A Grassroots movement against a cynical government
What a difference 5 days make!My last post, on the last day of 2009, was quite pessimistic, I'll admit. However, despite the government's move to hide its 2nd annual prorogation of Parliament behind the blur of thousands of New Year's Eve parties and the announcement of the Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Team roster, something quite different happened.
People got pissed off.
A number of Facebook groups that opposed the government's move were set up. One of them caught fire: Canadians Against Proroguing Parliament. As of this writing, its membership has grown to about the size of the population of Lloydminster, Alberta.
Yesterday morning, the group was noted in the Globe and Mail's Ottawa Notebook political blog. Later that day, the group's founder Christopher White, was interviewed on CBC News. This morning, it was featured in an article for the Toronto Star.
Polls still show that more Canadians are indifferent to prorogation than are against it. But not as many as you might think: while 45% are indifferent, 35% are unhappy about it, and only 15% are for it. The causality of the majority's indifference could be based in any number of reasons, but people's opinions can change on a dime. Especially if they feel that they are being taken advantage of.
Well, we are. Democracy may be our right, but it is a fragile one and it needs to be protected. It needs to engaged by its citizens.
It needs us to stand up and be counted.
Join us.
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4 comments:
That poll was taken about 2 weeks before the actual prorogue. Do you know of a more recent poll? If not, I'd bet that number is highly inaccurate.
Hi Ahmed;
No, unfortunately, I don't. But I'll keep my eyes peeled.
If you see one, please let me know!
Whoops.
Try this one more time. Here is a more recent poll Ahmed.
The Globe and Mail
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