Chapter VIII
The Case for A Patriot Party of Canada
A Charter For Change
Every Canadian citizen has the right to access the federal government, and all crucial health, education and social services in their chosen official language; every Canadian citizen should be accorded the privilege, in their home territory or 'zone', of accessing the federal government and the same services in the secondary language of their choice where local numbers warrant.
Excerpt from Canadian Challenge: The Case For A Patriot Party of Canada
The programs outlined are based on home workplace and attention economics concepts. This is a ten to twenty year plan to be carried out by the federal government, something very different from our current quick-fix solutions. The actions below are to bring about not only a faster realization of home workplace, but also to allow Canada to become a world leader by being the first country to undergo this revolution.
Program Elements:
1. National Political, Economic and Social Planning
An overall framework is better set out prior to focussing on the details so that an overall picture is realized.
1-2 Implement a master legislative framework for the development and encouragement of home workplace concepts, technologies and practice setting out the role of all levels of government, corporations, co-operatives and individuals. All other related legislation would be referenced to this master statute, parts of which later could be constitutionally enshrined. Such a framework should cover at least:
1-3 Establish an effective
Threats from the United States concerning our foreign policies must be confronted, perhaps with the evidence that Canada is a wonderfully safe country with many benefits to investors despite having restrictions on trade. It is also noteworthy that most countries have very similar restrictions themselves.
For example, both Canada and the U.S. would benefit from continued free trade in the automotive, aerospace and telecommunications / electronics sectors. However, it is equally clear that the FTA and NAFTA have not benefitted Canada in such areas as agriculture, forestry, mineral and water exports. NAFTA has also adversely impacted our ability to review and prohibit foreign takeovers of Canadian-owned businesses and it threatens our social welfare and cultural programs.
1-5 Develop and rapidly implement a national program of import substitution designed to bolster the Canadian-based production (by Canadian-owned firms) of products, services and information. This will include all of the following measures:
-replacement of imports from foreign countries by licensing production of equivalent products, services or information to Canadian firms with a government guarantee of royalty payments to the licensor in the event the licensee is unable to pay. This will permit many smaller firms to participate who would otherwise be incapable of concluding such international licensing agreements;
-exemption from corporate taxable income (for five years) of all revenue earned by a Canadian firm which develops (at its own cost and risk) any products, services or information which completely displace an importedequivalent or else reduce import of same by at least 80%;
-imposition of a 'premium' duty on any foreign products, services or information (then not under a sectoral free trade agreement) and for which a substitute has already been licensed to a Canadian firm and which is therefore available for sale in Canada, where no such Canadian product previously existed; and
-a doubling of the time period for new domestic patents, industrial designs and all other intellectual property protection for any Canadian patent applicant whose patent can be immediately licensed to one or more Canadian firms so as to permit them to produce a products, services or information which completely displace an imported equivalent or else reduce import of same by at least 80%;
2. Law, Languages, Constitution, Courts and the Charter
The ordinary Canadian can be defined as one who wants "Peace, Order and Good Government," wants to work for a living, pays taxes, and is literate, regardless of a post-secondary education. Most Canadians do not care about the constitution, or the courts, or even the Charter unless they feel they are being deprived of a basic right. Courts and the legal profession interpret and re-interpret laws, repeatedly draining taxpaying dollars and confusing the general public without any need or sense. Often the chief purpose of lawyers seems to be to prolong a legal matter for as long as possible at the expense of their clients who simply want to solve the problem at hand.
2-1 The constitution, the statute law and all other measures promulgated by public authorities (and all private/public or purely private contracts made under the auspices of such measures) shall be in clear legal language which is intelligible and understandable to any person possessing a (nationally defined standard) Grade 12 education. Any public measure and any contract made after an agreed date not meeting this requirement, as measured by a judge alone (by consulting randomly drawn individuals for this express purpose) or by a jury, shall be declared null and void by the presiding judge.
2-2 It shall be federally prohibited for any occupation or profession to conspire to (or actually) increase the complexity of access to a right, duty, service or information item thereby to force the consumption of its own services by the public so as to mitigate such complexity. There shall be no professional conspiracy to force consumption of services. Where (with full and sufficient reason) it is alleged that an individual or group is itself, and/or via the public process, purposely creating unreasonable complexity the onus of proof that such is not the case shall fall on the occupation or group plus the involved public authority. (This will, for example, lead to major simplification of the taxation and the corporate affairs statutes and regulations.)
2-3 It is a matter of utmost national importance that advanced technology be implemented to:
2-4 Bar the legal profession from professional participation in
intra-marital disputes, separation, divorce, property division or child custody
matters. There should be:
no lawyers in divorce or similar
proceedings under any circumstances, but mediation and direct access to judges
by the parties. Counselling should be provided free and the entire process
should be affordable for people of all income levels.
3. The Structure and Operation of Government
The government squabbles, especially among the provincial governments, contribute greatly to the overall problem. Often cultural differences are pitted against each other for profit and gain, making everyone suffer except those same governments. (who still claim to be receiving the short end of the stick) Indeed, they speak of French verses English, and East verses West, but fail to see the truth: There are four founding peoples. We Canadians are either of: The English/Anglo-Saxon culture, the French/Quebecois culture, the Native culture,( regardless of status) or other Visible Ethnic or racial minority cultures. By regrouping into these four categories, we include virtually every Canadian, showing that this country is truly multicultural. This also allows these various groups to be better represented politically. The current state of two official languages is much more practical than multitudes of languages from the latter two groups, and all Canadians should be fluent in at least one of them, however this concept does allow for the idea of providing services in secondary languages where numbers greatly warrant it. The federal government must make sure that all Canadians are receiving their services in the official language of choice, and secondary if necessary; if the regional governments fail to meet these standards demanded by the population in their represented area, then funding will be halted until they do.
Another great issue in Canada concerns the
- rental;
- lease;
- individual lifetime ownership, occupancy and enjoyment; and
- term ownership.
Unfortunately, many social and civil disorders are found within Native communities. In order to address this, a national all-Native police force similar to the RCMP could be created, using similar training systems, but being a separate force from the existing RCMP. Indeed, the Royal Native Police of Canada (RNPC) would give consistent law enforcement both in reservations and in Native cities, with equal treatment to all citizens, more native-directed law enforcement and good co-operation with the RCMP. Provincial police forces would be unnecessary in Native-only affairs. The Natives are equal to any other Canadian; they should receive the same rights and privileges by law. They would not be allowed, however, to utterly discriminate against all other groups; a white family has as much right to purchase a lifetime ownership of land from a Native government as any other. To be sure of it, the areas would be regulated through the use of a law book, created by a National Native Council and the Federal Justice Department that would outline basic law to be locally customized as deemed acceptable. This, of course, would be in addition to the British Common Law or Quebec Code Civile, depending on the area.
