Last week in Canada, three opposition parties united against Prime Minister Stephen Harper, charging he failed to insulate Canada from the global financial crisis.
How did Harper respond? The controversial leader swiftly shut down Parliament -- an unprecedented move that fended off a no-confidence vote he was all but certain to lose.
C'est la vie, democracy!
How did ordinary Canadians reacted to Harper's power grab? I put that question to popular actor/comedian Neil Crone, the Second City Television veteran and stand-up comic who currently appears as radio host Fred Tupper on the CBC television comedy Little Mosque on the Prairie.
Crone told Huffington Post, "Believe me, I'm the furthest thing from a Stephen Harper fan, but I'm really peeved about this turn of events. The three stooges from the opposition parties -- Dion, Layton and Duceppe -- claimed they formed the coalition to oust Harper for the good of the nation. Baloney! They're a bunch of opportunists. This ranks right up there with the Bush-Gore butterfly ballot robbery.
"It seems to me that democracy, which some of us care about enough to oh, let me see, die for, has been hijacked by Harper's opposition. It's true that Harper is an egomaniacal despot. Nevertheless, he is a democratically elected despot," explained Crone.
Harper's prorogation was legal. But was it a good idea?
Canadians are evenly divided on this question. Even more telling, pollsters report an unusually high number of "I don't know" responses. Let me be blunt: a significant number of those polled admit they have no friggin' idea how a parliamentary democracy works.
On the other hand, they do know "Sir Harp-alot" is very political, with a tendency to be controlling. "The Prime Minister almost always acts like he doesn't have to answer to anyone," said corporate sustainability consultant Arie Moyal, who lives in Montreal. Moyal told Huffington Post he hopes Harper gets booted out.
But that is unlikely to happen. Opposition leader Stephane Dion has been almost comically ineffective. His televised response to Harper looked like it was videotaped in his rec room using a cell phone. Previously, Dion led the Liberal Party to their worst popular vote in history. "He's not qualified to lead the coalition," said Joanne Ott, a skin care specialist from Victoria who told Huffington Post she's glad Dion recently stepped aside as party leader in favor of Michael Ignatieff.
All across Canada, anxiety is on the rise -- but not because of the government shutdown. Voters are angry with Parliament for making no progress whatsoever on the economic meltdown, while miraculously finding time to cook up a phony national crisis. One in three Canadians feel they have "lost all control" over their financial future. The country's demographics reinforce their anxiety: Canada has the largest baby boom generation of all western societies except Australia. All those former yuppies are turning into retiring grumpies.
For Crone, it's no laughing matter. "To this country's everlasting shame, we hit a historical low for voter turnout on October 14th. They really should publish the list of no-shows," said the comedian. "And by the way, people, if you didn't vote, shut up. Your bitching about what's happening now accomplishes absolutely nothing."
Follow Diane Tucker on Twitter: www.twitter.com/dianetucker
What comes of the voting process is a tally of elected Parliamentary members. Historically, minority leaders come out of an election vowing to work with other parties informally (or formally) to ensure that they maintain continued support of the majority of the MP's, who in turn represent their constituents. Read that again. The minority leaders work with other parties to ensure they maintain continued support of the majority of Parliament.
Stephen Harper has failed to do so, so much so that two other federal parties that previously supported him have turned their back on his party. And, just like proroguing Parliament, the opportunity to form a majority from within the ranks of Parliament that does not include the minority leader is also perfectly legal. Harper himself sent a letter to the GG in 2004 indicating his willingness to form a coalition with the Bloc and the NDP should the Liberal minority government fall.
So, with respect to Mr. Crone, I think he should probably re-read what it is we Canadians go to the polls for. When we don't elect the PM, merely seats, Canadians need to understand that the coalition is just another way of looking at the votes. And he is right. If you didn't vote, you can shut up.
A perfectly democratic option.
As for the coalition it was only formed to push back from the blatant attack by Harper. He saw them as too weak and under-funded to trigger an election so he tried to pull taxpayer election funding which the opposition parties rely on more. Without a response (ie. coalition) one or more parties could possibly be forced to fold in the near future.
Harper is a skilled partisan ideologue in the mold of George W. Bush and not the strong leader that Canada needs and deserves.
Neil Crone is dead on the money about what's going on.
