Once it gets through the heads of the boys from the high school debating club who are having so much fun getting a coalition together that the GG must take the PM’s advice and there actually will be an election, they will probably back off.

So.. combine both of these. She agrees to Mr. Harper’s request to Prorogue the house, but it doesn’t take effect until Tuesday. Thus allowing the non-confidence vote to play out as it will, but giving the conservatives a month or so to see if they can make the necessary changes to regain the confidence of the House for the Throne Speech.

Odds that the Conservatve Party remains stuck on Harper knowing that he’s a lame duck that’ll get them sent to opposition?

Seriously, this option gives everyone an out, and Dion still gets to share in the goodies under the tree, except for Jackie boy who will no doubt once again be looking into the toy store Christmas Eve, never really knowing if he is going ot get that Lionel train set. I am confident that the GG will make a decision that she feels will be in the best interest of “us”, the Canadian voter, and her decision will not be Partisan!!!!

David Fraser, then you should have no problem denying the coalition its shot. First they announce a council of four economic advisors which pretty much rules out the possibility of having depth of experience; then we find out from three of the “advisors” that no such thing exists. That’s a pretty straight-up lie in addition to the admission of fiscal incompetence/lack of confidence.

An election is not “required”, but it would be very good form to have one. Despite the partisanship among all the commentary, all sides will have to admit that all parties have introduced things they did not mention during the campaign, and gone back on commitments made during the campaign – all for the sake of political advantage. The coalition started out pretending it had a plan; as various trial balloons have been floated and shot down, it’s clear they’re making everything up as they go along.

The coalition is doing this because it can, not because it should or because it possesses fiscal wisdom unknown to the Conservatives.

I suppose Dion can’t get the sight of the PM’s office out of his mind, or he’d back down and arrange a stable transition to the next leader while the party rebuilds its finances for the next election. Layton negotiated the Bloc – what did they have to lose; Duceppe can work with anyone issue by issue if he has to – on side, and then Dion. The NDP will enjoy a brief period of influence, and doubtless achieve some of their ideological ends. When the coalition folds, the NDP will prepare to go back to its role of Opposition Second Banana, the Bloc will continue to enjoy a position of disproportionate influence without requiring actual power, and the Liberal brand will be unsalable. Dion will already be long gone, and his successor will lead the Toxic Party of Canada. On those last two, I think the cooler and pessimistic heads have it exactly right.

EVERY HOUR Harper tries to hang on he’s just doing more damage to his party, the country, and the constitution. If he tries to drag the GG into the political fray he’ll have done more damage to the nation’s sovereignty than any Bloc member could ever dream.

Here’s a laugh…

The Iggy election buttons on political websites say “UNITED”.

Too bad he’s “UNITED” with Jacques Parizeau, Gilles Duceppe and Jack Layton.

Having Iggy brag about being “UNITED” and “STRONG” is like George Bush bragging about being “ARTICULATE” and “POPULAR”.

With all due respect that is a reach.

There is zero precedent for that and it forgoes, the intent of the the convention of RG. While she does have some options, (the Globe has a good piece talking about some of them, what you are suggesting is not what is intended.

………..We shouldn’t have another election.

………..The parties do not represent ME in my wishes to stop funding bankrupt, incompetent and treasonous political grooups. They are doing this for self preservation. If they are that good a party for that electorate, let the people vote with their wallets. Now THAT’S a solution.

……….We are fools to pay for a party that has no fan base in QC, or outside of the GTA. We are fools for buying the bullets, and giving the gun to the guy who already wants to take all he can get from the country. Get a grip people, IF THEY CAN’T SURVIVE WITHOUT SUPPORT FROM THE PEOPLE AND BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT KNOWS THEM BEST THEN WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU ?

……….Harper is PM. If you don’t like it, suck it up princess. We had an election, carry on. Did anyone look to remove Trudeau when he brought in the very economic measures he campaigned against? No. The country sucked it up and we had Stanfileds economic recovery package run by the liberals.

