In the days since the untimely death of Jack Layton, watching thousands of people come out to honour the man and what he has done for our country, I keep thinking about the long-term effects of his death: will Canada get back on the right track, as we have been promising in the past few days, or will Stephen Harper, robbed of an effective oppostion, use this opportunity to take us even further away from where we used to be, and where most of us apparently want to be?
If we want to avoid the second option, this is the time to start. We need to decide what we want, and we need to work for it. So, in the spirit of the moment, I think it is a good time to consider WWJD – What Would Jack Do?
First, let us get Canada out of other people’s wars. Canada had a proud tradition for many years as a peace-keeping country. We need to return to it. Our soldiers are not defending Canada in Afghanistan and Libya – they are invading and occupying foreign countries. Bring them home. Now.
Second, and even more important in the long term, we need to do our part to keep this planet livable for Jack’s grand-daughter Beatrice, and all of the other children growing up. That means ending our dependence on oil and gas, and moving to energy sources that do not warm the planet. Even if that causes us some short-term discomfort (though that is actually not likely).
Next, we need to take care of the people we are keeping alive. That means reasonable salaries for everyone, improved health care services, and increased benefits for those who require them. A smaller difference between the richest and the poorest, and fewer in either category. Countries that fit these parameters show the healthiest and happiest populations.
So how do we do all this? We currently have a majority Conservative government led by Stephen Harper. He is not going to implement any of this on his own. All of it is anathema to him and his corporate supporters.
But, powerful as he is, Stephen Harper is only one man, one Minister. 61% of Canadians voted against him. And it is time for us to demand that he follow the will of the Canadian people. Write to him. Write to your Member of Parliament. Copy the press. Tell them what you want, and that you will not accept anything less. It his time for Harper to start running the country for the people, and for us – and Jack - to be proud of Canada again.
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