November 2008

Power Grab?

Is this all about a power grab? It is. It's all about stopping Stephen Harper and the Conservatives from taking a lot more power than the people were willing to trust them with.

The Adventure Continues

Originally this blog was going to end with the election. Things in Ottawa have, however, heated up considerably and once again your not quite so humble author is feeling the need to comment. Welcome back.

Stephen Harper made a strategic mistake. Read that aloud once or twice. Doesn't it feel strange in the mouth? Like some bold new flavour, exciting perhaps but still too new on the tongue to trust it. What will the after taste be like? How will it sit in the stomach? Myself I'm still worried about the after taste and it's ruining my enjoyment. Did Stephen Harper really think he could get away with it or is there another shoe yet to drop. I wish I knew how he was sleeping at night. I want to picture him trembling under too many covers, eyes glued on the closet door, just slightly ajar, but maybe not. Maybe he's awake because he's giddy with glee knowing that everyone has fallen for his trap. Either way, Steve's not getting much sleep.

Let's be blunt here. The present crisis in Ottawa is one that was engineered and executed by Stephen Harper. After having completely alienated Quebecers during the election as a means to prevent a Liberal minority he knew there was nothing he could do in the House to get the Bloc to vote with him. Feeling emboldened by having the Prime Minister campaign for them during the election, the Bloc were now ready to vote no to everything the Conservatives did. That leaves two parties left to do deals with. Making deals with other parties being the only way a minority government can function. For each piece of legislation a minority government must get another party on board in order for it to pass. It doesn't even matter which party, and it doesn't have to be the same one twice. Instead of trying to find common ground with one of the other parties he purposefully pissed them both off. Eliminate the present funding system, ban strikes, forget about pay equity. Oh, and the economy is fine.

The correct and proper response of the majority of MP's sitting in the House of Commons is to say no to this government. A minority government is supposed to make deals, that's the only way it can work. And now the wheels have begun to turn to make that happen. Politicians who are capable of responding to a crisis by working with other parties are now going to step forward. And so, with Mr Harper foggy from a lack of sleep the opposition has to follow through with wheels that are in motion. No matter how hard he tries to smile, we all know that if he is let off of the hook, he will be back at the political games and will knife us all in the back as we bow our heads at Christmas dinner.