The Constitution. The most ignored document in history.

"...how soon we forget history... Government is not reason. Government is not eloquence. It is force. " (George Washington)

CONSTITUTION

Hence the all important document called "The Constitution". For politicians, the Constitution is a dirty word. George Bush once called the US Constitution a "a goddamned piece of paper" (ouch). Why would Bush say that? And if it was nothing more than the dish rag Bush thinks it is, then why is he worrying about it? I'd say the reason being, is that the Constitution is meant to restrain government, Presidents and Prime Ministers included. See the quote up top again. I think a guy like Washington ought to know. We should know too. Just look around you. Government is a monster. Government is that domestic enemy warned about in the US Constitution. We have no such warning in ours. Maybe we don't need one since we have the Queen. She will keep us safe from ourselves -- won't she?

The Constitution. The most ignored document in history? Really? Which one -- the US, Canada, China? Who? Well actually, all of them. Constitutions are great, but when the politicians keep making laws that aren't constitutional, something they do all the time in every country, it eventually renders the Constitution meaningless. For example, from which country's constitution does the following come from:

1. The people shall have freedom of speech, teaching, writing, and publication.

2. The people shall have freedom of religious belief.

3. The people shall have the rights of election, recall, initiative, and referendum.

Looks pretty good eh? So which country has these rights? I'll give you a hint: the country name starts with "C", and it's not Chile. And no, it's not Canada. It's ..... China! Looking good is one thing, but doing good is another. Maybe someone ought to Twitter the Chinese: psst, try reading (and following) your Constitution sometime soon.

It seems what a country does has as much to do with tradition and culture as anything else. No wonder we have so many problems. Wonder again why the government insists that you live by the letter of the law, but they live by the "spirit". That is the way it works in Canada, but it ought not to be so.

Canada does not have a true Constitution, meaning part of it is unwritten -- or in "spirit", and this is dangerous to the freedom of the people. Our Constitution is an Act of Parliament, and as an Act of Parliament, it may be repealed. This also implies that since Parliament created the Act, then all the so called "rights" conferred in the Act are not unalienable rights and are merely rights can be revoked at any time, and this is in fact what the notwithstanding clause means in the Constitution. It means that notwithstanding whatever the document says, the whim of the Prime Minister goes and he may ignore any part of any Charter of Rights and freedoms as seemeth him good. Canadians deserve better. The Independent Party believes that the basics for human survival are life, liberty, and property. To lose any of these three is to lose them all. “Life, faculties, production— in other words individuality, liberty, property— that is man. And in spite of the cunning of artful political leaders, these three gifts from God precede all human legislation, and are superior to it.... Life, liberty and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it is the fact that life, liberty and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.” -- Frederick Bastiat

The Independent Party will scrap the constitutional monarchy and install a true Constitution for the Canadian people – a document not for the government, but a document belonging to the people and for the people to restrain government.

And yes, we'd read and follow it as well.

FREEDOM OF SPEECH

"Freedom of speech is an American concept, so I don't give it any value." -- Dean Steacy (Canadian Human Rights Commission)

We do not believe freedom of speech is an American concept or value. Belief has nothing to do with whether freedom of speech exists as an unalienable right or not. Freedom of speech exists and has always existed as an unalienable right given to all living persons by God whether or not it has been recognized by whoever is in power. We do believe it is an unalienable right of a living person to say what they want, where they want, when they want. We may not agree with what is said, but we are in harmony with their right to say it.

SENATE

The senate should not be a lifetime appointment. The senate should be an elected body as is the parliament. Terms should be for 6 years staggered. Two senators from each voting district shall serve to ensure less votes will be disenfranchised by rarely or never having representation in the Senate.

PARLIAMENT

The Independent Party proposes amending parliamentary regions to accomodate two elected ministers from amalgamated regions. This ensures less voters will be disenfranchised by rarely or never having representation in the House.

DISENFRANCHISEMENT OF YOUNG VOTERS

Young Canadians pay tax on everything they buy as does everyone else. However, they are not allowed to vote. This amounts to taxation without representation. Taxation without representation is not acceptable. Either we let the young people vote, or we make them exempt from all Provincial and Federal taxes including licensing fees of every kind. Most provinces let the young people drive at 16, others begin learning at 14. This potentially means they are paying taxes in the fuel they purchase for the vehicle they are driving, so it is conceivable that voting be allowed for young drivers, or exempt them from paying the tax.