Friday, November 28, 2008

Scott Brison on what will happen

Scott Brison gave this interview to the Globe and Mail today on what will happen in parliament.

I just took a look at some Blogging Tories sites and I am shocked by their weak understanding of Canadian democracy. Don't they teach this stuff in school anymore? I guess the Conservative's understanding of Canadian civics is only matched by their understanding of the economy.

There are 305 elected members in the House of Commons. In our democracy, you either find the support of more than half of those elected representatives to form a government and pass legislation or you do not and are defeated. There is not alot of ambiguity about that.

You have to work with the other parties in a minority. Harper chose not to. What I find bizarre about all this is: the Conservatives seem surprised.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Regime Change

In the current economic crisis which Stephen Harper has likened in potential scale to the Great Depression and in light of a recent election, it would be irresponsible of the Governor-General to dissolve parliament at this time if the current ministry is defeated because of its unwillingness to bend to the will of the House of Commons.

It is clear that the current ministry does not intend, or is not intellectully able, to introduce the measures necessary to diminish the impact of the coming recession. In fact, the Harper government seems to be so fully occupied with cheap political gamesmanship that cooperation in the current session appears highly unlikely.

And yet the Liberal minority government led by Lester Pearson was one of the most fruitful legislative periods in Canadian history.

Its time for regime change.