Poly Ticks

Fiscal Responsibility

The Harper Gang is at it again. Remember the top scientist we left at home because we were being fiscally responsible? In a new display of the same sort of attention to detail, the Conservative Party decided to save money by getting their advertising printed at taxpayer expense. See here for the story.

Without a doubt, my favourite quote of the story was:

"We are correcting the situation with the statements that were mistakenly issued under (departmental) letterhead. This was an oversight on our part," said Ann Matejicka.

Oversight being the problem. Like the upcoming stimulus package spending spree they want to go on. Without any oversight to their spending. The one they are willing to plunge the country into another election over. And that's why they need the free advertising. Because this is as much about Stephen Harper daring Michael Ignatieff as it is about making sure it's his buddies who get the cheques. Stephen Harper knows that every obscene thing the Government passes weakens Michael Ignatieff in the eyes of Liberal voters. And that's something Stephen Harper doesn't have to worry about. He's already lost all but his most hard core conservative supporters, so his only road to power lies in forcing the Liberals into enough concessions that the Liberal voter base becomes annoyed. The Harper Gang will never rule through a majority of votes. Their only hope is in fracturing their opposition and alienating the electorate from the political system so that their 20% of the electorate is enough to stay in power.

Dust To Settling Dust

The day ends, Parliament is prorogued and the Canadian people are left wondering what the hell just happened. Except for the 1,000 who were laid off today in Canada. And the 10's of thousands of people that are being predicted to lose work will probably lose interest soon as well. Then the question will go from why to where are the pitchforks. As Machiavelli famously noted, we're only one meal away from revolution.

So, while we're all comfy and wondering what next, consider the options.

I didn't hear anything today from the Conservatives that makes me think anything has changed. I see no recognition that Stephen Harper is willing play very dangerous games with the Country in the pursuit of his own ambitions. Chretien may have been power mad in some people's minds, but I can not imagine him abandoning Quebecers to the Bloc as completely as has occured this week. Presumably, we are told, there are mumblings in the back rooms, there are folks who are unhappy and don't enjoy watching their political careers flash before their eyes. Repeatedly. Will this mean any real agitation to remove Stephen Harper from his post from within? Don't count on it.

Stephane Dion presumably won't be so lucky. The grace with which the party was going to let him retire is probably run out. I'm not sure what other options were available to him. There was certainly no way he could have let the Conservative plans proceed unhindered. Right now the Liberal Party suffers from an extreme inability to connect to the Canadian people, an inability to speak to them. Ideas which should be a slam dunk to sell to any Canadian who didn't vote Conservative seem impossible for them to get accross. It may or may not be Dion's fault, but he is going to have to go because of it. Send out the rest of the clowns in the media department as well.

Whether or not there's another attempt at coalition will largely depend on what the Liberals do, and who is sitting in their leaders seat come Jan 26.

And the voter? Parliament? The democratic tradition in Canada today?

This has been messy all around. One thing seems certain however. National politics is on the decline and regional politics is on the rise. At a time when we have seen how badly divisions can hurt the nation, we are becomming more fractured. Quebecers, Albertans and everyone else needs to understand that most people in Canada feel abused and ignored by Ottawa. Go ahead, call someone in another Province, or another part of your Province. The disconnect is not between the regions of Canada, it is between Canada and the people in Ottawa. Well, just the ones in the House of Commons actually. Because I'm willing to bet that the average person in Ottawa is feeling just as abused and ignored as the rest of us.

Stephen Harper Speaks

Wow.

Stephen Harper asked for and got 5 minutes of tv time to convince Canadians that he's right. There was much wondering whether or not Stephen Harper would use this opportunity to apologise for creating this crisis. Whether or not there would be some contrition. There was none. It was nothing but pure politics again and that should anger every Canadian regardless of political affiliation. Worse yet it was filled with, well, lies. I know I shouldn't be so blunt, but there it is. He lied and he knows he's lying. It is a disgrace.

Let's look at his speech. One of the things that the Conservative Party has been doing in the House of Commons lately is to say different things in English and French. It seems that the text was the same in English and French except for one word. In English the Bloc are separatists, in French they are sovereignists. Very telling that. It's guaranteed to rile up his Conservative base in the west. Just what we need in a time of economic crisis.

From Stephen Harper's televised speech:

"Constant in every case, however, is the principle that Canada's Government has always been chosen by the people." Wrong. Canada's Government is chosen by the House of Commons. The House of Commons is chosen by the people. You would think the Prime Minister should have this fundamental fact down by now.

"Unfortunately, even before the Government has brought forward its budget, and only seven weeks after a general election, the opposition wants to overturn the results of that election." - Utter bullshit. And he knows it. No-one is asking for seats in the House of Commons to be changed and that is what the results of the election are.

"Instead of an immediate budget, they propose a new coalition which includes the party in Parliament whose avowed goal is to break up the country." Same smell as the above quote. The coalition is between the Liberal Party and the NDP. The Bloc are only relevant in that they have agreed not to vote against the coalition in 3 votes - a speech from the Throne and 2 budgets over the course of 18 months.

"At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada. And the Opposition does not have the democratic right to impose a coalition with the separatists they promised voters would never happen." Again, the Bloc is not part of the coalition. And actually the Opposition not only have the right, they have the duty to replace any Government that has lost the support of Parliament.

"The Opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote." There was a vote. And the majority of those MP's Canadians voted for want Mr Harper out. Mr Harper knows this.

That's one lie a minute in his 5 minute speech.

Mr Harper must go. Now. And please, let the door hit you in the.....

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.