Don Martin suggested in the National Post today that Stephen Harper "should reintroduce all prorogation-killed legislation in the Commons and demand it all be reinstated at their old place on the order paper..."
I don't think anyone really expected that the Conservatives wouldn't do this. But the opposition must make Mr. Harper pay a price for his arrogance in proroguing Parliament, and forcing all thirty-some-odd bills back to first reading seems a good first step. There is no way they can support any such demand from Stephen Harper.
But wait! Mr. Martin thinks that Mr. Harper might have a clever way of forcing the opposition to his will!. He thinks that "they should declare those confidence votes that, if rejected, would trigger an election." (Here is where I really hope Stephen Harper doesn't read Don Martin).
Now, I think it is obvious from my last post that I am not in favour of a spring election. But seriously? If Stephen Harper tries to force the reintroduction of the bills he killed as matters of confidence, then I think the Opposition has no choice but to bring him down.
Stephen Harper has a minority government, but he has been using a number of legislative tools, including unnecessary confidence motions and prorogation, to govern as if he had a majority for 4 years. If Mr. Harper does not approach the House of Commons with the humility this prorogation fiasco should have taught him, then I think that the opposition must force him to take his case to Canadians.
And a message to those Canadians? If that happens, I don't want to hear any whining about an unnecessary election. More than 200,000 of you have told our politicians loud and clear that you expect the HoC to operate in a fair and democratic way. If Stephen Harper hasn't gotten this message, then the Opposition has only one way of respecting your wishes: Bring the matter to you, the voters, to decide.
And if that happens, I do hope, really hope, that Canada's decision doesn't include the Conservative Party of Canada anywhere near being able to form government.
About Bgrice
- Brian G. Rice
- Mission, BC, Canada
- I am a political blogger and active member of the Liberal Party of Canada. I am President of the Pitt Meadows--Maple Ridge--Mission Federal Liberal Association, and I am Chair of the BC Federal Liberal Council. I live in Mission, BC with my wife and two children. The opinions expressed on this blog are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Liberal Party of Canada, the BC Federal Liberal Council, or my FLA.
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9 comments:
Before Don Martin had made his thoughts known, I think Harper had probably thought of reinstating the bills at their old place on the order paper.
I'm just afraid one of the opposition parties will cave into Harper.
In answer to your question, yes.
Would a confidence vote not sound a little selfish? He has done enough already to anger people.
The opposition should demand the unredacted documents in return for agreeing to reinstate the bills. If there is an election they can say it is about Harper refusing to bow to the will of Parliament.
Gayle
I agree with Gayle's approach.
I thnk that would be a great aproach, Gale. Though why they should have to bargain for them is beyond me. But perhaps that kind of comprimise is the nature of parliamentry politics.
While I like Gayle's approach, I am unconvinced that putting the election "blame" on Harper is the right move for Ignatieff.
My question: even if Ignatieff is successful in pinning the blame for an "unwanted" spring election on Harper, will that translate into votes from undecideds? Harper engineered the 08 election by blaming parliament as "dysfunctional" even though it was pointed out by pundits, opposition candidates and the MSM that Harper was one of the chief proponents in making the House unworkable! Yet, local Liberal candidates didn't get the support they needed.
The spring election needs to be fought on a policy issue - and unfortunately "democracy" isn't a policy issue. Furthermore, as an ideological issue, no party can claim to be the champion of democracy without basically preaching to their own choirs.
Lastly, as mad as Canadians are over prorogation, I remain skeptical that they are willing to mobilize behind Ignatieff or any Opposition party in an election triggered by Harper not "respecting the will of the house" when he's acting like he always has. What makes now different from last June? Polls. The optics are frightening and this is why Iggy is in "deny, deny, deny" mode.
There won't be a spring election unless Harper puts forward legislation that goes into a policy area that the Liberals can battle him head-to-head on; and win! Crime? Nope. Senate reform? Nope. Party financing? Nope.
Environment? Maybe. That is, if Harper doesn't change the channel to the economy, which he would. Therefore, the economy, which can go hand in hand with a moral issue - accountability, might be the only arena that the Liberals could battle the Conservative's on. Moreover, it's probably the policy area in which Harper believes he has an advantage which is even more testament to arrogance.
Ignatieff's denial mode is spot-on and he's done a great job resisting being baited by the media on the Hill. Harper will drag himself down, Iggy isn't going to talk election until Harper does.
My point was more about extracting something from Harper if he wants the bills reinstated and is going to try to force the issue by making it a confidence vote. To me the election is a secondary consideration, though the benefit is that Harper loses his ability to say it is about the opposition's refusal to reinstate the bills.
I am confused though, because doesn't it take a unanimous vote to reinstate the bills? He does not lose confidence of the House if a majority support him, but that will still not be enough to reinstate the legislation.
Gayle
All Harper has to do is tie the bills being reinstated with spending in some way and make it a confidence motion. He has done this before by wrapping ludicrous legislation within an omnibus money bill and then daring the opposition parties to vote down the money bill spending and challenge them to defeat the government and go to an election.
This is not shrewd on Harper's part this is just plain dishonest and treats all Canadians with contempt. It is akin to holding the Canadian Parliament hostage with a gun at their heads and then when they agree not to topple the MINORITY Conservatives, like all despots, Harper will then claim that the opposition parties were in favour of their bill/budget proposal!
Harper and the Conservatives are deceitful and are not leaders of Canadians, they plain and simply tell lies through political spin!
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