Prorogation?or rather more likley provocation! It is widely felt that Stephen Harper is shirking his responsibilities to avoid difficult questions regarding the Afghan detainees. In what a pollster called a “stunning turnaround,” Canada’s ruling Conservatives are now barely ahead of the opposition Liberals three months after having enjoyed a 15-point lead. “The movements in public opinion seem to be driven more by repulsion to Conservative tactics than attraction to Mr. Ignatieff and the Liberal Party,”
“Canadians clearly see the anti-democratic nature of this crass political move to dodge accountability on several fronts: worsening economic news and torture inquiries. They clearly see Harper’s pattern of contempt for parliament and its committees; when the going gets tough [last year, this year], Harper prorogues parliament. This much we can count on. He has reneged on EVERY political principle and promise he promoted as a Reform / Alliance leader. His only goal is power and he is willing to sacrifice everything to get it, including fundamental respect for our democracy”.” ”I certainly have no love for the Liberals but the thought of Dictator Harper getting a majority terrifies me.:: I’m no big fan of the Liberals but, I’ll be glad to see the Conservatives gone.” http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2010/01/13/ekos-conservatives-liberals-poll-prorogue-suspend.html
The CANADIAN conservative federal government itself rarely it seems takes the proper lead, leadership now too. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has never formed a majority government yet Canada’s prime Minister himself Stephen Harper, Harper has been drooling for his majority now for many years, the leader claims to have a majority government and he now disregards the majority of the Members of Parliament, and the citizens of Canada’s wishes, desires too, he is still running his minority Parliament as if he were the leader of a majority, tends to bury religious beliefs to win a hopeful real majority government not surprisingly thus failed again in an attempt to win a majority government. As we are well aware, mo one is are not going to form a majority federal government with the majority support of the citizens of both Quebec and Ontario also now. You next cannot hope to have a majority government as Harper keeps on finding by failing to look after the good welfare of all the citizens of Canada. Beating on minorities really doesn’t make a majority government more possible. Harper fools only his own supporters as to what he is realy like, a bad Prime Minister who discrimnates, shows false partiality, gives jobs to his friends.
Dictatorial Recalibration Prorogation reduces PM Stephen Haper’s support in Canada. Taxpayers are really upset that they pay good money for the expenses of the rather pretentious, useless, unemployed members of parliament.. “Why should the MPs get a holiday for the Olympics while the rest of us Canadians continue to work our butts off? Shame on you, Harper!” “I’m not an Ignatieff fan, but Harper has got to go. We have to stand up for democracy if nothing else. ” I don’t understand the tit for tat come back “O but chretien did this” Yes he did, but he also had something that Harper will never have, a Majority!http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/01/08/ignatieff-prorogue.html
Majority condemn Harper move, poll finds Toronto Star Prime Minister Stephen Harper has put the brakes on Parliament for the second time in 12 months. OTTAWA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper was wrong to suspend Parliament for what many Canadians believe were selfish reasons, according to poll done for the …
“ Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton calls Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s move to have Parliament suspended “a real disrespect for democracy”,” simply wrong” and said it stops the “good work” Ottawa was doing.
