We are definitely witnessing history here. A couple quick comments on this afternoon's coalition signing etc.
First and foremost, I love that it has a degree of permanence to it. I wrote earlier that I feared the public's wrath on this one. I think if we have a government that lasts anywhere from 18-30 months, the majority of which under a Prime Minister not named Stephane Dion, the coalition partners may get away with it electorally. The thinking seems to be that if the government can outlast the economic downturn (or at least the worst of it), it can then frame itself as having saved the Canadian economy from the incompetent Tories. That is a viable strategy if the economy turns around that quickly. I wouldn't better the farm on the economy though.
If Stephen Harper prorogues parliament he's finished. He may be finished if he doesn't but he would be signing his own death certificate if he prorogues. Let's be clear, Harper's won because he has been seen as a tough and prudent manager. Running away from the opposition would make him look weak and ineffectual. He would need a miracle to win an election if he pulled that stunt.
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7 comments:
I think its pathetic how in the dying days of this Harper government they are desperate trying to cling to power. They've lost the confidence of the House. The Liberals have it. Let's get on with governing the country!
From the preamble of the Accord:
"a belief in the role of Government to act as a partner with Canadians and Quebecers."
You have already partitioned the country! This is the first government ever to have agreed to such a thing. Woe, Canada!
This is treasonous behaviour. Shame, shame, shame. Liberals will regret the day that they undermined our country for the sake of power.
JC Kelan
Harper is finished unless he pretends he's a bigger man and resigns to focus on maintain the iron grip on his party. He certainly cannot be PM with advocates for Prentice and Baird already organizing...
Treason? They all have an agreement to GOVERN THIS VERY COUNTRY for at least the next 18 months?
Western Grit,
Yeah, an agreement to be governed by separatists. You made your bed on this one, live with it.
The Bloc wants to destroy this country and you've given them the keys. Sad, very sad.
JC Kelan
The most important job of a Canadian Prime Minister is national unity.
Stephane Dion has failed on this point already.
By entering into a formal accord with the Bloc, he has:
- given them legitimacy in the eyes of soft nationalist and even federalist voters.
- made it easier for the Bloc to campaign in the next election as being "not really" about separation.
- made the separatists seem a whole lot less scary for voters.
The Liberal Party are creating winning conditions for separatists.
Shameful.
JC Kelan
JC Kelan, how do you feel about Brian Mulroney? How about his former Minister of the Environment Lucien Bouchard? How about Harper's paling around with "autonomist" Mario Dumont? Historically, it has been the Conservative party (dating back to Robert Borden and going right through Stephen Harper until about five days ago) who has extended the parliamentary olive branch to Quebec nationalists and separatists in order to get elected and maintain power. Dion is not the first, and he won't be the last to do a deal with the separatist devil. The reality is that the people in 49 ridings elected the Bloc Quebecois as their representative. Those representatives have a say in who is Prime Minister in a parliamentary system. Their preference, ironically, is for an arch-federalist in Stéphane Dion. As all three leaders said today they will govern around the sovereignty question. Frankly, the country, including Québec, has more important fish to fry right now. This is a coalition designed to deal with the economic crisis. If a few words upset you, complain about the nation resolution, your Conservative government introduced and passed.
Here here, Aaron, on all counts.
Even if the Bloc were a rigidly separatist party, and that's up for debate these days, they have just as much inherent right to participate in the governance of our diverse country as Harper's own party did when it's only significant representation was in Alberta.
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