Voters need to send politicians a message

Will the equalization issue become the issue that will highlight the undemocratic aspect of our political party system? Will it expose the political party system as the agent that opposes democratic reform, particularly whenever any party forms government?

Will it also convey to the public that our political representative takes their marching orders from the party’s hierarchy and not from the voters who placed their faith in this mythical democracy?

On the issue of these equalization payments, have you read or heard any of our elected officials publicly question on what constitutional authority are these payments transferred from the federal to the provincial government, without conditions?

Even if this was the practice prior to enshrinement in the 1982 Constitution Act, one would think this practice could no longer be continued.

The supreme law is of no consequence to the established financial political manipulation of the equalization payments.

How many of our representatives have read the decision of the Court of Appeal? That decision dismissed any citizen enforcement of s.36 of the 1982 Constitution Act.

Although it is not stated in this section, the presiding justice somehow arrives at the bizarre conclusion only the two governments have the authority to decide whether they will comply with this law even though it is enshrined in the constitution.

This, in my opinion, is akin to a judge informing an abused child that he has no case for a court to decide and that he will have to resolve his abuse with his pedophile abuser.

The volunteer citizens committee Nova Scotians for Equalization Fairness (NSEF) has been quite active using social media to inform residents of the political manipulation of these federal payments.

That political activity drove our elected Liberal political representatives to seek cover in any nearby hole to avoid having to appear in person with NSEF members on June 14 at the Cedars Club in Sydney and try to justify the government’s inadequate provincial funding of our municipalities.

Even the opposition members of our provincial legislature could not muster the courage to explain their silence when invited to the latest meeting of NSEF, save for the lone NDP MLA, Tammy Martin, who did present herself at the meeting, which was streamed live on social media.

But, how long can these career politicians continue to avoid representing their constituents regarding equalization and still expect to be re-elected?

Will the voters continue to send the same well-paid individual back to a provincial legislature that guarantees there will be no change to the current government policy?

To do so, instead, guarantees one outcome: that person will also get a handsome taxpayer paid pension for behaving like a good party loyalist.