Seriously. The will of the majority of parliamentarians is now officially being ignored by an appointed head of state. This is not a good situation for our democracy. If we wanted to vote for a fucking president, we would have changed our system of government some time in the past 141 years.
My advice for next time for potential members of a coalition? Do the deal-making in secret. The public gave you a mandate to topple Der Harperfuhrer by not handing him a majority. You didn’t need to publicize your intentions. For now, stick to your guns. Pay attention to what the Conservatives do, keeping in mind the Shock Doctrine. There may be a lot of damage to reverse come January 28.
What is the conservative plan? Are we going to see American-style bailouts that preserve CEO bonuses instead of jobs? Has Harper learned about playing with others, and will he seek consensus before doing anything? Will he do anything?
/Briguy rant off
Blevkog 
This proroguing of Parliament just to avoid a confidence vote is the single most anti-democratic action I’ve experienced (In Canada, anyhow). How the Governor-General could possibly justify this is beyond me. I sincerely hope that this is just delaying the inevitable. What will it take for the Conservatives’ nutjob supporters to see that Harper has only himself in mind, and only himself to blame for this mess?
Steve: on the way out of the democracy, leave the key under the mat. Oh, and don’t let the electorate hit you in the ass on the way out.
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What do you mean “how could the GG justify this”? She owes him her cushy job – consider the dues paid.
Okay, that’s just me being bitter, it will pass. However, brace yourselves for the western alienation attack shite that will bathe us through the “holidays”. The Coalition does not have the money to combat this, but what they can do is come to the table with a plan, a well thought out fully-actionable plan. Consider it a mock throne speech.
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I am decidedly NOT looking forward to the ‘electioneering’ over the next 2 months. Another wave of tired, transparent, untrue partisan rhetoric that the public will eat up like xmas candy. Then the coalition will be blamed once the after-sugar crash sets in.
The Prime Monster has done irreparable damage to his relations (such as they are) with Québec – unfortunately, he’s taking his simpleminded western supporters who are crying “sedition” along with him. If I were a Québecois, I’d be getting a little tired of being cast as a villain right now.
You know what they say – a bitterness shared is a bitterness eased. Or intensified. Or something like that.
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Actually, Kevvy, the GG owes her cushy job to the Liberals – Paul Martin to be exact. Let’s be precise here. And that could possibly be why she made the decision she did -dissolving Parliament in favour of a Liberal-led coalition would have been construed as a partisan decision on her part. Not that I’m saying I agree with her decision, and not saying I want to see Harper as PM, I’m just saying that it’s a hard decision to make, and delaying it for a month can be justified on her part. Which does lead me to the problem that the coalition forces are facing – attacking Michelle Jean for her decision, or the Liberals for not giving the NDP more cabinet positions or more highly placed ones, as some Blogging Dippers have already done, only helps the Conservatives. Let’s try and remember who the enemy is here, people….
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Correction noted, thanks Dan. You’re right about knowing who the opponent is. I’ve seen a lot of anti-Liberal stuff lately in the Dipper blogs, and don’t like it at this time. This is not the time for partisan squabbling – that will come later. As the old adage goes, a coalition begins to dissolve the moment the threat is removed.
This is a dangerous political game for all involved, and everyone, including the Bloc, have lots to lose.
However, I don’t agree with Jean’s decision because it merely freezes the dispute in place – it was a gutless move that sets a bad precedent for future GG’s. Hell, it sets a bad precedent for her, after all, Parliament is back in January and who knows what Harper will pull. Deciding to prorogue essentially tells Harper that it’s okay to go and take this decision outside of Parliament and you know that he will; and he will tear the fucking place in half if that’s what it takes for Stevie to get his rental crown back.
I don’t like any of this.
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I agree that the decision freezes the dispute, and frees Harper to take this outside Parliament, I’ve already said it’s not one I agree with. I think what I meant to say was that in trying to appear above partisan politics, the GG may have moved too far in the opposite direction. And it does provide another nail the coalition can use to hammer Harper with – less than a month ago he was saying that the economic crisis was so serious that Parliament had to be called in before Christmas, but now he’s decided that they can go away for 2 months? Besides, Kevvy – take the long view, remember that the last case of an autocratic ruler who kept Parliament closed to avoid decisions he didn’t like was Charles I.
(I will now pause to let Flash chime in with a Monty Python reference….)
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What, am I that predictable?
The only thing that comes to mind is that Charles I was five foot six inches tall at the start of his reign, but only four foot eight inches tall at the end of it, which led to the taking over of the Commonwealth by:
Oooolliver Cromwelll…Lord Proteeector of Ennnglannd…
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(and his warts)
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Oh well. If the Coalition can hold together until January 26th, they’ll show the monumental number of ignorant fucktards in this country that Coalitions have potential. If they can’t, it will bother me, but not particularly surprise me. I am interested to see how the Liberal caucus deals with anti-French maniacs like Jim Karygiannis.
Or rather, the Conservative caucus. I predict a ratting or two.
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