In order to present federal, provincial and municipal services in one area, collections of municipalities and counties should be designated as Zones. They would be able to: provide all three levels of service in one or both of the official languages, according to numbers in the area, and also in any secondary language where there is a significant population to demand such; use the land system mentioned with the Natives, leasing and allowing land holding to corporations/private owners along with co-op communities; provide law enforcement based on what is deemed necessary. (i.e. choose RCMP, OPP, etc) The Department of Indian and Northern Affairs would also be abolished, replacing the reservations with Zones.
3-1
3-2 Recognize that Canada consists of four primary Founding Groups: English, French, Native and Ethnic. Each is entitled to equal protection under the law. Canada recognizes English and French as national languages and recognizes, at the zone level, various Native and Ethnic languages where numbers warrant within the respective zones. All zones shall be created so as to possess a majority (or where this is impossible at least a largest minority) of one of the four Founding Groups.
3-3 Hold a national referendum of all eligible Canadian voters to amend the constitution and all other impacted federal and provincial laws of Canada so as to place the following jurisdictional and operational responsibility with the 'zone' level of government:
Referring to the Constitution Acts of 1867 to 1982 these amendments would be made.
The following areas of exclusive jurisdiction would be transferred from the federal government to the zones:
The following areas of exclusive jurisdiction would be transferred from the provinces to the federal government, to be shared with the zones:
The following areas of exclusive jurisdiction would be transferred from the provinces to the zones:
The following areas of exclusive provincial jurisdiction would be shared between the provinces and the zones. The zones would be given exclusive jurisdiction where they exist and the provinces would generally have jurisdiction only in completely unsettled areas which are non-zonalized:
This means that exclusive provincial jurisdiction would remain only in the following areas:
This means that many of the provincial powers will be removed by a national referendum, giving Zones the constitutional right to provide services from federal and provincial levels of government. The provinces, remaining in effect, would only be able to manage the issues accorded to them above, along with municipal formation jurisdiction. This will be not only more convenient for the citizens, but also more cost effective for the government.
3-4 At all levels of government and in all functions (creation of information, provision of service, creation or product etc.) adopt a more stringent 'make-or-buy' policy which stresses flexibility, efficiency and sensitivity of delivery. (The optimization of these three may be difficult within our current context but advanced technology may assist in this regard. Development of a national standard set of dynamic icons respecting the generic functions of public authorities could bring intelligibility of government services even to illiterates. There is no reason why the private sector could not be contracted to develop and prototype such an approach and then assist zone governments to adopt it.)
3-5 Use the home workplace as widely as possible within government itself as a means of leading the private sector in this direction. This will create business opportunities for the firms whose home workplace oriented products and services the private sector will subsequently consume. It will also establish that the government practices what it preaches. Since most zonal administrations will be largely new (although many will involve transferred municipal, provincial or federal bureaucrats) it makes sense to implement them with the maximum practical degree of workplace decentralization.
4. Representation and the Political Process
The Senate, intended to serve as a sober boundary to the policies that pass the House of Commons, is actually an unattended yet still well-paying area to which the Prime Minister appoints various former politicians out of gratitude; The members themselves are in no way assigned to represent the population. A newly elected senate that separates itself into the four founding groups, instead of by province, would be a much better solution. The members, campaigning in all zones within a region (eg Atlantic) that support their founding group, would be elected under a mandatory vote within each region. This of course, would not imply that each region must elect one from their own founding group, but simply that the citizens of that founding group must elect a representative from that area. The top 5 candidates, for example, would be chosen for the Senate. This allows for equal representation between the four Founding Groups and the general regions of Canada, as well as accountability of the senators by their constituencies, and less provincial interference. The resulting candidates, likely younger and more focused senators, would form an excellent companion to our current House of Commons.
4-1 Allocate 20 Senate seats to each of the Pacific, Prairie, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic regions and be prepared to allocate up to 20 to the North. Within each region allocate five Senate seats to each Founding Group provided only that:
4-2 Recognize that the chain of ultimate responsibility for any
individual official action, or collection of actions or failures to take action,
stems back through the responsible minister, the Cabinet, the elected Parliament
and the individual MP to the voter. If one or more links in this chain of
responsibility are broken, then accountability does not exist. (Many academics
and others have suggested that politically appointed ministers possess very
little real power over the operation of their departments and are in many cases
controlled or at least manipulated by their deputy ministers. While this is a
matter of some debate it is clear that if a minister is to be held accountable
for the actions of his department he must have control over them.)
[More on MP's see
5.2]
4-3 Recognize that the quality of the political process itself, and of the elected officials who enter it, will be in direct proportion to the overall participation rate and the degree of control exercised by government, the political process and political parties over dishonest conduct. If, in any political system, only a small percentage of the electors actually vote then a minority which represents a tiny fraction of the total electorate can easily become the majority among the voters, can get itself elected regularly and can do as it pleases.
4-4 Institute, as a part of a national education policy, mandatory citizenship programs at the public school and high-school levels and consider the feasibility and implications of a law requiring all individuals between the ages of 16 and 20 years to be members of the political party of their own choice.
4-5 Implement a national mandatory voting law requiring electors either to vote in national, provincial and zone elections or else to show cause why they were unable to do so.
4-6 Consider the possibility that within the political process, and perhaps only within the political process, it may be desirable and necessary to place limits on the speed at which an organization is a permitted to form, develop or disband. The fact that organizations will be able to be formed electronically (hundreds or thousands of times more rapidly than in past) points to this as a probable requirement.
4-7 Provide government pensions for politicians based upon years of cumulative elected (full time) service at the zone, provincial and/or federal levels, not on years of consecutive service. Establish a single pension scheme across the zone, provincial and federal levels. (This will benefit all of us. For example, it will remove that all-consuming desire to be elected an MP for the second time because two terms now usually add up to a government pension, whereas one does not. This undoubtedly in some cases makes the desire to be re-elected over-ride the desire to do the best thing for the country during the first term.)
5. The Bureaucracy
The Bureaucrats, as a result of funds and subsequent control from various politicians, have added to the decline of Canada though morale destruction, the cheating of employees (out of proper compensation), and various other games. Appointing politicians with true qualifications in their assigned ministry, and taking a hard-nosed approach to the petty foolishness of bureaucracy can solve many of the difficulties we now face.
5-1 Start at the top by appointing ministers with a proven history of interest and actual work experience in the specific department's field of endeavour. This is the direct opposite of the conventional Cabinet making practice of appointing them so as to equally or (at least well) represent regions, party factions, racial groups, sexes, campaign contributors etc. - which can, in theory at least, produce a perfectly well selected and balanced federal Cabinet full of the most blatant idiots! In fact, the first Mulroney government may be seen by historians as just that. (Certainly, it provided more scandals per month than any other government in living memory.) The PM-elect and his closest advisors should solicit full formal resumes and references, in a prescribed format, from each would-be minister detailing the first to fifth preferences of portfolio plus identification of the five portfolios they feel least qualified to fill. The hopefuls should then be assigned according to demonstrated interest, experience and proven management (or at least leadership) ability. The PM should then table to Parliament his choices and the justifications for same along with a compendium of ALL the resumes submitted earlier. Then all Canada could marvel along with the Opposition MP's at the reasons explained for the appointment of a public health nurse or the proud holder of a PhD in Entomology as Minister of Transport or a Doctor of Zoology to the post of Minister of Justice! And the PM could do all the explaining the next day in Question Period and on the national news. (On the lighter side I once myself marvelled at the appointment by former Premier Richard Hatfield of New Brunswick of the Hon. J. W. Bird as minister with natural resource and environmental responsibilities.)
