Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Days of our Parliamentary Lives - Wednesday Night Edition



Previously on days of our parliamentary lives...

Gilles and Stock plotted to form a coalition. Gilles, Jack, and Steve plotted to form a coalition. Gilles, Jack, and Stephane plotted to form a coalition (now the #3 story in the world).

And now, today's thrilling non-conclusion to our story:


1. A Leger poll is out tonight.


2. Rob Silver has an interest take on the deal with the Bloc.


3. Michael Chong's take on this: "we misread the situation". Chong strikes me as one of the real stand-up guys in the Tory caucus and I hope he has a prominent role in their party post-Harper.


4. Canada's New Opposition blog is launched.


5. Liberal insider Don Martin pulls an Ivison and starts speculating about a Liberal Cabinet.


6. Constitutional expert Bob Beal has everything you ever wanted to know about prorogation, but were too afraid to ask. He tosses scenario out as an idea - my money is on this happening tomorrow:

The Governor-General could prorogue the House, but on the condition that the government operate as it would between the time of a dissolution of Parliament and an election. That means the government could manage day-to-day affairs until Parliament was again summoned. But it could not do many things governments usually do. It could not, for example, appoint judges or ambassadors, or negotiate treaties with other countries, or take major policy initiatives that might bind future governments. In other words, the Governor-General would not approve orders-in-council that require cabinet decisions.


7. Danielle Takacs rebuts my concern over the coalition.

Labels:

posted by calgarygrit at 10:33 p.m.

11 Comments:

  • I personally prefer the prorogue view of the last GG faced with a minority government:

    http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/12/03/parl-schreyer.html

    "He said the legitimacy of the proposed coalition between the Liberals and New Democrats, with the support of the Bloc Québécois, is "unquestionable," because it has been formalized by written agreement.

    "We are a parliamentary democracy," Schreyer said. "And governments are elected according to whether or not they have and are able to maintain the confidence of a majority in Parliament. And if we are to remain a parliamentary democracy, then the parliamentary will must not be ignored, nor must it be avoided or evaded.""

    By Blogger MississaugaPeter, at 11:43 p.m.  

  • HI CG

    So it would appear that Steve will be given a mulligan
    Part of me says that may be OK but it would have been much better (for the country and the parliament) if Steve had (even sort of ) asked for it.
    I fear that once we are into Jan and Feb it will be same-old, same-old, back to the old Steve Canadians love (to hate).
    That will be partially because the Cons will be mounting a media campaign like we have never seen.
    And the coalition's will be 20 minutes late.
    As you argued in a previous blog you have to be careful what you wish for...particularly it you
    a) don't have the (TEAM of)horses to pull it off
    b) ignore the law or unintended consequences.
    Frankly the coalition should cement their gains and exit with heads high, vs being forced to skulk into the night like whipped pups.
    With the former gains will come down the road (or in heaven), with the later Steve will rub their nose in it for years.
    Life is a bitch....

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:10 a.m.  

  • Where the hell are the LPC's fundraising requests?

    Is anyone receiving any?

    By Blogger Gayle, at 12:20 a.m.  

  • "Frankly the coalition should cement their gains and exit with heads high..."

    I'd be interested in your thoughts on how that's to be done. The coalition has no exit strategy, and Harper hasn't given them any.

    By Blogger James Bow, at 12:27 a.m.  

  • I'm HOPING that this prorogation makes everyone cools down, and puts an exit strategy on the table.

    If Harper can compromise on his budget, I believe the coalition would be willing to back down (especially if the public is against them).

    But, at this point, there's no way this parliament can last 2.5 years. My guess is that we'll be heading to the polls by June, once the Liberals select their new leader.

    By Blogger calgarygrit, at 12:29 a.m.  

  • GC
    Is there any hope?
    A few days ago every newspaper in the country was denouncing Steve and savaging him for the frat boy stink bombs in the FU.
    Now the MSM will be all over the late and grainy tapes of Dion's statement
    How typical.
    I thought CBC's Politics was fair and balanced.
    The rest especially ConservativeTV (CTV) and Marchand on CBC Newsworld were pathetic,mainly spewing uinformed tripe.
    The coalition is dead meat unless they can message right as opposed to just being right.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:36 a.m.  

  • Ask Broadbent and Chretien what the exit strategy is.
    They, not Liberals, cooked up the coalition.

    How can Dion stay on as interm leader if his government take over fails?

    By Blogger wilson, at 12:59 a.m.  

  • On CPAC tonight they said there was no way out for anyone.

    The coalition cannot support Harper now. Harper cannot accept the support of the Bloc after all his comments about collusion with separtists.

    This will either go to an election or to a coalition government, which means liberals have to stay committed to a coalition.

    By Blogger Gayle, at 1:18 a.m.  

  • "This will either go to an election or to a coalition government, which means liberals have to stay committed to a coalition."

    Or the Liberal and/or Conservative backbenchers revolt before the confidence vote. Not everyone is going to be stupid enough to go down with this ship.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 1:47 a.m.  

  • If there is one thing we can take from this appearance by Harper it is that he is never going to compromise. He is not willing to accept responsibility for his role in any of this. He points fingers at the coalition and claims they are working with the separtists, while denying he was making his own deals with the Bloc. He accuses the coalition of aiding the separtist cause, while by all reports it is his inflamatory language that is doing that.

    He could have been conciliatory tonight, as so many people suggested, but instead he decided to maintain the rhetoric. He has proven there is no point trying to work with him, unless you will give in to each and every one of his demands.

    Backing down now is ceding a de facto majority. No one wants to have to rely on a coalition, but Harper gave the country no choice.

    Since the House will likely be prorogued, the coalition is going to have to use this time to tie up loose ends and prepare for a possible election if the GG refuses to allow them to govern.

    In the meantime I suggest they go after Harper hard over inflaming separtist sentiment in Quebec. The media have already shown they are not going to give him a free ride over this issue.

    By Blogger Gayle, at 2:46 a.m.  

  • "Where the hell are the LPC's fundraising requests?

    Is anyone receiving any?"

    By Gayle, at 12:20 AM

    I've been receiving a lot of emails from the LPC requesting a donation.

    By Blogger penlan, at 7:10 a.m.  

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