Secret Ballot? Who Needs It?
I ran across this statement by Matthew at 'Living in a Society' earlier today:
...and I swear to God I thought he was joking. But, looking at the Toronto Star, I see that maybe he was serious. At least, New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord is also calling for the proposed new Governor General to publicly state how she voted in the 1995 sovereignty referendum in Quebec.
I'm no expert on governmental procedure in Canada, but I'm assuming that there is some sort of oath or swearing-in ceremony for the Governor General position in which the person taking the job promises to do it properly. And that's good enough for me.
I figure that our ballots are secret ballots for a reason. If our voting choices are to be used to determine our job prospects, notwithstanding the special nature of this particular job, then perhaps we should put some identifying information on our ballots and keep track of everyone's votes in a voter registry database to be consulted before making any future appointments.
The demand that the new G-G state how she voted suggests that she is so morally bankrupt that she would willingly take on the role of figurative head of state and then use that position to try and break up the country, but yet she is so morally pure that she is unwilling to lie about how she voted in a referendum 10 years ago.
OK then.
---
Update: I see that the Globe and Mail is doing a poll on their website and so far 73% think that both Jean and her husband should reveal how they voted. I can only assume that if the question asked instead if people felt that they should reveal how they and their spouse voted on something 10 years ago at their next job interview and only get the job contingent on giving the right answer, the % saying yes would have been smaller.
---
Update 2: Just to be perfectly clear, Matthew doesn't suggest forcing the G-G to answer or that we actually should track ballots in a database. That was just me making an analogy to say that if we think the G-G should answer the question (or not get hired) then we might as well do that.
"...the G-G designate must put to rest immediately any speculation that she is a soveriegntist sypathizer.
All that is necessary is a simple and direct statement from Mme. Jean to the effect that she believes the place of Quebec is in Canada and that she voted 'non' in the 1995 referendum."
...and I swear to God I thought he was joking. But, looking at the Toronto Star, I see that maybe he was serious. At least, New Brunswick premier Bernard Lord is also calling for the proposed new Governor General to publicly state how she voted in the 1995 sovereignty referendum in Quebec.
I'm no expert on governmental procedure in Canada, but I'm assuming that there is some sort of oath or swearing-in ceremony for the Governor General position in which the person taking the job promises to do it properly. And that's good enough for me.
I figure that our ballots are secret ballots for a reason. If our voting choices are to be used to determine our job prospects, notwithstanding the special nature of this particular job, then perhaps we should put some identifying information on our ballots and keep track of everyone's votes in a voter registry database to be consulted before making any future appointments.
The demand that the new G-G state how she voted suggests that she is so morally bankrupt that she would willingly take on the role of figurative head of state and then use that position to try and break up the country, but yet she is so morally pure that she is unwilling to lie about how she voted in a referendum 10 years ago.
OK then.
---
Update: I see that the Globe and Mail is doing a poll on their website and so far 73% think that both Jean and her husband should reveal how they voted. I can only assume that if the question asked instead if people felt that they should reveal how they and their spouse voted on something 10 years ago at their next job interview and only get the job contingent on giving the right answer, the % saying yes would have been smaller.
---
Update 2: Just to be perfectly clear, Matthew doesn't suggest forcing the G-G to answer or that we actually should track ballots in a database. That was just me making an analogy to say that if we think the G-G should answer the question (or not get hired) then we might as well do that.
Labels: governor general, living in a society, Michelle Jean, right wing noise machine, secret ballot, separatism paranoia
posted by Declan at
Friday, August 12, 2005
|
