Come take a ride on the omnibus. Where is it going, you ask? First, you'd have to agree to come along and then maybe we'll tell you. Who else is coming? Good question, get on the omnibus and perhaps you'll see. What are the rules? Actually, there are thousands of unrelated rules, but we won't bore you with the details. Only one rule applies to you: accept all the rules, or get the heck off the omnibus.
Does this proposition sound absurd to you? Does a metaphorical ride on an omnibus without any prior information about what that ride entails sound preposterous?
Well, perhaps you feel the same way about Parliament passing omnibus bills.
These bloated bills just seem to creep up on us, emerging from the dark offices of the parties in power. They get rammed through the democratic process, receive royal assent, and then without even knowing what happened or why it did, we have hundreds of new laws and have lost millions of dollars worth of social programs and environmental protection.
Sure, you might not agree with social programs or environmental protection and perhaps a handful of new laws excites you - that's not the point.
The point is, without a lawyer present and about a week away from work, there is almost no way for the regular citizen to find the time or prior knowledge to comprehend what actually makes up an omnibus bill, let alone consider what the consequences of the politico-speak document might be once implemented.
Take, for example, the latest omnibus bill, federal Bill C-45.
People are still debating what is actually contained in the 457-page budget bill and what the changes might eventually mean for Canadians – and the bill was passed more than a month ago!
Let's not kid ourselves. Governments are handed the mandate to enact laws and use tax dollars for social programs and environmental protection, but as bureaucracy has grown a common complaint has arisen. Governments are too slow and ineffective.
However, that complaint does not alter the mandate to say: government, do whatever you feel is best, without public consultation and as fast as possible.
Democratic governments are elected by the people, for the people and only exist within that paradigm.
When a government proposes and passes massive bills based on its own philosophical outlook, while disregarding the official opposition and, even worse, the public, it is stepping beyond its democratic mandate and moving closer to dictatorship status.
We all have the ability to be conscious, free-thinking individuals, let's not give that up just for the pseudo-comfort of having someone else do all the deciding for us.
There is more to democracy than just voting. Be creative, take part in governance, and let your voice be heard.