5-2
Have Cabinet and the ministers immediately set out clear departmental mandate confirmation (or alteration, as the case may be) as well as short and medium term policy and administrative objectives. This, by the way, in no way encroaches on the responsibility of the Deputy Minister (DM) to run the department per the minister's direction and thus to serve as chief implementor of the policy.5-3 Let ministers choose Deputy Ministers from a pool (including pre-certified members of the private sector) established by the Privy Council Office. There is no point having the most credible and capable senior public servant in the world as DM if the minister cannot work with him or her. Again, this step in no way subverts the role of the minister (to set policy and provide leadership) and the role of the DM (to implement that policy by managing the department and its programs). This latter activity, by the way, should include re-allocating, or permitting subordinates to re-allocate, resources among the person-year (PY), operations and maintenance (O&M) and capital funds in any way required as well as to make managers fully responsible for their stewardship. The exercise of such responsibility should be noted and rated with award programs better geared to stir the heartbeat than those now extant: for example, provide 20-25% performance bonuses for senior managers and executives, 5-10% performance penalties for the poor managers and demotion or outright dismissal for those who do not perform at all. Let's face it, even 'dismissal' normally means consignment back to the Public Service Commission for re-assignment somewhere else or a sojourn in orbit on a 'special project' or else taking yet another French course.
5-4 Provide each department and agency the mandate, statutory provisions (complete with real powers of enforcement please...) and resources to carry out that mandate OR change the mission to fit that which was actually provided OR abolish the organization! Don't leave it in limbo with lots of mandate, weak statutes and inadequate resources because that breeds petty politics better than a swamp breeds mosquitoes.
5-5 Given the much improved Public Service work environment which would be engendered by the four measures cited above, and the fact that better role and mission definition will make it patently clear who is carrying their weight and who is not, we must discharge any bureaucrat who tries to make a career out of petty politics.
6. The Provinces
Home workplace and the Zone concept are important, as the zonal governments can provide the beginning stages for the rural populations. They would also be essential in the transition to accommodation of the four founding groups, being the optimal level to provide services and control certain local issues in warranted primary and secondary languages. The provinces would be stripped of the regional control, thereby passing it to these more focused zones who, unlike municipal governments who are creatures of the provinces, would be legitimate governments supporting their area.
The provinces rarely allow anything drastic without a fight and this is no exception. In order to go over their heads, the federal government would have to ask the public directly through a clear and simple referendum as to whether these constitutional changes are reasonable. Regardless of the current structure, if the Canadian people vote in favour of this, then the federal government will do whatever necessary to make it happen, as no court shall undermine the will of the people in a democracy. Indeed, the courts will not even be allowed to tie up the motion in legal battles; these changes are too far overdue. This is a relatively pleasant, polite way of solving some fundamental problems in our country, as opposed to the revolutions which solve nothing., (and often make things worse)
6-1 Re-align provincial and federal jurisdictional responsibilities after the empowerment of the zone governments. For example the federal government would set minimum national educational standards and the zones would deliver education.
7. Finance
As mentioned previously, banks have much sway in Canada - more so than in most countries. Any line crossed with regards to payment and a client is reduced to a liability status. Understanding of priority payment does not exist, as they see themselves as your only and obviously most important debt holders. Protection barely exists, even if the prior financial record is without any problems whatsoever. In order to protect the citizen, it makes sense to introduce the option of a legal document claiming a legitimate problem that, for a short time, would render financial debts frozen. Flexibility is important to allow the person to solve the problem at hand and pay what is owed; businesses currently are allowed this same right. In order to prevent abuse, the credit companies would simply need to cross check to previous records for multiple instances of offence. There needs to be legislation to allow financial protection of citizens; the banks and other credit companies, having had ample time to repair their methods, have not done so.
7-1 Legally compel full disclosure by finance organizations – require credit granting organizations to set out in advance their formulas or algorithms used to determine credit worthiness and what discretion is vested in each level of their organization. It would be illegal for any organization to grant credit to someone who had not first been provided with (and signed a copy of) this information. Compel such organizations to also set out in advance their collection policies and also, in such an event, to take full and sufficient account (as defined in the legislation) of a formally filed petition indicating the reasons for non-payment or late payment and to respond accordingly. Permit credit consumers to make formal filings declaring causes of repayment problems which become part of their credit record and of which collecting organizations must take account, in terms of determining what collection behaviours are and are not appropriate in a given circumstance. Provide a review process should any citizen believed they have been wronged by a credit reporting agency or collection organization, which places reverse-onus on that organization to prove that it did not violate the law.
7-2 Grant legal status and protection for the direct raising of funds electronically - by QX - for personal, household and small business purposes and totally without recourse to a financial institution. Restrict purchase, sale, trade and assignment of personal interests in omni-party loans or mortgages made electronically to an individual except in extreme cases such as re-possession and also forbid sale or assignment of same to a financial institution.
7-3 Undertake a full review of the Bank Act and the 'Generally Accepted Principles of Accounting' with a view to decreasing their complexity and to facilitating the rapid (and easy) formation, growth, maturation, contraction and dissolution of capital and debt financing for corporations and co-operatives. (While we are free to vary our central monetary system this must still be done, in the short term at least, in such a way as to permit foreign comprehension of how our system works. Likewise, any Canadian quirks introduced into our accounting practices must be transferable or at least intelligible to those functioning in other systems, particularly in the U.S. and Europe.)
7-4 In concert with various home workplace pilot project communities, create a small number of what are essentially economically 'quarantined' (isolated) test areas for further development of the economic theory and practice of attention-based wealth creation. Design and develop the requisite 'reduction gears' or 'interfaces' between such test areas and the remainder of the Canadian economy. (This will take a number of years and will be a somewhat frightening, but necessary, process. If we are squeamish, other countries will get their first. We must clearly recall that the 'industrial' economy just didn't happen over night but rather there were at first small industrial islands in an otherwise agricultural and basic trade economy. These later grew and merged. Much experimentation and improvisation was needed. For example, at one point the British 'Iron Masters' minted their own coins to pay workers since the central monetary system couldn't keep up with their progress.)
7-5 Develop a coherent theory of the direct extension of a mixed attention-based and conventionally-based electronic economy into Third World environments. (This addresses the practice of adding selected Third World participants directly into the Canadian economic system, as a primer for more comprehensive trade relationships. Where the person in that environment creates an information product that we, by conventional exchange, pay for he/she is thus enabled to buy goods and services from us.)
