Wednesday, December 30, 2009

And the PC takeover of the Reform Party is complete

Harper will shut down Parliament yet again, and appoint 5 new Senators in January:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper will ask the governor general to prorogue Parliament today until early March, CTV News has learned.

Parliament is currently on Christmas break and MPs are scheduled to return to the House on January 25.

But speculation has been rampant in recent weeks that Harper would ask to shut down Parliament until at least after the Winter Olympics in Vancouver are complete.

Such a move would halt the work of Parliamentary committees, including one that is investigating Afghan detainee abuse, an issue that has been plaguing the Conservatives for months.

If the governor general grants Harper's request, Parliament would return on March 3, according to CTV's chief political correspondent, Craig Oliver.

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posted by calgarygrit at 11:24 a.m.

13 Comments:

  • It could be worse. He could declare Martial Law and appoint himself Prime Minister for Life.

    On a more serious note, I think this is a trial balloon. They're just seeing what the polls will be like over the weekend and then decide if they want to be off until March or come back in January.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 11:54 a.m.  

  • I made this the last time Harper decided not to play well with others. Looks like its time to pull it out again!

    http://i36.tinypic.com/vgswso.jpg

    Is there a good reason for Michelle to let this go through, or can she just tell him no?

    By Blogger Martin, at 12:08 p.m.  

  • I agree with anon. 11:54 - Harper's trying to throw the opposition into another wasted frenzy and then do nothing.

    Strategically it forces the Coalition back into the picture as the only way Mr. Ignatieff can be PM

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:44 p.m.  

  • Must disagree with your "PC takeover" comment... This IS the Reform Party. Years of battling them on the Prairies really just highlighted one fact: they really were complaining about "cattle at the trough" because they were wanting their own "snouts" in there...

    These guys are politicians, just like the next ones, and the last ones, and they are somewhat more cynical, angrier, and more willing to break, bend, and twist the regulations and protocols of our national institutions for their own gain.

    For Harper to change Canada so "no-one will recognize it" when he's done will REQUIRE his destruction of our democratic institutions - or at the very least, to render them useless. THEN he can rebuild this country in the Republican US tradition.

    Only thing is, he got caught doing it in a minority. The Opposition will eventually unite on these matters... The Olympics WON'T give them the bump they think... Public sees through this crap (especially if there is lots of media and public uproar beforehand)...

    By Blogger WesternGrit, at 1:47 p.m.  

  • Prorogue = Cut and Run

    By Blogger CuJoYYC, at 2:03 p.m.  

  • Agreed with WesternGrit. This doesn't even seem like a Tory tactic - they at least had a somewhat healthy respect for democracy. These Reformers are taking major steps within the system to destroy it.

    God help us if Iggy doesn't get his act together. He's stood against these things before, he needs to stand up again. Or get Dion back in there; he at least had the balls to take Harper head on.

    By Blogger Kyle H., at 3:00 p.m.  

  • and how many times did Jean Cruton prorogue parliament/

    C'mon you good little liberals . . . fess up.

    PMSH is just screwin' around with you guys . . . . sooooooo much fun to watch

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 4:57 p.m.  

  • It would have been so much better if we had gone through another election this fall instead.

    Isn't that what Iggy promised we would do?

    By Blogger Paul, at 5:06 p.m.  

  • check out Akin's blog - seems that Chretien was the master of proroguing parliament.

    didn't the CTV pundits just last week decide that none of this would hurt Harper?

    Bring on an election so we can elected that alternative government....a Harper majority!

    Thanks Mr. Ignatieff!!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 5:19 p.m.  

  • Anon,

    The difference is that Chretien prorogued Parliament when it wouldn't do that much damage to anything. He also did it pretty sparingly, and it didn't last terribly long. Governments prorogue in order to start with a clean slate, after major bills get royal assent. There isn't much wrong with that.

    However, Harper hasn't done that. He's doing it to gain the plurality in the Senate, and he's killing off major bills before they've even gotten to committee. He's done it twice in a year, as well - Chretien never did that.

    There is a major difference with intent and result, here.

    By Blogger Kyle H., at 6:17 p.m.  

  • Trudeau prorogued parliament once a year for his first two majority mandates.

    This is a non-story and no one will care about it.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 12:55 a.m.  

  • Fred;PMSH is just screwin' around with you guys . . . . sooooooo much fun to watch


    News flash Fred. He is playing around with people like you as well but your to brainwashed to even notice. Must be your 13 year old mind.

    By Blogger marie, at 12:13 p.m.  

  • No big deal, except once again it shows Harper fails to do things differently than the Liberals. I am interested in who will be the Senate appointees.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 3:09 p.m.  

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