Anti-democratic initiatives
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An overview of the anti-democratic initiatives that the government and
corporations are pursuing, and that Dogwood Initiative is fighting in quest
of a civil society.
The current government took office amid fanfare about a new era of more transparent government. After a few token open cabinet meetings (long abandoned) and a revamping of government websites, the government has.
Here are just a few of the anti-democratic policies and practices of the government that most concern Dogwood Initiative and our allies:
The current government took office amid fanfare about a new era of more transparent government. After a few token open cabinet meetings (long abandoned) and a revamping of government websites, the government has.
Here are just a few of the anti-democratic policies and practices of the government that most concern Dogwood Initiative and our allies:
- Privatization – the infamous VanderZalm government of the late
1980s fell far short of the current government's drive to privatize public
land, assets and services. Dogwood Initiative's focus is on privatization
of land and the management of the environment, but the scope goes well
beyond, from BC Hydro to medicare to welfare management. And the government
is privately telling supporters of a major campaign to privatize forest
land in its second term.
- Secrecy – a broad term, but important. We do not believe the government has a mandate to do many of the things it is doing, including privatization. This government has been blocking access to important information, frustrating the Freedom of Information (FOI) process, refusing to meet with many constituencies, carrying on secret negotiations with corporate supporters about matters of public interest, and making sweeping policy and legislative changes without consulting anyone but those special corporate interests.
- Autocratic legislation – the most infamous example is Bill 75, the Significant
Projects Streamlining Act, which allows a minister to override
municipal decisions and provincial regulations to allow a development
project. But many new laws are subtler, and more dangerous as a result. The
Environmental Assessment Act has been stripped of substance, and reduced in
scope. Those projects that do fall within its scope get a rubber stamp,
albeit an expensive one. The FOI Act has been undermined by amendments. New
forest legislation gives the keys to the henhouse to the foxes. The list
goes on, right down to changes to the Coal Act that quietly expropriated
coal rightsholder's ownership of coalbed methane, except for a few large
companies who privately negotiated deals.
