Just in case you missed it, the Institute for Research on Public Policy released a poll last week that indicates that Canadians are cynical about their political system. Now there's a surprise!

Who wouldn't be cynical about a system that gives one person - the Prime Minister -- the power to appoint half of Parliament (the Senate) and the nation's Supreme Court without review. Our system has virtually no checks or balances on executive control.

Specifically, the poll shows that voters feel that MPs and the grassroots don't wield enough power. A huge majority of respondents - 83 per cent - said laws would be better if MPs could vote according to the wishes of their ridings, not just with their party. Another 74 per cent felt most of the country's big problems could be solved if they were brought to a grassroots level.

Brought to a grassroots level Ha! What are the chances of that happening

Well, actually the chances pretty good - and improving all the time.

At the federal level, the new leader of the Alliance Party, Stockwell Day, is a big believer in giving citizens a direct vote on policy matters. He and his party will be campaigning in the next general election a platform that includes a promise to introduce national referendum legislation.

Mr. Day has, in fact, been part of a government that held a province-wide referendum on the presence of video lottery terminals and that has other referendum legislation in place that covers constitutional amendments and the introduction of a sales tax.

Not a bad start. And it gets better. When Alberta MLAs return to the legislature this fall they will have the opportunity to vote on two -- not one but two - "direct democracy" bills. The first is Bill 211, the Alberta Taxpayer Bill of Rights. Sponsored by Liberal Treasury critic Howard Sapers, the Bill would require any proposed tax rate increase to be approved by Albertans through a direct vote. The Canadian Taxpayers Federation has requested that all MLAs sign our Taxpayer Protection Pledge in support of Bill 211.

The other draft legislation, Bill 220, the Citizen's Initiative Act, would extend the right to vote on issues beyond that of taxation. Under Tory MLA Denis Ducharme's Bill Albertans could collect signatures on a petition to force a referendum on any issues they wish. Mr. Ducharme has set some very high thresholds for passing a referendum initiative so as to avoid frivolous use of the process.

Technicalities aside, however, the real purpose of both bills is to return to voters a sense of ownership over public policy. If passed, these Bills would largely diminish public cynicism because we would then have the power to change laws at the grassroots level.

Ah, but there's the rub. Both of these Bills must first be passed by the legislature before any referendums can be held. And here is where hope dims. Despite the public's thirst for grassroots input, and despite MLAs having no good reason to vote against either Bill, the chance of either Bill becoming law are slim to none -- and Slim just left town.

That's because both Bills are private members bills. For some reason, never made clear to anyone, private members bills are almost always voted down as a matter of course. You could have a private members bill that would guarantee the cessation of war and hunger throughout the world and MLAs would still vote against it. It boggles the mind.

That's where you come in. The only way to pass these Bills is for everyone to get behind them and put pressure on their MLAs to vote "YEA" when they come to the floor. Want to put an end to all this cynicism Then pick up the phone and tell your MLA to vote for Bills 211 and 220.