"Cowardice asks the question...is it safe? Expediency asks the question...is it politic? Vanity asks the question...is it popular? But conscience asks the question...is it right? And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because it is right." ~Dr. Martin Luther King

Wednesday 9 May 2012

Dunno 'Bout That

Several comments refer to re-call legislation . I know nothing about that. I doubt it.

Last time I read about petitions demanding removal from office related to  an M.P. from Markham named Djag Bhaduria. He was expelled from the Liberal Party and forced to sit outside the government benches.

 He went on a trip to the Middle East on a trade mission  anyway. 

He did not receive the party nomination in the next election but it didn't stop him from trying. He was photographed with supporters around him .

The heat was on the government for months to dump him . To no avail. He completed the term.

The right of the people to choose is paramount.

When I was first elected, it was the first two year term of office at   municipal  level. Since then, it was increased to three  and  the last three terms have been four years.

The increase to four years  was to serve Toronto 
.
It's the same as the Provincial term. The difference is  senior  governments can call an election any time they decide.

If we make a bad decision, we are stuck with it for four years.

All the more reason to pay attention, my dear .

Whatever else might be said, this term is light years better than the last. It is not to be compared.

BTW  conventional wisdom has always been, if a Councillor, for whatever  reason , experiences political misfortune, no other politician of intuition and discretion,  would ever take it upon themselves to act as judge and jury or even offer an opinion.

The choice must always rest with the electorate. The whole electorate.

No comments: