Quality Leadership: How can the US get something right before us?

I believe in democracy but perhaps the interpretation we have created and implemented is not the right one. If a decision is too complicated for the average person to understand, i.e. global warming or a financial crisis, why should they have the right to select a course of action? Perhaps the more reasonable approach is through a representative (but in a different fashion than we currently implement). We currently elect representatives to fill these positions, although we do not directly assign them the positions. The PM selects elected representatives to fill cabinet positions and these individuals then make the decisions regarding complicated issues they sometimes are not fully able to comprehend. I simply have a tough time believing that Flaherty is the best person in Canada to be making economic decisions on behalf of the nation.

In the US I think things are done more appropriately. They elect a leader, someone who the people feel is capable of making the best possible decisions for the country, and although this person is often filled with flaws and the system has its flaws as well, they have gotten this part right. No constitution lives for 200 years without some correct portions. The President then selects his cabinet from anyone in the country, not just the elected members of his or her party as is the case in Canada. In the US the cabinet is represented on an issue such as the environment by a Nobel laureate, in Canada we get Jim Prentice. When an economic crisis threatens to destroy the financial system as we know it, Obama consults with the greatest economic minds of our generation, i.e. Warren Buffet; Harper consults with Flaherty and presumably a magic 8 ball.



Perhaps it is time to consider whether the only people making our decisions should be the elected representatives, who fought hard and long for the opportunity, or whether they should only play a role in these decisions. Now, one could argue that the bureaucrats make all the decisions anyways and the cabinet ministers are just puppets, but if this is the truth perhaps we should be questioning whether spending a long time in the civil service qualifies an individual to make decisions on behalf of the nation.

I am not saying we need to do away with democracy; I greatly appreciate the work of all civil servants, even the members of the senate (I personally know how hard it is to write reports about marijuana and Afghanistan). What I am saying is that perhaps it is time we think about who is making decisions on behalf of this nation, I do not think that the most qualified Canadians are Prentice and Flaherty and I think even Stephen Harper would agree with that.

Is it a pipe dream to think that the smartest and most qualified people should be making the most important decisions facing our country and not parliamentarians who, although they perform a great deed by representing the people, do not always have the greatest qualifications (“My dad was an MP”, “I was the leader of the National Citizens Coalition”, “I have a well defined jaw line”, “I had sex with Tie Domi”)? Canada has had a Nobel laureate lead us before, his name was Pearson and that brought us universal health care. How bad could more qualified candidates really be?



I am not excited to fall behind the US when it comes to fighting global warming or promoting social justice, but it looks to be the path that Canadians have chosen. Perhaps we should try letting wisdom rule, maybe then there will be justice.

C.

Proving Me Right

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081214.wdohcanada1214/BNStory/politics/home

I just wanted to point out this article to everyone so they can bask in all my glory (glory being how accurately I have been describing the intelligence of Canadians). Based on an Ipsos Reid survey the answers are shocking. Most noteworth, 75% of Canadians do not know who the head of state is and 51% think that we directly elect the Prime Minister. No wonder nobody understands the problems at hand. If this does not support my call for a reformed education system nothing will. At least I have one new ally in the struggle, Marc Chalifoux who comissioned this survey is quoted saying: "Our school system needs to be doing a better job of training young people to be citizens". I don't want to say I told you Canadians are ignorant, but I told you so. Please stop dissapointing me Canada and teach these people about the system.



Who do you think the head of state is (hint: its not the PM)

C.

Debt 101

It has been a while since I expressed my opinions, but I have returned and the topic of the day is Money (not the small amounts residing in my bank account but the large amounts collected, spent, and owed by the government of Canada).

$508 billion. That, my fiscally irresponsible previous generation, is the weight of what has been left to this generation, that is Canada’s debt. Now entering into another era of deficit financing I decided it would be important to have a quick look at it. Now I am not saying that a short term deficit is the worst thing we can do, especially considering the circumstances. I am saying that the current governments spending decisions are what destroyed the flexibility in the Federal surplus that could have allowed us the opportunity to combat this crisis without issuing bonds or turning into the US. This number may seem small compared to the trillions of dollars being allocated to bailout packages in other countries, but do not forget that this is not a large country. The public debt was estimated at 64.2% of our GDP last year (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/ca.html) and will only increase with a deficit and shrinking economy. National debt is not the worst thing in the world, the same way mortgages and credit cards are not the worst thing, but not paying down the debt and adding to it, well that is where it starts to get bad.



