Whether it’s the manipulation of a referendum process for political ends or digging for loopholes to shift power in Parliament, it is the worse face of politics that Canadians must endure.
We elected a minority government. Canadians appear comfortable with this balance of power. Now, the opposition members have become enraged by the possibility of losing taxpayer funding support for their national parties as proposed in the Harper government’s fiscal package.
Political parties receive a public subsidy of $1.95 per year for each vote they receive in a general election. This costs taxpayers about $30 million.
In other words, the Liberals stand to loose close to 7 million yearly in free money and the NDP almost 5 million. (if my calculations are correct)
The missing flip side to this cut is a change or complete removal of existing campaign finance rules that presently hinder parties from raising money from individuals and corporations.
To make things worse, the separatists have been invited into the equation. The Bloc with 50 seats in the House based on 10% of the popular vote, will now climb into bed with a very willing Dion and Layton. Disgusting!
The bottom line here isn’t an economic crisis, it’s a leadership crisis, or should I say deficit. Canadians did make the right choice in light of the dismal options.
Now we have to watch the children play in the sandbox on the hill perhaps until our ‘Obama’ comes on the scene. I won’t be holding my breath!
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The first-past-the-post parliamentary system could use an overhaul. It clearly favors parties that have concentrated regional support such as Parti Quebecois and Conservatives whose popular vote was not close to a majority after all. The Liberals, NDP and Greens registered a majority of the popular vote between them and in a truly representative parliament could have formed a coalition without the Quebecois.
Mr Harper and Mr Flaherty really should have done a better job of working with the Opposition to get them onside with the update in advance and not created this mess given that they are a minority and promised on election day to cooperate for Canadians. There is nonsense political leadership on all sides in this show and it is dangerous in this economic climate. Poor leadership and lame ducks in the US have exacerbated the problems there.
An Obama is virtually impossible in Canada. Political candidates in the party political system are chosen by party hacks in small chummy meetings and candidacies are often a reward for long service or financial contributions to the party and rarely based on talent. Who you know not what you know. Barack Obama is a tribute to the public primary system in the US, nominated by the people to represent the party. Under the Canadian system the party elite would have chosen Hillary Clinton and Mr Obama would remain a forgotton senator from Illinois.
Its been quite clear to me that the current political system in this country is antiquated and simply does not reflect the needs of the electorate. It is completely asinine that a so called democracy is controlled by the minority of a single elected party. Isn’t the wishes of the majority supposed to be honored?
Its not really out to lunch that the opposition with 60% of the electorate on their side to take power!
What I would really like to see is proportional representation voting. This would elect a government that would actually represent a majority of the electorate. To go along with this a set amount of public funding for each party and absolutely no private funding allowed.
I an quite encouraged with the current state of political turmoil here, something needs to change. It certainly will not come out of a majority government under our current system so it may as well come out of a minority government that has royally screwed up!
Canadians need to have confidence in our government. Its time.
It’s weeks like this where I think the NWT and Nunavut have it right with their consensus-style system of government. There are no parties in either territory. MLAs are elected by the constituents based on their ability to serve the riding and the territory. Then, all of the MLAs elect the Premier and the Premier then chooses his/her cabinet. The Premier and Cabinet are held accountable by the Legislative Assembly as a whole. Things may take a little longer under the consensus system but it works.
Don’t think it could work at a national level? It’s gotta be better than what we’re seeing now…
It’s weeks like this where I think the NWT and Nunavut have it right with their consensus-style systems of government. There are no parties in either territory. MLAs are elected by the constituents based on their ability to serve the riding and the territory. Then, all of the MLAs elect the Premier and the Premier then chooses his/her cabinet. The Premier and Cabinet are held accountable by the Legislative Assembly as a whole.
Things may take a little longer under the consensus system but it works.
Don’t think it could work at a national level? It’s gotta be better than what we’re seeing now…
In my view, the situation is going to get steadily worse and that the world is headed for more than a “simple” recession.
