Canada's Founding

Fire of Liberty

While we will hark back this July 4th to the days when our Founding Fathers declared their independence from Great Britain, the people of Canada will also mark their founding come this Friday. In a rather interesting column in Canada's National Post, David Frum revealed that unlike the founding of the US which was based on the God given rights of Life, Liberty and the Persuit of Happiness, Canada's founding was based on a simple act known as the British North America Act of 1867 that established just another system of government. Here's a peek at Frum's column:

Unlike the prime minister of Italy, he can enjoy the power of an absolute majority of the House of Commons with as little as 37% of the popular vote--as Jean Chretien did in 1993.

Unlike the prime minister of Australia or the chancellor of Germany, he need not worry about an elected and independent upper chamber defying his edicts.

Although it is true that the prime minister of Canada must contend with a dozen provincial and territorial chief executives who rule their domains as absolutely as he rules his, it is equally true that he has most of the taxing power--while they must bear the responsibility for running the programs that those taxes fund.

And as Canadians have just learned, the prime minister is no longer restrained even by the most basic and fundamental rule of Westminster-style government: the need to command a majority of the House of Commons. He can disregard a whole series of non-confidence votes--can deny a majority of the House the right even to propose non-confidence motions--and keep governing until he has reassembled a new majority by hook or by crook.

All told, the job of prime minister of Canada bears a much closer resemblance to that of, say, president of Mexico than to that of any of its First World counterparts.

Thank God we live in a country where on our day of independence we can feel proud about our rich history of people fighting for freedom. So take time this July 4th to thank our lucky stars that people like Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Adams, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Ben Franklin and countless others fough to found this nation on ideals rather than a vote by parliament.