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

The politics of disaster (III)

by Aaron Wherry on Monday, January 25, 2010 11:01am - 48 Comments

The Globe considers the day’s optics.

Today is the day Stephen Harper’s decision to shut down Parliament should have come back to haunt him, as opposition parties gather in Ottawa to draw attention to what would have been a back-to-work Monday for MPs. Instead, the eyes of the world will be drawn to Montreal, where global dignitaries including Hillary Clinton and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner are gathering as guests of Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Lawrence Cannon, to plan the rebuilding of earthquake-ravaged Haiti…

“It has allowed the Prime Minister to remind [Canadians] of how strong a leader he is, how decisive he can be when it comes to doing something,” Conservative strategist Goldy Hyder said, adding that “Quebeckers particularly like decisive leadership … even if they disagree with it.

“From that old Chinese proverb, which I use with the greatest of respect, crises can be opportunities as well,” he said.

Tags: Bernard Kouchner, earthquake, Goldy Hyder, Haiti, Hillary Clinton, lawrence cannon, Stephen Harper

More by Aaron Wherry

http://intensedebate.com/people/jolyon jolyon

"The opposition has been so ineffective that Harper's people have to provide fodder for them."

Roy MacGregor had article on Saturday in Globe about this. I was surprised it did not gain more notice or comment.

"It may, however, not entirely be Ignatieff's fault that he seems to find such little traction when Harper is thought to have hit a patch of black ice.

Talk to Liberals – office holders, party organizers, fundraisers – around the country and you will tap into a malaise that a good pollster could rout out with a single question: “What's happening?” “Nothin',” the vast majority would respond, with a margin of error of plus or minus very little.

“There is no Liberal Party,” says one lifelong card carrier who has sat at cabinet tables.

“It died a long time ago. It's not completely extinct yet, but there's no there there.” In this lifelong Liberal's eyes, the party has been stalled for years. No new energy, no new ideas, no vision of what it might like to do. The singular advantage of proroguing, this Liberal would say, is that it has put an end to the squirming every time the opposition pounces."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/pror…

kcm

Yeah, that's one of my fears…that the libs are simply tapped out. Roy Mac is a great columnist. But we'l see. They've been declared dead prematurely before this.

kcm

Ah, i knew you couldn't leave without an insult. It' the old scorpion story i guess. It's in your nature.

Equating the invasion of Iraq with the present situation in Haiti [ if that's what you and joylon were doing] is plainly absurd…notwithstanding the previous us occupation.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Nich Nich

classic!
http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

Let me get this straight. You're the one who characterized a view you say comes from opponents as "stupid", I merely point it out, and I'M the one engaging in insults, am I? In fact, you just accused yourself as such, genius. lol. Next.

kcm

'Or I might have been pointing out the fact that what kcm considers "stupid" actually comes from his ilk."

This wasn't an insult? Hmmm, from you i could almost believe it.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

How is pointing out that what you considered "stupid" is a sentiment that comes from your "ilk"? Where is the insult? Man.

Wallace Cleaver

“It has allowed the Prime Minister to remind [Canadians] of how strong a leader he is, how decisive he can be when it comes to doing something,”

That's true – we do need reminding, since we so seldom see him doing something…useful.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

Again, Canadians don't hate him like some of you do. Geez.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

lol, this is EXACTLY what I'm talking about. Some of you bashers are completely incapable of looking yourselves in the mirror. It's all about hating the Harper government 24/7. Canadians AGREED with Baird on prorogue and the coalition, yet here you are patting yourselves on the back as though it somehow SUPPORTS your view. Like I said, Harper is truly blessed by the ideological zealotry of his opponents. He has you wrapped around his finger, I'm sorry to say, and you can't even see it. Oh well.

burlivespipe

Yes, only Stephen Harper should be able to go over the heads of parliament and the long-standing parliamentary system and go to the people; when said people disagree with so-called leader Harper, then he can go over the head of the people and do a political reach-around and resort to some impressive pro-demockratic dance. Just like it was fine for Harper to join with the Bloc for a possible coalition; shame on all others who resort to such evil tricks!
You get an 'F' for consistency, DF.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

What in the world are you going on about now? Canadians hated the coalition. They don't hate prorogue. There is no inconsistency. You're just another example of the kind of over-the-top animus the left has of people who dare challenge their view of the world.

http://intensedebate.com/people/ChrisInKW ChrisInKW

I guess he went "over our heads" there, too.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

No. He accused the Liberals and NDP of wanting to form an alliance with separatists to run this country, and many libs, leftists, and other bashers couldn't stand that it stuck. THIS is how you respond to an accusation of being over-the-top? No, it was bang-on. Again, try the mirror some day, and MAYBE you'll be more effective against Harper. Just saying.
ADB

Dennis_F, are you actually Conservative strategist Goldy Hyder trying to turn a crisis into an opportunity?
http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

Some of you probably think that, which explains your predicament. lol. Next.
ABD

Is it really true that Canadians hated the coalition and that they don't hate prorogation?
I don't know.

Hate is such a strong word. Let's just say that some Canadians were opposed to the coalition and felt so strongly, that they joined a Facebook group, wrote their MP and/or demonstrated. Others oppose the recent prorogation and have similarly expressed their opinions.

Is one group larger than the other? The Facebook numbers and reports of last weekend's demonstrations suggest that the anti-prorogation numbers are (slightly) larger, but this is something that is of course debatable.

The question of 'consistency' come in when one considers the interview with John Baird (above) He frequently cites popular opposition to the coalition as a justification for the prorogation of the 2008 parliament. But this year, the public is (at least as strongly) against prorogation, but it doesn't seem to matter.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Dennis_F Dennis_F

If you look back on this thread, you'll see that the accusation was that Harper haters were using over-the-top rhetoric, such as running Canada badly, etc. I don't think Baird was using over-the-top rhetoric. The Liberals and NDP were ready to govern with an alliance with the separatists, and the PM had every right to represent the people and say NO.

Now, if this nonsense about prorogue ends up amounting to anything, then I'll rectify the inconsistency. Until then, you let me know.
ABD

Oh, I probably should have added that arguments on the strength or weakness of popular support, for or against prorogation, are really irrelevant to the question of whether Stephen Harper was right to prorogue in 2008 and 2009.