How to Rule the World ..or at Least Canada

By Marieve MacGREGOR

Had it with how this country is run? Wanna change the way things are done? Ready to spill some blood if you don't get your way anon? Well, if you're really mad enough to ‘rhyme' off your frustrations, maybe you should check out www.ingenuitycana- da.com, a new and easier way to com- municate with Parliament and all the head honchos.

Do not write, "Politicians bite the big one and we need to get rid of ‘em.”

This is an example of nonconstructive criticism.

This site was created for the Canadian populous to better interact with their government. It was driven and inspired by Denis Mills, Member of Parliament, and further developed by the Toronto-Danforth Federal Liberal Association. Their goal is to influence Canadians to take the initia- tive to affect federal policy and to cre- ate change. They are looking for cre- ative, intelligent, constructive ideas from people who think outside the "traditional box."

Here's how it works: Log onto their website and click ‘subject.’ Once inside you will see a variety of topics, such as financial institutions, agricul- ture, transportation, immigration, health care, education, etc. Chose the topic you would like to address and state your idea as clearly and as detailed as possible. If the topic you would like to address is not in the list of topics fear not, there is an ‘other' topic button as well.

Constructive, intelligent, and positive ideas will be sent to the Research Branch of the Parliament Libraries, where they will be worked on and developed. The researchers will write up your idea as a formal propos- al, and the report will be sent to the Minister of the Crown from your

region. Upon receiving and reviewing

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the idea, the Minister is required to respond to the idea on the website. If he or she does not, then it will be post- ed for all to see that the minister had not responded. All ideas pertaining to and accepted as creative ingenuity will be recognised by the website. What's more, you never know how far your idea may travel. It may reach as far as changing the Canadian Criminal Code.

The people organizing this website are particularly interested in receiving ideas from students across Canada. Students are in a setting where they are encouraged to think with open minds, to debate and dis- cuss, to absorb information. Twenty- five years from now, today's students will be in charge. This service will enable Canadians to be more in control of what their futures hold.

Ideas must be constructive and positive. Negative comments are unwelcome. Do not write, "Politicians

bite the big one and we need to get rid

of ‘em." This is an example of non- constructive criticism.

Well, if you're really mad enough to ‘rhyme’ off your frustrations, maybe you should check out ingenu- itycanada.com, a new and easier way to communi- cate with Parliament and all the head honchos.

Don't be shy if you are not a Liberal either. The fact that the Liberal

Party is running the website makes no

difference, it just happened that way. In fact, they encourage loyal partisans from other parties to share their ideas, especially if those ideas reflect the ideals of the partisan's party. Whether Liberal, Conservative, NDP, Alliance, Bloc Québecois, or ‘other,’ your opin- ions count. The website is a matter of national unity, not political strife.

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