Friday, August 29, 2008

Dear Michaelle: Just say no.


I realize full well that it's way too short notice for this to make a difference but, Jesus, I really wish G-G Michaelle Jean would be absolutely inundated with outrage, demanding that she tell Stephen Harper to go sit on it and rotate.

It's obvious that Stephen the Douche is going to ask Jean to dissolve parliament and take us into another election, just as it's obvious that she should tell him to fuck right off. And, seriously, that kind of response from Jean (even though it massively flies in the face of historical precedent) would be ridiculously easy to defend.

Start with, of course, the Harper government-passed legislation that gave us what was advertised at the time as "fixed" election dates. And, no, I don't want to painstakingly parse the freakin' bill. Let's just notice how that legislation was presented at the time:

The Senate has passed a bill that will require federal elections to be held every four years...

After the bill is proclaimed into law, opposition parties will still have the power to force an election earlier than the fixed date if a minority government is defeated in a confidence vote.

Once the bill becomes law, Prime Minister Stephen Harper will not be able to call an election on his own...

"Fixed election dates will improve the fairness of Canada's electoral system by eliminating the ability of governing parties to manipulate the timing of elections for partisan advantage," [Rob Nicholson] said in a news release on May 30, 2006.

Under current rules, the prime minister has the power to select a date for a general election and to advise the governor general to dissolve Parliament.

According to the Harper government, this power allows the governing party to set the time of the election to its own advantage.

"Establishing fixed election dates fulfils one of this government's key campaign commitments. It is an important step in improving and modernizing Canada's democratic institutions and practices," Nicholson said in the release.

Now, what part of the above seems unclear or ambiguous to you? Seriously, where in any of that do you see any suggestion that that law is not to apply to Stephen the Hutt? That law was presented as delivering fixed election dates, and that's the spirit to which Harper should be held. But wait -- we're not done here.

The next argument that Harper could make is that he has lost the "confidence" of Parliament. That is complete crap -- he has yet to lose a single confidence vote, and Jean should take the time to explain that to him in short words so that even he can understand that.

And, finally, there is this monumental admission:

"My expectation is that we will have another minority," Harper said Wednesday in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., where he's on a three-day, campaign-like swing through the Arctic.

So Yo, Harper! is going to go, full of bluster and swagger, to the Governor-General, asking for an election -- an election which 1) flies in the face of his own "fixed" election date legislation, 2) having never lost a single confidence vote, and 3) openly admitting that he expects it to change nothing. If there was an easier case for telling Harper to blow it out his ass, I can't imagine what that would be. Which suggests that Jean consider two options: either a) tell that whiny, little shit Harper to suck it up and get back to work, or b) hand over government to the opposition, since Harper is admitting nothing less than that he is incapable of running the country.

I have, of course, little optimism that this is going to happen. But it's safe to say that, given that Jean technically has the discretion to make a choice here, if she simply bows to Harper, well, she can piss right off, too. This is her opportunity to finally put the brakes on Canada's latest experiment in dictatorial fascism, but if she simply rolls over and gives Harper what he wants, it's safe to say she won't be on my Christmas list any time soon.

P.S. I should also point out that, while Il Douche is currently whining about how he deserves an election because he's in a vulnerable position where he could be brought down by the opposition in a confidence vote, this is the same mouthy, arrogant ratbag who, for months, mocked and taunted the opposition, challenging them to do exactly that. That's not really a position from which you should expect a great deal of sympathy. Not even from a Governor-General.

21 comments:

Johnathon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Frank Frink said...

Johnathon, you really should try having a cup of coffee before you comment. It calms the nerves.

CC said...

Uh oh ... someone's been watching way too much Spike TV lately.

Lindsay Stewart said...

golly johnathon, that's a mighty impressive threat from a cheese sucking loaf monkey that doesn't have sufficient ballage to even offer a public profile. call us back when you can fill out those man-panties of yours.

