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Path: utzoo!utcsrgv!ubc-vision!ubc-cs!acton
From: acton@ubc-cs.UUCP (Donald Acton)
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: (WE)(EA)ster myopic viewpoints
Message-ID: <893@ubc-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 16-Dec-84 22:45:49 EST
Article-I.D.: ubc-cs.893
Posted: Sun Dec 16 22:45:49 1984
Date-Received: Mon, 17-Dec-84 12:43:44 EST
References: <854@ubc-cs.UUCP> <653@watcgl.UUCP> <874@ubc-cs.UUCP> <280@utcs.UUCP>
Reply-To: acton@ubc-cs.UUCP (Donald Acton)
Organization: UBC Department of Computer Science, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Lines: 79
Summary: 



In article <280@utcs.UUCP> shindman@utcs.UUCP (Paul Shindman) writes:

>In four years you should have no reason to blame the "easterners" for
>myopia since it will by your "western" MPs with the power to enact change
>whom you must complain to.

What makes you think that the western MPs have power? I shall just remind
you of the election results.

REGION           seats   PC   LIB  NDP  OTHER 

Atlantic          32     25    7    0     0
Quebec            75     58    17   0     0
Ontario           95     67    14   13    1
Prairies          49     39    1    9     0
BC                28     19    1    8     0
Territories        3      3    0    0     0

The West has a combined total of 58 conservative MPs, fewer than Ontario 
and equal to that of Quebec. With only about 27% of the tory MPs being from 
the West it is not very likely that they have the power you think they do 
in forming government policy.  What region of Canada is most responsible 
for the election of this conservative government? It is not western Canada.
The West has voted overwhelmingly against the Liberals for more than ten
years.  It was the dawning of common sense in Quebec and Ontario that finally
put the Conservatives into power and it is Quebec and Ontario that shall 
decide if they remain there. To ensure a long reign the tories will no 
doubt make sure the voters in those ridings are properly rewarded. (Whether
they dig into the pork barrel as deeply as the Liberals remains to be seen.)

In Mr Mulroney's riding the pay out has already begun. According to the CBC
$900,000 has already been spent in his riding and much more is on the way.
They also showed a clip of Mr Mulroney saying that he didn't think there
were enough roads in his riding and he was going to make sure that that 
changed. Since when did the construction and maintenance of roads become 
a federal responsibility? Maybe he could throw some of that highway money
to BC to help with the construction of the Coquihalla (sp?) highway. :-)

>My personal prediction is that not a helluvalot will change, becuase those
>"western" politicians who now are involved in running the country will,
>on the whole, act for the betterment of all of Canada.

From a western viewpoint, if nothing changes then our MPs aren't doing
a very good job.  As pointed out above the West has voted against the 
Liberals for over 10 years, presumably if we were happy with the way the
Liberals were treating us we would have elected them during that time 
period. Or perhaps you think that the treatment the West got under the 
Trudeau regime was for the betterment of all Canada. If that is the
case then the West will remain, as Mordicai Richler put it, an internal 
colony and we will be even more justified in claiming that we aren't being 
treated equitably. 

> On your next trip
>down east you should ask around and see what people think...odds are they
>really don't give a hoot and will ask you about regional disparity and
>why you have such a paranoia about "(grumble grumble)...those easterners!!!".

Part of the problem is that people in the east don't give a *hoot* about
what the West thinks.  Just because the average person in Toronto doesn't
think there is problem doesn't mean there isn't one. If the West doesn't
have a problem why do we continually voice our displeasure with the 
federal government at the ballot box?  Why did the Confederation of 
Regions Party place very close seconds in southern Manitoba ridings
if everything was OK?  Why has the Liberal party been wiped out at 
both the federal and provincial levels for years in the West?  Surely 
it can't be because they were treating the West fairly.  The next time 
you are out West, especially if you are in Alberta or BC, ask a few of 
us what we think of the past federal government and don't be surprised
if we don't deliver stunning platitudes about the government.  

Now for my prediction.  If things don't change, the Conservatives in the 
West are going to find themselves in the same sinking boat with the Liberals.
The result will be increased NDP representation and the election of 
members from the Confederation of Regions Party.

    Donald Acton