Excuse me?
For [Kelowna-Lake Country Conservative MP Ron Cannan], prorogation is an opportunity for the Conservative government to concentrate on the economy by implementing the next phase of its economic stimulus program and prepare a new budget.
If parliament was in session then the opposition parties could vote non-confidence and force an election before those tasks are complete.
“That’s what we don’t want,” said Cannan.
Yeah. Fucking democracy getting in the way and everything. Pain in the ass.
(Wag of the tail to BCL.)
AH, THE DELICIOUS IRONY: How about this?
“We have a government that is focused on the economy, focused on safer streets and focused on research and development,” [Industry Minister Tony] Clement said. “If you don’t agree with that, which is your right, then you can vote us out of office. That’s democracy.”
Well, we'd love to, Tony, but it's kind of tacky to throw down that kind of gauntlet after one of your own party members has admitted that prorogation was inflicted on us to deprive us of that very privilege.
Nice try, though.
8 comments:
Nice catch. Now is that time at CC when we juxtapose!
As I publicly wrote to Tony yesterday:
"In a sense, we have voted you out. As I'm sure you know, yours is a minority government. Due to one of the many quirks of our electoral system, you and your pals got to form government despite having less than half of the seats. Most of us didn't vote for your Party, and we got you anyway. This has happened twice.
So, what? Third time's the charm? What if we had another three-hundred million dollar election, and got the same result? Would you, another minority in hand, declare all this 'nonsense' over prorogation done with because you were once again elected?
That doesn't make any sense.
Most of us already haven't voted for you. The majority not voting for your party again isn't necessarily going to solve anything.
What you are supposed to do, Tony, is respect these electoral realities and listen to the people. Your party did run on a platform promising accountability and democratic reform, remember? Our demands for the PM to be more subservient to Parliament should be quite acceptable to you and your fellow Conservative MPs."
If you want another example of assaults on democracy, this one's a lot more subtle: Paul Adams, (formerly, a journalist with The Globe and the CBC, now executive director of EKOS) on CBC's The Current, in his capacity as representative of a polling firm, making all kinds of conjectures about what the prorogation and the protests mean...and what it may mean, going forward. We're to assume that what sounds like a lot of opinion is backed up with empirical evidence, despite not being provided with any.
This incestuous relationship between journalism and polling firms is intolerable.
Think of all the time and resources Canada wasted at Meech Lake. All Canada needed for a new constitution was Stephen Harper. No need to bring Quebec along; no need to bring the Libruls, not to mention the Dippers. Simple. Rejoice. Long Live the King!
Actually, those issues weren't all that partisan; they were federal/provincial conflicts. Stephen *knows" the Premiers would turn him into a bleached skeleton if he dares to mess with any of them. That's why we are not going to see any Senate reform, no matter what Big Daddy is threatening.
The PM may have to much power in the federal government, but Canadian provinces are powerful in their own right, much more so than American states.
More than the American states? I believe you err.
Down there each state has its own criminal code, and an impressive array of state's rights in education, healthcare, the judiciary, even voting systems.
Down there each state has its own criminal code, and an impressive array of state's rights in education, healthcare, the judiciary, even voting systems.
However, they do not have the atomic weapons the feds have.
@liberal supporter:
And thank Bog for that. Can you imagine each state having full control over its own nu-kyuler arsenal? For a start, the Dakotas would instantly become a Geiger-ticking hole.
One is reminded:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLON3ddZIw
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