The DAILY DIGEST: INFORMATION and OPINION from ST. JOHN'S to VICTORIA.
ARCHIVED at http://cdndailydigest.blogspot.com/
EDITORIAL PAGEs ARCHIVED at http://cdndailydigest.blogspot.com/
CHARLOTTETOWN GUARDIAN -
Taxpayers deserve more accountability
It's good that the province sees the need for more oversight of Crown corporations.
HALIFAX CHRONICLE HERALD -
Leaky passport procedures may lead to identity theft
AMHERST DAILY NEWS -
To spend or not is a hot question
OTTAWA CITIZEN -
Poverty equals economy
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editorials/Poverty+equals+economy/1046211/story.html
TORONTO STAR -
Pensions under pressure
GLOBE & MAIL -
Wishful thinking on Internet useComment1
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081207.weInternet08/BNStory/specialComment/home
Watch more streams
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081207.wefish08/BNStory/specialComment/home
Selective silencing
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081207.wespeech08/BNStory/specialComment/home
NATIONAL POST -
Video Killed Dion's Star
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1046074
You had an option, sir ...
http://www.nationalpost.com/opinion/story.html?id=1046076
NIAGARA FALLS REVIEW -
Ontario needs a strategy
K-W RECORD -
New Toyota plant offers hope, lessons
SUDBURY STAR -
Jean emasculated office of Governor General
Time for Harper to co-operate
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS -
OTTAWA -- Changing who's in charge in Parliament won't change our economic problems. 1:00 AM
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/Pension_problems_brewing.html
Internet hate must be confronted
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/Internet_hate_must_be_confronted.html
SASKATOON STARPHOENIX -
Canada's crisis pretty dull stuff in others' view
Harper win comes at heavy price
CALGARY HERALD -
Auto execs wheelin' and dealin'
VANCOUVER SUN -
Novel takes jabs at staunch Christianity
An insider unveils the investment industry yet again
VICTORIA TIMES-COLONIST -
Rights ruling on foreign workers wacky
Harper is right to attack the Bloc's power role
ISSUES
AFGHANISTAN -
Taliban destroy 50 NATO supply trucks in third attack in Peshawar
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/12/taliban_destroy_50_n.php
U.S. plays down impact of convoy attacks in Pakistan
NATO says no Afghan winter lull in fight with Taliban
Militants strike as Pakistan cracks downPresence of Taleban 'spreading'
CANUSA/USACAN
Our views of the U.S.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081208.wsurvey08/BNStory/National/home
U.S. lawmakers aim to limit border searches
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081208.wgtlaptops1208/BNStory/Technology/home
ECONOMIC AFFAIRS
Bank rates head to zero
Canada says WTO text on farm goods "unacceptable"
WTO text on SM products "unacceptable": Ritz
WTO Text Released
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
NATO scuttles US plan to encircle Russia
Canada says WTO text on farm goods "unacceptable"
POLITICS IN THE PROVINCES
Atlantic premiers meet in P.E.I. to discuss economic priorities
FEDERAL POLITICS
Text of Stephane Dion's resignation statement
Dion to step aside; LeBlanc supports Ignatieff
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081208/dion_coalition_081208/20081208?hub=Canada
Dion to resign as Liberal leader
Bob Rae hanging in as leadership hopeful while Ignatieff gets boost
Rae urges caucus vote stopped
Rae says Ignatieff will have an unfair advantage if installed as interim leader Hedy Fry says it wouldn't be fair to impose a new leader on party member
Ignatieff would be best contender against Tory popularity: Angus-Reid
Ignatieff wouldn't boost coalition much: poll
Our Robert Mugabe moment
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wcomartin08/BNStory/politics/home
Dion to quit as Liberals mull new leader
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays_paper/story.html?id=1046032
This coalition changes everything
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wcoflanagan08/BNStory/politics/home
Ignatieff makes his move
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081207.wdion1207/BNStory/politics/home
Thousands attend political rallies across country
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081206.wrallies1206/BNStory/National/home
Harper not out of line for wanting to crush the opposition
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081208.wblatch08/BNStory/specialComment/home
Critics slam Prime Minister Harper as 'pathological partisan'
Liberal crown for Ignatieff?