Now, the West ate crap for years while ” The Natural Governing Party” ruled from the centre, shoved an energy policy down the throats of provinces and people without any consultation. I sense somehow that the political elite consider westerners as perhaps not as suave as the some of their current idols ( my but doesn’t Bob have great hair, and look at Justin’s dreamy eyes……), but that is NOT leadership. It’s entertainment, its fluff, its showbiz. Maybe these guys should co-host with Ben Mulroney…….sounds like the right venue, and the audience could vote them on and off.

Harper has thrown down the gauntlet and spoken the truth. It’s a poker game, and he’s betting the none of the aprties have any collateral with the public to fund them any further. It’s a gutsy move. About as gutsy as campaignaing against wage and price and controls, and the the week after the election being converted to the idea.

Stop the federal funding, stop the bleeding. Now the media and all of the narcistic machiavellian naval -gazers appartchniks need to stop the whining.

perogy parliament: to show your dissatisfaction with the quality of political leadership by throwing Ukrainian dumplings at a legislature

• Did the Conservatives ask Canadians if we want to stop funding elections so that ALL Canadians have a voice in our government?
• Did the Conservatives give us one good reason why they broke their own, newly minted election law and spend hundreds of millions of tax payer dollars for an unnecessary election?
• Did the Conservative consult Canadians before embarking with the Americans and the Mexicans on the first stages of the North American Union (euphemistically called the “Security and Prosperity Partnership)?
• Did the Conservatives ask the people of Vancouver Kingsway if they wanted David Emerson to switch parties right after the election in order to be given a plum ministerial post in the Conservative government?

Detractors of the proposed coalition keep using words like “deal with the devil” (the Bloc), “parliamentary coup d’etat) etc etc. However, they don’t like to point out that the Bloc members were democratically elected to the house (they represent Canadians, not residence of the underworld), and the proposed coalition is constitutional.

The Conservatives simply messed up, so the spin doctors are pulling all the stops in desperation to make this situation seem somehow illegal or unconstitutional. It is not very democratic, but it is constitutional. If we don’t like it, let’s change the system. Until then we work with what we’ve got.

It is a idiosyncratic overhang of the old British colonial rule that our actual head of state is the Governor General, whose role, we all know, is mostly just ceremonial. However, now the fate of parliament (not to mention our country) is in her hands. However, like I said, it’s our system, for better or worse.

What is the Conservative response to all this? FIrst PM Harper delays the vote to give the Conservatives time to get the PR machine rolling and essentially rally public opinion against the coalition such that a public outcry may persuade them to demure. That may not work in time, so now they are considering proroguing parliament and pretty much shutting down government during a very precarious time.

None of our so-called “leaders” are looking very respectable at this point. And the polarizing effect this can have on our nation is potentially devastating. This will be very divisive: East v. West; liberals v. conservatives; Quebec v. Alberta.

This will ultimately not be good for any of our elected officials, or our country.

What is the difference between such MPs? Fear.

The majority of MPs in the House of Commons of 2008 do not live in abject fear of Stephen Harper. Which is why he finds himself in crisis.

Stephen Harper can only count on so many of his MPs to follow his lead and seal-clap, or stand there paralyzed, mute, speak-by-rote, and/or ineffectual for their constituents because in the end it is all about Harper, not the voters or contributors. As they will soon find out.

Fear is a great taskmaster. But courage knows when there is a beating too far. Who knows? Maybe Harper inadvertently caught a few good men/women up in his net. Canadians will soon see who stands up for Canada and who sits or stands or genuflects for Stephen Harper.

But, if you’ve got a big fat idea about how a government in limbo can be jolted into a confidence vote or even into action, this Canadian is all ears.

Frankly, this Canadian is not sure how many more months it can hold on to the point that we could even travel to a polling station, what with bus fare and packed lunches, time left off from work, and all, etc.

If for one minute you think that employers regularly follow the law regarding time allowed for people to vote, one must only look at the law-breaking and law-bending of the Conservative party and their counter-parts in business to know that law is a fluid thing, and employee rights fleeting.

From the Harper government which struck the words equality, equity and innovation from it’s very limited vocabulary, it’s not too far a reach before holding people hostage. Sure hope it was no MP family in Thailand this week. Brenda Martin will be thanking her lucky stars for ever that it was only Stephen Harper’s concern for his public face that brought her home, and the abject mewlings from Geurgis on the international stage might have swayed him in Brenda Martin’s favour.