7-6 Simplify the Canadian taxation system by:
The personal tax system would be quite simple as a result of the proposed changes. All assets would simply be calculated with a set amount of depreciation, depending on the type, and grouped accordingly. They would then be multiplied by the tax rate and added to the poll tax. Housing depreciation would differ according to lease/ownership, (leasing being less expensive) resulting overall in less of a strain upon the renting and impoverished, with taxes better allocated to those who can afford to pay them. Property taxes would thus be replaced, so as to improve real estate ownership motivation. Indeed, taxes on even pre-paid services, information and financial assets would be unnecessary until they take the form of physical assets, as they affect nobody but the owner, be it environmentally or governmental servicing.
7-7 Impose strict regulation (and very frequent inspection) upon the existing Canadian chartered banks, but permit unrestricted entry of new firms into this field so as to foster meaningful, consumer oriented competition among such institutions.
7-8 Institute strict controls on the lending of Canadian savings, by Canadian financial institutions, to non-Canadian individuals and organizations.
7-9 Directly authorize, support and initially subsidize the
creation of locally based homestead establishment co-operatives within
the zones as well as the raising of capital by such organizations (from their
members, from institutional sources and from the public by QX) to provide funds
to their members under mortgage or secured loan agreements.
7-10 Forbid use of personal guarantees or collateral mortgages on homes or homesteads for business loans made by financial organizations to individuals, partnerships, co-operatives or corporations.
7-11 Establish a number of mechanisms to measure the extent to which each service provided by banks and other financial institutions meets, on a timely and cost effective basis, the real needs of their customers. Publish the resulting bank ratings of each such institution monthly. (The U.S. authorities greatly improved airline behaviour by publishing their on-time performance and number of passenger complaints regularly. At present, Canadian financial institutions are subject to no such service ratings.)
7-12 Establish the legal means of financial petition whereby any citizen may petition the appropriate governmental authorities to prevent being forced to consume an unwanted and unnecessary financial service.
7-13 Encourage the formation and growth of more co-operative financial
organizations, modelled on the caisse populaire movement in Quebec, to serve
individuals, non-profit organizations plus small and medium-sized businesses in
the retail banking sector, including chequing and savings accounts, consumer
loans and small business loans. As these gain strength, take legislative steps
to remove the large chartered banks from the retail banking business over a
phased period not to exceed five years.
[ See more co-op information
7-9 ]
8. Business
Support is currently provided to new businesses. There is more to be provided, however, as the banks and creditors still treat various small businesses badly, and the government promotes improvement in only a quiet and minute form.
8-1
Implement mandatory teaming for advisory purposes (as a pre-requisite to incorporation) of a new business where incorporation is desired with a similar, but non-competitive, business except when the principals of the new firm meet certain qualifications related to business track record.8-2 Implement mandatory de-brief of the principal bankers, the FBDB, provincial and local development agency, the provincial or federal corporations authority and other key stakeholders or creditors by the principals after each and every incorporated business enters receivership, files for bankruptcy, sells out or shuts down.
8-3 Implement mandatory rescue cost/benefit evaluation by the above cited assembled group of at least two alternatives as follows, plus any others which may be relevant:
It could be argued that the cost of supporting various citizens on EI, welfare, etc (upon the demise of businesses) is far greater than the cost of loans or grants to help keep those businesses viable. Many businesses simply require support for a short amount of time, and then are again contributing to the economy and the country.
8-4 Implement use of computer simulation for business rescue - not just the financial kind but operational simulations as well - as standard procedure to provide in-depth analysis of the possibilities or 'what ifs' open to a prospective, operational or on-the-rocks business - this should include the establishment of a national on-line database on business establishment and operation in a wide range of fields.
Companies tend to forget the concept of vision and simply focus on the desires of their shareholders. The result often destroys the company, yet the successors do not learn from their previous mistakes. Management that focuses upon cutting instead of promoting intelligent growth simply destroys all potential, even for the shareholders, down the road. To save for new investment and by doing so lowering the debt towards investors, the company would provide much more to the customers, employees, suppliers and the overall country. It is indeed the responsibility of the company to provide for these four as well as its investors.
8-5 Introduce legislation covering corporate directorial responsibilities (including further delineation of their specific fiduciary duties) - and also legislation covering tax laws - which forces each and every corporation incorporated federally or in any Canadian province to recognize that management has five equally important responsibilities:
All of the factors above are of equal value, and it is only fair that corporations who fail to consider all five should be taxed highly as punishment. To take the step to another, more serious level, the government could publicly denounce the companies of this sort so as to put even more pressure to remedy the situation. A federal corporate affairs group could even convene a meeting with the offending shareholders and proceed to present options in extreme situations; a corporate charter confers no right for abuse and can be withdrawn if necessary.
Protection of companies to prevent flagrant abuse by politicians is of course necessary as well. This is simply an attempt to alter the current state of corporations who violate multitudes of protocols including employee, health, environmental and many more issues. Exporting goods that bring a profit to Canada could be worth less than the damage of these corporate violations, and it is sure that none of the stockholders would enjoy being in the situation of those being abused. Free trade and thoughts like it simply promote these situations, and if we continue to allow them, the wages we exploit in the Third World will eventually come to Canada! Incidentally, investors will notleave with this regulation, for they haven’t left other economically changing countries. The situation will simply improve the quality of investors.
9. Agriculture
9-1 It is a PPC program element that the family farm will be assisted in the following ways:
(1) The price of all food commoditiesproduced in Canada for domestic consumption will be set at the cost of domestic, family farm production plus a 10% return. It shall be unlawful to sell any such food product at below this price and all imported foods shall be dutied accordingly. Food subsidies will be paid to assist the poorest Canadians.
(2) Only cooperative financial institutions shall be authorized to lend money to family farms and all farm debt owned by the chartered banks shall be nationalizedby purchase at par by the federal government and then resold to cooperative financial institutions as they emerge.
(3) Every village, town and urban neighbourhood shall have a Farmers Marketpaid for the by the municipality or zone which shall exist both as a physical a market and as a virtual (electronic) market at which original producers and end-user food consumers can meet and transact business. Consumers may place advance orders with local farmers for future deliveries so as to guarantee the producer some portion of his crop being pre-sold well before it is harvested and perhaps before it is even planted. Farmers Markets are intended as a significant supplement, not a replacement, for existing food distribution systems.
9-2 Take immediate steps to protect existing and potential agricultural land and other valuable resource land from urban encroachment to preclude the possibility of having to 'unpave' and 're-soil' land in the future.
9-3 Stress the development of small scale agriculture using the widest range of existing advanced technologies and concentrating also biotechnology. Prevent the control of farmland by large agri-business corporations by strict regulation.
9-4 Instil in the national consciousness the fact that agriculture and food production are almost everyone's responsibility and pursue food pricing policies which are fully compensatory, and which therefore encourage limited domestic production by individuals and families of those food items which can be so produced.
9-5 End the apparent stigma which has developed concerning various aspects of rural life and, in particular, take all steps possible to remove from the national vocabulary all negative and regressive connotations relating to farmers.
9-6 Encourage and openly support the development of a 'hobby farm' class of ex-patriot urbanites who will, in fact, form the leading edge of the implementation of the new agriculture.
9-7 Launch efforts to return dormant farmland to production as soon as possible.
