Entries Tagged 'Conservative Party' ↓

One immensely satisfying thing that’s happened to me in the last ten days has been an explosion of interest by young people. I have never done so many interviews with student newspapers, or spoken on so many campus radio stations, or received so many offers to speak to students, or heard of so many classes that are studying this blog (watch it, kids!), as has just occurred.

This is happening for two predictable reasons. First, kids love it when somebody pokes a stick in the eye of authority. This is akin to car chases, blowing up public property and graffiti. So, right now I am the spray can of politics. Second, this is their medium. To date, Canadian politics has been the stuff of newsprint and the ten o’clock news, both of which are being eschewed by the digital set. Apparently I am the first federal MP to blog in this fashion, accept comments from all quarters, accompany it with webcasting and – as a result – have his butt thrown out of the government for heresy.

Today’s young adults constitute, of course, the first online generation. This is where they get news, form opinions, talk to each other, get entertained, express themselves and create their own identities. In this, the most wired country in the world, these guys are leading us forward, giving a glimpse of what the future of politics will be, and it is incredibly rich. This medium – and these present and future voters – have the power to smash political elites, forever change how parties operate, define the authority of prime ministers and usher in a new kind of democracy.

The digital generation, in real time, is instantly informed and ready to react. They don’t need to be told by MSM reporters and columnists what to think. They don’t wait twelve hours for stories to be written, turned into page layouts, put on presses, and then be delivered on paper by 12-year-olds. They’re beyond being told by TV talking heads what matters and what doesn’t. They are their own media. We’re all media.

The implications for political leaders are profound. The fact no other MP that I know of has an interactive web site is a worry. The fact most MPs rely on brochures sent to homes as unaddressed admail underscores the digital divide being created. This will change, of course. But as it does, there will be a grinding between the 19th Century form of representation we have now – the PM as president, not elected directly by the people and demanding unanimity of thought – and the 21st Century political reality in which democracy gets messy again, people have far more access and control, and the top guy will be, by necessity, a broker and an inspirational leader.

This excites the digital crowd. Excites me. One thing about the future – it’s coming.

Stephen Harper came to Halton today to give a speech to the Oakville Chamber of Commerce. It was a mark of the man, or at least his office, that I was not invited. Not that I care, mind you, but it is an odd thing when a sitting MP is treated such.

In fact, this event made me think that my dismal fate was sealed longer than most suspect. A month ago we got wind of the PM’s visit, and Esther immediately was in touch with the Chamber and the PMO, assuming I would be the host MP (normal procedure). She was told to butt out and that Harper’s inner circle would be making all the arrangements. They did not include me.

But, hey, no complaint! I sure don’t need another Holiday Inn surprise chicken lunch. In fact this bout of schoolyard manners just reconfirms the path I am now on. Life is too short to waste time on people who aspire to be goons, or who divide the world into sycophants and enemies, or who gauge a man’s worth by the length of his motorcade.

Thought about that last night, too, during that Halton Conservative EDA meeting when the country mice confronted the pussies from the party. The Ottawa cats were there to basically lie to them, and the pesky rodents were having none of it. At least, not this rat. So, today seems like as good a time as any to pack a few mental bags and leave town.

Regular readers here will know that the last nine months have been one issue after another. In my first private meeting with Harper he shocked me with his demeaning and insulting tone. My criticism of his hypocritical decision to put a floor-crossing Liberal in cabinet created the first crisis. My dismay at our lack of an effective climate change strategy in the failed green plan created the last. And in between I was appalled to discover that the legendary intolerance and narrow views of the Reform Party were at the heart of the new Conservative party, while the prairie populism, respect for the grassroots and empowerment that Preston Manning had stood for had vanished.

So, my libertarian, Progressive Conservative, democracy-loving ass was in the wrong caucus. But no more.

And now, as each day passes, it becomes more apparent that I will actually be a better MP for being an Indie. Huge amounts of time are spent by party MPs each week sitting in party meetings devoid of policy debate. Countless more hours are devoted to filling chairs in committee rooms, where the outcome of almost every meeting has been pre-determined by the government. And the rest of Ottawa time is largely spent sitting in QP where Tory MPs are expected to clap, but dare not ask tough questions, if any.

If most voters dropped in and spent a day with these guys, they’d be floored. Only now am I realizing how much wasted time passes for important, as I find many extra hours to talk to constituents, deal with their issues and do some independent work on those things that matter to me. I’m rediscovering what it means to be a member of Parliament, and what it must have been like before MPs were turned into high-priced support staff. I get to think. And I like it. A lot.

Even when there’s no free lunch.

The essence of democracy is discussion, and today in the House of Commons I was delghted to hear the minister of finance tell me he will give consideration to letting retired people share their pension income for tax purposes. This has been a big issue with me, and – if implemented – puts us on the fast track to having income-splitting for all working families. It’s something my voters have told me repeatedly they want, and that I promised I would push.

The irony, of course, is that I had to become an Independent MP to get this bit of progress during QP. Isn’t life interesting?

To watch the video (now posted), click here.