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Originally posted by Flubber
Does anyone think Harper will be at all reticent to start governing now as if he had a majority-- The opposition just ned to have 10 folks not show up on any given day to allow him to pass stuff even as they oppose it
Does anyone think Harper will be at all reticent to start governing now as if he had a majority-- The opposition just ned to have 10 folks not show up on any given day to allow him to pass stuff even as they oppose it
Harper targets Senate reform
CALGARY — Newly-re-elected Prime Minister Stephen Harper today served notice that he will stack the Senate with Tory appointments if necessary to push through democratic reforms of the chamber.
He also said he's reviewing options for further aid to Canadian banks as he released a six point action plan to address the global financial crisis.
But Mr. Harper declined a request from the nation's premiers to attend an Oct. 20 emergency meeting on the economy, saying he will instead hold his own first ministers' get-together in the weeks or months ahead.
“It's not possible for me to take part in a meeting Monday, but I welcome the meeting, I think it's a good idea for the provincial premiers to get together,” Mr. Harper said. “I wait with impatience the results of their discussion before they meet again with me.”
In his first post-election news conference, Mr. Harper warned that the Conservatives are serious about promised reforms to the Senate – including elections and eight-year fixed terms – and will fill it with new Tory appointment to push through reforms if the Liberal majority there opposes it.
“We don't believe an unelected body should in anyway be blocking an elected body,” Mr. Harper told a news conference in Calgary.
There are currently 16 vacancies in the Senate because Mr. Harper has let retirements go unfilled, but the Liberals still dominate with 59 unelected Senators in the chamber.
“I have held off for a very long time in naming senators. That said, I do not believe it is justified that the Senate would continue to [be] dominated by a party that did not win two consecutive elections,” he said.
“We are looking for the opportunity to elect senators, but if at some point it becomes clear some senators are not going to be elected, the government will name senators to ensure that the elected will of the House of Commons and the people of Canada is reflected in the Senate.”
By January 2010, there will be 31 vacancies in the Senate and the Liberal caucus there will be down to less than 50 seats in the 105-seat chamber. Mr. Harper could theoretically appoint 31 senators to a brief one-year term and use this strength to push through whatever changes are necessary.
Mr. Harper, who was criticized during a 37 day campaign as standing pat amid economic turmoil, also outlined six steps he'd take to address the global financial crisis.
Most of these measures are in fact actions one would expect a prime minister to take, and the list looks similar to the five-point action plan proposed by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion during the campaign.
They include:
- Taking “whatever appropriate steps are necessary to ensure that Canada's financial system is not put at a competitive disadvantage.”
- Discussing the crisis at Friday's Canada European Union Summit and talking about strengthening the economic partnership with this bloc.
- Summoning Parliament to meet this fall and tabling an economic update before the end of November.
- Participating in the Group of 20 finance ministers' meeting on November 8 and 9 and calling for a further meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers to “build on progress” made at their meeting.
- Keeping government spending “focused and under control” by continuing a four-year review of government departmental spending.
- Convening a meeting with the premiers and territorial leaders on the economy to discuss a joint approach to the global financial crisis.
Despite that final element, Mr. Harper's officials confirmed the new prime minister won't attend the Oct. 20 emergency premiers' meeting on the economy.
"I will be convening a first ministers' meeting on the economy to discuss with premiers and territorial leaders a joint approach to the global financial crisis," Mr. Harper said in Calgary.
He declined to comment on reports that Ottawa is looking at making loan guarantees to the banking sector or taking equity stakes in financial institutions. “I can't comment in advance of potential market transactions,” Mr. Harper said.
One concern Canada has is a flight of savings to other countries where governments have taken very generous measures to backstop banks and offered stronger guarantees for their liabilities. The prime minister last week accused some countries of going “overboard” with deposit guarantees.
“We're examining what other countries are doing very closely to make sure that our banks are not put at a competitive disadvantage,” he said.
All he would say about options under review is that they would “not involve significant outlays of taxpayers' money.”
CALGARY — Newly-re-elected Prime Minister Stephen Harper today served notice that he will stack the Senate with Tory appointments if necessary to push through democratic reforms of the chamber.
He also said he's reviewing options for further aid to Canadian banks as he released a six point action plan to address the global financial crisis.
But Mr. Harper declined a request from the nation's premiers to attend an Oct. 20 emergency meeting on the economy, saying he will instead hold his own first ministers' get-together in the weeks or months ahead.
“It's not possible for me to take part in a meeting Monday, but I welcome the meeting, I think it's a good idea for the provincial premiers to get together,” Mr. Harper said. “I wait with impatience the results of their discussion before they meet again with me.”
In his first post-election news conference, Mr. Harper warned that the Conservatives are serious about promised reforms to the Senate – including elections and eight-year fixed terms – and will fill it with new Tory appointment to push through reforms if the Liberal majority there opposes it.
“We don't believe an unelected body should in anyway be blocking an elected body,” Mr. Harper told a news conference in Calgary.
There are currently 16 vacancies in the Senate because Mr. Harper has let retirements go unfilled, but the Liberals still dominate with 59 unelected Senators in the chamber.
“I have held off for a very long time in naming senators. That said, I do not believe it is justified that the Senate would continue to [be] dominated by a party that did not win two consecutive elections,” he said.
“We are looking for the opportunity to elect senators, but if at some point it becomes clear some senators are not going to be elected, the government will name senators to ensure that the elected will of the House of Commons and the people of Canada is reflected in the Senate.”
By January 2010, there will be 31 vacancies in the Senate and the Liberal caucus there will be down to less than 50 seats in the 105-seat chamber. Mr. Harper could theoretically appoint 31 senators to a brief one-year term and use this strength to push through whatever changes are necessary.
Mr. Harper, who was criticized during a 37 day campaign as standing pat amid economic turmoil, also outlined six steps he'd take to address the global financial crisis.
Most of these measures are in fact actions one would expect a prime minister to take, and the list looks similar to the five-point action plan proposed by Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion during the campaign.
They include:
- Taking “whatever appropriate steps are necessary to ensure that Canada's financial system is not put at a competitive disadvantage.”
- Discussing the crisis at Friday's Canada European Union Summit and talking about strengthening the economic partnership with this bloc.
- Summoning Parliament to meet this fall and tabling an economic update before the end of November.
- Participating in the Group of 20 finance ministers' meeting on November 8 and 9 and calling for a further meeting of Group of Seven finance ministers to “build on progress” made at their meeting.
- Keeping government spending “focused and under control” by continuing a four-year review of government departmental spending.
- Convening a meeting with the premiers and territorial leaders on the economy to discuss a joint approach to the global financial crisis.
Despite that final element, Mr. Harper's officials confirmed the new prime minister won't attend the Oct. 20 emergency premiers' meeting on the economy.
"I will be convening a first ministers' meeting on the economy to discuss with premiers and territorial leaders a joint approach to the global financial crisis," Mr. Harper said in Calgary.
He declined to comment on reports that Ottawa is looking at making loan guarantees to the banking sector or taking equity stakes in financial institutions. “I can't comment in advance of potential market transactions,” Mr. Harper said.
One concern Canada has is a flight of savings to other countries where governments have taken very generous measures to backstop banks and offered stronger guarantees for their liabilities. The prime minister last week accused some countries of going “overboard” with deposit guarantees.
“We're examining what other countries are doing very closely to make sure that our banks are not put at a competitive disadvantage,” he said.
All he would say about options under review is that they would “not involve significant outlays of taxpayers' money.”
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