Get mad

With the trial of suspended senator Mike Duffy now into its second week, Canadians are getting a rare glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes in Ottawa, whether it’s questionable expenses racked up by senators or the long reach of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Regardless of the outcome of Mr. Duffy’s trial, the real danger in all this is that Canadians—already awash in cynicism over our politicians and political institutions—simply will tune out even more which, in turn, will translate into an even lower voter turnout come election time.
In fact, voters need to do the opposite. This isn’t the time to wallow in apathy or simply shrug our shoulders as if we’ve come to expect this kind of behaviour. And this certainly isn’t the time to grouse but then mutter, “Oh well, what can I do about it?”
Canadians, frankly, need to get mad. We need to finally say, collectively, enough is enough.
We need to demand better accountability. We need to remember that MPs and senators work for us; not the other way around. We need to hold our “employees” to the highest of standards—and fire them if they fall short of their duties, responsibilities, and obligations.
We need to care enough about our country to be an informed citizenry—not just at election time but each and every day.
Canadians need to wake up, take control, and realize again the true power of our vote.
If the Senate expense scandal tells us anything, we’ve been asleep at the switch for far too long. That has to change starting now.