Democracy is missing

By Cathleen Kneen
The Ottawa Citizen
May 31, 2012

Re: Ideology meets reality on EI reform, May 25.

In her column on the changes to the EI program, Susan Riley misses the main point of this legislation.

The real purpose of this legislation is to remove the power to amend the EI program from Parliament and place it in the hands of the minister, who can amend the regulations governing the administration of the program with only a cursory public comment period and no accountability to Parliament.

There is a clear pattern here, from proroguing Parliament to the omnibus “budget” bill which (among much else) guts the country’s environmental protection, the purpose of the Conservative government is to undermine and where possible to eliminate the capacity of the citizens of Canada to meaningfully affect the workings of the state.

I’m not sure what you call the resulting system, but “democracy” does not spring to mind.

— Cathleen Kneen, Ottawa
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