A14 Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Comox Valley Record
www.comoxvalleyrecord.com
VIEWPOINT Petitions show loss of faith in democratic process A division of Black Press Ltd. 407D Fifth Street, Courtenay, B.C. V9N 1J7 www.comoxvalleyrecord.com The Comox Valley is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact: editor@comoxvalleyrecord.com or call Terry Farrell directly at 778-225-0029. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information. All original content in this publication is copyright material belonging to Black Press. Any re-use or reproduction without the expressed, written consent of the copyright owner is strictly prohibited.
Editorial
Buying local for holidays has never been more important
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uying locally for the holidays has never been as important as it is this year. With the COVID-19 pandemic, many local businesses are struggling, and sadly, some have already had to permanently close their doors. With the provincial government and health officials urging us to stay at home as much as possible, or at least to stay in our own communities, the many people who are planning their Christmas lists should consider taking a look at our local businesses, especially our small business community. According to a recent press release from BC Buy Local, “local businesses employ eight times more people per square foot than multinationals, and keep 63 cents of every dollar in the community, creating up to 4.6 times the economic impact over any money spent at a non-local business.” So maybe instead of being so quick to click a sale on an online retail giant, take a few minutes to look at the website of your favourite local stores and see what options they have to offer. If we want them to still be there after the pandemic is over, it’s something we need to do. And it’s not like it’s a hardship. Our local businesses offer an incredible array of products and services. From wine to soap, chocolate to toys, clothing and everything in between, local products and the local buying experience will blow you away. Many have developed websites and are offering things like curbside pickup or even delivery for those who are afraid to venture too far from homes because of the virus. Winter is often a lean time for businesses, and this year more than ever. Choosing to spend your money in the community can and does help businesses make it through to next summer. We promise, Amazon doesn’t need your business the way that the boutique down the street does. Amazon is doing just fine. Your neighbours who own a local gift shop, probably not so much. Yet these are the businesses that support our communities and we need to support them in return. –Black Press
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■ John Arendt GUEST COLUMN
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couple of online petitions, one seeking to remove a Chilliwack school trustee from office and one seeking to remove Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from office, are deeply disturbing. The online petition from Chilliwack is asking for the resignation or removal of trustee Barry Neufeld “for his continued use of offensive language and complete disregard for decency in our community.” The petition was started after Neufeld used a slur to describe a newspaper and journalists in the community. Neufeld has also come under fire for other comments which are considered offensive. At present, more than 11,000 people have signed the petition. This is more than one-tenth of the more than 101,000 people who live in Chilliwack’s metropolitan area. The online petition against Trudeau is demanding that he step down as prime minister and as the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. “We, the undersigned citizens of Canada have lost confidence in him as Canada’s Prime Minister and we feel he no longer serves the best interests of Canadians,” the petition states. This is not the first time a petition has circulated with the goal of ousting Trudeau.
The latest petition was started in response to the federal government’s measures to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 60,000 people have signed this petition. While this number may seem impressive, it represents less than one-sixth of one per cent of Canada’s population. It’s hardly a resounding cry for Trudeau to step down. While the issues addressed in the two petitions are different, they both show the same underlying problem, namely a disregard for the governing process we have in Canada. Our democracy, at the local, regional, provincial and national levels, is not decision-making by online petitions. Instead, representatives are elected to consider and discuss issues using a democratic process. Whether one likes or dislikes a candidate, an elected official at any level, a party leader or a party’s platforms is a matter of personal opinion. Voters are able to cast ballots in elections, and both Neufeld and Trudeau were elected by voters in their constituencies. At the federal level, the Liberals were able to win more seats than any other party, putting them into the role of the governing party and putting Trudeau into the role of prime minister. There are ways a local government is able to impose discipline on a member whose speech or behaviour is considered inappropriate, and there are ways for the public to speak out if an elected official at any level is speaking or behaving in a way that is considered offensive.
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If one is unhappy with the direction of a governing body, or if one considers an elected official’s behaviour to be unacceptable, there are ways to speak out and voice these concerns... an online petition is not one of these ways.
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These do not include online petitions, such as the ones targeting Neufeld or Trudeau. Such petitions hold no power and governments are not bound to follow their directives. Our democracy has some important procedures and structures in place, and they must be respected if the democracy is to work. These structures do not include online petitions. If one is unhappy with the direction of a governing body, or if one considers an elected official’s behaviour to be unacceptable, there are ways to speak out and voice these concerns. At the provincial level, British Columbia has a recall process that has been in place since 1995. There are parameters with this process in order to ensure it is not being abused. Over the years, several recall attempts have been started using this process. But an online petition is not one of these ways. John Arendt is the editor of the Summerland Review, a Black Press publication.