John Geddes: The convoy chaos suggests Canadians are just as susceptible to Trump-like forces as Americans. Our real advantages lie in our political system.
A rally opposing COVID restrictions, near the Legislative Building in Regina, on Feb. 5, 2022
And Canada has its share of the factors that strain social cohesion, including economic anxiety, nativist intolerance, regional resentments—all exacerbated by the nerve-fraying frustrations of the pandemic. Yet this doesn’t mean we should abandon hope that sensible, centrist politics might stand a better chance of prevailing here than in some other democracies.
Or consider the way elections are run. In the U.S., local and state control over the voting process has led to the sort of wildly varying rulebooks that Trump and his allies tried to exploit to sow confusion after he lost the 2020 presidential vote. In the early years after Confederation, Canadian elections were also largely local affairs, and subject to confusion and corruption. That was largely fixed in 1885, when the national election processes we benefit from today were instituted.
This is another advantage Canadians shouldn’t take for granted. Sean Fine, the Globe and Mail’s veteran justice reporter, has flagged concerns about Ontario’s excellent appointment system becoming more exposed to the preferences of the party in power. As well, the Globe reported a few years ago on the federal Liberal government checking potential judges names through a party database.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'We just lost one of the greats of journalism in Canada': John Honderich dead at 75Those who knew the former editor, publisher and chair of TorStar, described a man bubbling with enthusiasm for journalism and for life
Read more »
Today in Canada’s Political History: JFK Announces he has Invited John Diefenbaker to D.C. | National NewswatchNational Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views. Make it a daily habit.
Read more »
Opinion | John Honderich understood the power of the press and used it to do goodOpinion: John Honderich began his career as a crusading journalist and ended up a defender of journalism, all the while a nurturer of journalists, Star columnist reggcohn writes.
Read more »
Tributes roll in for feted newsman John Honderich and politician Donald JohnstonHeard on the Hill: Tributes roll in for feted newsman John Honderich and politician Donald Johnston, by DearOtherPeople cdnpoli (subs)
Read more »
BlackBerry CEO John Chen plans to sell more than US$20-million in stockLast year’s meme stock craze temporarily boosted BlackBerry’s share price, triggering the performance target for Chen’s 2018 stock grant and opening the door for him to sell part of his holdings
Read more »
He could be gruff and brusque but nothing hid John Lawson’s love of the artsLawyer. Music lover. Arts champion. Uncle. Born June 18, 1926, in Toronto; died Oct. 12, 2021, in Toronto, of pneumonia, aged 95
Read more »