Good post, rickymoose; good questions.  I think it would be good to introduce it as a forum topic, it deserves it's own page (rather then mixed in here among food issues ;) ).  I think it's a debate which should be rigorously addressed.  I suspect there are a plurality of views.  I think people notice the symptoms and maybe some vague ideas of how to resolve them.

Personally, I support the directions taken by Democracy Watch (www.dwatch.ca) in accurately naming some of the problems which are interfering with good governance, and my personal view is not radical overhaul, but to "strengthen that which remains".  I would want to seek changes which contain the larger problem of corruption at the government levels (that includes Federally, Provincially and in Municipalities).

I think we need tougher legistlation re: Conflict of Interests re: the members that serve in parliament and the senate as well as their underling decision/policy-makers.  There should also be more transparency (too many things are being done secretively, behind closed doors).  Example Stateside, re: Cheney and Haliburton, KBR contracts, where there is a conflict of interest in going to war, and keeping that war going.    Likewise there have been many instances of Conflict of Interest in our own governments, few of them are fully investigated and lead to prosecution (Bruce Carson, Rahim Jaffer). 

There's environmental de-regulation, and companies have their own mandate to maximize profits, so they won't be environmentally accountable without help from our government to legistlate more responsibility, have tougher fines/deterants-- I also want white-collar crime to be front and centre.  The F-35 contracts look dubous-- is this in the best interests of Canada, or was this another backroom deal, a corporate bailout (note conflict of interest re: former Lockheed Martin lobbyist, to new CPC MP)?  While at the same time, the government is fighting against our disabled Veterans, the SISIP clawback.  I'm not a war supporter generally (because I distrust that those decisions are independent enough from corporate interests), but at the same time, robbing disabled Veterans of their pensions is wrong (has caused a lot of hardship, it's kicking people when they are at their most down and already overwhelmed by health issues, supporting their families)-- no integrity, no honour.  An example of how people should come first.  Why does Pamela Wallen (and I actually liked her as a journalist at one time) sit on the Senate and also sit on the board of directors of a major oil corporation? 

There's Fukushima, 3-reactor full-meltown, while here at home, the whistleblower on keeping Chalk River Plant open depsite recommendations that it's unsafe, and she gets fired.  And there are safer technologies to produce heat and cooling of homes (geothermal, or Atmospheric energy-- could create many new jobs and be a great advantage to Canada and Canadians), but they're not seeing the light of day, they can't break through because we don't even have real capitalism, it's neo-liberalism, favourtism towards the most strongest corporate conglomerates.  Green jobs could be good here as well, good business, good for economy, good for people, and good for our environment, and good for Canada's reputation.

I see a government that turns a blind eye to those who've lost their pensions, e.g. Nortel, how is it right they take a big government bailout (our tax dollars), CEO loads up on a big gift to himself, and other creditors paid off before the workers who actually worked and paid into a pension.  Can laws be changed in the Bankruptcy Insolvency Act to prevent this abuse?

We are rich in resources, but why do we have to sell off cheap to appease the "1%", why not on our terms; why not do more environmentally responsibly in the first place?  This government is so eager to suck up. Oilsands, there are newer technologies which are less environmentally destructive (and WATER is #1, we can't live without).  Seems like a race to the bottom.

Economic Disparity, that's not good for a capitalist system either, and if it's leading to such a gap between rich and poor (middle class is needed to support domestic economy).  And what is the incentive for a person to invest in education, to incurr such high level of student-debt, when future of jobs and wages is so uncertain-- that's the worst.  It's not only that wages have not kept up with inflation (unless in a unionized job), but the risks of those jobs' wages declining (and it seems G20 resolutions might have that in mind for us?).  So a person invests in education, expecting a wage level to make it worth while, and possible to pay back student debt, only to find the impossibility of ever paying student debt down with declinging wages, plus higher costs of living.