Voter anger over Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to have Parliament prorogued is costing the government heavily in public support. The Conservatives, who were flirting with majority-government popularity in the fall, are suddenly tied with the Liberals, or headed in that direction, according to two polls released . A poll by The Strategic Counsel shows the Conservatives with 31-per-cent support, a full 10 points down from October, when the firm last polled votershttp://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/prorogation-hammers-conservative-support-in-polls/article1430143/
“Let Prime Minister Stephen Harper reflect on this protest, and on the fate of Charles I, who also tried to do without Parliament”. Robert Tittler Distinguished Professor of History Emeritus Concordia University Montreal
Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper has clearly stepped into the manure with his latest fiasco too.. OTTAWA – The Economist, the influential British magazine that once deemed Canada “rather cool” and later dubbed former prime minister Paul Martin as Mister Dithers, is not amused by Stephen Harper’s recent parliamentary tactics. The magazine’s print edition has published both a critical story about the suspension of Parliament and a scathing editorial denouncing what it calls Harper’s “naked self interest.” The editorial likens Canadian ministers to hapless former U.S. president Gerald Ford “who could not walk and chew gum at the same time.” Harper’s government, says the magazine, “cannot apparently cope with Parliament’s deliberations while dealing with the country’s economic troubles and the challenge of hosting the Winter Olympic games.” It suggests, tongue in cheek, that Harper should simply shut down Parliament altogether until the economy is running at full throttle. The editorial opines that Harper may in fact be correct that “Canadians care more about the luge than the legislature, but that is surely true only while their decent system of government is in good hands” – and Canadians “may soon conclude that it isn’t.” http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100107/national/harper_economist_critique
The” Eh! Oh! Canada Go!” chant is a national embarrassment: Don’t listen to any of the detractors, participating in protest through social media can and does make a difference. Each of these groups are dedicated to expressing resentment for an elitist oligarchy thinking they can subvert the will of Canadians. Prime Minister Harper and the Pepsi Corporation are both banking on your apathy. Social Media can help the truth cut through the Conservative spin. The anti-prorogation facebook groups, twitter and blogs are helping keep the story of Prime Minister Harper’s erosion of Canadian Democracy front and centre in the mainstream media.
PM Harper was hoping that people wouldn’t care because of the holidays, hockey and the Vancouver Olympics. Stephen Harper has now been criticized in the Economist and the Guardian. The Prime Minister doesn’t want people to realize that he is cowering behind obscure parliamentary procedure, thankfully social media has drawn national and international attention to his scurrilous actions.
If you have facebook I strongly recommend joining both of these groups and reading as many articles as possible on the Harper Holiday. Kady O’Malley has a great article where she catalogues which bills will be killed by Prime Minister Harper’s suspension of parliament. This is a very important fact that all Canadians should be made aware of. Prime Minister Stephen Harper has repeatedly accused Liberal Senators of “stalling” his regressive and harmful “crime” billa (or “Doing their job by providing oversight” as a truthful person would say.) The PM still has gall to make this assertion even though his unilateral decision to suspend parliament killed 57% of the legislation passed during the last parliamentary session. The Liberals will be going back to work in Ottawa on January 25th. My hope is that this wont be a stunt but a sincere attempt by Michael Ignatieff and the Liberal Party to lay out their plan for Canada to the Canadian people.
Empty House makes for angry Canadians Interlake Spectator - Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s decision to prorogue Parliament until March has been met with about as much hostility as it can take, and about as much as …
Using courts to enforce ideology Toronto Star Greens see red over prorogued Parliament Northumberland Today
We now know all can tell that Parliament is closed for a holiday because the New federal Conservative Canadian Government even their local constituent offices do not bother to acknowledge emails, letters send to them including
calgary@ablonczy.com ;
Aglukkaq.L@parl.gc.ca ;
Day.S@parl.gc.ca ;
Toews.V@parl.gc.ca ; all while they all still do even get paid for it too.. or what they too do need PM Stephen Harper’s permission to do so as well?
How the Olympic flame could burn Stephen Harper Globe and Mail (blog) Jan 15, 2010Three leading national opinion polls – EKOS yesterday, Strategic Counsel a day before and now Harris-Decima – show Stephen Harper’s Conservatives and Mr. …
Prorogation tightens gap between Tories, Liberals CBC.ca Adam Dodek: A tale of two prorogations National Post (blog)
Shhhh! Stephen Harper is ‘recalibrating’ Globe and Mail - Jan 8, 2010Twice during his interview with Peter Mansbridge, Stephen Harper used the word “recalibrate” to describe what the Prime Minister planned to do now that he’s …
Travers: Why quiet is good for Stephen Harper Toronto Star
Harper has one thing going for him: Ignatieff Montreal Gazette
THE NEWS AIN’T GOOD FOR PM STEPHEN HARPER AND HIS CONSERVATIVES
From: IgnatM@parl.gc.ca
Sent: Thursday, January 07, 2010 4:31 PM
Subject: Stephen Harper shuts down Parliament
On behalf of Michael Ignatieff, I would like to acknowledge receipt of your recent email regarding Stephen Harper’s decision to shut down Parliament.
