Democracy?

Winston Churchill once said that “democracy is the worst form of government except all others”. I never fully understood that statement until now.

At a time in our province when healthcare is failing by the day and is close to a crises situation, our frontline workers becoming overwhelmed, we are now faced with our educators feeling the same.

Huge changes are about to be implemented in our education system, changes being brought in with speed, lack of transparency and no conversation. Changes that remove our local voice and again pit government against educators, Changes that appear do little to help out our children.

So back to democracy. How many times have we heard “oh that person will be a great candidate” with references like: a community minded person, a person from a hard working family, a person who really cares about the little guy, a great family person. A person for the people.

So we have past and present, elected many such people just to find out that once elected, they have become obligated to tow the party line- silencedunable to be the voice of the people that elected them, entrusted them, believed in them and had faith in them. Now they have truly becomea part of our great democracy.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, for once, in a situation like this that our elected MLA’s would listen to the people. That every MLA would hold a public meeting on the issues that are so important to us all. A meeting to get a real sense of how the people feel.

A meeting open to all and not just a select group of cheerleaders making noise and obscuring the real issue. A meeting that addresses the issue and not the red, blue, or orange.

A meeting that the people go to with the same goal; not to prop up one political party or another, or even a union, but rather for the benefit and future of education of our children.

I challenge the MLA’s of Nova Scotia to think about why you chose a political career; was it to implement change for your community, your province? or was it to tow the party line? So call a public meeting before the legislature resumes at the end of this month. Listen to the people, and if the common theme is that we are not ready for these changes then stand and voice it in the legislature. Political suicide, maybe, but at some point in history the MLA that helped improve democracy.

Brian Shaw Glace Bay