Ministry of Astrobiological Studies

The federal and BC government are currently suffering from a terrible disease: bureaucracy. Pointless regulations and procedures (red tape!) are causing our elected representatives to fail to perform to the best of their abilities. A good example of bureaucracy is present in the cabinets of both governments.

Canada's Executive Council has over 35 members to lead the country from 2008 until the next election. Meanwhile the province has over 20 members to lead British Columbia. Both of these ministries are lead by conservative ideals, which in essence pushes for smaller government, or libertarianism. Yet since confederation while the population has grown, the size of these ministries has as well, but by too much.

Positions in the BC Cabinet like the Minister of Community & Rural Development, the Minister of Healthy Living & Sport, the Minister of Small Business, Technology & Economic Development, the Minister of Tourism, Culture & the Arts, and the Minister of State for Climate Action are little more than titles. I have yet to see any positive contributions these ministries have made that could not have been made in other ministries. It's the same story in the federal cabinet with titles like the President of the Queen's Privy Council, the Minister of State for Democratic Reform, and the Minister of State for Western Economic Diversification. With flashy titles like that, you would think they would actually get something done.

The problem goes beyond their ineffectiveness as departments of government. Those who are actually heading these sad ministries are not qualified for such jobs at all. They are little more than a figure head for the leader of the government to appear as if they are going to solve a long standing issue. I would like to see an important, influential bill introduced in the legislature by the Minister of Tourism, Culture & the Arts, rather than simple being a target as Question Period, and a spokesperson for everything done by their party since winning the election.

Finally, the last problem with these ministries are the leaders themselves. Stephen Harper and Gordon Campbell often remove their ministers from each position after an election. That's great if they were resigning or because they did a bad job, but perhaps we shouldn't have to wait four years to see a new face heading the Ministry responsible for Multiculturalism. Unfortunately for the two their jurisdictions health and financial balance is not interchangeable. If they do a good job, they should remain there, rather than being moved to a new position they have no idea how to perform in.

I'm not saying that all of these ministries are pointless and should be abolished but rather, they could all be part of the already existing ministries. The Ministry of Healthy Living & Sport sounds like it could easily fit in with the Ministry of Health Services, the same goes with the Ministry of Sport and the Secretary of State for Sport amalgamating together; they should go together like strawberries and whip cream.

Smaller government, larger government, all I want is smarter government. But it appears that unless positions like the Minister of Official Languages and the Minister of State for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec are folded into other departments, are government is doomed to be living with the symptoms of bureaucracy and government expansion for a long way to come.

Get well soon Canada!