I thought this type of thing only happened in rogue African nations.
The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, was just given the go-ahead to shut down the Canadian parliament to avoid a vote of non-confidence by the majority of the House of Commons. This all sounds very bland I know, but it amounts to the formation of an autocracy against the will of the citizens.
For those of you not up on Parliamentary governments this means that the House of the People, where the elected officials of our nation go to make and break laws and the only real balance of power to the leadership of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet was forced to shut down today.
It would be kind of like President Bush shutting down the Congress and Senate and rule without any checks and balances.
Except this is worse.
With Parliament forced to shut down by the Prime Minister of the country, we are now an autocracy - we are now governed by a single ruler against the will of the majority of our elected officials and the citizenry.
c
So what is the average person to do?
I would suggest that people get outraged if they aren't already. There is one thing in Canada we cherish more than anything and that is the protections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that allow us to speak our minds, to be outraged. It's these rights and freedoms that protect us from things like, well.... an autocracy.
There are rallies planned for tonight and this weekend across the country - you can go here to find one in your city. If there isn't one in your city, plan one.
Follow Kevin Grandia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kgrandia
I also think the GG made the right choice in allowing the house to be prorogued. This should allow cooler heads to prevail as well as allowing Canadians to let their elected reps know how they feel.
As much as you don't like to hear this, the majority of voters in this country do not want a coalition with the separatists of Quebec. We would have felt the same way if Harper would have signed a formal agreement with the Bloc like the Libs and NDP have just done.
The Cons will bring in a budget in January and if defeated, we should have another election and the Libs, NDP and Bloc can run as a coalition if they want.
Let the people decide --- I know another 300 million for an election but democracy isn't cheap.
Though he obviously thought that the Opposition would assume their former supine position no matter what he did, this time they fought back.He will ultimately be defeated. This consummation has been devoutly wished by many who are not easily bamboozled ever since he took office. The electorates of both our countries must educate themselves to the dangers posed by people with an extreme right wing agenda.
I am upset, but not surprised. Face it: it's the politically wise move for the GG, if not a courageous one. She gets to implore for 'cooler heads' without actually directing how the next stage in Canadian governance should go. Smart for her personally...but still cowardly.
__________________
I warned about this on another thread about a month ago.
Heads UP,Canada...and welcome to your own version of BUSHCO.
It's a branch of the same ilk who've tried to take over the US in recent days.
Neo-Con Chicken-Hawk, Free-Trade addicted, crony of the Bush Family uber-conservative to the point of hating the very institution they want to control....go figure, eh?
Where DID this one come from in your beautiful country?
Alberta.
(ok, that's an exaggeration, but the fact that Alberta has been solidly Conservative longer than I've been alive on both the federal and provincial level is kinda telling).
Lived there a few years
During the US elections, when there was a chance that McCain Palin might win, a lot of people said they'd move to Canada. My line was I could move back to Canada, with my passport and birth certificate. I have always proudly proclaimed my Canadian (Can-Ameri-Can) status.
When did Canada become a third-world banana/ maple sugar autocracy, goose-stepping to the beat of a right-wing Conservative loser..
We Canucks will no longer be able to look down our noses at your President.
Thanks goodness for that, at least.