Hacker News Reader

A lot more in Canada than the US. Write to your MP, and encourage others to do the same. Relate this to C-51 or whatever that horrible security bill is that everyone's protesting.

Despite my MP being a member of the party in power, they take direction from the Prime Minister's Office, not the constituents.

Hey, that sounds like my MP (and anyone else with a conservative MP)

Tell your friends that it is happening. Knowing that there is a battle is half the battle.

Write your MPs?

How do referenda work in Canada?

I may, but the Canadian political landscape right now is one where the ruling party has a majority so they can push through pretty much any bill they want. Also the party has pretty much discouraged MPs from expressing any opinions counter to the party line.

I did that at the proposed copyright extension in the UK a few years ago. The reply from my local MP was along the lines of "our party believes this" (that the copyright extension was justified), and you are in our constituency.

I replied explaining that I believed representative democracy was supposed to work the opposite way and they were supposed to represent me. I doubt very much if that made a difference.