The Conservatives have forced the shutdown of Parliament to avoid accountability for their handling and cover-up of the Afghan detainee torture controversy. This is just the latest example in a consistent pattern of cynical behaviour by Mr. Harper – whenever he gets into political trouble, his first impulse is to steamroll over democratic institutions that get in the way.
Now, the Conservatives are trying to hide behind the Vancouver Olympics as an excuse for stifling dissent, even though other democratic host nations continued to have functioning Parliaments right up to or during their Games – including Canada in 1988.
The fact is Canadians care about the health of their democracy, their Parliament and how they are governed.
The sooner the House comes back, the better. In the meantime, while the Conservatives are taking an extended vacation, Liberals are working.
Next week, Michael Ignatieff will go on a cross-Canada tour to college and university campuses in order to engage our next generation of leaders in an exchange of ideas for building a more prosperous and fair Canada.
On January 25, when Parliament should have resumed, Liberal MPs will be back at work in Ottawa – hosting working sessions on the issues Canadians care about.
Please find a link to a copy of an op-ed that Michael has written regarding the shut down of Parliament: http://www.liberal.ca/en/blog/17190_leaders-op-ed-shutting-down-parliament-the-arrogance-of-power
Thank you for taking the time to write to the Leader of the Opposition.
Sincerely,
The Office of Michael Ignatieff, MP
Leader of the Official Opposition
Websites of Interest: www.liberal.ca www.liberalsenateforum.ca
QUEBEC, ONTARIO AND Nova Scotia premier says provinces must be consulted on Senate reformThe Canadian Press - The NDP premier says he’s worried that Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s renewed focus on revamping the upper chamber will be unilateral. …
A bad Liberal is the same as a bad Conservative now still too,, http://thenonconformer.wordpress.com/2009/11/23/inevitable-reality/
http://picasaweb.google.com/anonconformer/Thenonconformer#
OTTAWA — Parliament’s ethics commissioner has dropped an investigation into allegations by a Liberal MP that the federal government used taxpayer dollars for advertising programs that were thinly disguised attempts to promote the Conservative party. Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson concluded in a “discontinuance report” released Wednesday that federal conflict-of-interest legislation did not apply in the context of a complaint made by Liberal MP Martha Hall Findlay. “This decision flies in the face of the very purpose of the Conflict of Interest Act,” Hall Findlay responded Wednesday. “We are concerned that the ethics commissioner is constrained by the current atmosphere of intimidation by the Prime Minister’s Office. The commissioner declined to pursue this matter based entirely on a technicality. She has not addressed any of the substance of the allegation.”
http://www.canada.com/business/Ethics+commissioner+dismisses+Liberal+complaint+over/2437022/story.html
The biggest hoax and cruelty of the last decade in Canada was played upon us all by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the new Conservatives themselves who had initially promised to be fiscal responsible, open, transparent and who rather quickly degenerated to lieberal themselves .and almost all of us know can, see. It sill becomes too apparently clear with anyone who encounters, deals with the governments, civil and public servants, functionaries, at the federal, provincial, municipal levels, Medicare included now, that the related wastes, losses unnecessary are amounting up to 60 percent of the tax payers money too often. Better management can easily recover most of this waste and allow a much needed 30 percent increase of support to the poor and needy persons, seniors who wrongfully are being robbed, deprived of their much needed aid, assistance, help because of the pretentious, incompetent governments. This unnecessary cruel, despotic waste can be recovered by better management of all the resources, since “management” is clearly a mostly non existent act in the governments of Canada today, the only thing mostly our wasteful, incompetent, immoral politicians seem able to do is to raise more taxes falsely now too. Unacceptable as well.
STILL NOW HOW DOES THE TOO OFTEN USELESS, PRETENTIOUS CANADA’S FEDERAL HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT DESERVE MONTHS OF VACATIONS ANNUALLY AT THE TAX PAYER’S EXPENSE? WELL?
ANSWER: IT DOES NOT!