CC said...

By the way, Johnathon, if I were you, I'd see someone about your obvious issue with gays. That can't be healthy, know what I'm sayin'?

Mike said...

Closet case!

I love how they get angry when their stupidity and lies are exposed...its fun.

Red Tory said...

Maybe "Johnathon" is actually the alter-ego of "NB Tory Lady"... Maybe we should just call him/her that from now on.

M@ said...

you deserve nothing less than a knuckle sandwich

You heard him, CC! Put up your dukes! Jonathon desires fisticuffs!

Let the pugilism commence!

Dr.Dawg said...

What I can't figure out is how this post prompted Jonsie-wonsie to have an episode. I guess he's just off his meds, and this time I'm being literal.

Scotian said...

Wow, go away for six months, come back and jonathon is still a raving loon threatening CC and company for no good reason. I mean really, there was nothing in the post that warranted this kind of violent threatening response from jonathon, yet it was the first response he had, as sad, pitiful, and pathetic that it is.

I mean really, Harper has spent months to years now going on and on about his signature fixed term elections, how it was a significant step forward for the country and now that he is in trouble suddenly he wants to call an election despite no longer having the power to do so according to legislation he wrote and passed at the begining of his time as PM? People like jonathon have trumpeted how wonderful this was, and how only the opposition parties can trigger an election, and yet without a confidence VOTE they cannot, yet suddenly now Cons see confidence as being a state of mind instead of a formal legally defined act of Parliament and this is just fine with them, and anyone that dares to point out the fact that this is nonsense and yet another example of Emperor Harper's New Clothes well they deserve abuse both verbal and even physical threats and nothing else.

As to the post itself, I would also love to see GG Jean do this, although I doubt it would happen given the deference appointed officials in her position tend to give to the elected head of government, although thanks to Harper's own legislation she would have a leg to stand on that no prior GG had so it would be interesting to watch happen. It is a nice dream, and clearly something those like jonathon are so afraid of happening (thanks in no small part of the Harper/CPC fixed elections legislation the GG proclaimed the other year) that it reduces them to quivering masses of fury and juvenile threats such as we saw at the top of the thread.

Yes, I am returning, although it will be sporadic over the next few weeks as I get caught up in all I've missed during my absence.

Frank Frink said...

Hey Scotian! Welcome back. You have been missed.

M@ said...

Nice to see you again, Scotian! Welcome back. You're just in time to watch world-famous tough guy Jonathon lay a beat-down on someone or other.

Ti-Guy said...

Well, this isn't off topic at all.

(via The Galloping Beaver).

I installed the Comment Snob plug-in for YouTube and within minutes, life became slightly more bearable.

Your days are numbered, Jonathon.

...Hello Scotian.

Dr.Dawg said...

Scotian, what a nice surprise! Welcome back!

I came over to thank CC for noticing my busted links over at my place. All fixed now.

Jonathon, incidentally, has broken the law with that post. Uttering threats, criminal harassment. Besides, of course, revealing himself as yet another pimply, scrawny, coke-bottle-lenses keyboard warriors.

thwap said...

Hi Scotian!

Genuinely glad to see you!

JJ said...

Hi Scotian!!!

mikmik said...

Cool!

frank said...

So let me get this straight, you fucking leftie idiots don't like Prime Minister Harper yet you don't want him or the Conservative Government to stop leading Canada. My fuck but you idiots are idiotic.

M@ said...

So let me get this straight, you fucking leftie idiots don't like Prime Minister Harper yet you don't want him or the Conservative Government to stop leading Canada.

Is it so crazy to want a prime minister to follow the laws of his own country? Especially the ones that he put in place himself?

liberal supporter said...

Yes, the election is coming. They've rehired "jonathan" and "frank". They're like peas in a pod.

toujoursdan said...

Frank. Look at the polls. Even Stephen Harper admits that the result will be the same as now. Who is the idiot?