Thursday, July 27, 2006
The case for Direct Democracy
The Swiss have it, Canadians don't.
The Swiss can call their politicians to order at any time. They can challenge any policy or law simply by gathering the signatures of 1% of the registered voters on a petition.
This forces the government to hold a referendum, and the vote is binding on the government. If the people vote against the law, the law has to go. If they vote against a policy, the policy is scrapped.
If the people feel a new law is needed, all they need to do is to gather the signatures of 2% of the registered voters, and the proposed new law must be put on the ballot. If the majority vote in favour of the proposed law, it becomes the law of the land.
Direct Democracy has worked for 130 years in Switzerland, where the four different ethnic groups, German, French, Italian, and Romance, coexist. There are no separatist movements in Switzerland. When tensions arise, the referendum process is used to diffuse them.
The Swiss have maintained their historic policy of neutrality through two world wars; Swiss industry is owned by the Swiss people as opposed to Germans, French, Japanese or Americans; Switzerland decided not to join the European Union, against the advice of their business establishment and most of their politicians.
These tough decisions have been made directly by the people themselves, not by the politicians.
Sounds like what Preston Manning was proposing in the day.
The Swiss can call their politicians to order at any time. They can challenge any policy or law simply by gathering the signatures of 1% of the registered voters on a petition.
This forces the government to hold a referendum, and the vote is binding on the government. If the people vote against the law, the law has to go. If they vote against a policy, the policy is scrapped.
If the people feel a new law is needed, all they need to do is to gather the signatures of 2% of the registered voters, and the proposed new law must be put on the ballot. If the majority vote in favour of the proposed law, it becomes the law of the land.
Direct Democracy has worked for 130 years in Switzerland, where the four different ethnic groups, German, French, Italian, and Romance, coexist. There are no separatist movements in Switzerland. When tensions arise, the referendum process is used to diffuse them.
The Swiss have maintained their historic policy of neutrality through two world wars; Swiss industry is owned by the Swiss people as opposed to Germans, French, Japanese or Americans; Switzerland decided not to join the European Union, against the advice of their business establishment and most of their politicians.
These tough decisions have been made directly by the people themselves, not by the politicians.
Sounds like what Preston Manning was proposing in the day.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
