Categories: Capital Read, Inside the Queensway

Tyrannical Majority to PMO: Check.

by kadyomalley on Friday, November 28, 2008 2:45pm - 175 Comments

Tyrannical Majority to PMO

Hot off the Canadian Press wire (link when available):

The Liberal Opposition plans to introduce a motion in the House of Commons on Monday declaring non-confidence in the minority Conservative government and proposing a governing coalition.

The motion comes as emissaries from the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois hold talks about forming a new government should Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s minority fall.

But Harper could still avert the immediate defeat of his weeks-old government through procedural tactics.
The Liberal motion, which has the approval of the NDP and Bloc Quebecois, reads:

“In light of the government’s failure to recognize the seriousness of Canada’s economic situation and its failure in particular to present any credible plan to stimulate the Canadian economy and to help workers and businesses in hard-pressed sectors such as manufacturing, the automotive industry and forestry, this House has lost confidence in this government and is of the opinion that a viable alternative government can be formed within the present House of Commons.”

A source says the opposition parties have agreed that Liberal Leader Stephane Dion would lead the government for the next few months.

Tags: breaking news, governmentdownbringingwatch 2008, wow

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paul M

The cause of this is the fact these guys do not want to loose that $1.75 per vote they get from the government as a result of Chretien’s scheme that the taxpayer pay for the political parties election campaigns.
Don’t think for one minute that there is still no corporate money flowing to Liberal campaigns , just that now it is in more “brown envelopes”, the ones they used during the sponsorship scandal affair ( again taxpayer money flowed to Quebec, and did Chretien know ? and tell the truth ?)
.
And don’t forget folks, this Chretien scheme that the taxpayers pay for election campaigns also gave the Bloc a financial guarantee they could have Canadians pay for their little Quebec based party, which would therefore last for years and keep the rest of canada worried about Quebec. Don’t forget, Chretien was a Quebecer first whenever he spoke in French in Quebec!!! .

Layton has no history in Quebec politics and is such an opportiunist he’ll do anything to get his pension and get on TV , even if it means selling the majority of what Canada wants to what the minority in Qubec wants.

What did Chretien ever do for the NDP , yet now Layton wants to let Chretien sit at the decision table.

As much as we may not like Harper, he is at least trying to stop that Quebec Bloc grew from running the country by splitting the vote.

And Harper also realizes that the west is going to pay the cost for any “bail out ” and that can mean another economy impact to the west like the Trudeau NEP., which is exactly what Chretien and McGuinty would love to see.
Laurie Baldwin

Call me naive…..but I was hoping a minority government would lead to compromise and consensus, not this idiotic jockeying for supremacy between parties we are forced to endure.

If there are aspects of this “economic Update” that are in contention, and they are not central to helping Canadians cope with our crisis, then the Conservatives should look to COMPROMISING, get the bill passed, and get on with the rest of the urgent business of the country.

Why does it all have to be passed in one package anyway. Why not take small important steps, a few at a time, instead of rushing up the whole stairway at once??
Two Cents

I am moving to Japan on December 9. Judging from the insanity going on here I am leaving just in time. There is no way that the majority of Canadians who voted in the last election voted for a government that consists of socialists and separatists. PM Harper would be fully justified in calling another election instead of turnng over power to that rag tag bunch. Can anyone explain what they have in common and what they stand for, other than a mutual hatred of Harper? That may be fine but it’s not the type of policy framework for a government in the middle of an economic crisis.
T. Thwim

Actually, Two Cents, the majority did.
They just didn’t agree on which brand of socialists they wanted. I am, of course, assuming you’re referring to the Liberals as socialists. Their governing style to date has shown anything but.