I find this statement almost insulting. For the record "I don't know if a prorogation was a good idea" does NOT translate to "I have no idea how a parliamentary democracy actually works." For many of us who know EXACTLY how a parliamentary democracy works, "I don't know" means "I am not sure who the 'good guys' are anymore and if there are any at all, so I'm just going to see what happens and hope for the best."
Time to grow up and move out of Mom's house, Canada.
Those who are left culturally in Canada AND left every way else more often belong to the NDP Party, which is very liberal indeed but has never had enough of a following to be able to lead the government. It's power has remained as a coalition partner in Parliament. At least that's the way I remember it from years past. It may have changed and I hope some Canadians read this who have better insight and can comment and fix what I've gotten wrong.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060825.wxboat26/BNStory/National/home
Thanks for reading!
The LIberals were crooks during the 90s. They fully deserved being removed from power; they got too big for their britches.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E1D6173EF937A25750C0A9629C8B63
I am growing weary of the "propaganda" coming out of our conservative party. Ignatieff DID "see the light" and rather quickly compared to others. As this article shows, Ignatieff is a man who is willing to admit he made a mistake... something I have YET to see Harper do (and likely never will)...
It would be best.
And his ill-concealed discomfort with the Coalition irritates me. The Liberal Party has been, to say so politely, renowned for its pragmatism and goodwill in moments of trouble. To co-operate with the slime-ridden Harper, would be the grossest vioation of his signature upon the letter to Governor General Michaelle Jean, in support of the proposed Coalition/Bloc arrangement. Lowering himself to the level of underhanded, unreliable, liar-in-chief, that Stephen Harper now holds, will earn him few friends among the voters.
I am most concerned at the prospect of an Ignatieff majority government.
God if only liberal politicians in America had 1/4 of the backbone the things we could accomplish!
I'm neither for or against events in Canada. My goal is to uncover what the non-pundits and non-politicos think. I get the impression there's no clear consensus. But you're closer to the action. What do YOU think?
Therefore, on behalf of your Canadian viewers, Arianna Huffington, I humbly ask you to secure among your employees a permanent Canadian correspondent, preferable born and bred here in the Great White North, to furnish all other of your listeners, reader, well-wishers and admirers with a decidedly left-wing perspective. One of Dennis Kucinich's opinions would not be villified or outright ignored in Canada as opposed the the United States, and I would contend, would be welcomed in many corners of your fair land and around the globe.
An eager reader and political 'junkie', Matthew Velocci
LizM, I am not surprised by your reaction to Michael Ignatieff's coronation as Liberal leader (and, therefore, Leader of the Official Opposition). I will assume the best; that you have not been easily persuaded as to his suitability by the bombardment of favours the media is heaping upon Ignatieff.
I will therefore assume, that you have excellent reasons of your own to offer up in his defence.
I have no doubt that, on average, Liberal governments have beenof greater benefit to Canada than Conservative ones, with the exception of Sir John Alexander Macdonald, of course. Michael Ignatieff's professional qualifications, his calm demeanour and his thoughtfulness are worthy of much praise. Nevertheless, his support of the imperialist war of aggression in Iraq (which, to his credit, he recanted in 2007), of torture, generally, and specifically, the detension camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba - which, to my constant amusement, has been repeatedly criticised ITSELF, by the United States, and other countries, as a flagrant violator of human rights - of his unqualified support of Israel's flattening of Lebanon during its summer invasion of 2006, on one day, and his complete reversal of opinion the very next day, after much outrage among Canadians.
He of the vulpine smile is not loved among progressive Canadians, where he goes by the nickname "Iggy Thumbscrews", thanks to his positive musings on the salutory effects of torture. He's pretty cool about the coalition, but I'm sure he won't scruple to use it as a lever against Harper. Were I Layton of the NDP, I'd smile but keep a safe distance.
With regard to the coalition itself, I guess Americans can be forgiven for not knowing much about the Parliementery system works, given how many Canadians seem sadly ignorant.
(first post btw, Hi all!)
Where on earth would you get the idea that Ignatieff supports torture?
And, on a totally unrelated note...am I the only one around here who hopes the center-aligned comments should go away?
Thanks for reading!
What is the proper way of pronouncing 'Toronto'?
And, more importantly, do you enjoy the weather scale described in Ian & Will Ferguson's book: How To Be A Canadian?
Chretian made it a sea of red(liberal) lets hope it can happen again.