Survivor MLA Trivializes BC Politics
The Fight the HST movement plans to have a contest to determine which electoral districts can proceed with recall campaigns against the sitting members. BC can recall its politicians by law, but making it like a “Survivor MLA” game is not treating representative democracy seriously enough.
It could be worse. The metaphor could be from Wipeout, Fear Factor or Dancing With the Stars. I suppose then that politicians that are not targeted for recall would have immunity or “head of household” status?
But getting voted off the island is not the same as removing elected politicians from their jobs.
Members of the legislative assembly are not game show contestants; they are people tasked with trying to articulate our interests in the legislative chamber of the province.
We always complain about our declining opinions of politicians and lowering voter turnout, but still perk up our ears for each and every stunt that contributes to these problems.
Recall is not a stunt, so don’t make it into one. Let’s treat the mechanisms of political accountability that we do have, with respect.
See also: Parks Report Has Advice on Partisan Recalls; (blog post) HST Referendum is BC Politics as Usual (blog post); What’s Missing from the BC HST Debate (blog post); Would You Rather Be Recalled or Eat Rotten Fish? (blog post); Opinion 250 interview with this blog author
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