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Originally Posted by MattyC
Man Captain, philosophically we are on different pages, but I still tend to give respect to your opinions, but this IMO is just the wrong way to look at politics, and generations of it in the US has gotten them into the hot mess they are currently in.
Is it the opposition parties' job to raise concerns, ask questions, and poke holes in the governments plans? Yes, absolutely. But in doing so, they still need to offer up alternatives to things they disagree with. You want them to fight the government all the way, well what happens if/when the government comes up with an idea that you like, that everyone likes? They are still supposed to oppose it and try their best to vote it down?
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Not really the only time that you offer up alternatives is during an election campaign. The opposition is not there to make the government more electable. And besides the opposition does do this when they submit bills for votes because they want their names attached to any successful ones. But they're not there to consult with the government or do anything but say, your policies are flawed and wrong and this is why they are flawed and wrong.
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Originally Posted by MattyC
You don't expect them to work collaboratively with the government? Well then what do you expect to ever get done? It's just going to be a continuous march of "Nope, try again." "Well what would you like to change?" "Don't know, just know I hate what you're doing."
It should have sweet f*** all to do with whether or not they want to be elected 4 f***ing years from now. That includes the party in power. Nothing should be done with that in mind, absolutely nothing.
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I don't see what you're getting at, this isn't a coalition government where the opposition has a seat at the actual table. If the opposition wants to effect change they submit bills that are voted on, if they are accepted then it becomes public record that it was an opposition bill. If its rejected it becomes public record which stops the government from taking credit for it if they decide later to adopt it and take credit for it.
Lets put this into a scenario that works.
The government submits a budget that's utterly stupid. I as the loyal leader of the opposition go to the government and say, this is what I would do to fix it. The government fixes it, its a better budget. Then during the next campaign the Notley Government basically says, We your government balanced the budget or did these positive things, so 4 more years 4 more years.
So I respond with a sad "But it was my idea". To which the Notely government says, yeah we took your idea and made it a NDP solution.
Congratulations, you've just fisted your party.
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Originally Posted by MattyC
How can you say this and then have the exact opposite view from the opposition? The opposition doesn't have to be cooperative with the government if they want a productive relationship? Don't they want their constituents' voices heard? Or is the only thing their constituents want is to talk about how crappy everything is without offering their own solutions? How is there ever going to be compromise to try and satisfy everyone if the opposition isn't expressing what would satisfy them?
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Of course they want their constituents voices heard, and they do that by debating and submitting member bills.
But at the end of the day, the job of the opposition is two fold, to oppose, and to replace the government.
They are not the government, they are not in a coalition with the government.
they provide a key service by pointing out the flaws in the bills, the problems with the budget and the other faults of the government. But their job is not to prop up the government or act as an adviser to the government.