Canadain Political Turmoil Eh?

I don't comment often on Canadian politics, because we have very boring politicians and political system here in Canada. But the recent turmoil in parliament is just impossible not to comment on.

In a nutshell, Harper's Conservatives won a strengthened minority in an election on October 14 but are now hanging on for dear life. They had been facing a confidence vote in Parliament on Monday that they would almost certainly have lost. Please see my post on the election for more information. [Canadian Election Post]

The constitutional battle erupted on Friday last week, after Harpers Conservatives tried to eliminate direct subsidies of political parties. Seeing as everyone but the Conservatives has been completely worn down financially by the recent elections, the Conservatives stood to gain by being the wealthiest party in Canada at the moment.

The Liberals, NDP and Bloc then decided to form a coalition and try to topple Harpers government, at which point Harper begged the Canadian Governor General Michaelle Jean for a suspension of government, so that he can put forward his proposed "economic stimulus package", which will surely benefit the wealthy more than thos who really need it.

"Today's decision will give us an opportunity - I'm talking about all the parties - to focus on the economy and work together," said Harper, after his meeting with Michaelle Jean. If the request had been rejected, he would have had to step down or face a confidence vote he was sure to lose.

Harper's request for suspension was unprecedented. Historically, no prime minister has ever asked for Parliament to be suspended to avoid a confidence vote in the House of Commons.

For those who do not follow Canadian politics, getting two political parties in Canada to agree on an issue is as likely as having a 2 month winter. So the fact that the Liberals and NDP were able to form a coalition with the support of the Bloc Quebecois, should indicate that Harper has taken a big piss into his own pool. And there obviously isn't enough chlorine to dilute it.

I have made no secret of the fact that I think Harper is Satan. I don't really like any of the other party leaders either, but my despisal of Harper overshadows my dislike of any of the others. Harper is just plain old evil, and he needs to go ASAP. He is destroying this country, and I might have even considered voting Conservative in the last election (for the lack of a better choice) if they would have had a new, young and charismatic leader.

Everyone and their grandmother have an opinion on this issue, and I think that what the NDP, Liberals and Bloc Quebecois did was show unity. They definitely showed that they were more bi-partisan than Harper, who unilaterally decided to do something which benefits only the Conservatives by trying to cut off public funding for political parties.

So what if the NDP and Liberals are allying with the separatists? Do you think they are actually going to vote in favor of separation after all is said and done? 100% not. They are doing what cornered people do: looking for options outside of the box. For this, I commend them. At least they can sit down and agree on something for a change.

What really disturbs me in this whole mess is not the coalition, or the Conservatives unilateral move. It is the fact that Harper has to go get permission from the Governor General to make any major changes in the House of Commons. So who is really the leader of this country, the elected Harper, or the un-elected Michaelle Jean? Think about this for a second.

The Governor General

The Governor General has the power to suspend or dissolve Parliament, and many other powers which supersede those of the elected prime minister. And who is the Governor General of Canada?

According to the Government of Canada website: “Sworn in on September 27, 2005, the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, 27th Governor General since Confederation, represents the Crown in Canada and carries out the duties of head of State.” [source]

Moreover, according to the Governor Generals website: [source]:
- The Governor General is appointed by the Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.
- The Governor General presides over the swearing-in of the prime minister, the Chief Justice of Canada and cabinet ministers.
- The Governor General is Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Forces.
- The Governor General receives Royal visitors, heads of State and other prominent guests.
- The Governor General accepts the credentials of new ambassadors who represent their respective countries in Canada.

On an interesting side-note, she is listed higher on the CIA's website than the Prime Minister. [link]

So to conclude, Harper, Martin or Chretien might run it on a day-to-day basis, but who has the final say? At the end of the day, people will say that Canada is a constitutional monarchy, but the current situation in the country would indicate that this system is not so democratic after all...


Further Readings:

Globe and Mail - Harper Blunder a Blow to Credibility

Globe and Mail - Parliament Shut Down until January 26th

Globe and Mail - After The Storm

CTV - Governor General Approves PM's Request to Suspend Parliament

CTV - Canadians Regionally Split on Political Storm

Reuters - Canada PM Wins Suspension of Parliament

BBC - Canada Halts Parliament Amid Row

Harper Scores a Bigger Minority Government

So the results of the Canadian Election are in. No big surprise here as Harper and his Conservative minions took the most seats (143), gaining 17 seats in this election. Thankfully, Harper will only be prime minister of a minority government.

Stephane Dion's future is being questioned, and hopefully the liberals will elect someone with a little bit more personality. Dion is a good and smart guy, but as we all now, these days you need to be charismatic as well to win elections.

Here are the final results of the election:

The results are pretty close to the election exit poll which I posted yesterday...


More readings:

Globe & Mail - Dion's Future Questioned

Globe & Mail - Harper Bets the House, Wins Another Minority

National Post - Tories Get Another Minority, But a Stronger One

National Post - Liberals Ready to Support Harper on Economy

National Post - NDP Made Gains in B.C. and Atlantic Canada

Canadian Elections Almost Go Unnoticed

With everything that is happening in the world, you could be forgiven for forgetting to go out and vote today if you are a Canadian citizen. I just got back from voting and I must say, they really should have included a vomit-bag with the voting card. I mean, this election was just such a waste of everyone's time (and tax dollars) and the power structure of the country will inevitably stay almost exactly the same. So here is what I have to say to the leaders of our 5 major political parties:

Why waste our tax dollars on a useless election Mr. Harper? You, as well as the rest of Canada, know that you are an idiot, so why not just ride out your full term and go away! We don't like you. The only reason you are getting any votes is because you lie well and can keep a straight face while doing it, and because voters are still pissed at the Liberals for the sponsorship scandal.

Stephane Dion, once you lose this election to the above mentioned imbecile, you might consider moving aside and letting a more charismatic leader come to lead the Liberal party. As much as I respect your intelligence, you have 0 charisma and ability to move and motivate people. The liberals need someone like Obama, to at least create the illusion of a breath of fresh air. Do I sense young Justin Trudeau being groomed for the position? We will see...

Jack, you got lucky this election. I don't usually vote based on my dreams, but I dreamt last weekend that we were having lunch, so for the lack of a better choice, I voted for you. Consider yourself very priviliged!

Gilles. What can I say to you that you don't already know? Quebec is a part of Canada and will always be a part of Canada. We are moving towards a unified world, not a separated and segregated one, so when you figure that out, you might want to get that big French stick out of your ass, and let a new generation of Quebecer politicians onto the scene.

Elizabeth, I can't say I know much about you. I can only say that if I did not have that dream about having lunch with Jack Layton, I would have voted for your party. Go Greens!

So that was the official exit poll taken last night by the Globe and Mail.

If you are looking at this from a foreign country, it should be quite indicative of how shitty our choices are, if I voted based on a dream that I had. Hopefully Jack won't disappoint if he wins...


Some readings if you are interested:

Associated Press - Sketches of Top Party Leaders

National Post - Canadian Election Night

Toronto Star - Michael Moore Turns Table on Tories?

Globe & Mail - Leaders Face Tough Fight Beyond Finish Line

Globe & Mail - Layton Says NDP Message Got Through