How did the current government get us into this problem? They started off strong by cutting the GST (they are in fact considering the introduction of a third cut as part of a stimulus package (http://money.canoe.ca/News/Economy/2008/12/10/7700926-cp.html)- I personally have trouble believing that a 1% cut in taxes will motivate sales, considering people are fearful of losing their jobs). Then they greatly increased military spending (currently $20 billion annually – remember that we are paying to send soldiers to Afghanistan). These are good starters in lost revenue and crazy spending, but are just a sample of the information available to those of you who voted Conservative in the last election. So imagine we did still have a large budget surplus. Would we be able to finance a stimulus package, which economists recommend should be in the area of $16 billion, without entering into a deficit again? Would we be able to pursue green stimulus packages (i.e. high speed rail construction, wind mill construction, how about a machine that harnesses energy from waves which does exist) that not only invest in sustainable developments but are also proven to keep more of the money within the country than alternative stimulus packages creating high paying jobs in manufacturing, engineering, science, etc...)?

Oh the options that have been taken away from us by a party designed to motivate people utilizing cheep (ok extremely expensive) gimmicks. I am not trying to chastise everyone who voted Conservative in the last election, I am not saying it is your fault that Canada is in this terrible situation, I am saying that perhaps more people should pay more attention and stop being controlled by attack ads and political deception. Sure I love saving a few cents at Tim Horton’s on my steeped tea and sure I like thinking that sending people I know to Afghanistan to fight with people I am supposed to fear is keeping me safe. Sure I like to think that everyone who voted Conservative cares about the future of Canada and was only deceived into pawning the problems of the nation onto the guiltless next generation (especially me since I have no interest in paying down a debt created by the current government to solve problems it is partially at fault for creating – cough, Flaherty: “Ontario is the last place to invest”, cough).

So if you voted Conservative in the last election or ever consider voting that way in the future, I recommend you think long and hard about your legacy. Do you want to be viewed with admiration for standing up against insurmountable odds and endearing or do you want to be viewed as a generation that was fooled by Stephen Harper, a man who has done nothing deceive the nation, taking advantage of the ignorance (how many people understand the political system and the economic impact of a recession) and intolerance (Dion may not have spoken good English but his economic plan did not call for 6 months of no government during the worst economic crisis facing the generation). You can all make your own decisions, but next time you go to the polls try doing a little bit of research and I do not mean watching Harper’s commercials and quoting them. (“Dion is going to tax everything” – “Dion is out of touch” – “Harper looks like the steady hand we need at the helm, he wears sweater vests and his son is getting to that age where he doesn’t want to spend all his time with dad”.) Come on people get informed and stop embarrassing Canada, even the US was able to elect a leader who supports more than Big Oil and an insatiable quest for power.

C.

Canada’s Finance Minister is Lost

I have often thought to myself over the past few months that Jim Flaherty has no idea what he is doing as federal Finance Minister.

As a man that stated that Ontario is the “last place” people should be investing, one would think that as the low point in his post as the man behind the money. These words coming from a man that Ontarians had so much contempt for he had to run with his tails between his legs from the same provincial office. Today it got a whole lot worse.

The Globe and Mail came out with comments by Flaherty that makes one’s head spin.

Read full article here:
http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081212.wflaherty1212/BNStory/Business/home

Ok, after reading that, I am left with the opinion that fear mongering the ‘devastation’ of doing something is a way to get around a significant problem. The Tories have no idea what do it and continue not to plan anything.

This comes on a day where the Globe announced that Michael Ignatieff, the new Liberal leader, has been having meetings with prominent financial minds.

According to Flaherty, any planning at all isn’t necessary. We are still in a position to do very well weathering this storm according to the article linked above. WHAT?

His words here also come a day after the Bank of Canada made statements suggesting that many Canadians may in fact lose their homes in a US-like mortgage fiasco. But, I mean, those are only foreclosures and people’s homes, right? Maybe Flaherty is banking on none of them being Conservative voters anyway.

Fact is that the Tories have no idea what they are doing. Those that are going to read this blog will have just as much of an idea.

I also find the last bit of that article quite humourous. Flaherty suggests that handling this economic crisis is not a sprint. Well, he hasn’t even started running. Instead, we have had a Finance Minister who has been on vacation since an ‘illegal’ election was called (Conservatives broke their own fixed date elections bill). That is going to be 5 months.

Those are five months he and the CPC should have been running. Instead, they are going to wait until this last minute to leave the gates and turn it all into what they said it isn’t, a sprint.

Harper Government Blocking UN Climate Summit

Buried in the lower echelon of news on this Friday is a very intriguing piece on just how poorly the Harper government is doing in another area.