Charest is in, Harper very much out in Quebec
Anti-coalition protest fizzles out
Mood on Hill angry and excited
Hundreds of Cabinet and PMO staffers to lose jobs if PM defeated
Lobbyists focused on Harper's next dramatic federal budget
Prorogation now grinds government's legislative agenda to a halt
Coalition MPs remain defiant, hopeful in face of Tory communications machine
PROGRAMMES
Canada disputes bleak Afghan picture painted by international think-tank
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081208/national/afghan_cda_icos
Tories outspent Liberals on consultants
Flaherty says Canada to meet G7 crisis commitments
Automakers' requests 'capable of being dealt with,' need more talks: Flaherty
Five districts in Western Canada choose Canadian Wheat Board directors
Wells calls CWB director election results a "victory for farmers" Southwest Booster
CWB vote calls for politics-as-usual Country Guide
Saskatoonhomepage.ca -
all 15 news articles »
OPINION AND INFORMATION
Anonymity: Protection or excuse?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/mingram
Business lessons from spiders: Adapt or die
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wcoecon08/BNStory/specialComment/home
Contemplating life without growth
http://www.thestar.com/Opinion/article/549721
Eager interns a breath of fresh air
http://www.thestar.com/Opinion/article/549728
The critical shortage on Parliament Hill: Truth
PM made error of pressing a desperate enemy
INFOS
Ignatieff aux commandes dès mercredi?
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200812/07/01-808234-ignatieff-aux-commandes-des-mercredi.php
Dion cède aux pressions et quitterait immédiatement la tête du PLC
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/actualites/quebec-canada/politique-canadienne/200812/08/01-808456-dion-cede-aux-pressions-et-quitterait-immediatement-la-tete-du-plc.php
Rally for Canada: l'organisateur se défend d'avoir boudé Québec
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/politique/200812/07/01-808225-rally-for-canada-lorganisateur-se-defend-davoir-boude-quebec.php
Habitation: un effondrement comme celui observé aux E.-U. est peu probable
http://info.branchez-vous.com/graphics/textecomplet.gif
Un rapport fait état de lÇÔinfluence talibane croissante en Afghanistan
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081208/N120827AU.html
Une partie de la frontière canado-américaine sera patrouillée par un drone
http://info.branchez-vous.com/Nationales/081208/N120816AU.html
Le PLC aura un nouveau chef en janvier
http://www.ledevoir.com/2008/12/08/221934.html
Des agriculteurs contre la coalition
http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2008/12/08/001-manif-agriculteur-ottawa_n.shtml
Positions divergentes d'un océan à l'autre
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Politique/2008/12/07/001-crise_ottawa_division.shtml
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DOES OR DOES NOT PROVIDING JUSTICE EQUATE TO EFFECTIVE CONTROL?
DOES OR DOES NOT PROVIDING JUSTICE EQUATE TO EFFECTIVE CONTROL?
"There are those bits of the country controlled by the government and those bits of the country that are contested by the Taliban and where they claim to have control their form of governance is limited to justice or their version of justice," Thompson said.
"That to me doesn't constitute control of anything. They don't control the economic output, they're not providing services as we would define them other than their form of justice."
AN ASPECT OF THE WAR TO WATCH.
In July, when NATO-Taliban battles were at a pitch, sporadic Taliban attacks on NATO's supply lines reduced NATO's storage capacity of food and other items from one month to just a week at important bases such as Ghazni and Helmand. There are estimates within militant camps that if they succeed in severing NATO supplies from Pakistan this year, NATO will have to leave Afghanistan in 2009. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/JL09Df01.html
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From: Dylan Leggo Subject: RE: Response to Real: What set the fiasco off?
Morning Joe, Love the website and since all I got from Checkup last night was the T-shirt I'll vent to you.
