|
|
|
 Canadian Democracy is Working as it Should Article on the
suspension of Canadian Parliament We’ve heard much talk from political parties, the public and media on our dysfunctional democracy. I may be the only person left who thinks it is working as it should work. The root of the dilemma is Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s imperious nature. This is reflected in his inability to negotiate with the opposition; and it is also apparent in his complete iron fisted control over his own party. His MPs aren’t allowed to speak freely. There is no internal democracy. Mr. Harper is more like an iron fisted monarch. That sort of rule can only lead to rebellion and the health of our democracy appears in the speed at which four opposition parties got together to support a new Liberal/NDP Coalition. A Coalition that began to move toward an economic plan and new government structure so fast that most Canadians still haven’t fully grasped it or the meaning of it. Perhaps it should be called the Coalition of Cooperation as political parties that are usually at odds with each other put partisanship aside in an attempt to form a new and stable government. Rebellion may start from the outside, but eventually Conservatives inside the party are going rebel against Harper’s stiff and stuffy style. Surprisingly the media seems to be focusing mostly on possible cracks in the Coalition when they should be asking how Harper plans to regain control. We hear the old right wing Reform Party Godfathers saying again and again in the media that they need a dozen or so Liberal turncoats to come onside and support the Harper government. These are the same people that call the Coalition a betrayal of democracy, and they are calling for Liberals to betray their own party as a solution to a crisis of confidence. Few people have noticed that the Liberal Leadership candidates support the Coalition and the main drag on the Coalition’s popularity is Stephane Dion, the current leader of the Coalition. It is apparent that there is a leadership scuffle yet the support is there for the Coalition no matter who leads. A new leader will only make it stronger. The Harper PR campaign is cynical. They’ve outraged Quebecers with constant hollering about separatists and treason. To make it worse the Conservative web site is like a trip to conspiracy theory la la land where they accuse New Democrat leader Jack Layton of making a separatist pact with the Bloc Québécois – with Jacques Parizeau somehow in the background as a sinister force of evil. Perhaps this and the Tory misuse of patriotism to feed division through lies and propaganda is a bit over the top, but it is democracy as it has been practiced by the Conservatives in the past. Old fashioned mud slinging is part of democracy and eventually the people see through it. The lockdown of Parliament has the Governor General playing the expected moderate card in allowing Harper to do it rather than face a vote of non confidence he would surely lose. Here it is like she is dealing with a bad marriage; everyone wants to divorce Harper but she’s decided to give him one last chance to patch things up. Meaning he’ll be back in late January after a brief separation has been enforced. The Coalition partners are upset by this ruling. They’ve jilted him but the judge is forcing them to try to live with him again. They get to wake up on Ground Hog Day with the speech from the throne happening all over again. This brings me to people I saw commenting from televised rallies saying “We didn’t Vote for This” as a take on a possible Coalition Government. We certainly didn’t and we certainly don’t ever get what we vote for … if you voted Green did you vote for a parliament without one Green MP? If you voted Tory, did you vote for Harper’s shutting of the House? That’s Canadian democracy. We never get what we vote for and are lucky if somehow in the end something of benefit to the people emerges. Our democracy is working as it should. The emperor has no clothes but claims he’s Santa. The opposition has laid claim to the throne … and in dark, perhaps smoky rooms, strategists are whispering. see also http://www.62percentmajority.ca/action/yourvoice
----------------------
|