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Canada Crisis Part Deux

December 3rd, 2008
By PATRICK EDABURN

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The political antics continue north of the border as the incumbent Conservative government and the new opposition coalition battle for position in advance of the possible change of power next week.

Both sides have been releasing radio and TV ads to try and win support for their side. The battle is centered over a proposal by the government to drop public funding for the various political parties. Canadian PM Harper is reportedly considering suspending Parliament to avoid the scheduled December 8th vote.

Even though there were just elections a few months ago he could also try to call a new election. But the Canadian Governor General (who acts as the Queen’s agent) would have to approve the election request and could deny the move to an election since there would be a viable alternative to take over the government 

Needless to say this has sparked a lot of debate about what role a supposedly symbolic leader should plan in the political process.

Harper has also made an issue of the fact that the new coalition would include the Bloc Québécois. Since the Bloc is, at least in theory, dedicated to the secession of Quebec from Canada, there is a certain incongruity about having them be part of a government they want to withdraw from.

There is also controversy over the fact that Liberal leader Stephane Dion is at least as unpopular (if not more so) than Harper, so it would seem to be shifting from one bad situation to another.

At the same time, Harper certainly seems to have stolen the title of ‘worst use of an election victory’ from President Bush by crashing and burning in just seven weeks.



This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 3rd, 2008 at 3:52 am and is filed under At TMV, Quebec, Foreign Politics, Elections, 2008 Elections, Canada, Politics. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Viewing 2 Comments

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    Shouldn't that be, "Deux"?

    The Bloc Québécois won't be part of the coalition. They won't have any ministers in the new cabinet. But they promised not to bring down the government until at least June 2010. So the coalition would not include the Bloc, but it would govern with its backing.

    What I don't get is what Gilles Duceppe and the Bloc get out of this. Of course, they get rid of the awful Harper government that tried to hamstring the opposition, but they have a gun with no bullet in it. Are they planning to double-cross the Liberal/NDP coalition, and make unreasonable demands vis-à-vis Québec, threatening an election if they don't get what they want?

    It's going to be an interesting couple of years.
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    I echo JasperJava's question about the Bloc. I have read the Coalition Accord, and there is little there about what they would get from the agreement, as "national" issues are supposedly off the table.
    Clearly, there will be a price the left parties - the Liberals and the NDP - will have to pay to the separtists for their support. Devious dealings done by darkness.

    It has been fascinating following this story in the Canadian media online, as everyone comes out badly (with the curious exception of the separtists, who are honestly separtist).

    The Conservative Prime Minister has been revealed ... as Patrick says ... as a political cretin of a magnitude that boggles the mind. Even American Democrats, used to mocking Bush, would likely be amazed.
    This entire crisis seems to have been created by his own stupidity.

    The opposition left are grasping whores, and their candidate for Prime Minister ... Dion ... was rejected massively in the last election.
    By winning the lowest vote his party ever won in Canadian history, he will now be Prime MInister.

    Amazing. Just bizarro political theatre.
    Reminds me of Italy. Italians would appreciate this, I am sure, given their fondness for operatic politics.
 
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