Canada's Opposition Parties Vow to Bring Down Government, 1 month into its term...

[Wezil]

So I did have time to find it, but I won't have time to read it (18pages).

One of the relevent threads is here:

http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=133156&perpage=30&pagenumber=2

I see BenK has reversed himself since then (re - Oposition Days)...

Can't wait till I find what I posted.

[Victor Galis]

It's interesting that back when I *****ed about the stupidity of having majority governments with 37% of the vote, the Liberals on this board didn't care. Suddenly when the shoe is on the other foot, they're up for change...

Oh, I don't care about the issue itself. I'm object to the use of the word "undemocratic" in a way that seems to have no connection to its actual meaning.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wezil
So I did have time to find it, but I won't have time to read it (18pages).

One of the relevent threads is here:

http://www.apolyton.net/forums/showthread.php?threadid=133156&perpage=30&pagenumber=2

I see BenK has reversed himself since then (re - Oposition Days)...

Can't wait till I find what I posted.

As you can see, all I posted was a photoshop picture in the 18 pages.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Victor Galis


Oh, I don't care about the issue itself. I'm object to the use of the word "undemocratic" in a way that seems to have no connection to its actual meaning.

Following the rules and spirit of our democracy constitutes "democratic process". Subverting an election result is fundamentally undemocratic. ***** all you want, but when a leader seizes power without being elected, it's undemocratic by definition.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Asher


As you can see, all I posted was a photoshop picture in the 18 pages.

Yes, you were rather apolitical.

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Asher


Following the rules and spirit of our democracy constitutes "democratic process". Subverting an election result is fundamentally undemocratic. ***** all you want, but when a leader seizes power without being elected, it's undemocratic by definition.

Another of our frequent posters appears to be playing both sides of the fence on this issue however. His mind has changed from the looks of it.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Wezil


Another of our frequent posters appears to be playing both sides of the fence on this issue however. His mind has changed from the looks of it.

What?

[Wezil]

NYE was not in favour of the Libs dodging confidence motions. I haven't heard that complaint this time round.

[Asher]

I just didn't understand why you quoted me.

[Wezil]

Sorry. Dodging confidence votes relates to the discussion you were having about democratic vs undemocratic. I should have been clearer.

[Wezil]

It has crumbled into agreement.

OTTAWA — The three candidates running for the Liberal leadership have endorsed Stéphane Dion to head the proposed coalition government with the New Democratic Party and agreed to pour billions of dollars into the economy.

Standing side-by-side as they emerged from a closed door meeting of Liberal MPs, Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc made clear they see no scenario in which the Conservative minority can remain in power.

"There's no turning back," Mr. Rae said.

The three Liberal leadership candidates said there is no deal to place them in cabinet, but Mr. LeBlanc and Mr. Rae noted there are several precedents for sitting cabinet ministers vying for the leadership.

The Liberals and NDP have agreed to a $30-billion stimulus package as part of a tentative coalition deal to oust the Harper government according to a senior Liberal source

"I support the accord because it's fiscally responsible, it provides responsible economic leadership in tough times and it also conserves the basic principles of national unity, equality, that our party has always believed in," said Mr. Ignatieff. "We are at one, the three of us, that the only person that can lead the country is the duly elected leader of the party, Mr. Stéphane Dion."

Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay said that even if the Conservatives put forward an economic-stimulus package now, it would have no credibility and the opposition would reject it.

Only minutes later in Question Period, Mr. Dion demanded Prime Minister Stephen Harper provide an opportunity for the opposition to vote no-confidence in his government.

Mr. Harper replied that it is the Liberal Leader, not he, who is playing political games.

"I think he's about to play the biggest political game in Canadian history," the Prime Minister said, adding that he would not want to have to govern the country in hard times while being beholden to socialists and separatists, referring to the NDP and the Bloc Québécois.

The coaltion deal includes a multibillion-dollar economic stimulus package for the troubled economy. Liberal MP John McCallum said the stimulus package under consideration could include cheques for Canadian households as well as infrastructure spending and aid for the forestry and manufacturing sectors.

Earlier Monday, the three opposition leaders were drafting a letter to Governor-General Michaëlle Jean in which they formally call on her to allow the formation of a coalition if the Conservatives are defeated in the House of Commons next week.

Opposition sources said Monday the drafting of the letter is at an advanced stage, and will be made public with the agreement of the leadership of the Liberal Party, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois.

The goal is to inform Ms. Jean that a viable alternative to the current government exists within the current Parliament, in the form of a coalition between the Liberal Party and the NDP. The Bloc is expected to promise to support the coalition to survive for at least a year, which would allow for the passage of two budgets.

Mr. Harper has raised doubts about the legitimacy of a coalition government, and is expected to urge Ms. Jean to call an election in the event of a defeat in the House.

The opposition letter, in that context, is designed to persuade Ms. Jean to reject the Tory push to send Canada to the polls for a second time in three months.

"She has to be ready to say 'no' to Mr. Harper's request to call an election," an opposition strategist said. "We want to demonstrate that the new Prime Minister would have the confidence of the House."

On Friday, Mr. Harper went before television cameras to slam a potential Dion-led government as illegitimate because he lost the Oct. 14 election.

But the Liberals and NDP said those arguments were undercut by Mr. Harper's 2004 letter to then-governor-general Adrienne Clarkson, which requested that she turn to him if Paul Martin's newly elected government were defeated in the Commons.

"We respectfully point out that the opposition parties, who together constitute a majority in the House, have been in close consultation. We believe that, should a request for dissolution arise this should give you cause, as constitutional practice has determined, to consult the opposition leaders and consider all of your options before exercising your constitutional authority," the 2004 letter stated.

Over the weekend, the Liberals and NDP reached a deal to bring down the Conservative government and form an unprecedented coalition to take its place that would include cabinet seats for both parties — 18 Liberals and six NDP.

The two parties held emergency caucus meetings Monday to lay out the plan under which the Tories would lose power to Canada's first coalition government in 91 years.

The key question of who would lead the first coalition government of modern times remained unsettled, as Liberals differed over whether Mr. Dion should take over as interim prime minister, or a new leader be chosen — and leadership contenders Michael Ignatieff, Bob Rae and Dominic LeBlanc met Sunday to discuss how to proceed.

That meeting took place against the backdrop of frantic efforts to avert the downfall of the Conservatives, who announced they will withdraw measures that would have banned civil-service strikes for three years and eliminated the $1.95-a-vote subsidy for political parties, which the opposition relies on.

The Tories also unveiled a surreptitiously recorded tape of a New Democratic Party caucus meeting, alleging it showed a long-existing cabal with the Bloc Québécois to defeat the government — and there were rumours that as a last resort, Mr. Harper might seek to prorogue Parliament, ending the session to avoid defeat in the Commons.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081201.wPOLcoalition1201/BNStory/politics/home

Next up? Harper to ask GG to prorogue Parliament to avoid a non-confidence vote.

[embalmer42]

May we live in intersting times indeed....

[Wezil]

Is there any precedent for a GG to allow Parliament to be prorogued so a government can avoid a vote of non-confidence?

[embalmer42]

I wonder how this will be played out west?

[Asher]

I've never been so ashamed of my country. This is just like student ****ing government.