This time, it is the environment. It seems Canada’s government not only has no plan, but also has no intention of helping the world make itself a better place for future generations.

Let’s look at two articles bouncing around in the press.

-----------
“Canada accused of blocking summit progress”


“World disappointed with Canada at climate talks”

----------

It seems to me that disappointment in this current government is turning into too weak of a word. How can we be doing nothing? The one article even states that the world community is very positive about the steps President-elect Obama will bring to the table.

How is it that the individuals elected to the highest posts in the land cannot make as much sense or as informed decisions as one of our nation’s bright 17-year olds? Case in point:

"I think they're definitely disappointed," 17-year-old delegate Megan McKeen told Canada AM on Friday about the international community's reaction to Canada's unpopular stand.

"Canada should be in a position where we are stepping up and showing leadership. That's what developed nations are expected to do in a situation like this."

Just another thing to ponder as our parliament is prorogued.

Conservatives Fail to Care

When Prime Minister Harper broke his fixed election date law to put us to the polls, no one who voted Conservative cared.

He saw that the economy was headed downward faster than anyone had anticipated, or at least someone around him did. Instead of taking a firm step forward and addressing the issue, he terminated parliament to try and win a majority before things got ugly. At least with a majority, he must have thought, he would have a job despite what happened to the rest of us. No one who voted Conservative cared.

We heard from his Finance Minister that we wouldn’t be going into a recession. We heard that our economy was strong. Well, the Bank of Canada today said that Canadians face losing their homes at unheard of levels if something doesn’t get better. Does that sound like we are just fine Mr. Harper? In reading comments all over the web, no one that voted Conservative cares.

Handed another majority for his efforts, he was clearly confused when he went back to work. We can tell he was confused because he came out like he was handed his desired majority. He didn’t produce any significant economic plans to help us deal with the crisis we are facing. Instead, he played partisan politics and wanted to slash financing that would cripple Her Majesty’s Opposition. We really know that no one who voted Conservative cared!

Then, trying to cling to power, the Prime Minister has parliament prorogued. The rest of us sit here on a ship who’s captained has abandoned them for one and a half months during a financial hurricane. Conservatives don’t even care.

Now, in the news today, Harper is going to go back on his promise to reform the senate in order to appoint 18 new members of the upper chamber. Why would the Conservatives care? It is only eighteen of their own being appointed against their party’s policy that will be getting paid on the public bill?

What a joke this is all turning out to be and apparently only those that Harper vilifies care.

J.

Rae Drops Out

It was just confirmed on CBC that Bob Rae has ended his leadership bid.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/09/rae-liberals.html

* This was a great move on the part of Rae. The Liberal Party needs a leader now that is permanent. We may be headed to the polls in January after all. But, as well, I think he realized that his legacy as an NDP premier of Ontario wasn't going to sit well right now.

He will without a doubt have a large roll in Parliament despite this though. Look for him to be a better asset as a non-leadership hopeful.

It Must Be Ignatieff

(Warning: Hastily Created)

Last election proved one thing to me, Canadians recently have began to bite on whatever the juiciest story seems to be in politics. It just happens that the Conservative media machine is the one doing all the work.


So, here the LPC is left with a choice between two men.


First off, there is Michael Ignatieff. Here is a man with a great mind and the ability to speak convincingly on many subjects in the House.


The knock to his credibility that the Harper team will trot out is the fact that he resided so long out of this country.


Secondly, there is Bob Rae. The one time NDP Premier of Ontario will be branded as a “leftist” by the CPC and accused of dragging us too far from our centrist roots.


Last of all, we could have an interim leader not from the two above-mentioned candidates. But, what would happen if the Harper government brings forth a budget that cannot be supported by the other three parties? If we choose an interim leader, if could be in Harper’s best interest to force us to defeat him. Would the interim leader be ready to run for Prime Minister? If I was the Prime Minister, I would do just that.


Furthermore, you can see the fear tactics being spun up for the TV cameras and plastered all across Ontario. Remember that debt? They will blame it on Rae on the first day of an election campaign and never give up.


What shall the party so?


By December 17, 2008, the Liberal Party of Canada has announced that 800 people will choose an interim leader to serve until the Leadership Convention in May. This will include MPs, Senators, defeated candidates, and the council of presidents from what I have read.


We know that between 46-57 MPs support Ignatieff. Furthermore, we know that 19-30 support Rae or have no choice at all. This is important to me because at the time of Dion’s victory, the caucus did not get behind the choice. Do we want that again? It is something very important. To legitimize an interim choice it should have the support of those in the House. We want our MPs to want to fight beside a leader.