We need leadership (in whatever form) from a parliament that will “shake off party cloaks, roll up it’s sleeves” and find viable solutions for all Canadians. Arrogance, childishness and petulance from all concerned have no place in dispelling fears of Canadians who are losing their jobs and watching their investments eroding due to extremely poor regulatory policies of other governments, in particular, those of the United States.
Now is the time to stop thinking of self, but show true leadership, not only (and in particular) for this wonderful country of Canada, but perhaps also the world.
A few key points that shouldn’t be lost…
1. The opposition was not only enraged by the Conservative attempt to remove public support for political parties (like the debt-laden Liberals), they were also enraged by the Conservative attempt to limit a women’s ability to sue for pay equity and the proposed ban on the right of the public service to strike.
Seeing a pattern here? Imagine what he would do with a majority.
2. A real leader would not have ignored the advice of his best advisors and failed to introduce an economic stimulus package. That’s what Steve did. Instead, he tried to harpoon his opponenets in the house.
3. For all the belly-aching about the Bloc (a legitimate politial party), it was a former journalist with no political experience who spends her time cutting ribbons that closed parliament, thus thwarting the wishes of the MAJORITY of members who wanted to oust the minority party who no longer enjoy the confidence of the house.
Shame on her.
4. This six week coooling period will give the Conservatives all the time they need to roll out the spin. I suspect they’ll spend more time on ads than they do on trying to revive the economy.
5. A real leader gather support in the House. Harper didn’t. Dion did. What does that say about Harper and all the B.S. he pushed down our throats this last election about who was a more able leader?
Political crisis or not, the sooner Harper gets out of power the better Canada will be.
Harper’s resignation would certainly help clear the air.
In retrospect the original proposal by the Conservatives must have been designed to push buttons. How else can you explain it apart from shear stupidity and lack of political acumen?
Mayor John,
How do you feel about the sovereign’s designated representative closing down the parliament of the people’s elected representatives to protect her minority government from a confidence vote? Did Canada wake up back in 1642?
Whatever the policy proposals or motivations of the two sides, Canada has a parliamentary system and dirty as it may be at times, this is how it works. The elected representatives of the people must be allowed to hold the government accountable for it’s policies and actions. Ultimately it does that through a simple majority confidence vote and to disallow that is dangerous.
The Queen’s designate shutting down parliament to prevent that democratic vote just adds to the case for a true republic. Does this set a precedent, will others be back for the same right again in the future?
Canada did not directly elect a minority government, it elected a House of parliamentarians. They generally represent political parties in those elections but they are elected as individuals in fact and are free to vote as they wish and to change parties which a number actually do.
That said, the election certainly is best interpreted as the people’s will being a minority Conservative government. But there’s the key of course. Minority. I suspect Canada does not give Stephen Harper a majority (in 3 attempts now) for a reason and it is because they want the Conservatives wilder ideas moderated by the other parties. He should have done that. These proposals were just bizarre at a time like this and especially as they had allowed the media and the public to build an expectation of a major economic initiative. Not a stab at political funding, minorities and public sector unions.
I am stunned at how the fellow has lost his political touch so quickly. I’d ask if he’s feeling OK or who’s got in his ear. Now he’s lost all chance of support in Quebec by telling that province their elected representatives aren’t equal in the parliament of Canada. Bizarre really.
I wonder who will be paying for all the PR and spin over the next months. Will it be the taxpayers or the parties?
Just as an FYI, these coalitions are very common elsewhere in the world.
By the way Stephen I agree that the world is not heading for a ‘simple’ recession, it’s heading towards and in many places is already in a very bad recession and people are suffering. Canada is a little behind on the curve and Yukon and Dawson even further as our winter is like a mini-recession every year anyway and it hasn’t sunk in yet but I can assure you it’s coming.
Investments and assets, whether stocks, resources or houses will not quickly return to former valuations as they were all based on a massively leveraged debt system. A global confidence trick that just fell apart like any pyramid scheme eventually does. This will take many years to fix.