I Take My Proroguies Hot

tr.v. pro·rogued, pro·rogu·ing, pro·rogues

So we finally got our answer. The Governer General has decided to grant Prime Minister Stephen Harper his request of proroguing parliament. This will pause parliament until the end of January when they will come back to the House of Commons to pass or not pass the federal budget. A budget, as Stephen Harper said, that will be put together with the least amount of time as any budget ever. 

My opinion? Well thanks for asking!! I for one am glad the prorogue was granted. This will give time to cool off (or heat up), time for the parties to meet and figure out what the heck they’re doing. It will also give time for the coalition  to fall apart, and there is evidence of this already. What held them together was the prospect of success and that deadline of possible success is further away. The Liberal-NDP coalition wanted to take power without an election, and that ain’t gonna happen now. 

If we have an election in January, Stephane Dion would still be the leader because he’s not resigning until May. In the most recent election (just six weeks ago) he ran the worst campaign in recent history and came out with the lowest percentage of the popular vote since confederation. I doubt you’ll find many Liberals who would want to go into an election with Dion as leader. And why would Canadians vote for a party who’s leadership will be changing in a few months? They haven’t chosen a new leader yet, so we’d essentially be going in blind. 

I’m kind of annoyed with the talking point put out by the Liberal/NDP saying that by proroguing parliament Harper is being undemocratic. Him asking the Governor General for proroguement is as democratic as two parties forming a coalition. It is all a part of the Westminster system of parliament, and it was well within the law for him to do so. As many have said, we elect a parliament not a Prime Minister.

I don’t think he is unwilling to face the no-confidence vote and risk losing. He’s just delaying it. He’s not running away, he’s calling for a time out. As they keep telling us, we’re facing an economic crisis. Creating political instability is not going to help matters. If the coalition had gotten it’s way and formed the government without an election we’d have three prime ministers in a very short time frame. 

Everything that’s been passed since this minority government has been in power has done so with the support of the Liberals or the NDP. Why didn’t they do something then if there are so many problems now?

The government will face a confidence vote after they present the budget and it will remain or fall then. If the coalition is still unhappy we should have an election then. None of this other coalition ruling business.                                                      

I’m a Maritimer and I can say with confidence that we’re used to being disregarded by the rest of the country. And, it’s somewhat true, we can vote in the completely opposite way of the rest of the country and it would have virtually no impact (it’s exactly what happened in the last election). 

All the characteristics of a recession that Stephane Dion and Jack Layton talked about last night in their television addresses are things that have been happening in this part of Canada for a long time. People have been losing their jobs because of the economy for a long time. Cape Breton is practically empty! Once the rest of the country starts feeling the pinch, that’s when it really matters. Forget about us, who’ve been dealing with it for at least a decade!

Anyway, no one’s reading this anymore so I could really say whatever I want. But I can’t think of anything so I’ll probably go take a nap. Too much politic isn’t good for the brain.