My take, Well, from the perspective of a federalist Quebecer (i'm inside quebec, i just can't spell it quebecker with a k) this has been quite a scene. Clearly the pressure should be on the Cons to replace Harper. Allow me to evoke an ugly Jacques Parizeau memory. Referendum night, Parizeau utters the deplorable blame at 'money and the ethnic vote' stealing the will of Quebecers. So, Mr. Harper makes a mistake he's currently apologizing for behind closed cabinet doors. How does he handle his partisan foolishness? He starts a unity fight because he can't admit, publicly, that he's in the wrong. Is sending your people to the streets (apparently to threaten peaceful Albertans, on camera, with mobs of Tory partisans and insult the country) the work of a real leader or a despot? Canada's Jacques Parizeau has blamed the ethnic vote because THIS TIME they didn't support him. Quebec repudiated Parizeau and the man was decent enough, at least, to resign within 24 hours. It would seem that standards have risen in Quebec while they have sunk in the RoC. I cringe at the notion of seeing Harper being let off by the opposition. This minority was all about keeping tight reigns on Harper, but it seems he'd even start a bigotted, violent movement than simply admit his boo boo like he did in cabinet. These are dark days for Canada. I thought Jean Chretien had the most dangerous mouth in Canada, I've changed my mind. Thank goodness Mr. Charest is poised for a majority today in the Quebec elections, I sure wouldn't feel like fighting another referendum when the Prime Minister is going out of his way to tarnish Canada and sow disunity for sake of his own personal vanity. Makes me want to cry out, "Wake up rest of Canada! Two-faced bigotry is not acceptable and as long as Harper leads his party, or his party while led by him stays in power, that will be part of Canada's image." Regardless of how we feel personally about the Bloc there is no party in Ottawa who didn't see fit to try dump a minority PM with their support. Thanks for the ear-time, Joe.
Dylan Leggo.
Gaspé, QC
P.S. If he's going to try to start a seperation referendum on account of his mistakes, I'd much rather see it take place in Conservative territory rather than Quebec. Mr. Harper could admit what he's admitting in secret and try spin himself as Canada's saviour. Plus, I think a referndum on Alberta with Harper in the wrong would be alot easier for federalists to fight than one here in Quebec with a PM that plays these games.
===================================
From: "Glenn Harewood"
Subject: Why are we afraid to criticize Harper??
Joe:
Re: the present shut-down of parliament.
To what sort of logical thinking are sheepishly confined? What about lateral thinking for a change?
In the last week who has done more damage to Canada and the Canadian parliamentary system: Harper of Dion?
Clear and independent analysis would suggest that Canada is run by a government who is NOT interested in putting the interests of Canadians before its own selfish, political interests.
Why are we not focusing on Harper's mismanagement and incompetent leadership, but focusing on the leadership of the three other Opposition leaders? Is it not the leaders of the Opposition who have legitimately and constitutionally pointed out the incompetency of Harper's government?
Glenn Harewood
===================================
From: "Rebecca Gingrich" <r.gingrich@sympatico.ca>
Subject: [On-Guard] DD
Joe--re Mark Garstin's idea about increasing consumption. Why don't
governments just decrease taxes? If they leave the money in our pockets we
can spend it as we see fit. Why should any government get to dictate what
we buy with a subsidy of our own money? That gives them control over our
after tax dollars also. To give us tax dollars back because we did
something they approve of is ludicrous--unless we get to withhold tax
dollars if they are doing something that we do not approve of.
The greatest impediment to a viable economy is government. They and their
corporate masters are on the same wavelength--take as much as you can grab
and run with it. That is what is bringing us to the economic brink. And we
are in this mess because someone suggested taking the public teat out of
their sucking mouths.
becky
===================================
From: John Kruithof
Subject: Progressive Canadian Party contribution
Joe,
Thank you for devoting so much attention in the December 7th Daily Digest to the presentations of Marjaleena Repo and David Orchard. I believe their views deserve widespread support and I am wondering how that support can best be expressed.
It seems to me the Progressive Canadian Party (PCP) could usefully channel its resources to a unified pro-democracy movement by pooling its constituency with that of other party(ies). It might even be most effective to designate a specific party to which PCP resources will flow.
