The Bruce Report

A democracy whose government refuses to heed the will of the majority as routinely as it embraces the narrow interests of a vocal fringe is no democracy at all; it is, by ambition and practice, an elected oligarchy.

In the waning days of a long, hot summer, Canada is coming perilously close to that which its history, traditions and civic sensibilities utterly despise: a nation ruled by a smug, self-satisfied coterie of partisan strong men whose coarse manipulation of facts and rational argument supplants intelligent debate and resists effective opposition.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his cabinet have, for years, waged a stunningly successful campaign against the twin concepts of expertise and collaboration in political culture. Their hard line, right-wing mentality has extolled the virtue of certitude in all matters of state, as bias and presumption have proscribed the meritorious, once meretricious, qualifications for public office. Meanwhile, reasonable dissent has become the province of eggheads, elitists and other assorted traitors.

In this context, the controversy over Ottawa’s decision to eliminate the mandatory requirement that a fraction of Canadians fill out the long census form next year is not, as the Harperites would have us believe, an inconsequential salvo launched by malcontents. It cuts to the very heart of democratic meaning and responsibility in a tolerant, pluralistic and informed society.

More than 200 organizations – representing teachers, economists, businesses, activists, progressives, moderates, conservatives, and liberals – have implored the federal government to reverse its tack. Without this periodic statistical evaluation, they argue, fiscal, monetary, social, industrial, education, and health policies will suffer.

But just as recently as yesterday, Harper and Industry Minister Tony Clement – pointing to the support they’ve received from a grand total of three rabidly reactionary think tanks – clung to their entirely discreditable claim that Canadians don’t want their government to insist they do anything under penalty of law.

This specious argument conveniently fails to acknowledge that no resident of this country has ever served time for failing to answer any portion of the census. It also makes light work of the actual, numerous and eminently enforceable obligations of citizenship, which are already installed. How voluntary is paying taxes?

Still, the indignities of this government don’t stop there.

Although as much as $500 million in unused federal economic stimulus money could vanish by the March 31, 2011, deadline, arbitrarily set by the Department of Finance, both Harper and his fiscal czar Jim Flaherty are adamant about turning off the taps when the clock strikes midnight. Again, they say, most Canadians have told them to buckle down and get the multi-billion-dollar budget deficit under control. But, again, most Canadians have said nothing of the sort.

In fact, provinces, territories, cities, towns, and villages across the country sat by anxiously waiting in the spring, summer and fall of 2009 while the federal government struggled to roll-out its inadequately staffed “shovel-ready” programs. Faced with stiff opposition from its discontented libertarian base of voters, the Harperites moved with only glacial speed to execute a recession-busting program it had, itself, invented.

Now, “most Canadians” face the distinct possibility that many of their already cash-strapped communities must pony up the balance of payments for projects the feds refuse to grandfather, not for practical reasons, but for ideological ones.

Where do the responsibilities of this government fall?

Are they on the Point Lepreau nuclear reactor refit in New Brunswick, where Atomic Energy of Canada Limited – a federal Crown corporation – appears wholly unequal to the task?

Are they on municipal infrastructure now crumbling thanks to years of neglect and abuse at the hands of indifferent men happily ensconced in their silos of political self-interest and complacency?

Are they on the hearts and minds of the people – all the people – it was elected to represent fairly, evenly, rationally, and inclusively?

Or are they on itself – a supremely disengaged cabal of oligarchs fretful about nothing, except one thing: The next general election.

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