Failing legitimacy: the challenge for parliamentarians.

• Author: Segal, Hugh

The parliamentary process in Canada is facing pressures that threaten our democratic system itself. Voter turnout is at an all time low in peacetime. This article looks at some of the reasons for our apparent disaffection with politics.

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We are living in a period of serious" democratic Compression". By that I mean the space between decisions made by government and the individual or collective concerns of citizens is seen to be too large, the distance too great. There is pressure to reduce that space. The role of delegated intermediaries, whether in the financial world or the democratic political world is seen as dispensable in some measure, because of the potential role of technology.

The notion advanced is that just as technology and digital communications allows people around the world to connect more readily and at lower cost than ever before, both financially and in terms of so called "real time", so too can technology facilitate a more direct democracy where citizens can be consulted directly by government without the need to have their views "translated" or "mediated" by elected parliamentarians.

In research done by Dr. Paul Howe of the IRPP as part of our "Strengthening Canadian Democracy" research series in 2000, the views of Canadians with respect to the electoral process indicated a general approval of how the system worked, but, as one approached the issue of electoral participation--i.e. voting and political party membership, the level of perceived benefit and utility falls off noticeably. Less than 2% of Canadians have even held a party card of any kind. In the last election, the largest group of eligible voter chose not to vote at all.

If we count the Canadian way, i.e. comparing the amount who voted to the permanent list, close to 62% voted--an all time low. If we count the way our American cousins do, i.e. those who voted compared to those who had the right to vote, we had barely a 57% turnout. There is no reason for Canadians to feel superior to our American neighbours and their 50% or so turnout in Presidential elections.

Especially among young people, this does not reflect a diminished interest in public affairs, or issues of public concerns. It reflects instead a broad belief that political party activity and/or voting are not among the most effective ways of achieving change, improving living standards, promoting a cleaner environment or fighting poverty, high taxes or illiteracy.

Joining and supporting uni-focus lobby and advocacy groups, or volunteer community groups, like the Sierra Fund, The Red Cross...