While the states is in a very precarious economic situation, I expect those robber-barrens to make their way over hear and attempt the same shennigans on our government, democracy, environment, feeding the war machine for economic interests (if we can clear up the lobbying, more transparency, more accountability, whistleblower protections; tougher definitions on Conflict of Interests; open up MP accounts so we can see how they are spending tax dollars-- just some accountability-- G20 spending was ludicrous, fake-lake, etc.  Their heads don't seem to be on straight.  Bruce Carson gets a patronage appointment to oversee an Energy Program at U of Alberta-- suppose to be about all energy, but turns out to be tax dollars cyphoned to make PR for the Oilsands-- why are we paying for chit like that? It's not like the BIg Oil companies can't afford to pay their own PR?  I think people are worried about things like pensions, health care, employment security, the future and legacy left for our children to inherit.  I see a ball-less government that is 100% consummed in pandering to corporate and banking interests at the expense of people and in selling Canada for cheap.  Priorities seem wrong to me. 

We also did have a bank bailout, $70Billion to Canadian Mortgage and housing, + more to the Bank of Canada, via subsidies amounting to 200Billion-- taxpayer money there, our social safety net.  No conditions were made for the bank to pay that back and they continue to gouge the consummer.  It seems corrupt, undemocratic, not even true capitalism.  I don't need much, but I'd like to worry less about becoming homeless.  I'm in a bit of a hole, and I have to figure out a way to climb out of it, while I"m struggling to heal from disability, nervous about taking on debt.   Depsite having appointed a Parliamentary Budget Officer, the CPCs were unwilling to open up their books-- we can't see what they are doing to us, nor in the longterm.

Democracy issues re: invasion of privacy, undemocratic spying on facebook (Aboriginal Activist); the sordidness of private and confidential health records being leaked across government departments when it comes to 3 Veteran Advocates (Manuge, Bruyea, Chartrand-- and maybe more breeches. . .)-- that's disturbing.  Likewise, I'm nervous about this government's backdoor negotiations re: border security agreements which could pose further privacy violations, leading to discrimination, etc.  While they got people worried about the right to "Bear arms", upsetting the libertarians and whatnot, while there's other seedier agendas at play, which creep me out.  The the billions of dollars on prisions, depsite crime rates going down, and over-criminalization about pot (and I don't smoke it, but c'mon what a collosal waste of money-- and it looks to me that it is also the result of backroom corporate lobbying-- overriding a reasonable democracy). 

Emergency rooms being crowded by elderly persons because there's a long waitlist for long-term care beds-- there are trickle-down effects when social policies are not being correctly addressed.

And then there is what is happening globally, the economy, the agreements-- it all exists by aggreement, it can also be re-negotiated to spare people unnecessary hardships.  I'm angry about some of the predator big multinational corporations, you can see them operate with impunity in the third world (e.g. Bhopal Chemical explosure) and see our own government remaining complicit about agent orange and those posioned by that here.  Where's the government that stands up for its citizens?  Canada can be much stronger, kinder and still be prosperous, but we got to get the criminals out of goverment!  Have tougher laws, legislation and punishment-- too many of them are stealing for the Canadian people, and lining their pockets with lucrative deals.  Bring some honesty back so a better class of people would be more motivated to pursue politics-- get rid of the sleeze, make conditions less favourable for the sleeze, and more favourable for more honest, decent people who genuinely want to serve on behalf of Canada and it's citizens and it's land, and waters.

There's thousands of issues, but overall I think it's the corruption within the system that's bringing us down, is a risk to Canadians now and to our future generations.  I love Canada-- I'm a patriot in fact.  I'm also a global citizen and care about others in the world who are also getting ripped off, suffering horrible hardships because of decisions which are being made which affect their lives, and their health without input nor regard for them-- that's just cold-hearted, dehumanizing, cruel.  I think we can do a lot better, and I would wish for better both here and abroad.  So, countries need to clean up their own politics, and we need better representation on the world stage, -- if there is common agreement re: environment and standards of living for all human beings, then really business shouldn't suffer.  We tried to pass the Corporate Responsibility Act, Bill C-300. . . and no surprises there either, corporate interests, greed over-ruled it (by their proxies, our MPs).  It doesn't have to be a world communism, that's not what I see either, I don't care if there is some income disparity (based on merit), but just basic standards, but it doesn't appear to be the way it is and where it's heading, we're going to have more problems.

Well, that's my rant for now. . . I'm still looking at things, and I'm glad for the Occupy Movement. . . and I'm still looking at things. . .