Posted on 12/07/2008 6:32:08 AM PST by mkjessup
TORONTO — The Toronto Star is quoting senior Liberal Party sources as saying it is now a forgone conclusion that Stephane Dion will resign as Liberal leader before Christmas. In a report Sunday, the newspaper says it is likely Dion will come under irresistible pressure to step down at the Liberal caucus meeting in Ottawa on Wednesday.
(Excerpt) Read more at thechronicleherald.ca ...
For your morning amusement...LOL
What in the hell is going on in Canada? I’m glad we don’t have a parlimentary system where a coalition of groups can join together and effectively overturn the will of the people following a recent election like in Canada. You talk about chaos! It’s like a bloodless coup.
Or you could live in CA like me where we passed Prop 8 [twice] ... and the state is still going to overturn it.
BTW, why did Canada never rebel and leave Britain?
Canada was the ‘good son’ who honored it’s father’s wishes and stayed loyal to King George, as opposed to those ungrateful scalawags and rebels in the American colonies, lol
It’s like a bloodless coup.
And what the hell do you think we just witnessed here in the US?
It’s the same thing??
The opposition parties (LIEberals, Communist (NDP) and the Bloc-head secessionists in Quebec) overreached it appears, as the latest polls show that if an election were held today in Canada, that Harper and his conservatives would win with approximately 45+ percent of the vote which would give them a solid majority.
If the coup plotters try to topple the government again next month, I believe Harper will end up being PM for a very long time after the electorate speaks.
Canadians may tilt liberal, but they believe in fair play and they didn’t appreciate the attempted coup d’etat of this past week.
“What in the hell is going on in Canada? I’m glad we don’t have a parlimentary system where a coalition of groups can join together and effectively overturn the will of the people following a recent election like in Canada”
“Overturning the will of the people” is exactly the rationale the Senate democrats will use in 2009 when they employ “the nuclear option” to change the 60-vote filibuster rule, so that a “minority” of 42 Republicans won’t be able to thwart “the will of the people”....
- John
So the opposition can call for elections at any time?
No, they can’t call for elections on a whim, but if they were able to topple the government (for example, on a budget motion, or a no-confidence vote), it would result in the current minority government (Harper’s gov’t) being thrown out of power, and the Governor-General (the Queen’s ‘representative’ in Canada) would call for an election.
What the opposition coalition plotters were trying to do was to get the Governor-General to just sign off on their plan to jettison Harper and his party from power, and they were going to just waltz right in with Dion as the PM, and literally take over the reins of government without a vote.
Fortunately, reason prevailed.
I as thinking about that yesterday. It has to have an effect on how you think of your country and its place in the world. No wonder they are such wusses!!!
“Overturning the will of the people” is exactly the rationale the Senate democrats will use in 2009 when they employ “the nuclear option” to change the 60-vote filibuster rule, so that a “minority” of 42 Republicans won’t be able to thwart “the will of the people”....
The spineless GOP could have used an existing rule (nuclear option) to get a floor vote on judicial appointments a few years back but chose to capitulate to the left. The majority makes the rules. When the GOP starts acting like conservatives again then they will regain control of Congress and make the rules. Copying the left’s agenda obviously doesn’t appeal to voters. They opted for the real thing instead.
“What the opposition coalition plotters were trying to do was to get the Governor-General to just sign off on their plan to jettison Harper and his party from power, and they were going to just waltz right in with Dion as the PM, and literally take over the reins of government without a vote.”
Absolutely frightening!
Er . . . I think we are at this place as well. Bailouts, earmarks, Immigration, two-Party duopoly, etc. all are examples of interests overriding the clear will of the majority of the people. Really no difference IMO.
Sadly, very true.
Because the British weren't stupid a second time. When Canada was ready for independence they got it.
Does Dion actually understand spoken English?
That's not soon enough.
With Dion gone who is going to lead the Belmonts?
...can YOU tell me where he's gaw..uh...aw...uh..awn?
I’d seen that performance and wondered if that was the norm for this guy.
-
We should instigate a write in campaign to keep him exactly where he his...