9-8 Maximize production of food for export to support Canada’s new foreign aid programs as discussed below.
9-9 Fund research first into the application of advanced robotics and communications technology to farming as a top research priority for the country. Biotechnical research is to be accorded a secondary priority.
10. Education and Training
10-1 Establish as the first priority of the primary, secondary and post-secondary educational system the preparation of the individual to live and thrive in the political, economic, social and technological environment to which Canada aspires. Educate children for the targeted future environment they will face when they leave school, not for the present environment! Instill in the individual the sense of national pride and of personal purpose, freedom and responsibility which will be required to thrive in a milieu offering an almost unlimited - and constantly variable - portfolio of voluntary activities and income earning occupations or projects.
10-2 Federalize educational planning, standards and compliance oversight at the primary, secondary and post-secondary levels. Vest with zone governments the local customization (subject to the above federal provisions) of curricula as well as program delivery and immediate assessment. This will permit us to create a stronger national consciousness of ourselves while retaining at least some regional and local diversity in the educational system.
10-3 Utilize post-secondary institutions as part of the leading edge of decentralization both of faculty and students by pioneering, prototyping and assisting in the wide scale implementation of new modes of interaction of distributed individuals wishing to interact together for educational purposes.
10-4 Increase the input of the parent, child and local community into the form and structure of the child's education while blending new and existing technologies with the ancient 'tutorial' and 'apprenticeship' methods of learning. To the extent possible, reduce the percentage of lifetime education which is concentrated between the ages of 12 and 20 both by offering more apprenticeship and co-operative work opportunities and by offering even basic high-school courses to mature students more conveniently and without stigma to mature students.
10-5 Require of each individual
one contiguous year of service to the country at time of the individual's own choosing between the 16th and 21st birthdays in an organization chosen from among the following:(Each participant would be paid a fixed sum at the end of this year and would receive a food and lodging allowance during this period.)
11. Communications
11-1 Accept the premise that the existing telephone and telecommunications system will serve as the initial backbone network for workplace decentralization and that the extension of Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) or other high capacity service to each telephone subscriber is a high priority and justifies public loans or subsidy as may be required.
11-2 Support private ownership of the 'means' of communication and if feasible continued private ownership of the telephone system. If the telephone companies refuse to support workplace decentralization or else seek to exploit the home workplace by instituting rates which would make its continuation uneconomic then the government must intervene to prevent such actions from having effect. In the last resort nationalization of the communications system is justified if the alternative is failure of the home workplace policy.
11-3 The form, fit and function specifications and primary logic for the Mk. 1 and Mk. 2 GAINERs shall be the property of Her Majesty in Right of Canada and shall be made available without charge to anyone wishing to manufacture such equipment. GAINERs shall run the UNIX operating system and conform to the Open System Interconnect (OSI) communications model.
11-4 Develop supplementary communications systems. While the telephone system will remain primal to the home workplace for many years it shall not be the only communications system. It shall be legal for any two GAINERs which have first established contact by telephone to supplement or replace such contact by any other convenient communications medium.
12. Postal Service
12-1 Accept the premise that, given the role of communications as set out above (and throughout this book) a postal service as we now know it will within a few years become both obsolete and unnecessary. (The point-to-point transfer of any type of information will be far more readily facilitated by the use of one or more electronic means, largely but not exclusively QX's, and the existing/developing transportation system which must adapt itself to workplace decentralization will be more capable of handling the residue of paper and parcel post.)
13. Energy
13-1 Establish the guiding principle that the production of required energy is a shared responsibility of the public utility and the homestead user. Create a system of grants, subsidies and loans supporting the industrial, commercial and residential creation of environmentally sound local energy sources (such as water, wind, solar and also organic fuels) thereby reducing the demand on the public utility.
13-2 Commit Canada's nuclear industry to a serious investigation of the feasibility of the production of very small scale nuclear power plants designed not to meet macro energy requirements but rather local micro needs. (If Canada can successfully pioneer a fully commercializable device which can, where other forms of energy are impractical, provide reliable and safe electrical energy then such a device should be extremely useful here and will have significant export potential. AECL has already made important progress in this regard. Our willingness to expend large amounts of money on such a project, and to take the resulting risks, could not only salvage our floundering nuclear industry but could cause us to become the sole-source suppliers of a new technology in this hardware-oriented sector.)
13-3 Restore the previous National Energy Policy as it impacts coal, oil and natural gas development with the understanding that not only must Canada return to full self-sufficiency in such fuels but, also that gross consumption must decrease over time.
14. International Development
The family farm [ see also Family Farms] has the potential to provide much food that could be traded to Third-World countries. Grain that is now burned could instead be in the stomachs of those starving people, including children. Using a travelling home workplace unit, people in the Third World could feed their entire villages, trading for Canadian-farmed food with information and products they produce. This would be much better than the current state of affairs, where middlemen take the majority of money donated to help feed these people. Best of all, none of the other big money people would be able to prevent it, since food competition would be irrelevant (the home workplace unit would be made to trade on the Canadian network) and the farmers would be making enough to keep their farms operating quite nicely. Indeed, not only the farmers would profit, but also the packaging companies, who would have to find new and impressive ways to dry and preserve the various exported goods, and the couriers who would deliver it. Eventually, the profit would be quite high, as the Third World would begin to grow and produce truly useful information and services.
Canada is far from being able to feed the world, however it is capable of much more than it currently produces. (up to five times the amount!) We could bring out a new food economy, helping the poorer countries of this world, and improving our own technology simultaneously.
14-1
14-2 Canada shall develop a variation on the Type 2 (Utility) vehicle discussed earlier in this book, which is in fact a mobile home workstation, including the following features:
- four doors and seating for six persons;
- a built-in, waterproof and integrated computer workstation capable of being powered by any of solar, battery or engine power (or – for short periods - by an auxiliary fold-out pedal mechanism) complete with firmware-resident computer-based training (CBT) on its own use as well as how to maintain both it and the vehicle – this unit must be designed to be upgradeable;
- a conformal (and robust) satellite antenna;
- a pickup-style cargo box in the rear;
- an integrated high-yield fermentation device for distilling supplementary ethanol fuel from various types of plant matter;
- an integrated water purification system; and
- a single-point water receptacle to which pressurized cold or hot water can be fed to an integrated network of sprinklers to rapidly wash out the entire vehicle.
Though the government would have to provide loans to the Third World people who wish to do this, benefits of these vehicles are high, including: allowed trade with Third World customers; increased food production demand for farmers; increase production of vehicles and the resulting technology; increased distribution contracts for Canadian air services; and eventually the repayment of many of the loans for these home workstation vehicles, as the individuals will slowly gain enough money to begin paying them back. These individuals will also be in a good political position to give troubles to their leaders in the event that they wish to profit as middlemen; the population that realizes it is soon to go hungry will revolt rather quickly. To be sure of this, a treaty will allow Canadians to cut off all commerce to those areas upon middlemen intervention. Far from permanent, this hard nosed threat will simply serve to prove that we mean business; the goal of this is not to make dictators rich. This scenario is to benefit the poor, as well as improve the Canadian economy by increasing the growth of food and resources in Canada as well as improving technology.