Also, we have to take into account which choice between Rae and Ignatieff if more likely to do better against the Conservatives. In a recent poll, it suggests that Ignatieff would do far better against Harper. Canadian’s in the poll find him to be more to the centre of the political spectrum, which is true. This is appealing to them. The NDP and those on the left have never performed well federally after all.


Furthermore, if we want to regain inroads in Ontario, Rae is almost certain not to deliver that movement. If anything, we would have a stronger showing against the NDP, but, there is a larger number of votes on the “soft right” in the long run.


In any case, what we are seeing in the Liberal Party is going to have lasting and deep[ effects on the Liberal party. We might not be able to win a majority in the next election, but with Ignatieff we will at least have that chance someday. I would like to go with that. I think its madatory.

Education Reform: The Creation of My Politically Informed Clone Army

We find ourselves in the midst of yet another political event. I use the term event because this crusade for support is a little different than an election campaign. Instead of frolicking about the country seeking out votes in late painted Liberal planes, Green Party trains, and Conservative Party Hummers, the party representatives are using these vehicles to seek out support for their side of the Coalition quarrel.

What seems to be forgotten in the news coverage of these events is that the Canadian population does not really seem to grasp the whole situation. Most still believe they actually elect the party to lead the country and not their local representative. So try telling them about how Conservatives lost confidence in the House or the options of the Governor General or the likelihood of successful governance by a coalition by illustrating the successes of those in other nations. Like it or not in Canada a trend of minority governments had begun do to the rise of other parties and vote splitting so people should get used to this sort of thing happening as it is common place in numerous representative democracies. I will not try to explain any of these problems in this article as we have already done so in others: refer to “Star Wars: The Coalition Strikes Back” for a dim-witted reasonable breakdown.

My case here is to be laid out in favour of education reform. This not only applies to Ontario, as some of you who retain membership in my growing Facebook movement (21 fanatical folks and soaring like a phoenix from the ashes as I type), but to Canada in its entirety. I present you with a letter that I sent to the Ontario Minister of Education, Kathleen Wynne.
“I would like to speak to the Minister of Education regarding the implementation of a more thorough study of politics into the curriculum. Students should be more informed about the basic tasks of the government and other political entities. This would require a 3 pronged approach.
1) Political Science should be a teachable subject acceptable to enter into teachers college
2) Classes should be created starting in the primary schools and further advanced in the high schools in the areas of: municipal governance, provincial governance, federal governance, and current issues both domestic and international
3) Students should be required to participate in mandatory volunteer working totalling an additional 20 hours (10 for a political party or Elections Canada and 10 for a non-profit organization). This would expose the youth the political system and defeat the sense of futility felt by many in the democratic system.”

I will not trick anyone into believing that this change will happen over night or perhaps even over the course of a few years, however, I did gain some hope when a friend of mine sent me an invitation to his Facebook group advocating the implementation of biodegradable cups at Tim Hortons. This group currently has 10, 251 members, a sign to me that perhaps people do care enough about issues to get something done. Then there is the Facebook driven rise up of the youth against Dalton McGuinty’s new laws (Dalton by the way has a strong following of 636 “fans” on his Facebook group). So perhaps there is hope after all. Like Pierre Trudea pining over every word he wrote in Cite Libre, yearning for transformation, I will languish over the medium of this generation. I see no way that with an average daily readership of 4 revolutionaries this Blog will not produce results similar, if not superior to the Quiet Revolution.



Did I just say nationalize the oil fields… only Rene Levesque can be sure of that.

C.

A quick article from R.

The events in our parliament this past week have been an disgrace to the Canadian heritage. I cannot believe that I wish Obama was our Prime Minister. At least he has a positive outlook and a vision of what needs to be done.

Instead, we are stuck with the four buffoons muddling around in Ottawa detsroying our country in what are the most economically challenging times many of us have ever seen. They are times I hope I never see again.

On top of that, three more brave Canadians died today in Afghanistan! Does anyone care in Ottawa? Get our troops home, get all troops out of the middle east, and let them sort it out themselves. We cannot impose our values and beliefs on cultures that have been around for much longer than ours. Lives are precious! Stop wasting them. But, for that, our MPs would have to be at work.

R.

Get out of the way Dion!

There comes a time in every politicians life where they have to make serious decisions about their own fate. That time is now upon Stephane Dion, and really, he should have quit as Liberal leader straight away in October after the election.

But, he stuck around for who knows what purpose. Now he is just being laughed at which is a shame.

