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

This House does not condemn

by Aaron Wherry on Wednesday, December 1, 2010 10:39am - 15 Comments

The Bloc motion calling on the House to condemn “the government’s decision to unilaterally extend the Canadian mission in Afghanistan until 2014″ was defeated by a count of 209-81 last night.

For whatever it is worth, Open Parliament’s count shows five Liberal absences, though reportedly an unspecified two of those were due to illness.

Tags: 2011, 2014, Afghanistan, Bloc Québécois, house of commons, Parliament

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Frankenstein

OMG that's three possible Liberal defections! IGGY IS DOOMED!!

LdKitchenersOwn

Not that I'm not getting your sarcasm, but just for the record, the three who weren't sick were paired with NDP and Bloc MPs to mitigate for their absence.

Frankenstein

OMG that's the Coalition of the Leftist Separatists! CANADA IS DOOMED!!1!

Emily

Amazing that only the Bloc has any sense.

Tappen

The Bloc does not have 81 seats.
Amazing that only the Bloc [and NDP have] any sense. – fixed

Emily

It was a given the NDP would vote for it.

sourstud

It was a given that the Bloc would vote for it, considering they introduced the motion!

Tappen

It was the Bloc's motion. Presumably a given they would vote for it as well. Either way, hooray for no accountability governments. And the Liberals for supporting them. Ignatieff's claim that they are the only progressive alternative to the Conservatives is such a joke.

Emily

That's why I said the Bloc had sense….they made the motion.

I don't know of any progressive party in Canada. If I could find one, I'd vote for it.
bennji1977

I actually don't think that there is a lack of accountability on the part of governments – I think the real problem currently lies with the electorate, and our refusal to hold the government to account when presented with the opportunity.

The Liberals, were held to account for their actions by the electorate in the 2004 election when they were reduced to a minority, and in 2006 when they were booted to the opposition side of the HOC.

In 2008 – we the voters could have held the government to account and voted to change government, but we did not, and de facto endorsed the behavior of the current government.

If you look at the recent bi-elections, the electorate could have again held the government to account – but more than 70% of the eligible voters couldn't even bother to exercise this simple right to voice concerns about accountability.

In our system, the power still resides with the people – we are just failing to take control of it. Time to get off our collective a&%es and hold OUR GOVERNMENT to account when presented with the opportunity.

IMHO – it is our apathy that is the problem.

Emily

There is apathy because there's no one to vote for.

bennji1977

Sorry, don't buy that.

In a democracy the power is always with the people to either demand better from our elected officials, or if they fundamentally believe that they can do better, to get engaged in the process.

Voter apathy has simply become the most brutal form of passive aggressive behavior.