PM seeks Parliament shutdown till March 2010

[CougarKing]

What about all those anticrime bills that would be scuttled by this move?

From CBC news

The Conservative government plans to shut down Parliament for two months, until after the Vancouver Winter Olympics, the Prime Minister's Office announced Wednesday.

The announcement triggered immediate condemnation from opposition MPs who labelled the Conservative government's move as an "almost despotic" attempt to muzzle parliamentarians amid controversy over the Afghan detainees affair.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's spokesman Dimitri Soudas said a speech from the throne will be delivered on March 3, followed by presentation of the budget the next day. The session had been scheduled to resume on Jan. 25 after the holiday break.

Soudas said the prime minister spoke with Gov. Gen Michaëlle Jean over the phone earlier Wednesday. But Soudas said he was not allowed to discuss a "private conversation" between the prime minister and the Governor General and would not confirm whether Jean had yet approved Harper's request for the prorogation.

Rideau Hall has yet to comment on the announcement from the Prime Minister's Office.

The move to prorogue, or suspend, Parliament is widely seen as a strategic move by Harper to gain a majority on Senate committees while possibly also avoiding criticism over the Afghan detainee issue.

Opposition parties have already warned that prorogation would disrupt the inquiry of a parliamentary committee looking into accusations that the government ignored warnings about the torture of Afghan detainees. Strategically, prorogation also prevents question period criticisms from the opposition parties during the Olympics.

Liberal House Leader Ralph Goodale called the government's move "beyond arrogant."

"It's almost despotic,” Goodale told CBC News in an interview from Phoenix, Ariz.

“Three times in three years and twice within one year, the prime minister takes this extraordinary step to muzzle Parliament. This time it’s a coverup of what the Conservatives knew and when they knew it about torture in Afghanistan. So their solution is not to answer the questions but, rather, to padlock Parliament and shut down democracy.”

Before Wednesday's announcement, NDP House leader Libby Davies said there's no legitimate reason to prorogue Parliament and to do so would be a "political scam."

Tories could gain majority on Senate committees
By the time Parliament resumes, Harper would have had time to ask Jean to name five new senators, which would give the Conservatives a majority on the newly formed Senate committees and greater control for passing their own legislation.

Prorogation also effectively scuttles all bills before the current Parliament, including the government's vaunted anti-crime legislation, which the Conservatives had accused opposition parties of trying to stall. But private member's bills, such as Manitoba Tory backbencher Candice Hoeppner's bill to scrap the decade-old federal long-gun registry, would not be affected.

Harper successfully appealed to Jean to prorogue Parliament last December, thwarting all three opposition parties in their attempt to defeat his government in a no-confidence vote, and replace it with a proposed coalition between then Liberal leader Stéphane Dion's party and the NDP, with support from the Bloc Québécois.

After Jean granted Harper's request, the proposed coalition collapsed and Dion was replaced by current Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff, who gave his party's conditional support to the Conservatives' budget last January.

With files from The Canadian Press

 

[brihard]

This is an insult. The first time he asked to prorogue for politically expedient reasons was unprecedented, and now this second blatant attempt to do so, in an obvious effort to stack the senate, is too damned much. I vote Conservative in the last two elections. I will NOT do so again while Harper remains at the helm.

If you fear to face Parliament, that's even more indicative that, for the sake of the voters, you should anyway. I no longer feel that Harper is governing for the sake of Canadians, and it hurts to see that the ballot I cast in the last two elections has resulted in this. What he's doing is legal and constitutional, yes, but it flies in the face of the principles our system stands for- a government that is answerable and accountable to the people.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Brihard-

If Harper is as despotic as you seem to think that he is- why have the opposition parties not combined to defeat the Government and send the country to the polls on any number of issues this year? They are a minority government after all, aren't they? Surely, the people would see it your way and vote the Conservatives out, right?

As for "stacking" the Senate- he would be an idiot not to take every chance to stuff the place with Conservatives that will pass his legislative work and prevent it being blocked by the current Liberal crop of senators.  If you are going to argue with me that the Senate needs reforming- argue no further.  I agree.  But it ain't going to get done with a Conservative minority in Parliament, a Liberal Majority Senate and unfilled Senate seats.

Whether you support prorogation or not- nothing useful would have happened in Parliament over the Olympics anyway.  IMHO, this plays to the Opposition parties just as well- they get time to think and retool for a possible spring/summer election.

 

[armyvern]

Whether you support prorogation or not- nothing useful would have happened in Parliament over the Olympics anyway.  IMHO, this plays to the Opposition parties just as well- they get time to think and retool for a possible spring/summer election.

And they get to wait & see if the poll numbers turn in to their favour too because right now they aren't. Which also explains the reason why they haven't "come together to bring down the Government" ...