From reports I have read, Dion is a very proud man who deeply desired what is best for Canada. He also deeply desired to be successful as leader of the Liberal Party. As I have mentioned before, he is a very intelligent man and an asset to the House, but he has to move on quickly, today even!

I was of the mindset that he was going to lead the Liberal Party down a path no one wanted after his election at the Liberal Leadership Convention. I would have been there was it not for mandatory commitments I had previously scheduled.

Instead, I was at home when Mr. Kennedy decided to crown Dion. I remember the many phone calls and emails I received from devout Liberals who said they would not vote for the party with him as leader. Many people in the party believed that to be a knee jerk reaction that would subside, but, as we now know, Liberals stayed away from the polls in massive numbers this last election.

There was a glimpse there this week that Dion could make something happen as leader of the Liberal/NDP Coalition. He came across much better than how he did trying to sell the unpopular Green Shift to Canadians. Then, at a moment where he could have won some ground from the Prime Minister, he failed miserably.

When Harper went on national television and made a brief and unchanged message, the experts spent the next few minutes saying how damaging it could be for Harper to be so abrupt and unwavering. That was until Dion failed.

When television companies part with television time, and millions of Canadians are waiting to hear a message from you, you better give one a) on time and b) in good quality. What did Dion’s people present?

Well, they finally got the video to the stations 30-60 minutes late depending on when you read the tape was promised, and even then it was horrible quality. I could have shot a better video on a digital camera.

The end result is that Dion has to get out of the way so someone with a little more political gusto can try and drag the Liberal Party through this. Since Parliament is prorogued, and Dion has stated that Harper may have a way out of the Coalition targets, people are finally clueing in that it is time fopr hsi reign to end.

For example, Bob Rae has now stepped up to take the reigns of the Coalition message and move with it throughout Canada. Excuse me Mr. Dion, but that was your job in the first place.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081205.wparlliberals05/BNStory/politics/home

Liberals across the country can only hope that there is some way the party can dislodge the leader and get someone else elected into that post. It is time to throw away the idea of a May leadership convention and step into reality. Come late January, we may be back in an election campaign and unless something is done, it is the already tarred Dion versus the Harper no-holds-barred communications team. We already know who will win that one.

It has to be said, for the sake of a strong Canada we need a strong Liberal Party, but to have a strong Liberal Party we need a strong leader. Can we get one by the budget? I hope so.

J.

Are these just ‘technical’ job losses Mr. Harper?

As the United States holds talks with the Big 3 Automakers – GM, Ford, and Chrysler – Stephen Harper and his governing Conservatives have duped public opinion into believing a suspension of Parliament is exactly what we need.

Well, they have done a great job of diverting attention away from what really matters and back onto leadership and right to govern matters. Let me ask you, as the most diehard of neo-conservatives on Capitol Hill are quickly warming to bailout plans to save what many analysts consider an industry that is much to important to the American economy, why aren’t our MPs working, meeting, or deciding on anything? Surely that isn’t good for Canadians?

As an extension, I would argue that the importance of those three companies to Canada is just as important. But, we seem to be stuck as a result of regions.

The CPC enjoys the base of its support in Alberta. It is like their home base per se. In that part of the country automobile manufacturing isn’t the focus. Really, neither is any manufacturing. Oil is the word in Alberta. It seems the people there cast a blind eye to those in Ontario. We are losing jobs, oh well; I guess that is our punishment for being from evil central Canada.

But, what happens now that oil is tumbling towards $40 a barrel? That question can be answered another time.

Conservative inaction in this case goes far beyond the issue of whether an issuance of money is the proper thing to do. Harper and his team have put governing on hold for a month and a half and people are just fine with it. That is a massive issue. What is wrong with us?

Is seems Canadians do not care about each other. Case in point, a day after the House is suspended, we have another 700 jobs cut from the Oshawa GM plant:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081205/oshawa_layoffs_081205/20081205?hub=TopStories

In addition, Canada lost 71,000 jobs this November alone as Harper sat on his hands. Could this have anything to do with 66,000 of those jobs being from Ontario?
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20081205/jobs_numbers_081205/20081205?hub=TopStories

I am not about to say that Harper isn’t reacting solely due to the fact that the most serious jobs losses are in Ontario. I just think it’s the fact that the job losses aren’t in Alberta.

Depending how the country weathers the next month and a half Harper may escape this decision to prorogue just fine. But, it is a risky maneuver. What happens if the economy begins a free fall without anyone in his or her offices on Parliament Hill to stave off the worst?

