According to some newspaper commentators the Liberals under their new leader Mr. Michael Ignatief will not be too keen to bring down Mr. Harper's government by forming a coalition with NDP and the Parti Quebecois. This of course could be the wishful thing of the commentators. It could also be a tactical maneuver on the part of certain newspapers in order to preempt the position of Mr. Ignatief. If, however, this is his position, then Mr. Ignatief is the inappropriate man to head the Liberal party, which has a long history of a democratic and egalitarian treatment of all the peoples and regions of Canada. In effect it is the party that has kept Canada as a unified nation.
Mr. Harper committed a major political crime by suspending the function of Parliament for more than a month just so that he can stay in office. And in defending his action he came out with incendiary, divisive statements that tarnished the image of the post of the prime minister of Canada.
Mr. Harper's budget should get a negative vote in Parliament because of its partisan nature. This vote will not only bring down the government, it will also be a just rap for Mr. Harper's insult to the Canadian parliament.
There are many things to be done and the sooner the Conservatives leave office the better for the country. Look at how they handled the attack of Israel on Gaza at the United Nations! Canada became the laughing stock when it was the only nation out of 47 to vote against a resolution at the United Nations' Council on Human Rights that called for Israel as an occupying force in Gaza to stop its military operations. Canada could have at least abstained,together with the other 13 that abstained.
As for my choice of the picture for this entry. It is just a reminder of another blow by Mr. Harper on Canada's image: Mr. Karzai, the gauleiter of the U.S.A. in Afghanistan, is being ushered in Parliament by Mr. Harper!...
The new government that will emerge with the support of the coalition forces should give priority to the abolition from the Canadian constitution of the right of the Governor General to prorogue the functioning of parliament.
Things have changed a lot since the constitution was revised back at the time of great Trudeau. Canada's demographic mix has changed, political thought has also matured since then. Things have also changed south of the border.
It is interesting that many academes are pressing for a government that will have the support of the majority of Parliament. The utterly shamefull thing is that this change has to be approved by the Governor General, a person not elected by the people, due to the anachronistic provision of the Canadian constitution.
By the way , I just read the following in today's "Le Devoir":
Dans une lettre intitulée «Le Parlement est roi!», 35 professeurs de droit constitutionnel et de science politique recommandent d'ailleurs à la gouverneure générale du Canada Michaëlle Jean d'inviter le chef de l'opposition officielle Michaël Ignatieff à tenter de former un gouvernement «s'il y avait un vote de non-confiance [sic] ou si une demande de dissolution du Parlement était présentée au terme d'une session parlementaire n'ayant duré que quelque 13 jours». Ils expliquent qu'il est tout à fait légitime qu'un gouvernement minoritaire qui perd la confiance de la Chambre soit remplacé par un gouvernement qui la gagne, sans passer par des élections. Ils ajoutent, qu'une fois cette confiance perdue, «la gouverneure générale n'est plus liée par les avis et conseils du premier ministre». Le doyen par intérim de la faculté de droit de l'Université d'Ottawa, Sébastien Grammond, estime que «les conservateurs ont exploité» la mauvaise compréhension qu'ont les Canadiens de leur système politique. «Ce n'est pas nécessairement le parti qui arrive le premier qui a le droit de gouverner, c'est celui qui réussit à obtenir la confiance de la Chambre.»
The statement by Mr. Grammond reveals the vast difference in political awareness between Canada and Europe. And Mr. Grammond puts it politely...Anyhow, years of horse fodder served by the canadian media, and especially television, had its dramatic toll on democratic values.
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