The things all parties of all political stripes do to manipulate their "own" standing; it's certainly not limited to the conservatives. They are all looking out for their own parties 'best interests' lest anyone (you too Brihard) out there have any doubt about that.

 

[Kat Stevens]

Let's not kid ourselves about Senate reform.  Whichever party sits, majority or not, the Senate will not be changed as long as it's a way to score political influence and reward loyal toads.

 

[ModlrMike]

This is an insult. The first time he asked to prorogue for politically expedient reasons was unprecedented, and now this second blatant attempt to do so, in an obvious effort to stack the senate, is too damned much. I vote Conservative in the last two elections. I will NOT do so again while Harper remains at the helm.

Yes, it was unprecedented. Never before had the opposition attempted to shanghai an election so soon after the polls had closed. If you think it's politically expedient to uphold the results of the election, then you misunderstand the term.

If you fear to face Parliament, that's even more indicative that, for the sake of the voters, you should anyway. I no longer feel that Harper is governing for the sake of Canadians, and it hurts to see that the ballot I cast in the last two elections has resulted in this. What he's doing is legal and constitutional, yes, but it flies in the face of the principles our system stands for- a government that is answerable and accountable to the people.

What he's doing is no more than others have done before. How do you think the Liberal majority in the Senate occurred in the first place? Perhaps a little history.... both Chretien and Martin filled all their available Senate vacancies before they left.

 

[Larkvall]

Gee these MPs are going to be working less hours than Reservists on standown for a couple months. I can see the whole lot of them boozing it up in Whistler in February on the public's dime. Seems they have forgotten we have a massive deficit!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

All MPs have offices in their home ridings. This is where they work and spend their time when not in Ottawa. Just because they are not sitting in the legislature doesn't mean they are on vacation. Matter of fact, if something pressing and urgent has been bothering you, now is the perfect time to gain your MPs ear. Call the office and say you want to speak to them. At least you won't get "Sorry he's\she's not available because they are in Ottawa".

I expect to see them out and about, kissing babies and quietly campaigning. When they return and the PM gives his throne speech and budget, the opposition will, once again, have to put up (call an election) or shut up. You can expect that either the Conservatives will be more than ready for the first possibility and have a bevy of bills to table, with their stong(er) Senate position, in case of the second.

It's not like they were going to get much done anyway. The opposition has failed to try and make parliment work because of their personal grudge with Harper, not because the legislation is no good. The liebral dominated senate has stalled and changed any approved legislation that has come their way. The only thing Iggy's yappy little ghetto dog Goodale can try make hay with is the Afghan torture broughhaha. Guess what? No one gives a rat's patootie about it but the liebrals, and for all the wrong reasons. CBC's own poll suggested a majority of Canadians really don't care about tortured Afghans. It is not an issue, but it's all the pitiful liebrals have.

 

[observor 69]

On the other hand Iggy, who is basically a good man, will have longer, including after they vote in the new budget, to learn his job.

 

[Journeyman]

Shared in accordance with copyright laws

PM calling Liberals' bluff, pollster suggests
Last Updated: Thursday, December 31, 2009
CBC News

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's decision to suspend Parliament until March is his way of challenging the Liberals to force an early election if they don't like the way he conducts government business, a Harris-Decima pollster said Thursday.

Bruce Anderson agrees with the prime minister that the move, approved Wednesday, will give Harper time to focus on implementing the government's economic plan. But the pollster says that's not its sole purpose.

"I think he wanted to send a clear message to the Liberals and to the other opposition parties that he really does intend to act as though he has a majority," Anderson told CBC News.

"He's really kind of thrown down the gauntlet to the Liberals, saying, 'If it's true that I prorogued last year because I was a bit afraid of the growing power of the opposition parties, this year I am doing it because of the exact opposite, fundamentally. I'm not afraid of them ... and if you don't like what I am doing, I challenge you to call an election.'"

------
Anderson said the suspension will also help the minority Conservative government "escape the never-ending difficult discussion about the Afghan detainee issue and to create a situation where he could take some time and hit the reset button" in terms of economic policy.

Critics have accused Harper of extending the parliamentary break to silence inquiries into the possible torture of detainees after they left Canadian custody in Afghanistan


------
Anderson said the parliamentary break provides a "very important window" for Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

"He needs to do a lot better personally in terms of connecting with people. And most importantly, I think the Liberal Party needs to have a clear distinct, alternate voice on economic policy if it's going to get competitive any time soon," the pollster said.

In the last year, Anderson said, the Liberals have failed to capitalize in any meaningful way on the economic difficulties, so "their work's cut out for them."