There will come a time in the future where Canadians will realize just how wrong Stephen Harper is in leading Canada. He and his trusted economic advisors are even more neo-conservative, more republican, and also more cavalier than those over the border to the South that sit in the party of John McCain. At least they are working to debate economic stimulus. Are we just piggybacking what the Americans do? Are we Americans in waiting or are we our own people? Is this what we want? I doubt it, but Canadians are too easily blinded by attacks on coalitions, leaders, liberals, separatists, socialists, moms, dads, and anyone else worthy of distracting us.

It really is all just so unfortunate.

J.

That’s it Steve... Piss off Quebeckers Some More!

In recent days Stephen Harper has done more to divide this country than a Coalition government ever could have. If a majority of democratically elected parliamentarians, representing the views of more than 60% of the population, legally and peacefully attaining control of a legislative assembly, which had lost confidence in its current minority government, threatened Stephen Harper’s idea of this nation then fanning the flame of separatism must not.

Recent polls suggest that after days of attacking the proposition of a Coalition government, supported by the Bloc Quebecois, Conservative Party support has fallen to 18% in Quebec, with most of the lost support swinging towards the Bloc. Furthermore, 67% of Quebeckers don’t feel Harper is up to the task of being the Prime Minister. If you have any doubts about these numbers please follow up: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081204.wPOLpoll1205/BNStory/politics/home.

Stephen Harper failed to get a majority in the last election largely due to a failure in Quebec. Now, with the country divided regarding the proper course of action to be taken, Harper drives a stake into the barely enduring unity of the country. Nothing says Conservative Governance like fanning the flame of separatism.

So what happens if this situation forces us back to the polls again, essentially providing us with no government for 6 months in the midst of an economic crisis? The only party that currently looks to gain is the Bloc. Good job Steve, your strong leadership is exactly what we need. Not only has he degraded the Bloc, spitting in the face of those who did not vote for him in the last election because he does not understand or respect their culture, he has taken yet another crucial step in the path to separation; yes my friends, I am referring to the deficit.

Deficits inevitably lead to one thing; funding cuts when it comes time to balance the books. Consequently, transfer payments to the provinces get cut and a backlash is unavoidable. I am not saying a deficit is a bad idea. I am saying that it would be helpful for the long term prosperity of the nation if people in Quebec agreed with the reasons for it (i.e. a $30 billion financial package agreed upon by a majority of our representatives). Maybe billions in increased military funding, maybe billions in lost government revenue from the GST cuts, maybe standing strong at the helm with no plan for the economy in the midst of the worst economic crisis to face this generation, maybe all of this is the deficit Quebeckers will embrace. Maybe Stephen Harper should piss of Quebeckers some more... it’s not like that can cause any problems.


Cowboy Steve spurring on the separatists.

C.

Star Wars: The Coalition Strikes Back

Before I embark upon a journey into the Canadian political wilderness (watch out for bears and large firewall fantasists) I feel an insatiable urge to introduce myself to the faithful readers.

My name is C and my political ideology will, for the most part, remain hidden, in a blatantly obvious anthology of fables. I have wavered on the style in which I feel you readers will best be able to find your way through my puzzling commentary. One approach is a scholarly presentation of the most important political events of the day. This I call Lucid Politics. The second approach is a more entertaining read, coupled with a humorous rundown of the Canadian political landscape. This I call Politics for Dummies. My decision is to provide you with a hybrid analysis I refer to as Lucid Politics for Dummies.

I will start with the myth of the “Coalition”. A long, long time ago in a city far, far away three white haired men with socialist tendencies forged a deal to defeat the protector of democracy and create a coalition government. These men had forgotten that the citizens of Canada had provided the protector with a plurality of the vote, not enough to actually produce effective governance by himself, but enough to tell the Governor General (GG) what to do. The GG is a journalist who for those of you who do not know is the Queen’s representative and holds numerous powers that for the most part have been hidden by convention.

The entire tale bears great similarity to a movie called “Star Wars” in which a rebellion led by characters named Luke Skywalker (who looks markedly similar to Gerard Kennedy:


Yoda (the wise Jedi leader whose genuine thoughts are hard to decipher amid poor use of the English language:


and others battle to take back control of the Empire- Democracy - protected by Darth Vader (an all powerful guardian)

– Stephen Harper “harnessing the powers of the force and attempting not to look mechanic”.

Another similarity is the tough decision put forth to Princess Leia


– Michaelle Jean. What to do? Reveal the location of the rebel base (Prorogue Parliament) or allow for the destruction of her home planet – (watch the government fall in a vote of confidence and hand over power to a Coalition of rebels). If history repeats itself and if Star Wars is factual then the government will fall and the Coalition will govern successfully for 18 months.