I’m confused by your statement! No one voted in the conservatives. The conservatives won enough seats to govern with a minority. They were deemed to be in the best position to run the government because they won more seats than Lib NDP Bloc. The system chose them, 64% of canadians didn’t.
In Canada we vote for our representative. We don’t elect parties or party leaders, we elect our representatives.
The fact that our representative belongs to a party is how governments are formed. We don’t choose the leader of that party in the electoral process, the party does.
It’s not at all frightening, it’s the process. It’s how it’s supposed to work.
Why do they want this guy out so badly?
Because the liberals have realised that the guy is a epic failure. The best thing in the world conservatives could do is assure the liberals that he’s their greatest asset.
If Dion stays on, a majority is almost in the bag.
It’s not that simple. The way a parliamentary system works is that you only require a plurality of seats in the House to govern, not an outright majority. However, because the government proposes legislation (because our Prime Minister sits in the House of Commons) certain matters are put to the House as matters of confidence in the government. For example, budgets and “mini-budgets”. As well as anything the government deems a confidence motion.
In our current situation, 155 seats would constitute a majority in parliament. It is very difficult for a majority government to lose the confidence of the House because they control the majority of seats. The reason the opposition in the House is called “Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition” is that it is their job to ensure the government is acting in the people’s best interest.
In a minority government situation, when the House loses confidence in the government the Prime Minister must meet with the Governor General. The Prime Minister advises the GG that he has lost the confidence of the House and he suggests one of two options to her. She can either call an election, or propose that a coalition of the opposition parties (constituting a plurality of the House) be given the chance to form a government. It is her perogative which option she chooses.
It is important to note that in the current situation, the only way for the opposition to form a plurality (and in this case a slim majority) is for all 3 opposition parties to be present in the coalition, any 2 of them together could not form a government, as they would not be able to pass any confidence motions and the new PM would be required to go to the GG and ask for an election.
In this case, because of the public posturing by the opposition, the PM met with the Governor General and asked her to “porogue” parliament. Which basically means all legislation currently in process is null and void, and we get to start with a Speech from the Throne. It’s like hitting hte reset button on the legislature.
The Throne Speech sets the priorities of the government for that session of parliament and must also be voted on by the House. It is a confidence motion and failure of the government to pass the motion will result in the government losing the confidence of the House. Note this is the 2nd time that Harper has asked the GG to porogue parliament.
In the end it’s not as frightening as it seems. It’s life in a parliamentary system.
Also note that the government does not need a majority of parliament to pass any legislation (nor does the opposition) they only need a majority of the members present and voting on that day.
Hope this helps.
Or lose a confidence vote ala Joe Clarke.
Nice explanation BTW...much better than mine.
Thanks for the info.
That is what it’s like. It’s an awful system. We should have dumped it long long ago. I guess, however, that is easier said than done. I don’t like it at all. You have a much better system with lot of built in protections against this type of government. I figure it’s the most unstable form of Government there is.
I am so angry over this. I’d like to start shooting. Anyways, as usual, the Liberals are shooting themselves at the moment. Lots of infighting. The NDP are a little more cohesive but not palatible to the public and the Bloc are irrelevant imo. CO
I know, I literally tear my hair watching the GOP keep trying to “play nice” with these ravenous wolves called the Democratic Party. The Dems are a party of corrupt thieves and they have absolutely no scruples whatsoever. You have to fight fire with fire. I just cannot believe, however, that the USA would vote in such an extreme SOCIALIST!!!!! I know there was a ton of voter fraud but that too, is just astounding. I can’t get over how our countries are heading south (to hell) in such a hurry. There NEEDS to be a very swift turn around and waking up. Canadians need to get off their A$$es and fight for a change. Americans, need to wake up to what is coming to their neighbourhood - SOON. CO
He hasn't aged well.
oh my GAWD, that is HILARIOUS!
“BTW, why did Canada never rebel and leave Britain?”
Because after losing the Revolutionary war, Britain became afraid of the same thing happening in Canada so they gave us just enough freedom to keep us from rising up against them, but not the full measure you Americans have (no gun rights or property rights in our constitutions)
Plus, all the Americans who wanted to stay British moved up here to get away from becoming a citizen in a free republic.
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