“The spirit of democracy cannot be imposed from without. It has to come from within”. (Gandhi) A lawful and fair democracy is one that represents the people, where the will of the people is done not where the government’s will is enforced. Here in Canada we believe a democratic government is well suited for its people but like any other system it has its flaws. This country was a model democracy. Canada’s wealth, respect for legal, human and civil rights almost promises that this country has the potential to uphold a legitimate democracy. Reading headlines today concerning the state of democracy in Canada we can see how our political system is slipping. A democracy should uphold the rights of its people rather than the rights of a
The Prime Minister (PM) holds the most power in this democratic country. The PM is not elected directly by the people; he/she is elected by the party with the most seats in the House of Commons. The appointed PM has a huge number of unilateral powers. Academics have said, “The Prime Minister not just the recent one but the position itself- tends to enjoy powers to a degree that may be unhealthy in a democratic society. It is a thesis that has been in play for several decades”. (Bakvis, 61) This is not only seen in Canada but in Westminister parliamentary systems as well. (Bakvis, 61) A huge weakness in Canada’s parliamentary system is strict party discipline. The PM can ensure its party members votes according to him/her. The PM can do this because he/she has dismissal power to anyone in the party even the appointed senate. Even thought the senate can amend, debate or introduce new bills he/she rarely does. The PM often reminds its party members of his/her caucus that it is his/her who got them the position in the first place. This is why MPs almost never vote against their own party an example of this is when the Parliament voted on the Farm Credit Corporation Act, 150 Liberals voted in favour and 0 Liberals voted against, you can see the trend in nearly all legislations that were passed. Another example of this is at a