Canpol: Election Imminent?

[joncha]

Start flinging poo, guess what you end up with all over your hands?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by joncha
Seven days, NYE. Frantically complaining about it just looks dumb.

And one of the Liberals is also receiving medical treatment, the other was at a funeral.

Seven days that no other government has ever dared demand.

It is not a good precedent.

And neither of the two Liberals were seeking medical treatment so far as I know.

Where did you read that?

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by joncha
Start flinging poo, guess what you end up with all over your hands?

The voters should be being the judges of that by this point.

Martin is trashing convention in a bald attempt at maintaining power.

Who has the **** on their hands?

[notyoueither]

**** convention, I'm going to keep power, says Martin.

I'm not going to counter a nonconfidence motion with a motion of confidence. That was so last year. Instead, it would be to my advantage to go to the polls on a budget, but not for another week...

This guy is going to do soo much damage on the way to the polls that he could only be outdone by being returned.

[joncha]

A quick search found this.

"Justice Minister Irwin Cotler was in Montreal for a family funeral, and Natural Resources Minister John Efford was in Newfoundland for medical treatment.

Independent MP Chuck Cadman is recovering from chemotherapy treatment in B-C and was not able to show up."

[joncha]

Originally posted by notyoueither
**** convention, I'm going to keep power, says Martin.

I'm not going to counter a nonconfidence motion with a motion of confidence. That was so last year. Instead, it would be to my advantage to go to the polls on a budget, but not for another week...

This guy is going to do soo much damage on the way to the polls that he could only be outdone by being returned.

What convention? Most experts I've heard say this was not a confidence motion. So the Liberals set one a week later. Not such a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

[notyoueither]

You're counting your Cadman's before they've voted, and he's not a Liberal. This has gone way beyond polls of who wants an election when.

If he votes for the government after this, I will wear your avatar of choice for a week. However, if he votes against, you must wear mine.

[notyoueither]

Originally posted by joncha


What convention? Most experts I've heard say this was not a confidence motion. So the Liberals set one a week later. Not such a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Is that why the international media (a lot in the Commonwealth) are reporting that Martin has lost the confidence of the Commons?

Could it be because King would already have resigned?

Only Martin perseveres.

[notyoueither]

Parliament is ruled by convention. The Constitution is silent on these things.

Martin is shooting convention all to hell.

[joncha]

I don't know that he will vote with the Liberals. He's been quite adept at sitting on the fence thus far... so we'll see.

I won't cry if the government falls next week as opposed to this, it won't change my vote one bit. I was just pointing out that Harper hasn't come across well in the last couple days, and gave my impression of why. This says nothing about how bad Martin looks.

[notyoueither]

The point, jon, is what Martin is doing to cling to power.

At least that is the point for me.

I have gone from feeling sorry for him 2 months ago, to thinking that it is improbable that he did not know something about what was going on a month ago, to despising him last night and today when I learned that Valeri was not talking out of his ass in ignoring the Commons, but that Martin agreed with him.

[Richelieu]

Originally posted by notyoueither
Parliament is ruled by convention. The Constitution is silent on these things.

Martin is shooting convention all to hell.

As if this were the first time. Convention is just that: it isn't legally binding so governments ignore it when they need/want to.

[Ben Kenobi]

I agree with NYE.

If Mr. Martin had any sort of confidence in the house, he would have been calling for a non-confidence motion.

As it is, he proves, through his reluctance to challenge Harper that he has lost the support of parliament. It is the Liberals that are playing procedural games, in delaying the timing of confidence bills, and delaying the so-called 'opposition' days.

Harper should be able to go to the GG and ask that he be able to form Government, since his faction now has the confidence of the house. At such request, he would decline the offer and parliament would be dissolved.

[Bosh]

Harper should be able to go to the GG and ask that he be able to form Government, since his faction now has the confidence of the house.

The Bloc are part of "his faction"

[Ben Kenobi]

Convention is just that: it isn't legally binding so governments ignore it when they need/want to.

And it is convention that says the speaker breaks the tying vote, and that the government with the most seats serves as the governing party in a minority government.