If not, I better get prepared to heel-toe express it door to slamming door in the freezing cold playing a little game I like to call the delivery of Lucid Politics for Dummies (no offence to the majority of the population, I will try to persuade you to implement my ultimate goal of creating a clone army of politically educated and involved citizens at a later date).

C.

Governor General Suspends Democracy

I was thinking of an appropriate title for this piece as I sat here minutes after the Governor General of Canada allowed for the suspension of Parliament until January 26, 2009.

The request by Prime Minister Harper to prorogue the House comes as a move to save his government from falling on December 8, 2008.

The Governor General didn’t have to agree.

But, she did and here we are. Harper most likely delivered a spirited message to Michaelle Jean at Rideau Hall today. One would assume that it would have keyed on the message that he be allowed to present a budget. I am somewhat worried about the precedent set here.

At the end of the day, Canada is not a republic. Our Members of Parliament have the right to vote on matters pertaining to the governance of this country by the Prime Minister and his party. Proroguing the House merely to avoid a democratic vote on the confidence of a sitting government is almost unbelievable.

Harper himself said that it is the democratic duty for Paul Martin’s minority Liberals to face a confidence vote not too many years ago. Oh how the message changes when you are in the other position.

The Governor General has in some ways usurped the democratic nature of our House of Commons by bowing to Harper’s request. He has acted as a leader of a republic, namely a President and she has backed it.

According to her, it could literally become common practice for governing parties to discontinue Parliament in order to avoid a confidence motion. Well done Governor General! What powers do our elected representatives carry in this country if not to be able to vote for their constituents on matters of confidence?

Oh, and don’t forget, we are in one of the worst economic periods in our nation’s history and no one is manning the ship on Parliament Hill. Get your helmets on, this is going to be one bumpy ride.

J.

Dion is Making a Coalition Attempt More Difficult

When voters cast their ballots this October, there was a resounding feeling across the land. That was of course that Stephane Dion was not good enough.

The Liberal Party of Canada has enjoyed more time at the top of the Government Food Chain than any other party in the democractic world. The reason?

The Liberals have always had a knack for producing and choosing the best leaders possible considering the time.

One of them very leaders was a man by the name of Alexander Mackenzie, a Sarnia-Lambton resident and Member of Parliament. He was the first Liberal Prime Minister ever and let's look back at those to follow.

Wilfrid Laurier, William Lyon Mackenzie King, Louis St. Laurent, Lester B. Pearson, Pierre Trudeau, John Turner, Jean Chretien and Paul Martin all carried the Liberal banner into the PMO. Dion, sadly, just doesn't measure up.

There is no doubt that he has the mind to be an incredible asset to any government but to be the leader you need more. You need to have a clear vision for Canada that Canadians can understand and accept. In this, he fails miserably.

The environment, while of massive concern, is not an issue to produce to Canadians as your main electoral point when the economy is on the verge of stalling. We want comfort in knowing our leader can put it all together for us.

He is now talking about how he can create a stable situation as leader of a Coalition Government. As a matter of fact, I have no doubt that those around him could get it done. Paul Martin is still in the House and was, in my opinion, an incredibly gifted Finance Minister. I would suspect that Jean Chretien is also bouncing around on Parliament Hill these days seeing what he can help out with. There are positives.

The only negative is Dion himself. You could say that he didn't really put this type of situation on himself. He was running a distant fourth at the Leadership Convention that saw Gerard Kennedy 'crown' Dion as leader by moving his 3rd place delegates over to the man from Quebec.

We now see a new leadership race underway. The choices are there and the choices are better than Dion. He should have never been produced as leader in the first place. The delegates failed the party.

Dion may pull this out and avoid being the only Liberal Party leader never to be Prime Minister but his time is up, thank goodness.

I hope he stays on in Parliament to help govern, but the Liberals need to get back to their roots of picking the right man for the job.

If you don't believe me, here you go:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081204.wparlliberals04/BNStory/Front

A Possible Coalition Government: A Rundown of Events

Well, I have to admit that I had somewhat lost the will to make Political Clarity a reality shortly after creating it with Dave Gordon in the fall of 2007. I think most of that had to do with his move to the United Kingdom and lack of internet presence thereafter.

Anyway, it took one of the most interesting sagas in Canadian political history to jar me back into the realm of interest. It seems that most Canadians woke up last week to the discussion of a coalition government and had no idea what was going on or at stake. I will try to help out here as best as I can.