Link to complete article here

While I agree that this is an opportunity for the opposition parties, I also suspect that they'll spend it squabling about Parliament being prorogued, rather than anything substantive, which can only help the Conservatives more.

And as mentioned earlier, the "never-ending difficult discussion about the Afghan detainees" is only an issue for the media; since the voters don't seem to care about it, you can count on the Liberals shooting themselves in the foot by going on and on about it.

 

[Larkvall]

Sure they have riding offices. Thats where their staff spends their time spinning their party line. Here is good question. How many MPs actually know where their riding office is?

 

[Journeyman]

Here is good question. How many MPs actually know where their riding office is?

If that's your good question, I really don't want to see a dumb one.  :

 

[Larkvall]

If that's your good question, I really don't want to see a dumb one.  :

Well some of you guys obviously have more faith in these guys than I do!

 

[observor 69]

Shared in accordance with copyright laws
Link to complete article here

While I agree that this is an opportunity for the opposition parties, I also suspect that they'll spend it squabling about Parliament being prorogued, rather than anything substantive, which can only help the Conservatives more.

And as mentioned earlier, the "never-ending difficult discussion about the Afghan detainees" is only an issue for the media; since the voters don't seem to care about it, you can count on the Liberals shooting themselves in the foot by going on and on about it.

Working LINK

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Sure they have riding offices. Thats where their staff spends their time spinning their party line. Here is good question. How many MPs actually know where their riding office is?

Just so you know where yours is.


Honourable Dan McTeague, P.C., M.P.
Pickering-Scarborough East

Constituency Office 
6758 Kingston Road
Unit 3
Toronto, Ontario
M1B 1G8
Tel: (416) 287-0110
Fax: (416) 287-6160
dan@mcteague.ca

Ottawa Office 
Suite 302, Justice Building
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Tel: (613) 995-8082
Fax: (613) 993-6587
ottawa@mcteague.ca

 

[Old Sweat]

Sure they have riding offices. Thats where their staff spends their time spinning their party line. Here is good question. How many MPs actually know where their riding office is?

Sarcasm does not become you. Every MP knows where his or her riding office is. A well run riding office is essential to representing the constituents, regardless of party affiliation. The office is where people come for advice on their dealings with the Federal government and often to get help/advice on filling out forms. The office is a point of contact between the people and their MP and often is the first stage in problem solving. If any MP was stupid enough to ignore or stay away from the riding office and hence the people of the riding, his career in the House of Commons would be short.

Back in the riding, the MP spends a lot of time dealing with the local concerns and helping people of all political stripes. A lot of this entails making appearances at all sorts of functions all across the riding. My MP claims he would attend an envelope opening if invited.

 

[brihard]

Brihard-

If Harper is as despotic as you seem to think that he is- why have the opposition parties not combined to defeat the Government and send the country to the polls on any number of issues this year? They are a minority government after all, aren't they? Surely, the people would see it your way and vote the Conservatives out, right?

As for "stacking" the Senate- he would be an idiot not to take every chance to stuff the place with Conservatives that will pass his legislative work and prevent it being blocked by the current Liberal crop of senators.  If you are going to argue with me that the Senate needs reforming- argue no further.  I agree.  But it ain't going to get done with a Conservative minority in Parliament, a Liberal Majority Senate and unfilled Senate seats.

Whether you support prorogation or not- nothing useful would have happened in Parliament over the Olympics anyway.  IMHO, this plays to the Opposition parties just as well- they get time to think and retool for a possible spring/summer election.

I did not say despotic. I know the difference between our system and truly despotic ones, thank you very much.The term I prefer to sue is dereliction of duty. We elected Harper (Yes, I voted conservative twice, most recently from Kandahar) in order to fulfill a certain mandate and to lead our government in parliament. He is failing to do so. In what other public sector job could a leader simply decide that their ministry or department was going to just shut down for several months and not do anything? Anyone doing so would be out of work very damned quickly. What gives Harper any legitimate excuse to not face Parliament? That is his duty, and it is a gross failure of leadership for him not to do so. HE works for US. He is paid to lead our country. He has now pissed away MONTHS of legislative work, has suspended committees and commissions, and yet people seem willing to excuse this because 'it's just politics'.

I voted Conservative in part because of the crap the Liberals pulled in the last administrations they had, and now PM Harper is failing to live up to his duty to lead the country and parliament. If he remains in power through legitimate means and in the face of a legitimate, empowered opposition long enough to fill the senate, then it is absolute his place to do so. By denying the opposition a chance to challenge his government, he is essentially 'cheating' the parliamentary process. I'm certainly no friend to the politics of the NDP, and as stated I voted Conservative over Liberal for two elections now. My outrage over this issue has to do with Harper's abuse of the prorogue, which was only ever intended to be the means by which a parliament was closed at the end of its legislative session.

