The democratic deficit in the Liberal Party of Canada

The mission of the Centre for the Study of Democracy at Queen s University is to study the basic institutions of government and political systems to see how the mechanics of democracy are working and how they can be improved. [...] It is then of little surprise that the role of the MP has not dramatically changed in response to voters concerns about a lack of responsiveness in Parliament. iv The nomination process has long sullied the reputation of the Liberal Party, and of those affiliated with it. [...] The real test of democracy in the Party is when the Party is in office. xi While the Liberals were the first party to adopt such a measure, the first action on this front began with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada. [...] At that Convention, speaker after speaker - primarily from the youth wing of the party and primarily those employed on Parliament Hill railed about the undue influence of caucus members and the Party elite in the affairs of the Party and government. [...] Efforts to recruit such candidates across the country and had been quite successful, but in many instances the much sought after positive media coverage about the quality of the team being advanced was vastly overshadowed by the stories of huge meetings and shenanigans of the highest order in the effort for them to win their nominations.