14-3 Cancel all existing low-yield international bilateral development programs. (These programs, as propagated by Canada and other Western nations, have failed miserably to lift the Third World recipient countries out of poverty and squalor but rather they may even have contributed to the continuance of the adverse conditions there.)
14-4 Take all necessary measures to facilitate the establishment of direct contact between individuals and organizations in Canada and those in selected (pilot project) Third World countries. From the outset, permit conventional (Type A) trading transactions wherein Third World users of home workplace equipment trade information packages for Canadian currency which they can then use to purchase goods and services here. (This 'trade rather than aid' strategy is most likely the ONLY way to reverse the starvation, over-population and defoliation now rampant even in the supposedly 'semi-westernized' countries such as Brazil. The U.S. will likely follow the Canadian lead, but at some distance until Yankee capitalism adapts to the new model.)
14-5 As and when possible (and this, admittedly, will take years longer) export not only the concept of workplace decentralization (and the requisite hard and soft technologies) but also the results of Canadian economic experiments with the economics of attention and creativity. Thereby, the Third World users of Canadian made home workstations and their Canadian counterparts would begin to partake of wealth attributing (Type B) transactions.
15. Health and Welfare
The basic concept of the policy below with regards to welfare is to be sure that the welfare system is used only when absolutely necessary. With the home workplace giving many opportunities for employment, and much of the necessary counselling being provided electronically, (which would require less courage than seeing a councillor in person) there would be fewer drains on the taxation system going towards welfare. Canadians would also be more independent individuals.
The current basic structure of public health care should not change. Far from the cries to introduce private health care, and the possible admission of HMO’s, our system should be improved, not dissolved. HMO’s are simply in the business for profit, not to help the patients who need treatment immediately. In the United States, where they run rampant, doctors who are asking for financial information first and foremost truly wish to help, but are themselves in danger if they don’t manage finances carefully. In the event that HMO’s are allowed within Canada, the federal government, upon gaining the right to govern healthcare, (in tandem with Zones) should close any private clinic or hospital. Standard policies and funding, delivered by Zone Health Boards, will provide proper health care to Canadians. Any doctors who are convicted of fraud against the health care system should receive a strict prison sentence with no eligibility of parole.
15-1 Create the means to stimulate a much higher degree of self-reliance on the part of the individual Canadian with respect to physical, spiritual and emotional/spiritual well-being. Take the position that the following are the most to least desirable means of meeting such needs:
15-2 Take immediate steps to comprehensively apply new technology
to the care of the young, the old, the handicapped and others with special
needs. It is morally intolerable that in this society, despite the various
technologies available, we should allow an old person to undergo the continuous
mental degradation of many years in bed in a chronic care hospital because they
suffer from one or a small number of minor diseases or incapacities. We should
employ advanced technology not only to mitigate physical problems but also to
provide access to all kinds of information, thereby making life more
interesting. There is no particular reason why even long-term hospital patients
could not have a bedside GAINER.
[More on Health Care see 3.3]
15-3 Provide incentive schemes, tax credits and even cash for volunteer work which creatively improves the community and particularly the lot of those least able to help themselves. [See also 16.2 for more on Volunteers]
15-4 Take any and all measures required to support publicly funded medical programs in Canada and to prevent incursion of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO’s).
16. Employment and Immigration
The idea of a guaranteed annual income has rarely been considered by the government, and indeed, it is difficult to ensure that it would be reasonable to implement. However, in the age and country in which we live, there should be fewer poor by far. The government, by providing this income, could help them out of their situation. This would not a free handout, as the following points would be ensured: a high amount of the income would be earned, with the government providing the rest; the recipients would have to be either incapable of working, be it mentally or physically, (and part of the money would go towards the care) or weekdays would be spent either volunteering or job searching; those failing to do these would require enlistment in the Canadian Armed Forces, the Red Cross, or other national organizations whose sole purpose exists to give aid to the country. Getting paid to simply laze around is not an option, and indeed those who refuse all of the above will have only themselves to blame for being poor. Fewer people will pity those who have chosen to remain on the street begging for coins.
16-1 Rapidly phase out the concept of a person being either 'employed' or 'unemployed' in recognition of the stark reality that in a post-industrial information based economy there will be five hundred shades of gray between these two extremes.
16-2 Implement a guaranteed income support scheme to supplement whatever income an individual is capable of earning. Such a scheme should in no measure discourage the individual from working but should recognize the basic right to food, clothing, shelter and mobility. Given the ability to afford these four basic rights the individual should be enabled to go forward to support himself. The other side of the same coin is that the poll tax should be set at a manageable proportion (say 10 percent) of the guaranteed annual income. Everyone who receives the guaranteed annual income must work at least part of the time or serve as a full-time volunteer.
16-3 Adopt the premise that finding productive occupation(s) is primarily the responsibility of the individual and not of the state. However the provision of the climate of opportunity is a government responsibility where the private sector is unable to perform this function. If both the private sector and government fail in this regard, then government must provide the requisite cushion in the form of income supplement such that the individual reaches the minimum nationally acceptable income, given his or her location, health status and number of dependents.
17. Transportation
17-1 Based on Canada's past and current successes, establish the transportation sector as an area for concerted industrial development in all modes, including:
Examples of areas affected by this policy include the STOL, MCTOL/Augmentor Wing, airships, inter-modal systems, smart cargo, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) , Advanced Train Control Systems (ATCS), multi-purpose ships, various transportation methods and others."
17-2 Establish a joint federal, provincial and zonal program for infrastructure development and restoration impacting rail lines, airports, roads, water and waste facilities. Commit the required funds and also establish a 'National Infrastructure Corps' to accomplish this by employing:
Support the Corps with federal and provincial funding and with cost sharing at the zone level. The zone would provide motel, billet or other accommodation, all equipment, materiel and supplies and a small percentage of the direct labour cost. Senior government funding would cover most of payroll and all of planning administration, training and deployment.
This organization will provide badly needed local employment particularly in economically depressed areas while repairing our rapidly deteriorating infrastructure. Members of the Corps not able to do actual construction work would work in auxiliary or support capacities including local liaison, food preparation, daycare and other functions.
17-3 Establish and progressively implement a National Superhighway Program, a comprehensive vehicle specifications and standards program and an urban vehicle access law identifying and differentiating among CLASS A - INTERCITY, CLASS B - UTILITY (including conventional gas and diesel) and CLASS C - URBAN vehicles.
17-4 Establish a Royal Commission to study the feasibility of ownership and operation by public authority or crown corporation of all rail trackage and rail classification yard facilities in Canada. Such an arrangement would nationalize all rail infrastructure. Thereafter, transportation operating companies could buy, lease, charter or rent rail equipment as and when needed, promoting optimal use of each mode of transportation as well as the development of fully integrated multi-modal transportation companies. User traffic control and ton mile charges would be levied to pay the cost of operating and maintaining the infrastructure, but with the same degree of subsidy now accorded to infrastructure in all other modes of transportation. The use of Advanced Train Control Systems (ATCS) would almost certainly be crucial to such an arrangement, leading to a situation not unlike the public ownership and management of airways and airports in Canada.
