Believe it or not, you can support the preservation of democracy from your bed.
Petitions communicate that voters are paying attention past election time, as well as what they are paying attention to.
Petitions are also a chance to remember that members of parliament are tasked with serving their communities, not just their parties. I’ve found petitions sponsored by members from the party I usually vote for that I wouldn’t sign, and petitions by members from a party I tend to disagree with that had my full support.
Now — the downside is that while petitions above 500 signatures warrant government response, they are not obligated to take action regardless of if there are 500 or 500,000 signatures. Their usefulness and strength only grow if we make use of them. Large gestures can be powerful, but our everyday consistent habits are just as powerful, whether we build up or ignore systems of democracy. Regardless of the resulting words or action, this habit lets those in power know that the people they serve are watching.
On ourcommons.ca you can find e-petitions open for signature. If you take a few minutes to browse through, you can read through them and add your name to the ones you support.