I believe present circumstances call for decisive action, some of which has already been demonstrated. More needs to be done.
John Kruithof
Ottawa South
===================================
From: "Brian Clark"
Subject: Fwd: An article from globeandmail.com
Hi Joe, one of the most disturbing aspects for me on this political stuff is how most of the articles are so partisan. Conservatives criticize the Dion and the coalition, and others from Liberal, NDP, or Bloc criticize the Prime Minister. Most of these criticisms are valid.
Yet most of the articles seem to imply the blame is one-sided. This is one situation where each of the leaders is at fault.
The best article in my opinion was by John Manley in Saturday's Globe. Link is below. He lays criticism quite accurately and fairly on both Dion and Harper and lays out a very sensible plan for the Liberals. Just one day later, the news reported Liberals lining up behind Mr Manley's plan.
"The first Liberal step: Replace Dion"
Just say no to more ugly rhetoric
< http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wcomanley06/EmailBNStory/specialComment/ >
Another article in Saturday's Post by Michael Bliss compares the coalition with the Meech / Charletown nonsense by Mulroney 15-20 years ago. He accurately predicts the coalition would face the same crushing defeat by Canadians as did Mulroney. He also points out how Bob Rae made the same mistake twice by supporting both Meech and the coalition.
Mr Ignatief was smart to distance himself from the coalition as things unfolded, and after Mr Manley's article he is certain to become leader within days or weeks.
It's a pity for Liberals and Canadians that Mr Manley doesn't want the job.
Best Regards, Brian
Brian L Clark
===================================
From: "Edward Odishaw"
Subject: RE:Response to Real: What set the fiasco off?
Joe;
It did not matter what the PM or the Govt proposed .Layton by his own admiission had a deal with the Separtists weeks before and he had every intention of co opting a naive Dion and that segment of Liberals led by RAE, a new convert to the Party, to move to dump the Govt.
We should all be holding Layton accountable for this fiasco and we should also be asking him what were the other things that he discussed and agreed to with Duceppe that he so casually passed by in his tape recorded report to his caucus.
Layton antics may well have destroyed his party in Western Canada as it has certainly seriously damaged what little support the Liberals had west of the Man/Ont border.
Those in the Liberal Party who expressed concern were no doubt stampeded by ambition in the short term. Look for them to come to their senses quickly in the next few days .
Everyone should recognize that Layton's game was not to just dump the Govt but to also destroy the Liberal Party for his own gain.He has raised the whole spectre of Quebec separation in the rest of Canada and we should all be holding him accountable for this brazen, crass, selfish political act.
Layton has done nothing in his time in National politics to give anyone any confidence in him or to the direction he has taken his party which is of benefit of Canada.
Have we forgotten those outragious and slanderous remarks he made about homelessness in Toronto and Prime Minister Paul Martin --- no apology no remorse --- and the media let him get away with it.
Let us hope he will not get away with latest outrageeous attack on Democracy and the institution of the GG.
Ed
===================================
From: "Robert Ede"
Subject: Root of the Problem --PM's Bad Advice to the Public's last defense against arbitrary/despotic power!
Cc: "Governor General" <Info@gg.ca>, "Rt Hon Stephen Harper" <pm@pm.gc.ca>
Dear Canada,
I loathe the idea of the Lib/Ndp/Bloc coalition, more because of the stupid, damaging and hard-to-reverse programs that they'll jam through the House (assuming the GG doesn't refuse Assent to the bonehead-i-est ones), than because the recent 'wasted election' told each of them (and the economist that doesn't seem to factor economic/monetary effects into his decisions about self-serving, politics-of-the-minute) that we didn't want ANY of them to have a free hand in the House.
That said, what if ... Mr Harper had not offered the Advice that convinced the (virtually advisor-less) GovGen to disregard Harper's very own fixed date election legislation and to agree to a dissolution-without-a-defeat-in-the-House and the resultant 'wasted election'?
What if ... in September, Her Excellency (with or without the Advice and/or Advice and Consent of Her Privy Council) had suggested another Conservative or a coalition of Opposition parties to fulfill the balance of Mr Harper's first mandate's fixed date?