Now, can we get some Canadian retirees home from holiday in Thailand before Harper decides to quit working again for several months? Or shall everyone wait on tenterhooks, or in airports? It’s not like he’s going to personally have to pay millions of dollars, like Arar. Just bring our people to safety! Get them to Hong Kong at least. It is not too much to ask. Let’s see a measured response regarding Canadians, eh.

Betcha Harper has checked his list, twice, and most of the people who chose to visit Thailand at a very unlucky time aren’t Conservative voters. So, they are off his list. Or not on it, so inconsequential unless there is an election coming up…then they may be important.

PM Stephen Harper is all about those who are all about him. Period.

The truth is every single MP in the House of Commons is guilty of perpetuating this stupid crisis.

I have a simple suggestion for any MPs that may still might have a shread of decency and respect for this country and average hard-working Canadians. Leave your party and sit as an independent. Refuse to engage in any of the BS hyperbole and show Canadians that you are willing to sit as an independent and rise above party politics. Please, some of you show us you truly disagree with how politics is being conducted on all sides of the house and sit as an independent. If enough of you do this you’ll send a message to all Canadians, that they are more important than power or partisanship. Show us that decorum and decency in this country are still possible.

Though his best work may be behind him, when you hold a Master Class, you call on the master (insert idol’s name here). The current winner of an election is not the be all and the end all of our collective history x knowledge x dreams of nationhood. A few cats who went before are good for more than reminiscence.

Put them to it.

Get Harper out, get the coalition in, and let’s get the economy on track.

If this doesn’t work, I honestly don’t know what will.

It’s hard not to see how pathetic and desperate Liberals are these days. It’s probably more a sense of insecurity than anything else. Get over it and lose Dion as fast as you can. Have some self respect. If a buly pushes you around — push back. Don’t let it fester. Don’t wait. Don’t complain. Don’t start crying and think that not running candidates against the Greens will help or that somehow Layton and Duceppe are your new pals.

Come on Iggy get control of this thing and let Prentice take care of Harper.

If Parliament is to be preserved as a living institution His Majesty’s Loyal Opposition must fearlessly perform its functions. When it properly discharges them the preservation of our freedom is assured. The reading of history proves that freedom always dies when criticism ends. It upholds and maintains the rights of minorities against majorities. It must be vigilant against oppression and unjust invasions by the Cabinet of the rights of the people. It should supervise all expenditures and prevent over-expenditure by exposing to the light of public opinion wasteful expenditures or worse. It finds fault; it suggests amendments; it asks questions and elicits information; it arouses, educates and molds public opinion by voice and vote. It must scrutinize every action by the government and in doing so prevents the short-cuts through democratic procedure that governments like to make.

- Hon. John G. Diefenbaker, “The Role of the Opposition in Parliament,” Address to the Empire Club of Canada, Toronto, 27 October 1949.

The Opposition is just doing its job, peeps. Let it preserve and protect our democracy.

First of all, you are citing a dude who is the CEO foundation, that in the words of the Walrus, is “a think-tank long regarded as an arm of Manning’s defunct Reform Party” (see their expose on Flannigan). He was also formerly head of poli sci at U of C, home of Flannagan and others, and long considerd Harper’s home base and inner circle. And, as an added touch Gibbins, also happened to write post election: “At the same time, the fact that the Conservatives did not secure a majority means that parliamentarians will have to give serious consideration as to how to make minority governments work. Minorities may be the new normal, and thus we must find a way to get beyond paralyzing partisanship and constant threats of elections….Harper does not have a majority, but neither does he face early defeat in the House. Thus the failure to capture more seats in Quebec is at best a minor blemish on a solid performance.” All so apropos now, if more than a tad wrong.

So, are you not trying? Or do you think that is, someone, with such a clear links to being in Harper’s back pocket is a valuable contributor to the debate? Should we also consult Stephane Dion’s mom as an expert and objective commentator too?

Second, you know the Canadian democratic system very well. Regardless of which party or which ideological approach anyone is cheering for (unstable and potentially dangerous – zeeesh!!!) the course of action being pursued it not within, but exactly as intended by our constitutional conventions. Requiring a party to retain power that does not hold the confidence of the house to govern is undemocratic. And there is no way around that.

