No more elections, just appointments from the public registry

If offered the opportunity, would you step up and serve your community, your province, or your country in public office?

What if instead of holding mass elections that cost tax payers millions of dollars and giving us very little quality individuals to choose from, we just chose our government representatives from a list of every person in the nation?

We would have random selections, and with AI being so advanced, the choices could be as varied as we want.

No more political parties and people “towing the party line,” no more outrageously divisive politics that keep us fighting against each other, just good people working together.

Imagine Norma the housekeeper bringing her viewpoints alongside Ted the lawyer. Or Joseph the groundskeeper having his say be equal to that of Pierre the doctor. Or perhaps it’s Jason the mason explaining why inflation is a bad thing for everyday people to Kevin the investment banker.

You get the picture.

The one caveat mentioned was the person would have to accept the position. They would have the right to say yes or no. If they say no, you just move down and pick another person from the candidate pool.

It’s an idea our really good friend Micheline Finley, who is super intelligent and a great thinker, brought up during a wonderful cocktail session in the fall.

And the idea has continued to grow on me ever since. Sure there are lots of avenues and ideas to be explored within the overall theme, but I’ve given this a lot of thought already.

I’ll spare you a novel and give you the Cole’s Notes version (hehehehe).

For instance, there would need to be some parameters such as being the age of majority in the province you reside, or the agreed upon age of majority in the nation, before your name could be selected.

As well, there would need to be certain checks and balances to ensure those of sound mind and whom have never been convicted of certain crimes could be allowed in (I think a list would need to be made).

I note “certain crimes,” because if you got caught doing something ridiculous in your late teens or early 20s like stealing a car for a joyride or painting graffiti on a wall or selling marijuana before it was legalized, those youthful minor indiscretions shouldn’t preclude you from serving in public office later in life.

We all know there are way worse people around the globe, and certainly in Canada, who have been elected to municipal, provincial, and federal government.

That being said, pretty sure we don’t want violent offenders or those who committed financial fraud representing us (although it’s very likely that some have over the years).

Other factors to be considered when drawing names to serve in public office should include ensuring a well-rounded council, assembly, or parliament.

Municipally, this means doing away with ridings and just picking from the public at large.

However, I would say that picking a council made up of all 60-year-old males or all 20-year-old females would not represent the needs of the community to the fullest. Instead, have a council that represents the true demographics and social beliefs of that community.

In fact, do that for every level of government. Though I would like to see provincial and federal government ridings continue, I would like to see them made much larger.

Then choose two people from each riding that can best represent the majority of that riding’s demographics.

We would also make it so you can only serve one four year term. That’s it. That’s all. Get lots done in four years and get out. Or make a mess of everything for only four years and get out of the way for the clean-up crew.

One thing I thought about after the initial discussion was continuing to vote for only the leaders of each level of government. Whether it’s the mayor, premier, or prime minister.

I could go on and on, but for now, chew on this idea and see how it tastes.

In my humble opinion, this is the path forward to achieve a series of well-rounded governments that reflect upon and represent the true make-up of our communities, provinces, and nation.

Ciao for Now!

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