Given that Harper came to Rideau Hall (apparently with scarcely a whimper nor any regrets or remorse) to declare that he had given up (again) - Harper said he "couldn't govern any more" ... wouldn't if have been possible for the GG to just ask him to move to the sidelines and select an CPC member to carry on or, to ask any other Leader or combination of Leaders to finish out Harper's term rather than force new elections that EVERYONE presumed with 85-95% certainty wouldn't really change too much within the House?
In hindsight wasn't the election a Bad idea? at best a wasted experience and waste of money and public energy? Should Mr Harper be chastised for offering that advice? Doesn't the principle of Ministerial Responsibility req
While we're on the Bad Advice file, wasn't t Harper's advice to prorogue-without-a-defeat-in-the-House just as self-serving as Bad Advice #1?
The Rt Hon Firewaller recommended that the (virtually advisor-less) Vice Regal anticipate a hypothetical rather that allow actual events to transpire.
Who is best served by the delay? You? me? the coalition? Mr Harper?
Who would have been most "on the spot" on Monday the 8th and avoided that awkward moment? You? Me? etc
Who is best served by this new prorogue-instead-of-vote precedent? You? Me? etc
Harper was being counselled last Thursday by Kevin Lynch (who holds the conflict-of-interest-ridden dual Office of the Clerk of the Privy Council AND Secretary of the Cabinet {conflicted duality extant only since 1940} while the Public's last defense against arbitrary/despotic power, Ms Jean had to bring in a solitary, outside legal expert (who has had many govt-of-the-day contracts). The strange part is the Constitution's s.11 says the Privy Council is the GovGen's Advisors .... not the PM's?
What's going on?
Robert (Rob) Ede,
Thornhill ON
===================================
From: "Glenn Harewood"
Subject: Fw: IF DION MUST GO HARPER MUST ALSO GO; TRUST LOST IS NOT EASILY RECOVERED. HARPER MUST NEVER BE TRUSTED
December 8th/2008
Harewood
Joe:
As the political saga in Ottawa continues, I believe it necessary to repeat -- in substance, but with added alterations -- what I wrote on December 2nd, 2008.
As I said previously, Harper's hidden agenda to DESTROY our Canadian Federation bit-by-bit IS being revealed bit-by- bit:
First, he breaks his own promise to have elections on a fixed date.
Then he goes to the electorate with the clear intent of getting a majority on October 14/2008.
The electorate REJECTS Harper's attempt to obtain a majority government.
Harper then promises that his slightly increased MINORITY government would work more co-operatively with the Opposition groups who, together, have the MAJORITY of seats in Parliament.
Harper breaks his promise two weeks after the opening of the New Parliament, does NOT address any of the grave economic problems in which Canada finds itself, but proposed measures whose intent seemed to be to DESTROY all the Opposition parties.
Harper who, in the previous session of parliament, made many votes on his inflexible measures a matter of confidence, now postpones an Opposition confidence vote by one week, when he finds that the total Opposition is NOT going to acquiesce to his adamant measures.
Harper then seeks to prorogue Parliament to prevent the total Opposition from voting on his designated motion of Confidence by going to the Governor General and obtaining prorogation.
Harper, in his quest to retain power, seeks to conquer and DIVIDE the total Opposition by clearly labelling a group of legitimately elected MPs as Separatists, and not fit to participate, in any manner, in the running of the government of Canada. The irony IS that Harper has, for the past two-and-a-half years, depended on these same Separatists to prop-up his MINORITY government.
Harper shows his deception and hypocrity in declaring, a year ago, that Quebec is a Nation within the context of Canadian federation, by standing-up in the same House of Commons, and calling all the Bloc Quebecois MPs Separatists. His deception is even more revealed when he calls the BQists "Separatists" in the English language, but "Sovereignists" in the French language.
The fact is that the BQists are a legal part of the Parliament of Canada.
From such Harper actions, it is very CLEAR that Harper's long term hidden agenda is to, bit-by-bit, put the levers into place that would see the break-up Canada.
