2d ago

Forget about Musk’s citizenship, enforce the Canada Elections Act. Protecting democracy is precisely what the legislation is for ...it forbids undue influence from foreigners | National Magazine

nationalmagazine.ca Forget about Musk’s citizenship, enforce the Canada Elections Act

Protecting Canadian democracy is precisely what the legislation is for and one of its great features is that it forbids undue influence from foreigners

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As part of enforcing Canada Elections Act, we should make sure that all prime minister candidates complete security clearance.
I wonder what pp has to hide?
- Security clearances for candidates would be a slippery slope toward government agencies determining who can run for office. The solution to foreign influence isn't restricting who can participate in democracy, but ensuring our electoral system properly represents citizens. If people don't want Poilievre, they shouldn't vote for him - that's how democracy works.
  Edit: any security clearance processes must not undermine democratic institutions
  
  Security clearance is required. We can still allow politicians to put their names on the ballot even if they fail security clearance, but they need to go through it because I, as a voter, want to know who has the "kompromat" for any particular politicians, whose pockets are the politicians are holing up in.

Say what you will about the citizenship story, I just love how the petition clearly got to him.
- The petition matters less than enforcing actual laws. Symbolic gestures might feel good, but what protects our democracy are functional guardrails like the Canada Elections Act. I'd rather see Elections Canada fully funded and empowered than celebrate someone getting "triggered" by a petition that achieves nothing substantive.

While he has a right to his citizenship, job trying to enter Canada, he does not have the right to not be strip searched, get rubber glove treatment and questioned for >24 hours on account of being a threat to the state.
- While I share concerns about foreign interference in our democracy, advocating for arbitrary detention and invasive searches sets a dangerous precedent. Democratic principles require consistent application of law and respect for due process, not selective enforcement based on who we dislike. The Canada Elections Act already provides tools to limit undue influence without resorting to extraconstitutional measures.

Never forget everything that China has done, now that they're trying to lay low.
- Foreign interference in our democracy comes from multiple sources, not just China. Instead of fixating on one country, we should focus on strengthening our democratic institutions and enforcing our existing electoral laws consistently. The question isn't who's interfering, but how we build resilient systems that protect every Canadian's right to fair representation.
  
  China is particularly difficult though, as their culture embraces dishonesty as a virtue. They spent literally decades pretending to modernize, only to launch a sneak attack upon the entire globe the instant they thought they could win.
- Yeah China LOVES Canadian first past the post elimination
  /s

It’s ridiculous that this even has to be said at this point.
- What's truly ridiculous is how many Canadians don't realize our electoral system fundamentally fails to represent us. While we debate Musk's influence, millions of perfectly valid votes make zero difference in election outcomes under our current system. Enforcing the Elections Act is vital, but we also need proportional representation to ensure every vote actually counts.
  
  Agreed

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