald the 10 recommendations are nothing new to his party. Most are either policy or supported by the official opposition. However, Harper said the senate reform recommendation does not go far enough. He said the Alliance will continue to push for a Triple-E Senate "That to me is a major omission," he said. "We don't think people in the West will stand for anything less than that. I still believe that's what people in the West are looking for. Without that, I don't think you're going to get many of the other recommendations. "The most important one is the one that's not there." Harper said the Alliance supports the remaining recommendations put forward by Canada West. "I might quibble with some on the margins, but they are all fairly consistent with what we've been saying," he said. Brian Guest, Paul Martin's director of communications, would not comment on the report, which he had not yet read. However, he reiterated Martin is serious about engaging the West. "Mr. Martin has said that a fresh start in Western Canada for the Liberals is an important thing," said Guest. "That Liberals have to earn the votes of western Canadians, and that will mean doing some things differently." - - - RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA 1. Party discipline within the House of Commons should be significantly reduced. 2. The redistribution of parliamentary seats to reflect the 2001 census should take place before the next general election is held. 3. The proposed Council of the Federation should be positively engaged by the government of Canada. 4. There should be an annual first ministers conference, structured to provide a substantive measure of provincial and territorial input into the agenda and format. 5. Institutional structures should be put into place to ensure effective provincial input into international trade agreements and policies that affect the western Canadian economy. 6. A review should be conducted of the regional composition of central agencies within the federal government. 7. The government of Canada should conduct an audit of the regional distribution of program expenditures. 8. Appointments to the Senate of Canada should be made by the prime minister from lists submitted by provincial and territorial governments. 9. The government of Canada should conduct a comprehensive review of non-constitutional options for Senate reform. 10. The government of Canada should strengthen its policy with respect to the regional application of national policies. |