One other quick point, and I believe it was ModlrMike, in regards to the opposition trying to shanghai an election; you forget that the conservatives called an election in 2008 in contravention of their own four year election law. Since the 2008 election, where they failed to gain a majority, the Conservatives have nonetheless attempted to govern as if they had a majority mandate, and in fact have stated to directly. They are not a majority, they shouldn't try to act like one. Granted, the Liberals have been a lousy opposition beset by leadership challenges, and the NDP and Bloc are both full of dinks as always, but that does not excuse Harper attempting to govern in a way unjustified by the results of the last two elections.

My objections to Harper's government and the Prorogue in particular are because of the disregard they show for the proper functioning of a parliamentary democracy. Are minority governments difficult to manage? Yes- but the minority nature of the government shows that Harper does not have sufficient confidence from Canadians to govern as if he were a majority leader. He needs to further develop his party's policies and legislation and gain a majority if he wants to act like one. The conservatives will get a majority when they deserve and have earned a majority, and not before. I fear they have lost their chance to do so under Harper.

 

[Brad Sallows]

It looks sh!tty, and in some respects I agree.  But ask yourself why it came to this.  We don't know Harper's mind, but there are two causes celebres in the media: the question of treatment of detainees, and the Senate.

The opposition parties pay lip service to a "parliament that works for all Canadians", but their collective behaviour is more like a bunch of monkeys flinging scat around in the cage.  The detainee issue is being played for political advantage, not out of any real concern for the treatment of people in Afghanistan by agencies of the Afghanistan government.  I see no point in continuing such a parliament.

Various commenters lament the "anti-democratic" nature of Senate stacking, and sidestep the point that the Senate is an anti-democratic obstruction to the will of the government - particularly a minority government when the party line composition of the House is at odds with that of the Senate - in the first place.

Those who wish should of course dismiss the following as pro-Harper spin, but to me it makes practical sense: faced with obstructionists, political opportunists, and time-wasters, Harper has conceived a line of operations to cut through the bullsh!t to the next agenda item of substance (budget) and, perhaps, to breach Senate.  He doesn't have a majority government, so he systematically works to overcome the obstacles.  Is that wrong?

 

[Brad Sallows]

After we've had 10-13 years of minority/majority Conservative government, I may be ready to vote Liberal or NDP again.  Until then, I confess I haven't much respect for all the hand-wringers who find themselves upset after not quite 4 years of minority Conservative government.  All statesmen must be successful politicians; not all politicians (few, in my view) are competent statesmen.  I do not for a minute believe it is possible that any particular government can condense more foolish and selfish behaviour into a year than any other.  4 != 13.  A few more years of Conservative government are in order rather than risk telegraphing the message of entitlement to the Liberals.  What have the Liberals done to show they deserve to govern?  They will just pick up where they left off, thinking that we must love them after all if we could stand only a brief minority interregnum.

All of that is quite apart from the comparison of Harper : Ignatieff : Layton as PM; please remember that the power centralized in the PMO will belong to one of them and be his to wield after the next election.

 

[ModlrMike]

One other quick point, and I believe it was ModlrMike, in regards to the opposition trying to shanghai an election; you forget that the conservatives called an election in 2008 in contravention of their own four year election law.

No, they did not. If you read the Canada Elections Act you will find...

Powers of Governor General preserved
56.1 (1) Nothing in this section affects the powers of the Governor General, including the power to dissolve Parliament at the Governor General’s discretion.

Election dates

(2) Subject to subsection (1), each general election must be held on the third Monday of October in the fourth calendar year following polling day for the last general election, with the first general election after this section comes into force being held on Monday, October 19, 2009.

2007, c. 10, s. 1.

Ref: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/E-2.01/page-4.html#anchorbo-ga:l_5-gb:s_56_1

Subsection 1 clearly shows that the power of the GG to dissolve parliament regardless of requirements of subsection 2.


In addition, in the action of Conacher v. Canada (Prime Minister), the court ruled against the applicants.
Ref: http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/en/2009/2009fc920/2009fc920.html

...the Conservatives have nonetheless attempted to govern as if they had a majority mandate, and in fact have stated to directly.

So what? Would you rather they accomplish nothing? That we have a permanent "lame duck" style of government. If the opposition doesn't like how the Government is behaving, they have had plenty of opportunity to attempt to change that by voting against them. I seem to recall that they opted not to do that in excess of 70 times. The Conservatives have acted like a majority government because the Liberals and the Bloc have allowed them to. Don't for a moment think it would be different if the tables were turned.

You've cast your ballot twice, for which I thank you, however having participated in well more than two elections... take my word, there's nothing new going on here.