Oh, what a fascinating time to be a Canadian.
After years of declining interest in politics and government in general, Canada's three opposition parties have found a way to forget their long-held animosities and work together to oust the pro-American Conservative government. We could be living with a European-style coalition government by Christmas.
While the Tories are doing their best to pooh-pooh the idea, they seem to forget that Coalition Governments are indeed quite legal, and have historical precedence in Canada. All it takes is for the opposition parties to vote non-confidence in the Tories, and then convince the Governor General that they have a workable cabinet.
While it sounds fantastic, this plan just might work. Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien and one-time NDP Leader Ed Broadbent are both working on behalf of the Coalition, and they have helped send the Tories into full retreat mode.
Sunday may have been the most extraordinary day in Canadian politics for more than a century.
It started when the Tories foolishly released a surreptitious recording of an NDP caucus conference call, wherein Jack Layton made some kind of apparent confession (?) about cooperating with the Bloc Quebec.
While youthful Tory pitchman Pierre Poilievre feigned outrage over Layton’s remarks, NDP deputy leader Thomas Muclair of Montreal made mincemeat of Harper’s parliamentary secretary by describing the recording as a “illegal interception of a communication” and a blatant breach of the criminal code. High profile criminal lawyer Clayton Ruby is on the case.
Reality, and their own impending doom, seemed to dawn on the government around mid-afternoon, when Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told CTV’s Craig Oliver that the government would introduce its budget, complete with stimulus package, in the final week of January. Cynics will note the conveniently coincidental timing with the inauguration of Barack Obama as the new American president.
So why has this happened, and is it really just a power grab by the opposition parties, as described by the now floundering Conservative government?
I think not.
Remember, this is the same Conservative government that has spent the past three years negotiating ‘deep integration’ and the little known Economic Security and Prosperity Partnership with the Bush White House. Those talks continue with the new Democratic-led U.S. government which has announced its intention to be far more protectionist that its Republican predecessors. Obama and his new team no doubt look to the free-trade-loving Conservatives as a natural partner.
Dion, Ignatieff, Rae, Layton and Duceppe deserve kudos for standing up for Canadian independence, which I hope is the real crux of what is happening in Ottawa today.
As the Americans ramp up their ‘USA First’ trading plan (watch CNN’s Lou Dobbs for a good outline of things in store for America’s trading partners), even some Tories are having serious doubts whether their apparently utopian ideal of a continental free trade zone can succeed, and whether it is even a good idea anymore, given the stated objectives of the new administration in Washington.
But back to Ottawa, and the matter at hand. I would feel a lot more confident in the future of this Coalition proposal if proposed cabinet ministers had his or her budgets ready to go on the day they announce the deal. These people have spent years trying to get into government, let's see how much homework they've done.
I also hope the Coalition shows a little leadership and brings in a somewhat smaller cabinet than the record-setting 38 Tories recently appointed by Harper. If a Coalition wants to prove their leadership, they need to show at least some restraint, especially in regards to their own themselves.
Indeed, there is still the possiblity that these coalition talks are nothing more than the convenient merging of several different power grabs at the same time and place. I hope not.
And the jury is till out on whether this coalition will succeed or not. Personally, I think it's a wonderful thing to see three of our political parties learning to work together in Parliament. Let's hope the Tories either join the discussions, or get out of the way.
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6 comments:
Harper's "pro-American" inclinations are now irrelevant, and at best, completely redundant. Most of the "Security and Prosperity Partnership" and "deep integration" alarums were functions of paranoid hysteria anywway, serving only to mask the more insidious American influence abroad in Canada during Harper's tenure, just one corrosive aspect of which was the sublimation of Canada's formerly working-class opposition party (the NDP) to the status of a kind of wholly-owned subsidiary of the American counterculture left, which Obama, in his turn, has rendered irrelevant and redundant.
(By the way, thrilling as Obama's election was, an Obama White House will probably be "bad for Canada," economically-speaking. He's no free trader, and Canadian Obama enthusiasts should ready themselves for the whip to come down).
I don't think there's anything wily or cunning about Harper want to wait to see what Obama will do before tabling a full budget. It only makes sense, given the degree to which American policy implicates our economy (and most developed-world economies, for that matter).
Anyone who closes watches the NDP knows full well that a coalition has been in Layton's dreams for some months. These recent developments serve the NDP's interests almost exclusively, especially since the NDP - despite unprecedented attention in the recent election campaign, almost to the point that the mass media came close to subjecting NDP policies to serious scrutiny for once - produced the most dismal electoral gains under Layton. Six-tenths of one per cent, if I'm not mistaken.
I agree that this has been a most interesting weekend. Harper dramatically upped the ante of the Parliamentary game to see who'd blink, and while he caught everyone by surprise, he grossly miscalculated. The Opposition said "We see you and we raise you." Dion had nothing to lose, anyway. Layton had everything to gain. Duceppe is just along for the ride.
Harper blinked, and backed down on from his most egregiously belligerent positions, but it may be too late. He got the game going. He's got too many chips on the table now, so all he can do is cut his losses as much as possible. But the Opposition is similarly invested, and there's just no percentage in folding.
It would have been really interesting if the Liberal caucus had decided to elevate Ignatieff to coalition leader; most of the caucus supports Iggy over Rae. But now, that showdown will have to wait again, and in the long war, the fight for the Liberal leadership will be the pivotal battle for power in this country.
The rest is spectacle.
CBC reported earlier today that Ignatieff will not be in the 24-member cabinet. That be a smart move.
And Bob Rae has apparently been pegged as the new minister of finance. That's definitely a real risk.
The real question is who will win the Liberal leadership convention in May. I'm guessing that Stephane Dion might even throw his own hat back into the ring.
Heck, this the Liberal party. And I wouldn't be surprised to see half a dozen people jump in now that they know the winner gets an automatic bye into 24 Sussex.
Fascinating.
Let's at least let the people decide. If this is truly a representation of the people, let us all send the message to Harper and the Conservatives. If it is not, then at least we are still a democracy!
I don't care if you love or hate Harper or the Conservatives - to just destroy the entire country's ballots because the opposition decided to get together and plan this is ludicrous. We are a democracy, let the people decide.
If we vote for the coalition, great - let's do it. If we vote it down, then I think we've averted an injustice on the people. Forcing something like this is nothing short of fascist.
http://www.PetitionOnline.com/CANADIAN/petition.html
We need to vote. We send our troops overseas to fight for freedom. We should at least enjoy it here. Put it to the people - let us have our say!
Greg:
The people have voted, and the governor general has the authority to convene whatever parliament she is capable of bringing together. That is how the Canadian system works.
Frankly, it's a little over the top to be calling our parliamentary system fascist, and I almost deleted your comment because of that word.
But, you have heartfelt legitimate concerns.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Byng_Affair
And although this is fascinating politics, it has great potential to backfire on Dion and the NDP, just like it did on the last Coalition government.
And despite the signed agreement that this coalition will stay together until June 2010, I will bodly predict that we will be back at the polls next summer.
Not the most interesting in a century, but rather, the most interesting since April 17, 1982, when the Queen of Canada repatriated the Canadian Constitution.
Hi Dan,
The best sum up comment I have read thus far is from Don Martin of the Financial Post December 03/08:
"If an infuriated electorate had the chance, it would vote a pox on everybody, blaming a dumb Harper provocation for a dumber Canadian alliance of misfits. One can only weep at the sad spectacle of it all."
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