“Dec. 4: Letters to the editor” |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2010 02:33 AM PST That's an MP The discovery that many MPs cannot define their own jobs is distressing (What's An MP's Job? They Dunno – Dec. 3), especially as doing so is actually quite simple: MPs are supposed to represent the interests of their constituents in Parliament. Geoff Read, London, Ont. More related to this story......... Over the years, I've taken part in politics at the riding level and found that individuals offering themselves as MPs lacked insight as to why they wanted to be elected or what their goal was once elected, other than to work to get re-elected. While some members of Parliament have learned on the job and have made great contributions, by and large, MPs present themselves to Canadians, as Alison Loat points out, as confused, conflicted and relentlessly focused on the short term. Their conduct in Question Period, I might add, does little to dispel this impression. Yes, it is time to consider giving our MPs a proper job description and the training to help them do the job. Cy Abbass, Thornhill, Ont. ......... Not all MPs lack a sense of mission. In the late 1990s, I met with then-MP Jim Peterson in Ottawa after a complaint I had made against his government. The fact he met with me at all was impressive but there was more. He was gracious, a good listener and down to earth. During the half-hour meeting, we discussed the role of an MP and how he handles all the flying and changes in time zones. He said, and I'll never forget, "You just do it." He clearly ignored his own personal comfort and just was there to serve. We kept in touch for a dozen years after. He understood my concerns, did not wipe them away even though they challenged his party. That's an MP. Beverley Smith, Calgary ......... Democracy (un)defined It is ironic how those who exercise the functions of our democratic system to get themselves elected refuse to make the necessary changes to keep our system just that – democratic (Federal Parties Agree To Scrap Bill To Fix Voting Inequalities – Dec. 3). Jon Champagne, Thornhill, Ont. ......... Although all three national parties are committed to the principle of equal representation for all Canadians – which just happens to be a cornerstone of democracy – they're going to do what politicians are good at: procrastinate. All hat, no cattle. Next steps? Probably that old favourite, a white paper? Or perhaps have the Senate take look at it? Or give it to the Sodium Working Group – they don't seem to be too busy. Tim Jeffery, Toronto ......... Giving, defined Your article Charities See Alarming Trends As Donors Become Older, Fewer (Dec. 3) tells an alarming story, but it's only half the story. The other half is that government revenue to non-profits has not only decreased as a percentage of GDP over the past decade, but it has also become more contingent and less reliable. There's been a major shift from funding core operations to temporary projects. This is why we can expect services from non-profits to be not only shorter in supply, but also lower in quality. Sid Frankel, faculty of social work, University of Manitoba ......... I don't think Canadians are uncaring; I believe they don't know how much they should be giving. In our Ipsos survey, we learned, in our mission to encourage Canadians to give more, that more than three-quarters of Canadians do not know how much they should be donating and volunteering, and that more religious people are more giving. There is a declining religiosity in the developed world (on a per-capita basis); in turn, we have a declining incidence of Canadians getting taught and reminded to be generous. We found that those who do know how much they should be giving, do indeed give more. Those who were taught to give, also give more. In turn, we have a licence to believe that a campaign to encourage greater philanthropy in Canada should work. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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