One would think that if, for the first time in the 18 years that the BQ has had representation in the Canadian Parliament, they showed a willingness to set aside their sovereignty aspirations, and work together with the rest of the Opposition, then this might be a first positive sign that they realize that Quebec might continue to exist without trying to leave Canada.
Now, by viciously and emphatically labelling the BQ MPs as "Separatists," Harper has further provided the opportunity for the BQ to say "see we've been saying for 18 years that Canada, as now constituted, DOES NOT WORK -- We want out."
Has Canada ever had a more DIVISIVE Prime Minister than Haper? There is a specific reason why, on three occasions, the Canadian electorate HAS returned Harper to Parliament as a MINORITY government. Are we going to allow Harper to continue to manupulate the rules of parliament, and to hoodwink us. Is it not time to get rid of this divisive political character? Are the people in Harper's group/party so blind that they cannot see where Harper intends to take the Country?
If Harper is allowed to continue to govern Canada, WE, all Canadians, will have no one else to blame but ourselves, for the eventual destruction of our august constitutional parliamentary system, and for break-up of Canada.
If Dion has to go, so does Harper. Harper and his Neo-Cons have done more damage to Canada's constitutional unity and image in the world in two-and-a- half years than Dion ever did with his "Clarity Bill." At least Dion's Bill made it much harder for Quebec to separate" from Canada.
The GG has granted Harper's request for prorogation. Harper has lost the TRUST and confidence of the whole Canadian Parliament. Trust cannot and will not be reclaimed in six or seven weeks, on January 27th, 2009 -- not even in seven YEARS. We(and all Parliamentarians) will always be checking the fine print to see when and how Harper will surreptiously strike again !!!
Glenn Harewood
I am amazed to find out how politically illiterate ALL the MPs in the Harper caucus and party are. They continue to allow Harper to hoodwink them with respect to what he believes is democracy.
The present two-day political scenarios -- especially the ruckus today at Question Period -- reinforces my long-held argument that our parliamentary governance is NOT governance by party, but governance by a parliament (government & Opposition) of 308 individually elected representatives -- MPs.
What is now transpiring is how the Westminster model of parliamentary democracy is supposed to work. It is based on trust, confidence, integrity, honour and respect. It was very significant in today's Question Period that I did NOT hear any MP using the term "honourable" in addressing each other. What I saw was a PM trying to bully and destroy an Opposition upon which he must depend, in a minority parliament, to get legislation passed. Harper is trying to run parliament in the manner in which he ran the "Citizens' Coalition."
What Harper fails to understand is that:
1. the fundamental mantra of parliamentary representative government is that EACH representative -- NOT a group/party-- is INDIVIDUALLY voted into parliament by a finite number of electors; that the principal duty of each representative is to HOLD THE EXECUTIVE (cabinet) to account for the measures they lay before the WHOLE parliament; that each representative must be mutually respected, and NOT be made to feel that he is not as important as Harper -- the PM. In parliamentary democracy, the PM is elected just as other MPs are elected by the electorate. And in that electoral respect the PM or members of his cabinet are no more or less IMPORTANT than any other of the elected 307 members. In that respect the PM enjoys his power only as long as he can command the support of a large enough number of INDIVIDUAL//independently-elected MPs in the Parliament. If al or most of Harper's group-of-MPs were to pull their support, then Harper would be rendered powerless, and would have to resign. Such resignation may trigger an election.
It shows the dishonourable character of a PM who, both in and outside of parliament deliberately and personally attacks the leader of her Majesty's Loyal Opposition. It shows hypocrisy and contempt of parliament when a PM calls duly elected members of parliament "separatists" when they unite with other opposition groups to DEFEAT him (the PM), but in due course, must depend upon these same separatists for survival of his minority government.
1.1 According to Westminister parliamentary culture the fact that MPs coalesce around one leader or another is mere convention. If a majority of Harper's caucus were to decide to ABANDON him because of sharp disagreement, then Harper would have NO influence as PM. All Harper or any PM would be able to do in such an instance, is to RESIGN, thus causing the possible dissolution of parliament. Example: In April 1874, Conservative PM Bowell was forced to resign when he lost the support and confidence of his Cabinet and caucus. Charles Tupper took over as PM.
