Beyond The Commons

Aaron Wherry covers all the goings-on in and around Parliament Hill. Follow Aaron on Twitter: @aaronwherry

Categories: Beyond The Commons, Capital Read

83 days to be precise

by Aaron Wherry on Friday, January 8, 2010 2:35pm - 68 Comments

The Prime Minister explains why his government won’t return to the House until March.

“The fact of the matter is this,” the Prime Minister continued, “the government is going to take advantage of this time – we need the time – to look carefully at our agenda, to continue to deliver the economic measures that are being delivered here and elsewhere across there country as part of the economic action plan. We also need time to re-examine our agenda, to prepare for the next year in Parliament, and to prepare for a very different economy going forward.”

Tags: house of commons, Parliament, prorogation, Prorogue, proroguing, Stephen Harper

More by Aaron Wherry

http://intensedebate.com/people/David0M David_M.

I don't think that will go away so easily. There's still an order to produce the documents and I think that has to be addressed even before a vote on the speech from the throne.
I'm sure there's a proceedural expert here that can confirm. Anyone?
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jack_Mitchell Jack Mitchell

I dunno. The prorogation move is so extreme, and so damaging, that if I were the Opposition parties I'd conclude it would be worthwhile renewing the detainee offensive in the Spring. A desperate attempt to cover something up is the only plausible explanation for this schmozzle, so it must be quite a something; which fits with the strangeness of the Government's not simply admitting its mistake on the file when the news broke. I think the whole business is deeply regrettable but ought to be pursued: it's wearing a "pursue me" sign.
http://intensedebate.com/people/lgarvin lgarvin

A welcome pause, that our soldiers probably appreciate.

The soldiers I know appreciate being left out of political bullsh!t altogether. I have a special contempt for political cowards who try to shelter behind the soldier's well-deserved reputation for professionalism.
Dan

I wonder if the person who came up with that brilliant "we need the time" line is aware that in 1873, at the height of the Pacific Scandal, Sir John A. MacDonald asked the Governor General to prorogue the House so that he could have the time to prepare his defence before the House moved a non-confidence motion against him.
Evalina

And how is Parliament sitting preventing that? what a ridiculous unfounded answer.
http://intensedebate.com/people/c_9 c_9

Exactly my thought. Usually with 33 comments, about 22 of them are busy accusing Wherry of Liberal shilling. Interesting.
http://www.pogge.ca skdadl

I agree. Early on, I thought that this wasn't a case of complicity in the sense that, eg, some intentional behaviour of CSIS agents and DFAIT representatives (and of course their political masters) has been (which also has still to be explored), but now I'm not so sure. The stonewalling, the lying, and the smearing were so transparent and so extreme that you have to think there's more to cover up than a delayed and fumbling response to a difficult situation. They could have handled it relatively easily, but they just kept tossing more fuel on the fire.

And now they are also in contempt of Parliament. I'm not a constitutional expert, but I think that David M is right — that resolution can't be brushed aside by prorogation.
http://intensedebate.com/people/psiclone psiclone

ROFL : I have not had so much fun reading forums in the longest time! Way to go Stevie boy … watching Iggy stumble around hmmmm errrr of course we will show up for work BUT god forbid we stand up and actually vote against the throne speech = what a maroon! I wonder as obviously Harper is giving away some points but at what point will the all those frustrated left wing nuts out there start to deamand he VOTE against the Throne Speech! because that's the rub isn't it folks? I love canadian politics. Of course every one well almost everyone but even us Con's are against the anything to do with giving politicians more perks BUT were one to have a poll that asked are you agaisnt Harper and therefore want to go the POLLS – how much you wanna bet everyone wants to complain but no one wants an election well almost no one .. we shall see if Harper loses a few more points and Iggy somehow can actually gain more than one maybe Iggy will wstart hmm'ing and errrring again
kcm

When Ignatieff made the mistake of putting Harper on parole Harper ran with the ball to good effect. Now that Harper's returned the favour let's see what MI can do with the ball…run Michael run…that means take advantage of this…"ACT.. LEAD". I know it's not as much fun as spending money…but defending parliament is a noble thing…should be right up you alley? Well Donolo's anyway!'
http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Ah yes, the "My way or the highway" approach. The idea of taking responsibility or reasonable compromise really is that foreign to you, isn't it?

