The previous column laid out the formation, governance, and current divisions in Canada and the lack of a common purpose. The US has survived national challenges described therein mostly because of the strength of its institutions.One of the risks of Canada as a nation, and reasons for Quebec and/or Alberta to withdraw, is the paucity of institutions reflecting a common purpose; and are seen as fair to all Canadians.Let's start with our constitution. Canada adopted holus-bolus the British parliamentary system, one of the great contributors to the freedom and prosperity of the Western world. The problem for Canada, however, is we evolved into a federal state that requires a functioning bi-cameral structure.With our non-functioning Senate, Canada lacks the checks and balances so important for federal states, as the US has demonstrated for almost 250 years.Consequently, the House of Commons has undue power, and under the British parliamentary system, so does the sitting government. For reasons that have been reviewed many times in these pages, this freezes out Western Canada as a participant in the governance of the Confederation of Canada.Our legislative body, without the “sober second thought” of a genuine Senate, enables abuse by the House of Commons and the governing party such that one cannot fairly describe Canada as a democracy (which is defined differently by Central Canadians versus lesser citizens in the West)..The predominance of Quebec and its original “special status” also unwittingly grants it undue political influence. The “national governing party” — the federal Liberals (and at times also the Conservatives) — acquiesce to demands of Quebec to gain electoral support and retain power. These are undeniable facts and unacceptable for much of the country.This concentration of power and Quebec special status resulted in bilingualism and biculturalism legislated as national policy. But today, Quebec is pushing English-speaking citizens out of the province and could care less about the B&B institution. Why do we continue to require bilingual signs and announcements across the country when Quebec forcefully limits English?One of the biggest impacts of the “French fact” is the domination of our federal civil service. The requirement to speak French at the senior level bakes in further inherent favor for Quebec interests in a civil service that is supposed to be national. Governments come and go, but the civil service and its influence endure — a powerful institution. Its role in the SNC-Lavalin scandal, the first of many major setbacks for the Trudeau government, illustrates that a critical national institution is biased and capable of corrupt behavior, favouring a culpable, important Quebec company.In my memory, there has never been more criticism of our justice system. As a graduate lawyer and member of the Law Society of Saskatchewan for five decades, I know better than to criticize our judges. But we are all creatures of our upbringing and the culture passed down by our families, education, and the realities of our geography. The appointment of Supreme Court Justices is heavily biased towards Quebec and Ontario, leaving a huge footprint and growing population with limited judicial influence and perspectives that represent the whole country.The fact that they are appointed is another example of inevitable bias. .Since the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, the perspective of those charged with interpreting the law has evolved into more decisions that appear to be making law. This is again a bias against Western interests.Our once-world-respected RCMP is an important Canadian institution. As both Quebec and Ontario have provincial police forces, one wonders why its headquarters continue to be in Ottawa, especially the growing evidence that for many, any Ottawa-based institution is suspect (DEI, lavish spending, strong unions, etc.).There is no question that more Canadians, and even the media, are questioning judicial decisions as crime is destroying the constitutional dictum of “peace, order, and good government.” Recent immigrants from Gaza and elsewhere have imported their violence against our established and peaceful Jewish citizens. Contrast the space given such harmful violence versus the Trucker’s Convoy, which peacefully, albeit noisily, awaited their request to meet with the prime minister, who ran and hid in the Laurentians. The review found the Emergencies Act inappropriate, yet the deemed leaders were incarcerated and persecuted by the justice system.As a matter of interest and important tone from the top, contrast the current Prime Minister Mark Carney characterizing the Convoy as seditious, while giving the Gazans and other participants backhanded support. How could anyone, other than those lusting for power, say that “Muslim values are Canadian values?” In Canada, we value life, and many Muslims value martyrdom, which underpins violence and murder.This is a segue to our universities and other educational institutions that have succumbed to the built-in biases and racism of the progressive movement. The lawless occupation of university campuses has been largely attenuated, as have continued threats, shootings, mob interference, and more against our Jewish population — peaceful citizens who have integrated into productive and generous Canadians..Who today would want to be a member of the many police services that are overwhelmed by permissive drug laws and progressive prosecutors fostering unprecedented lawless and violent behavior with catch-and-release?Our military, also world-recognized during the two World Wars and its many subsequent peacekeeping activities, has now denigrated into another Ottawa-based (adjectives that I do not want to print). Our leaders have undermined another important institution.Likewise, our once-admired healthcare system was described as a defining institution of Canada and proof of our superiority over our friends south of the border. It is a demonstrable illustration of the incompetence of the federal government and the inevitable failure of a socialist system. It is not just Quebec that ignores the constitution — the federal government has no business in setting policy with respect to health, dental, and childcare, as examples of provincial responsibility.And now we have another socialist Prime Minister, this time experienced, intelligent, and committed to the climate crisis to ultimately grant global governance responsibilities to the United Nations. One of his first significant pieces of legislation is Bill C-5, which gives the federal government — aka the Prime Minister — unfettered power to ignore all federal legislation now in place. And many opposition MPs supported this draconian endorsement of top-down, command-and-control power. Any doubt regarding the Prime Minister’s socialist beliefs was repudiated by his early actions. Instead of removing layers of regulatory limitations, especially regarding new pipelines, he chose bill C-5, adding another layer of regulation by way of Major Projects, and will keep his hands on the wheel that determines Canada's future.The above and regrettably much more — National Parks, the CBC and other media, tax policy, tariff preferences, etc. — reveal the weakness of Canadian institutions. The growing possibility that Canada will fail as a nation is perhaps the most compelling reason both Quebec and Alberta citizens are considering independence. The possibility of starting with a clean sheet and building a real democracy is alluring and timely.Think of the long-term benefits and satisfaction of self-determination. Don’t we owe that to the pioneers who broke the land, and maybe even more so to our children and grandchildren? The institutional deck is stacked against us, and if you don’t support independence, what is your alternative solution — live with the unfairness forever?
