The phoney election campaign has finally given way to the real thing and, as voters know well, that means big, glitzy promises. But imagine promises that wouldn鈥檛 need sod-turnings or ribbon cuttings? Meaningful promises that every party can sign on to, because they鈥檙e about good government, not party ideology.
They might be more esoteric than the gobs of goodies voters are accustomed to, but they are crucial if British Columbians are to be truly re-engaged in the political life of B.C.
In the 2009 election, nearly one out of two voters stayed home. The turnout in the HST referendum wasn鈥檛 much better. In local elections, it was even worse.
Platitudes won鈥檛 restore the confidence of British Columbians. This time, meaningful reforms need to be proposed that will address the public鈥檚 growing distrust of the province鈥檚 political class.
The risks in failing to do so are great.
In 1993, Paul Martin, Canada鈥檚 minister of finance, reported: 鈥淭he underground economy isn鈥檛 all smugglers. It鈥檚 hundreds of thousands of otherwise honest people who have withdrawn their consent to be governed, who have lost faith in government.鈥�
Martin could have just as easily been talking about B.C. in 2013. From the sale of B.C. Rail to the HST debacle to the 鈥渜uick wins鈥� scandal, that 鈥渃onsent to be governed鈥� is badly frayed in B.C.
It鈥檚 why B.C.鈥檚 40th general election must be a transformational election. It鈥檚 time to get it right, not just to win back the public鈥檚 confidence, but to keep it as well.
And doing so starts with the parties themselves. Political parties must be as open as the public expects government to be. From something as simple as posting the names of riding presidents on their websites to open nomination meetings, political parties must look at how they conduct their own affairs.
Incumbency shouldn鈥檛 come with a blank cheque. MLAs must stand in open nomination contests. Party members and voters deserve no less.
Getting it right means whistle-blower protection for public-sector employees, including health-care workers and teachers. As B.C.鈥檚 auditor general John Doyle noted: 鈥淲histle-blowers need an element of protection 鈥� and at the moment there鈥檚 very, very limited [protection] that鈥檚 afforded.鈥�
It鈥檚 also time to end the game of cat-and-mouse with B.C.鈥檚 access-to-information law.
The 鈥渜uick wins鈥� scandal wasn鈥檛 repulsive only for what it represented, but also for how it was conceived. It spoke to the worst in public service.
As information and privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham noted: 鈥淸The quick wins] documents raise important questions about whether personal email accounts were being used in an attempt to evade access-to-information law, and whether personal information was inappropriately shared.鈥�
Denham rightly called on the government to create a 鈥渄uty to document鈥� to reverse what is now euphemistically called 鈥渙ral government.鈥�
Getting it right means ensuring that government watchdogs like Doyle and Denham have the resources to do the job. Doyle oversaw expenses of $43.9 billion in 2011 on an annual budget of $15.75 million, while his Alberta counterpart had a budget $10 million higher to oversee comparable expenses.
And after the debacle over his reappointment, it鈥檚 time that legislative officers be appointed by at least two-thirds of MLAs in a free vote, and not a sub-committee of five meeting in secret.
Getting it right includes what happens on the floor of the legislature.
B.C.鈥檚 legislature will be far more effective through the introduction of permanent standing committees. It will reduce partisanship, help ensure fairness and improve the zoo-like atmosphere.
While a taxpayer bill of rights is a loaded term, respect is a reasonable expectation. MLAs must lead from the front on pay, benefits and transition allowances.
But even the best of intentions will mean little until government gets the fundamental law right: B.C.鈥檚 Election Act.
If citizens don鈥檛 have faith in the very legislation that underpins B.C.鈥檚 democracy, how can they ever have faith in anything that emanates from it?
Not one of these ideas requires asphalt or is ready-made for a photo-op, but they鈥檒l help restore the confidence that British Columbians must have in our political system.
And because of that, they are the most important promises that parties can make during the campaign.
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Dermod Travis is the executive director of IntegrityBC.