So, let's say we go to an election. Let's say conservatives win. Even a majority. Does that in any way excuse this? Does it in any way excuse our government leaving our soldiers with the choice of disobeying orders or committing war-crimes?
Ccc

I'm inclined to see this as simply more of the same from this PM and the PMO: that is contempt for his opposition (at least sometimes well derserved); contempt for the GG; contempt for the voter; and frankly just plain ballsy confidence that they – especially after the proroguement (?) was so successful last year — can get away with this again.

There may be more to the "torture" files than we now know, but I'm not sure the CPC behaviour is all that different from such things as their preemptive attacks, stupid games with tough on crime legislation perpetually proposed and never passed, Senate gamesmanship, smears of NGOs etc., etc.

It all feels like standard CPC MO.
Anon

The British PM does not need the time. He's back in parliament.

Obama is back in the White House. The US Congress is back to work.

The European parliaments are back.

And yet, Harper needs three months to cogitate.

Conclusion: he is incompetent.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Isn't this where I came in? I mean, is this a Dallas episode, and I'll wake up to find the last decade was all a bad dream?
http://intensedebate.com/people/David0M David_M.

Okay I remember this from KOM's blog.

http://www.parl.gc.ca/information/about/process/h…

What PMO doesn't mention is that Standing Order 40 states that prorogation "shall not have the effect of nullifying an Order or Address of the House for returns or papers, but all papers and returns ordered at one session of the House, if not complied with during the session, shall be brought down during the following session, without renewal of the Order." Which means that, notwithstanding the Wall Street Journal's otherwise accurate summary, the order to produce those uncensored detainee-related documents has not been "killed," but remains very much alive until Parliament is dissolved for a general election.

Sorry I'm not blog savvy enough to properly post links. Perhaps there's a tutorial.
http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

Dimitri is still locked in the closet for now.

On the other hand …

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Columnists/1161209.h…
http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

Dimitri is still locked in the closet for now.

On the other hand …

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Columnists/1161209.h…
http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

Yeah, but he was drunk at the time and kept knocking over the inkwell.
http://intensedebate.com/people/SirJohn_Eh SirJohn_Eh

The inkwell had it coming, and come on it was the 70's if you weren't drunk you were hungover.
http://intensedebate.com/people/SisyphusThis SisyphusThis

Hungover ? I'll have to Google that …
http://intensedebate.com/people/Thwim Thwim

Funny.. governments always used to be able to govern and plan at the same time. Why is yours so incompetent?
http://intensedebate.com/people/Scott_Tribe Scott_Tribe

Thats what happens when every Conservative MP is at home in their own riding, and not in Ottawa where the PMO and Harper can put their thumb down on them all in one room.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Jenn_ Jenn_

Thanks! I knew I'd read that somewhere. Which still doesn't answer whether a point of privilege can come before the vote on the throne speech, but we're making progress.

I have never found a tutorial, but I believe you can just copy and paste a link and when you "submit comment" it will come up as a link. I don't know how to post a link as a word, though. Anybody?

http://intensedebate.com/people/David0M David_M.

48.(1)(2) used together could be the answer.

http://intensedebate.com/people/lgarvin lgarvin

Perhaps they've realized that "talking it down" is actually having the opposite effect. There is no plausible justification for simply tossing out six months worth of work. and untold millions of dollars in expense, out of nothing more than pure cowardice.

I think they've decided to batten down the hatches and will now just try to ride out the storm.
Simon Doyle

Wherry — how on earth did the Tories ever get their previous budgets out the door?? The House wasn't prorogued and they managed to find the time. Far as I can tell this has never been an issue before. House is almost always in session leading up to the release of a budget.
http://intensedebate.com/people/sea_n_mountains sea_n_mountains

agreed Clare. in addition to caucus comms being scattered so was PMO. dimitri and the PM have given multiple reasons as 'the resaon' for the decision too. i wonder if they got some bad polling based advice.