Neither can Accountability and the leaders of the First Nations bands

If it cannot, it's the fault of the electorate

+1

Though you have to admit, when she brings out her DVD the before and after shots on the front cover won't be as convincing as some of the other celebrity diet ones have been.

It wasnt a proper hunger strike - she took no solid food ! Allegedly only chicken broth and medicinal herbal tea! Pfft


( and liquidised makes bars me thinks )

Sadly, I think you over-estimate the real influence of the electorate on politicians. Democracy is a sheep in wolf's clothing.

Idle no More wasn't supposed to be about Chief Spence, but she sure tried to make it about her.

Anyway...I'm not 100% clear on the issues but I do know this. The First Nations seem pretty disadvantaged from everything I've seen. This is similar to indigenous people in other former British colonies like NZ and Oz and the USA. So, yeah. Something should be done. What I don't know. The current system clearly isn't working.

A lot of things in Canada don't actually seem that democratic. Secret meetings to appoint people into quite powerful positions are normal.

Politicians are only there because people vote for them. I doubt there is a constituency anywhere that doesn't have independents on the ballot. The US may, I don't know.

I have yet to see a politician elected with zero votes

Sadly, I think you over-estimate the influence of individual politicians on policy.

I agree. It's only reasonable that everyone do a full audit of the government before voting so that they can know if they are behaving in a fully transparent and accountable manner. Anyone who doesn't do can't really complain if they find out that some obscure government department spends a few million in a less than efficient manner as it's entirely their own fault.

Yawn.......I suppose we won't have to wait too long for the next 'soap opera'...

You are, as always, correct. The electorate is responsible for little, it's all those bastard politicians' fault. It's probably a class thing

This is not a bad article http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/...structure.html

Note particularly the quotes from the auditor general.

The problem is that the lives and affairs of First Nations are goverened by the Department of Indian Affairs under a century + old Indain Act, which itself is the product of British Colonialism at its worst.

However, if they get a bit uppity, it is far easier to blame the natives than do anything about it.

Pretty much!

Colonization has by and large been bad, bad, bad for indigenous people. It's been great for British immigrants though

Do you agree with this columnist who suggests scrapping the Indian Act?
http://www.winnipegsun.com/2013/01/2...rap-indian-act