(And actually, when you look at provincial government, not even NDP governments of late have shown socialist bent)
BrianCrocker

First – the Bloc haven’t been pushing a seperatist agenda for quite some time now. Its technically on the books, but they are actually taking some heat in Quebec for not pushing it hard enough. They are more concerned about having Quebec interests at the table. Separation in Quebec is virtually a dead issue.
Second, this is Harper choking on his own hubris. He thought the Libs would blink because Dion is stepping down, but the rank-and-file liberals had their backs broken by that last straw.
Third – the majority of Canadians actually voted “Not Harper”, and between the Bloc (who are pretty left for most things), NDP, Green and Liberals, the majority of Canadians actually voted Left or Far Left. Harper had barely 30% of the vote – far from the “majority of Canadians”.
Fourth – Coalition governments are the ESSENCE of democracy. Working across party lines, making things work, representing the TRUE WILL of the people.
Fifth – the public election funding is what keeps the Canadian political system from being a landmine of lobbyists and single-interest policy groups like the US is. Its in Canada’s best interests to keep it going. Its far less than 1% of tax money, and it does FAR more good than harm. You wouldn’t even notice the tax money returned from it. And don’t mistake this, its a blatent political move by Harper. It LOOKS like a move to cut tax money, but its reality a way to cripple the opposition. Do you want the government sold down the river to corps for dirty donations?
Sixth – theres more to it than this. The “No Public Sector Strikes until 2011″ is a big NDP hot button issue, and Harper knew it. The lack of any kind of stimulus package, like every other government in the western world, and a host of other MAJORITY level policy moves from a MINORITY government.

I can’t wait until tuesday. I hope they have the cojones to stick with it. Harper has been the most arrogant, egotistical, power mad and slimy politician in Canada for quite some time.
Two Cents

The Conservatives received early 40 percent of the vote – and although I consider Dion a socialist, I firmly believe there are a lot of Liberal voters who would be aghast should the Liberals and NDP form a coalition with the Bloc.
BrianCrocker

The funny thing about all this is many of the items in the statement could have been dealt with seperately, and individually aren’t potential government breakers. Its the big messy ball of them all together, that all hit home on either some big hot-button issue for all parties or in the wallet, that have thrown this all together. More care and attention to the opposition, and dare I say it INTELLIGENCE, could have had none of this happen.

Its the arrogance and hubris of Harper and his pals that brought this all to a head, and Harper and his buddies are all on the run now. Don’t back off, boys! Hound him to the ground – you’ve caught the scent of blood, now go in for the kill!

Flaherty is refusing to back down over the wording of the update, apparently. Harper is going to have to flex his muscles or he will be facing a revolt in his party.

Man, did I say Canadian politics were boring during the heat of the US Presidential race? I atek it back – its not a black man in the White House, but dammit, this is the most entertaining and intriguing political event since…well, I don’t know.
http://Areyoukidding? Dad

Hey, Sean S., are you by any chance M. Sean S. ? Maybe, I’m your Dad.

Dad

PS Phone your Mum, you naughty boy!
Chas

Why is everyone so surprised about the possibility of having a coalition government in Canada? We’ve had one for two years now (the coalition of the Reform/Alliance with the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, built on a broken promise between Peter McKay and David Orchard), so it might be a good thing for Canada if the left unites as well. Then we’ll really see what the people of Canada want to be in government instead of having buffoons in Ottawa elected by 30% of the voters (and remember that it was a record low number of people who actually voted). Bring it on, and kick the scoundrels out!
Patty D

After his first success at leading a minority government you would think that Harper would know better. Flaherty’s threat to remove the public subsidy to political parties based on votes garnered was an obvious but unnecessary red flag. It would have been more appropriate to remove the overgenerous tax breaks for individuals who donate. These tax breaks force all of us to donate just like the subsidies. Donations by individuals are much more open to abuse.
c

So now the concept of the Governor General having a say arises? I wanted to know why she didn’t say no to Harper when he went whining for an October election. ‘Sorry, Steve, no. Against the law, lad!’ Would that have been so hard?
john

Love to see the dictator kicked out and a coalition put in place but Dion must go for the sake of the party
Brad Sallows

No-one knows whether a majority of Canadians voted “Not Harper”; all a vote reveals is a vote “for X”. This is a small but important distinction. Many people who vote, “for NDP” for example, do so regardless who is running under any of the other party colours. It is more likely the case that a majority of Canadians all vote “for party X”, with a small minority somewhere in the middle whose vote is not locked up by party allegiance. Also, the Liberals consider themselves the party of the centre, so it is false to assert that the majority of Canadians voted “Left or Far Left”.

