Jo King - here's my solution:

1. Ban all political parties forever! Yes, I am 100% bloody well serious on that!

2. Ban the very notion of a "party in power" and an "official opposition". To quote Abe Lincoln, "a house divided against itself cannot stand". Our party system is such a house.

3. Ban both private and corporate funding of political campaigns. All political campaigning would be funded out of a public purse (taxes) and would be of moderate and equal funding to all candidates.

4. Allow a maximum of 5 candidates to run in any riding, following nominations from the ordinary public. Candidates would be nominated by the ordinary public, NOT by a political machine or on the basis of any party affiliation...but simply on the basis of character and reputation. Can you imagine how much this would involve the public in the democratic process, and free them from party politics and manipulation? This is basically how local politics works in any small town or community, where we still have genuine democracy.

5. Have a short campaign in which all candidates present themselves and their ideas...NOT some party ideology.

6. After the election, all elected officials form local committees, which appoint regional committees from the membership, which appoint a national committee, which appoints a cabinet and a prime minister. No party divisions, no infighting, one united goverment formed from many minds. And end this incredible cult of leadership that we are presentl indulging in...no one can live up to it, anyway.

7. Now, obviously, all the present shades of opinion would probably be represented and show up among those elected and appointed members. That would be good. They would not, however, be artificially divided into party blocs, and would be far more inclined to work together and seek reasonable compromises. They would also be free to vote their conscience on any issue, as there would be no parties to enforce "party line" on their members.

8. All legislation would need at least a 2/3 majority to pass. That rule alone would weed out contentious and extreme legislation, and encourage reasonable compromise.

Okay? That's a start. It is political parties themselves which have corrupted our system. People have conveniently forgotten the the very notion of political parties is a comparatively recent one...and is in no way necessary as a function of democracy. Political parties are by their very nature, divisive, arbitrary, and given to corruption of every sort.

The other thing that has corrupted our system is the huge influence of money, BIG money, on who gets elected. And that money is in the hands of the political parties and their unseen backers, which are not the ordinary public.

Do I think these suggestions of mine are going to happen soon? Probably not, but I call it the way I see it. There's no use sticking bandaids on a patient that needs major surgery.

People today can't imagine politics without political parties. Well, not too long ago they couldn't imagine that the Earth rotated around the sun (not vice versa) or that anyone had the right to rule nations except divinely appointed kings and their progeny. People will generally believe ANYTHING their parents and teachers told them to belive...no matter how arbitrary or useless it happens to be. Monkey see, monkey do. It's time for the monkey to wake up and think for himself for a change.

= LH