17-5 Establish a 'Research Road' under National Research Council management between Ottawa and Montreal using a portion of the Highway 417 right of way (area is flat and links the NRC and DND land test establishment with Montreal, the country's foremost transportation city). Explore and prototype ITS technology which lets vehicles and highway communicate with each other permitting driver advisory and ultimately control of vehicle from the road system to maintain speed, steering and headways. This could be done on a joint federal-provincial basis. Such systems would increase driver access to en-route information, improve road authority traffic management and eventually include infrastructure control of the vehicle. Programs such as the European PROMETHEUS and U.S. PATH/PATHFINDER programs have already explored these potentials. Failure of Canada to move quickly to exploit our natural advantages of good transportation and communications technology (and our ability to use crown corporations effectively) will surely result in loss of this opportunity.
17-6 Accept the premise (as set out earlier in this book) that rapid and large scale decentralization will change the automotive needs of the public not only in Canada but in other countries such as the United States and, taking advantage of this fact, develop a small and highly specialized Canadian automotive industry aimed at providing one or a small range of extremely flexible vehicles in the UTILITY class, and possibly also INTERCITY class vehicles as discussed earlier in this book.
17-7 Use transportation to improve services in isolated locations. Undertake comprehensive experimentation with the concept of transportation systems being used to deliver certain services which not only must be delivered physically, but which heretofore have been provided in a centrally oriented user-come-to-service format. Such could include library, dentistry and various medical specialities, certain services delivered by governments or co-operatives as well as various specialized wholesale or retail businesses. Space in truck caravans (or more likely trains) dedicated to this purpose could be leased out as shopping centre space is today.
17-8 Further alter the process of economic regulation within the transportation sector and, where possible, limit regulation to those markets where steps must be taken to maintain essential services. Under no conditions should cross-subsidy be permitted and all 'social' services which are operated at a loss should be directly and openly subsidized.
17-9 Restore transcontinental rail passenger service on an every day - each way basis. The very significant role of the railway in our history and culture alone justifies continued support of this important national icon. Further, increased decentralization of the population will increase the economic viability of not only national but also regional and local rail services. Canadians want this step taken, and are prepared to pay for it.
17-10 Provide VIA Rail Canada with a sufficient supply of up-to-date equipment (many more new locomotives and not only new coach cars but new club, dining and sleeping cars as well) and commission Bombardier to develop a Canadian replacement for the self-propelled Budd Rail Diesel Car (RDC), but one which is totally appropriate to our climate and other operating conditions.
17-11 Develop a linkage between firms renting URBAN vehicles within towns and cities and both VIA and the intercity bus firms such that passengers can readily purchase 'day trip passes' which include both transportation from a village or rural station to the urban area and rental of such a vehicle.
18. Corporate Affairs
18-1 Promote electronic business corporations by taking steps to facilitate the rapid formation, growth, re-organization, contraction and termination of corporations and co-operatives by conventional and electronic means.
18-2 Take steps to permit the formation of corporations by individuals and groups of all socio-economic standing. (Today, the huge majority of new corporations (with capitalization greater than the proceeds of a small savings account) are established by those of upper-middle class or upper class standing.)
18-3 Establish the consumer right to complain by QX to zone, provincial or federal authorities regarding the behaviour of any business or co-operative. Mandate that response and an initial attempt at resolution must occur within five days.
19. External Affairs
19-1 Develop a comprehensive and nationally co-ordinated program of exporting Canadian workplace decentralization and the new economic and social systems resulting from it as manifested in hardware products, software products, services, information products, human expertise and human desire for QX-based contact with others.
19-2 Maintain Canada's traditional alliances in North American and Europe but play a more proactive role in the Organization of American States; if the U.S. objects to this then withdraw from the organization.
19-3 Focus Canadian international development assistance programs on the
provision of durable and simple home workplace equipment which can be
utilized by the recipients to create information products and trade them - to
individual Canadians - for hard currency. Establish and operate networks
permitting the linking of such workstations, in Canada and in the host
countries, by means of QX communications. Refuse all aid to any country which
will not allow this 'engine of trade' to be placed directly in the hands of its
citizens.
[ More on International Aid see 9.8]
19-4 Fund no more $100 million monuments to Communist revolutions, as in Algeria. It was a BIG and enduring mistake.
19-5 Conduct a national referendum in Canada on the admission to confederation of any former British Crown Colonies or French colonies in the Caribbean which may vote to so request.
20. National Defence
[Emergency Planning
information 21]
We Canadians, being part of treaties such as NATO and NORAD, need to contribute much more than we do. We once had a large navy, a reasonable air-force and various ground forces with which we could contribute not only to our various partnerships, but also defend our home. This has changed drastically; we have only four air squadrons, four destroyers, twelve frigates and a plan to get four or five submarines. It is much simpler to state that defence is too expensive, but how reasonable will that argument be if we can’t rely upon the United States to save us? Canada needs to be able to protect itself and to contribute to NATO, promoting ideas we hold to our heart. The funds needed to provide for a revamped defence force can be gathered as a result of various previously mentioned cuts to the governments, such as: the empowerment of zones with federal, provincial and municipal services, in shortening the amount of bureaucrats needed, would bring in many extra funds; The creation of many more small businesses, with the various co-ops as well, would boost taxes and the economy. Using these funds and other tax dollars, we could slowly increase the defence forces, using air and sea crafts from the United States, eventually designing and building our own. If other, smaller countries could do it, why couldn’t we?
20-1 Implement a coherent and sustainable national defence policy recognizing Canada's substantial domestic and international defence commitments as follows:
20-2 Establish national defence construction and defence production policies capable of meeting the greatest practical portion of the requirements generated by the above-cited defence commitments, while maximizing the industrial benefits to Canada. In practical terms this means that Canada will have to plan to return to its former Middle Power status with:
21. Emergency Planning
[National Defence
information at 20]
Though few Canadians know this, it is technically a government policy that if a nuclear attack was to hit Canada, the common urban citizen would be an acceptable casualty. (i.e. it wouldn’t matter if non-official citizens died) There will always be dictators in the world, some of which may wage nuclear warfare, and it is only good sense to establish evacuation/emergency procedures in such event, however unlikely. Though decentralization will improve the chances for survival, an emergency policy must be established.
21-1 Encourage the development of comprehensive individual (homestead), community, zone and national capabilities to survive the rapid onset of any type of natural or man-made disaster including unanticipated strategic nuclear attacks. This includes:
21-2 Establish a federal-zonal co-operative program for the implementation of a National Composite Warning System for indoor/outdoor warning of natural or man-made emergencies and disasters on a local, zonal or national scale.
21-3 Establish a Civil Defence Reserve to undertake the construction, operation and maintenance of emergency preparedness projects, facilities and systems.