The Canadian political system is in no danger of becoming a “landmine of lobbyists” etc, given the legislated limits on donations. And special interest groups apply pressure from all quarters.
politics101

The Conservative Govt. wants to wait until January to deliver a stimulus package but the opposition claims to want one immediately – so the opposition wants to replace the Conservative Govt. with a coalition Govt.

It will be December 8th, if the Govt. falls – how sooner than January is the opposition expected to bring in its own stimulus package.

For the rational mind, let’s consider the following events: Change of Govt, Swearing of MPs’, conservatives have to move out of their Govt. Offices for the opposition, now the new Govt. to move in, then comes Christmas recess.

Just what the heck are we doing here.

Fantastic signal of instability we are sending to the Financial Market.

Congratulations. Power at all cost to the opposition at the expense of Canada – the newest banana republic.
Glen

Oh what strange bedfellows the pursuit of power makes. Economic stimulus concerns? NONSENSE. What the Conservatives are doing (there at least not putting together a panicking economic stimulus package) is not nearly as scary as what we might expect from this strange marriage of NDP, Bloc (which is NOT a national party and should not even to in the ring) and the Libs. Oh yes, the Libs did not get as much support as the Conservatives, the NDP did not get as much support as the conservatives and the Bloc did not get as much support as the Conservatives…yes we have our problems right now, but putting together a hybrid of Lib, NDP and Bloc would indeed be a monster and all under Dion who was so soundly rejected in the last election. Give your heads a shake. This is a power grab.
T. Thwim

A power grab from who, Glen? Our elected representatives? You do realize that we elect neither party nor leader, we elect single representatives? It’s up to those representatives to choose who they feel has the confidence of the House to set the agenda — which is what the government does.

If 307 of the MPs felt that the 308th MP should be the one to set the agenda, that’d be just as legit. It falls to the government to win and maintain the support of the House if it wishes to set the agenda. Harper has failed to do this, so sooner or later he will have to step across the aisle and relinquish the position to someone who can.
Mrs.Lu

These Opposition Parties can’t even run a FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE party campaign without debt. Who the HECK in Canada believes that they understand fiscally viable economics on a country-wide basis. They should STOP WHINING and spreading their misinformation to the media, and LEARN TO BALANCE THEIR OWN BUDGETS WITHOUT DEBT!
Alwin

T.C. & Brad S. the Tories actually received 37.63% of the vote but since only 59% of eligible voters bothered to vote that means that 22.5% of the country actually supported the Tories.
That does not a majority make, said Yoda.

Harper was displaying his true colours but he thought he was out of range of the opposition’s guns.
True Arrogance!

He thought that with the opposition parties, the Liberals in particular, in a weak state after the last election, that they could not afford to bring him down and he was going to take advantage.
I hope he can revel in his glory.

This is democracy in action girls & boys and I hope you are all grateful to be living in Canada, where it is flourishing.
Our neighbors can only dream of such a scenerio.
john

Looks like cocky Baird will ride transit instead of the limo
Laurie53/BC

I question just who is advising the Prime Minister, and if he really has any control of what the Conservatives are doing.
http://Joe joe palaschuk

Harper finally out smarted himself. Bon voyage.
john

For the good of the Liberal party Dion must resign.
T. Thwim

Uh. He has, john.
john

Was Iggy a backer of George Bush attack on Iraq?
john

My My …..Did Harppie and Jimbo not say Canada was in gret shape and we have nothing to fear and there will not be a deficit budget…….Nothing but nothing can we beleive that comes out of the mouths of this bunch of clowns.. Bye Bye deficit Jum.