January 12 th.

On my drive in this morning I was thinking about how we are supposed to select our governments and MP’s, and how they are supposed to represent us in the House of Commons.

What is supposed to happen is we select someone who shares our ideals and views. They go to parliament hill and vote on bills with the knowledge that they are voting for us and what the people in their riding want to see happen.

When you really think about it, they either don’t or are not allowed to represent us. Unless they are chosen for caucus, they are back benchers who have no say in policy and have to pull the party line or be punished. If they are chosen for caucus, they do help define the country and what will happen during their parties’ tenure as the government, but they still have to pull the party line.

Who defines the “Party Line”… the Prime Minister with his caucus (Hopefully, but I have strong doubts on this), a behind the scenes cabinet of Party elite? A powerful hidden group of individuals who really run the party that is in power, therefore really running our country (paranoia, I know I have no proof). You and I as citizens of Canada?

Look, the above is speculation, but what really happens is we are not represented by the individuals we vote for in our ridings. We are represented by the Party/Leader/Caucus/masked hidden scary people(just joking), and hopefully that Party (be it Liberal/Conservative/NDP/Green) represents your beliefs. This is not always so, but we make do.

These are the men and women that we elect to represent us.

PS. Toronto Tory’s comment is true. When the conservatives get into power, look for Dryden to pull a “Stronach” and cross the floor. If only John Tory was the leader of the National Conservative Party and not the Ontario Conservative Party.

If wishes were fishes we wouldn’t go hungry.