Some things are worth returning for...

Two things of note. Firstly a new non governmental web site making it easer to find information about parliamentary debates and the action of your (or any MP). Check it out at http://openparliament.ca/

On the opposite end of the scale a recent report tells us that the Harper Regiem is failing in its “Open and Accountable” promises ….. that’s not news but now it is clearly documented!

“Federal delays in answering queries from the public are getting worse and threaten to scuttle the right to know, says Canada's information watchdog.Interim information commissioner Suzanne Legault urged government agencies to take "immediate steps" to curb the persistent foot-dragging she detailed Tuesday in a special report to Parliament.”

“She gave the Privy Council Office, the central branch that serves the prime minister, a D for lagging behind the pack last year. It took the agency an average of more than five months to complete a request.”

See the Special Report:
Out of Time: 2008–2009 Report Cards and Systemic... (25Mb PDF)

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Democracy Under Fire Prorogued

Democracy Under Fire will be prorogued for the summer whilst I recalibrate my thoughts. Any speeches that I may think up whilst on the throne will be given the consideration that the source deserves but may be disseminated in due course.

Readers are invited to continue to comment on past posts and we continue to invite fellow Canadians to submit their own “speeches from the throne” with regard to our crumbling democracy to keep things interesting whilst I recharge my desire to continue beating my head against the wall.

I reserve the right to change my mind at any time and reconvene for one or more posts as circumstances dictate. Unlike certain other individuals who use our money to spread their spin we invite interested parties to submit their views for publication totally free of charge. Such original articles or attributed extracts may be sent to democracyunderfire@gmail.com and will be published in due course at the digression of the blog owner.

In the meanwhile here are a few blogs and writers you should be reading regularly if you are at all concerned with the future of our parliamentary democracy.

http://impolitical.blogspot.com/

http://progressive-economics.ca/

http://www.pogge.ca/

http://drdawgsblawg.blogspot.com/

http://scottdiatribe.canflag.com/

These and many more may be found at Progressive Bloggers a compendium of views from a wide variety of bloggers.

This list is by no means all encompassing, and let us not forget probably the most vocal of our protectors of democracy who does not have his own blog but writes in the Toronto Star. Some recent samples follow!

Travers: Tiny cuts making democracy a shamSham-ocracy series:
Part 1: MPs' spending secrets

Part 2: Canadians turned off

Part 3: Young people tuned out

Part 4: The media's role

Part 5: Watchdog or lapdog?

Part 6: Risks of rewriting rules

Part 7a: Reaction to MPs' spending

Part 7b: Paliament's fissures

Travers: The quiet unravelling of Canadian democracy

Travers: Harper's dark democracy creates dangerous legacy ...

Travers: The year of governing secretly - thestar.com

Witnessing a democracy's decline - thestar.com

Travers: Harper happy to play games with Parliament

Q&A: Elizabeth May on crisis in Canada

Q&A: Garth Turner on digital democracy

Please excuse me if I give Mr Travers more attention but he seems to the only one in the MSM who has consistently given this subject much time in the print media and, right or wrong, in my opinion deserves our attention and thanks.

Please check out my sidebar for more “non partisan” links and information.

I am pleased to note an increased interest in the protection of, and the information about, our governance of late and will for the time being defer to those that have the fortitude to intake, and opinionate upon, the daily outpouring of political crap that constitutes our “democracy”.

Not done, just recalibrating. Rural.

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