2. under the well-established rules of a parliamentary democracy, MINORITY governance means that the group in parliament with the most seats DOES NOT have a mandate to govern as if it had won a MAJORITY of seats. Other group members that have been elected are just as legitimately elected as the group members with more, although NOT an absolute majority of seats. AND THEY ALL FORM A INTEGRAL PART OF THE WHOLE PARLIAMENT. Neither the Canadian voter to whom Harper is not pandering, nor any of Harper's sheepish MPs seem to UNDERSTAND this concept of "the confidence of parliament-as-a-whole."
2.1 Even when one group has a majority of seats, this does NOT mean that each member of the group must always vote in the manner in which the Executive (Cabinet) wants them to vote in parliament. Indeed, minority government means that the group with the most seats has to depend upon one or more of the other groups for CONFIDENCE to implement its proposed measures. And that it is normal and mandatory that it change and adjust its proposed legislation to suit the demands of the group or groups upon whom it depends for confidence.
2.2 FINALLY, if the group(s) with the more, but not a clear majority of seats, loses the CONFIDENCE and TRUST of the majority of the total members of the parliament, then that group MUST hand over governing to a group WHICH CAN hold or obtain the confidence of the wholly assembled parliament.
3. On October 14th, 2008, the electorate elected 308 representatives to the Canadian House of Commons; they did NOT elect any one party to parliament.
4. The fact that groups of these 308 representatives choose to ally themselves together under one or another banner, is merely conventional and not parliamentary. There is NO mention of political parties as elected entities in the Canadian Constitution. Many electors do not seem to understand this fact.
5. Such alliances are at the discretion and trust of each member in the respective group(s) (party), and that one member, or those members of each group can restructure the composition of that group (ex: crossing the Floor, or forming coalitions: Ex: the "Democratic Coalition" group formed against Reform Leader Day in the late 90's 2000) whenever a simple majority of the total representatives/members believes that the Integrity of CONFIDENCE of the group as a WHOLE -- the parliamentary system -- is being threatened or abused. This is what Harper is doing right now -- abusing the confidence of parliament.
The concept of Individual and independent rather than Party representation shows the resilience of the traditional parliamentary representative system, and shows the powerfulness of the first-past-the post electoral system. Individual and independent representation is so important that members of Harper's group are now hoping that they can CONVINCE at least 12 of the individually elected MPs from the three Opposition parties to vote with Harper's neo-cons, in order to kill the Opposition's intended vote of NON-confidence. Consider that if these MPs had been elected by proportional representation, many of them would have been chosen -- not elected -- by a party or group. And it would be much harder for MPs chosen under the banner of a specific group or party, to contemplate switching from one group to another.
Further, there would be no need to consult an outside person like a governor-general in order to ensure the smoothe running of the parliament. And this is the powerful nature of the monarchical parliamentary governance, where a non-biased, remote-but-steady hand, is always there as a final arbiter, to ensure STABILITY of government; and ensure that a power-hungry PM and his government (minority or majority) do not continuously ABUSE the parliamentary system.
Imagine what would happen were Harper and his Neo-cons ever receive a clear majority from the electorate??
Could this not be the reason why, on October 14th, 2008, the electorate DID NOT give Harper and his neo-cons a clear majority.
What goes around comes around: I clearly believed that since Harper's deceptive, tactical, and unscrupulous (Remember the David Orchard treatment; the Sunday "back-door"signing-into-existence of the new CPC) take-over of the PCPC in December 2003, that his unscrupulous actions would come back to haunt him. I did not expect it to be as DRAMATIC as it is, and is going to be. However, Harper's destructive manoeuvring to fence off legitimate defeat by the present Opposition reveals his future mental tactics that he would use in dismantling the Canadian Federation.
Goodbye, Harper, McKay, Van Loan, Prentice, Clement, Flaherty etc. Canadians DO NOT want your destructive leadership!!
Glenn Harewood.
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