The 40th Canadian General Election that took place this October saw the Conservative Party of Canada strengthen their minority government to 143 seats of 308.

The result was widely predicted and construed as somewhat of a lucky break for the Liberal Party of Canada who had their weakest leader in history, Stephane Dion, decimated in the press and through Tory attack ads.

Needless to say, some observers even questioned Harper’s standing as Prime Minister considering this past election was viewed as his greatest opportunity to seize the initiative and deliver a majority.

Harper had different ideas than that though.

Last week, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty delivered some economic points Canadians could look forward to seeing. In this package he outlined the removal of public financing for political parties based on the number of votes they obtained in the election.

Let’s set the stage for this. The Conservatives have created one of the most successful fundraising programs in Canadian history. Many people attribute this to a wealthier class supporting the Tories nationwide with the ability to donate more.

Unlike the CPC, the Liberals, NDP and BQ, all rely heavily on the financial compensation per vote to provide a viable Opposition to the government. This is a crucial role in a democracy after all.

This is just one of the things that Harper and his group of Ontario Harris-ites brought into the mix. Inaction on the economic crisis is a main sticking point. Let’s also not forget that Harper vowed to work with the Opposition in order to make this government work. Apparently his ‘almost’ majority meant simply majority to him. What is being 12 seats short in the grand scheme of things anyway, right?

Well…

In a bold more, outgoing Liberal leader Dion and NDP Jack Layton agreed to form a power sharing Coalition to present to Governor General Michaelle Jean. For more information on this, visit here: www.cbc.ca/news/pdf/081201_Accord_en.pdf

I would make sure that we all keep Jean Chretien and Ed Broadbent in mind while reading that Accord. They might have done quite a bit to cement it.

Anyway: Onward. The Liberals and NDP have said enough is enough and decided to bring their 114 MPs together (77 LPC, 37 NDP). Eighteen Liberals will sit in a Coalition Cabinet. Six NDP will sit amongst them. Each will still report to there own caucuses.

But, here is the tough sell. In order for the Coalition to succeed, it will need the support of the Bloc Quebecois on votes of confidence (such as Budgets, and those deemed confidence votes). The Bloc of course is the ‘sovereigntist’ party from Quebec.

The Conservatives are drilling the airwaves with their massive communications team painting this as a ‘deal with the devil’ considering the ‘separatists’ will be floating the coalition for, as agreed, 18 months minimum.

But, what Harper is not telling people is that in 2004 he sent a letter to the Governor General outlining nearly the same type of agreement with the Bloc when it was Paul Martin’s Liberals in power. Now news is coming to light that Stockwell Day, one of the current government’s sitting ministers also knew about deal brokering with the Bloc in 2000. Apparently, when the shoe is on the other foot the Conservatives may cry foul.

In any case, it now lies in the Governor General’s hands what to do with this mess on Parliament Hill.

She has a few options. First of all, she could agree to a request from the Prime Minister to send us back to the polls for another snap election. The chances of this though are slim.

She could also agree to a request to prorogue parliament and send everyone home until January 26, 2009. The next day the Tories would put forth a budget. This budget will almost certainly be soundly defeated in the House of Commons and Harper would lose confidence. At that point, it is likely that the Coalition would be asked to form a Government with Dion as Prime Minister until May (Dion is on his way out for the Liberals and will only be in power until May when a new leader is chosen. My money is on Michael Ignatieff by the way. One can only hope this time).

Another option is that she tells Harper that he has to face Parliament for a vote of confidence on Monday, December 8th, 2008. At this point in time, Harper’s government would be defeated. We would either enter into an election as mentioned before or Dion would be asked to form the next Government of Canada.

Oh what times lie ahead?

I am of the belief that the Governor General should decline the proroguing of Parliament due to it only being a delaying tactic in the defeat of the Conservatives. We need people in the House of Commons to deal with this economic crisis.

It would have been in power for the foreseeable future if he realized he still only had a minority in the House. I really wonder how his primary teachers dealt with the kid that couldn’t play nice.

J.

Coalition 2008 - Finally Cooperation

Six weeks removed from a campaign that left Conservatives short of a majority, the Liberals broke and leaderless, the NDP pining over missed opportunity, the Bloc longing for life alone, and the Greens motionless in the realm of representation, we have a chance to see the beauty of the Canadian Constitution in all of its previously inconceivable glory.

Is cooperation now a possibility in a House that has defined itself with majority governments, representing not the democratic will of the nation, but the flaw of the First Past the Post electoral regime?
More to Come

C.