22. Hard Industry
22-1 Establish a National Technology Policy aimed not only at the development of high technology equipment manufacture (where clear niches exist) but also at improving the competitiveness of our conventional resource extraction, commodity and equipment industries.
22-2 Utilize the medium of the crown corporation to assist industries in the decentralization process and with the establishment of a comprehensive set of technical and human standards not only to protect the quality of output but also to preclude the possibility of regressive developments in the classic employer-employee relationship where such continues to exist.
22-3 Provide substantial tax and other incentives to the location of plants in newly established communities and in remote areas to foster integrated economic development in such areas.
23. Service Industries
23-1 Encourage service industries to continue to develop (and to expand where feasible), but accept the fact that, as with the professions, certain service industries will see greatly reduced demand for their services or will even disappear entirely. When this occurs, the natural decline or death of an industry must be permitted to take place. (To permit the service provider to instead entrench himself or herself by forcing members of the public to consume services which are neither needed nor wanted is to impede the country's harmony, order, progress and social development about as effectively as the youngster who blocks the school washroom door.)
24. Information Industries
24-1 Provide an appropriate climate for the growth of all sizes of information provider, from individuals to giant corporations. It will be necessary to develop norms of behaviour for QX's to prevent wanton misuse of network resources. (There is no question that a large number of incoming QX's at any home workplace will be in the vein of what we now call junk mail and much of this will come from organizations and not individuals. However the coin has two sides. Individuals, even those working at home, who work mostly for one organization may wish to preclude processing of most QX's not originating WITHIN their own organization, at least during prime working hours. Bureaucrats whose positions place them deep inside the organizational pyramid may not wish to receive enquiry QX's targeted directly to them by a member of the public merely because their name was in the hardcopy phone book or QX directory. How deep should a QX generated by an outside individual be permitted to permeate into the structure of an organization, regardless of the actual location of the worker? We may have to resort to atomic theory for some help with this question.)
25. Urban and Rural Development
25-1 Establish a federal crown corporation called Canadian Home Workplace Technology Ltd. (CHWTL) to foster the creation, assessment, test and commercialization of technology appropriate to the rural homestead including:
25-2 Establish provincial crown corporations to serve as a bridge between CHWTL, private sector equipment makers, zone enterprises, local development corporations and homestead co-operatives.
25-3 Establish, and if necessary entrench by legal or constitutional means, a limit to the population, area and density of every zone in Canada while at the same time providing the jurisdictional and other means required for the rapid creation of new settlements, villages, towns and even cities in accordance with generally accepted planning principles.
25-4 Develop, or enable the development of, new uses for high density buildings in urban areas which will be vacated by business in favour of the home workplace as well as the large number of suburban apartments which will be forsaken by their current occupants for downtown walking communities or for lower density suburban, small town/village or rural life.
26-1 Accept the premise that workplace decentralization provides the ultimate opportunity for the creation both of culturally integrated groups and of culturally specialized or homogeneous communities.
26-2 Utilize advanced technology and a national standard set of dynamic public administration icons describing the exercise of public authority to permit the delivery of the maximum number of federal, provincial and zone programs on a language-independent basis. Where this is impossible, develop programs to be equally deliverable in French and English as well as to permit additions of local zonal languages.
Generic activities done by the government workers such as elections, budgeting, taxes, etc. could be presented on a screen through understandable icons so that any user could understand and execute the tasks. The software, called Program Delivery Software, (or Progware) could be developed by industry, as well as the translations/customizations for various areas. Utilizing this, any citizen, regardless of language, could accomplish their own federal services without any lawyer or accountant intervention .
26-3 Continue the two official language policy by committing to the concept that, whatever other languages they may speak, all Canadians should be fluent and able to work in at least one of the two official national languages.
27. The Professions
27-1 Develop various means to encourage the adaptability of individuals and of professional groups to the immense changes which lie ahead. Government should do all in its power to make it legally, economically and socially unacceptable for a professional group to utilize its influence and ingenuity for the sole purpose of self-preservation or self-perpetuation (i.e. to find ways to force the public to consume its services.)
27-2 Establish a clear vehicle for the emergence and growth of new professions, and for transition of existing professionals to such new fields, consistent with the requirements of the public, institutional and private sectors.
28. Policing and Corrections System
28-1
Develop a strategy of increasing reliance on individual, small group and community norms as the primary basis for the maintenance of law and order, and for the provision of many of the policing services now provided by professionals. (Examples include the expansion and partial automation of neighbourhood watch programs, increased use of police auxiliary and cadets as well as broadening the role of rural peace officers. Design the policing system for the rural homestead environment of tomorrow, not the urban slum of today nor the more idyllic town of yesteryear!)28-2 Utilize the most advanced technologies as 'force multipliers' to enable a smaller number of law enforcement officers to conquer time and space more effectively. (This does not imply the Orwellian 'big brother' approach but does point to the need for considerable creativity.)
28-3 Review the desirability of the long term maintenance of capital-intensive high security installations for the incarceration of chronic or incurable criminals. Use jails for short-term holding and for the housing of short- to medium-term prisoners expected to be re-habilitated and re-join society. Develop more humane and comfortable prisons with increased interaction with the outside world, although QX's may have to be screened in most cases.
28-4 Return to the death penalty for the big five capital crimes; murder and also - where conditions warrant - for manslaughter, piracy, rape and treason. Where a charge could bring the death penalty, the defendant shall be entitled to have any defence lawyer of his choice (not necessarily a public defender) paid for by the provincial government. After the trial, but only if there is a compelling reason to do so, a defendant sentenced to death shall be entitled to a single and all-encompassing appeal directly to the Supreme Court of Canada, which must be heard within three months of submission. Statutorily remove the ability of the Minister of Justice, Cabinet and Prime Minister to commute death sentences.
28-5 Use the statute law to eliminate plea bargaining and also to reduce the flexibility exercised by lawyers who now can extend the pre-trial and trial process, where they wish to do so, almost indefinitely as much for their own benefit as for their clients' benefit, it would seem; they also obviously like to see these clients recycle through the system again and again since this adds up to more profit for them.
28-6 Develop other means of providing a sufficiently constrained, but not necessarily a straightjacket, lifestyle for lesser criminals: isolated communities with highly efficient and impenetrable perimeter monitoring may be the answer. In such communities, provide individual prisoners the tools and supplies to survive and leave them to do so; if they spend all their time hurting each other and don't bother to grow any food or to store energy for winter then they will eventually starve, with no one to blame but themselves.
28-7 Develop the legal and technical means for the individual to defend his property from theft or destruction and to defend members of his family from injury, life-threatening attack or kidnapping.
29. Science and Technology
29-1 Establish a National Science and Technology Policy aimed at commercializing those aspects of Canadian basic and applied research which would provide Canadian business and industry both qualitative and quantitative advantages. This should include a Science and Technology Council, chaired by the Prime Minister, and which meets monthly, not occasionally or whenever politically convenient. Establish RDT&E, commercialization and ongoing product development as three separate - but equally well supported - phases of the innovation/product life cycle. Environmental and energy issues should also be addressed by the policy.