An Anti-Lobby Panel to rule them all

If a robber is caught, would you ask his friends to rewrite the law so that it doesn't happen again? In more general terms, would you ask those who break the law to rewrite it? That's exactly what's happening with the lobbying bill that will be presented to the US Congress.

There's no doubt in my mind that lobbying laws would be much more stringent if they were written by people who don't benefit from lobbying and are forced to ban it by public opinion. Imagine a group of people who hate lobbying the way lawmakers abhor murder and seek to prevent it through laws and punishments.

There's no way out of politics here: these people have to be chosen by the public somehow. If they're elected, they'll be subject to lobbying during their campaign. I favor a system like the Supreme Court where members of the Anti-Lobby Panel are picked by the executive and legislative powers jointly and then are free to act within the limits of their mandate - which should be, no doubt about it, far-reaching.

Canada: Time for a change?

What if your political dream was true? What if the party you support was in power forever? That's what's happening to Canadian liberals. Their party has been in power for the last 12 years. But numerous scandals have arised in the last year, proving that power corrupts. You would think that the time for a change has come.

The Canadian Liberal Party occupies the center of the the political landscape. To its left, the New Democrats; to its right, the Conservatives. Unlike what happened in the UK, those main opposition parties have not been reformed to move towards the electorate. The New Democrats have stood still and, if anything, the Conservatives have moved further right in the direction of the Reform Party they merged with some time ago.

Changing party is necessary in a democracy, be it only to clean up the system, to remind everybody that we're in a democracy where no one is entitled to power. It can also bring new ideas, reinvigorate your own party during its time in opposition.

This is what is making many Canadian liberals to think about voting for the Conservatives. I believe Canadians should be more patient. Conservatives should be told that they won't be in power as long as they veer so far from the mainstream. Let's wait until the next exlection where conservatives will reconnect with Canada before giving them the right to be in the driver's seat.

West Virginia Mine Accident: Forget Miscommunication

In West Virginia, suffering families of dead miners are looking for someone to blame. By giving them false hopes, Ben Hatfield has become the target of their wrath.

Ben Hatfield should not receive so much blame for letting families believe that 12 miners were still alive for a moment. He made a mistake and probably feels horribly sorry for what he did. The emotion of the moment carried everybody away. He probably was told the news by someone else. And once we find this person, once we put a face on this mistake, we'll see a human being embarrassed to death, probably deeply regretful and who meant no harm. Another victim.

A tragedy happened in West Virginia: 12 people died in a mine accident. It's not that for a few hours, people were led to think that their closed ones were alive, as painful as it might be. Now let's focus the inquiry on mining security, not on informal communication channels. This is what will prevent another of those tragedies.

Ben Hatfield might not be off the hook.

(By the way, 42 people were killed in Iraq today. Thought I'd mention.)