If we want to talk reform of the system, then lets talk reform. But making it up as you go along is bunk.

There is no great

>>If the forthcoming crisis is as bad as the Coalition cheerleaders would have us believe, this isn’t the best time to dress up a bunch of neophytes in cabinet minister suits and run the government as an on-the-job training opportunity.

>>I’d sure like to hear the cheerleaders explain why we should believe the coalition is competent to lead, given that they turned to the Old Guard to arrange the marriage and hold their hands on matters financial. I’m sure they can act like leaders, but at this juncture I don’t favour actors.

>>There’s only one way to settle the question: have an election; we can be done and budgeted by February.

Exactly, and don’t forget the coalition’s prospective Prime Minister is slated for replacement in the first week of May – to be selected by the Liberal party, something generally done before going to the electorate, not after he has been installed and on the job for a few weeks.

Exactly. And such a time would be when they lose a confidence motion in the House and the opposition proposes to form a new government. Suzanne, are you aware we have a parliamentary system of government?

It has become clear that Stephen Harper is a liar. Many politicians were liars. Therefore Canadians must have liars shoved down our throats, even when proven liars are “loosing” by playing by the rules and just invent a new bully tactic where might and money makes right.

Mr ‘Confidence Vote for Every Little Desire’Harper is bailing on a confidence vote.

Usurping Parliament for his personal gain, or loss if he has miscalculated most principled Canadians as much as I think he has.

I am sickened. Harper is running.

Jesus, and most revered Parliamentarians of whichever party in Canada and so far as Westminster, perhaps beyond, would clean Harper’s clock over this and most of you Harper supporters know it but are afraid to say it.

Cowards way. Un-Canadian. Never ever have Canadians had to fear its government. Until now.

And that is all I am going to say here on the matter.

Stephen Harper. evil genius, and ever so for Canada. ra ra

It really wsn’t supposed to work this way. American people woke up before the nightmare became irreversible. Why, oh why is Canada forever behind?

Once Canada led, in a smallish way, on the world stage. That bird is dead.

Same as Stephen Harper’s government. Mutual destruction is the order of the day. And that’s all good in Stephen Harper’s Canada. Because if Canada is not for Stephen Harper, then Stephen Harper is not for Canada.

Simple.

Sad.

I notice you mentioned the actual elected Members of Parliament as only a supporting cast.

If the forthcoming crisis is as bad as the Coalition cheerleaders would have us believe, this isn’t the best time to dress up a bunch of neophytes in cabinet minister suits and run the government as an on-the-job training opportunity.

I’d sure like to hear the cheerleaders explain why we should believe the coalition is competent to lead, given that they turned to the Old Guard to arrange the marriage and hold their hands on matters financial. I’m sure they can act like leaders, but at this juncture I don’t favour actors.

There’s only one way to settle the question: have an election; we can be done and budgeted by February.

Bring on a coalition built with the budgetary talents of Paul Martin, the depth and knowledge of David Broadbent and Jean Chretien, the vigorous support of Bob Rae, Michael Ignatieff, Stephane Dion, Gilles Duceppe, and on and on. A coalition of the positive and the progressive. Enough of Stephen Harper’s bitter, divisive, unimaginative leadership. Bring on the coalition.

The Conservative’s attempt to hang on to power by “proroguing” the parliament, which puts its own party’s political future ahead of all Canadians, is both desperate and disgusting….

I shudder to think what would have happened if Harper received a majority.

He’s called the Bloq – who propped up his last government – unacceptable partners, even traitors.

He and his followers have called the Liberals and NDP everything BUT traitors.

Tactically, when you’re in the minority, you’re supposed to attempt to woo the opposition, or at least keep ‘em quiet.

Instead, Harper first insulted them, then inflamed them, and now is demonizing them.

Stephen Harper……then it appears PMSH has failed to provide leadership in a time of not only our countries economic crisis but the worlds. To turn his back and go home…is under any excuse (s) is a declaration of defeat like a fighter who can not answer the bell after even one round of a championship fight. and that ladies and gentlemen is a fact…