Who does Stephen Harper think he is? Charles I? Reuters:

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will address the nation on Wednesday night as speculation heightens that he will ask for a temporary suspension of Parliament to try to prevent the opposition from taking power.

Governor General Michaelle Jean, who will play a key role in the political crisis gripping the country, is due back from a foreign trip several hours before the prime minister speaks…. Jean is the representative in Canada of Queen Elizabeth, the country’s head of state, and must weigh competing constitutional arguments on whether to grant such a request or a possible later Conservative request to call a new election.

Suspend Parliament? A question for Slog’s Canadian readers: WTF?

38 replies on “King Harper”

  3. Well, Dan. I know you hate Harper, I do too, but the coalition with BQ is simply the stupidest idea ever and is going to make this country very unstable. Especially since BQ only committing to 18 month of support for Liberals and NDP. Also Dion will resign in May, so we’ll have new PM in 5 months. How fucking stable does this sound to you??!!! Either way we’ll have an election again. I am absolutely sick of it. They should just figure it out (without BQ). Global Economy is in shit, so it’s pretty natural that that people lean towards conservatives. We had liberals in power for a while so it’s time for Conservatives to be in power. It’s just a natural cycle of politics. Again I didn’t vote for him, but coalition with BQ is simply stupid and dangerous option.

  4. Oh and another thing. Michaelle Jean can just not accept the coalition proposal as unstable and simply order every one to negotiate again. I hope she does it.

  5. “The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I’ve just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.”

  6. if you aren’t paying attention to the political shit tornado going on up in America Lite, you should really start watching CBC.

    pop some popcorn, first, eh?

  7. @3. First of all, it is NOT a coalition with the BQ. It is an NDP-LIB coalition, with the support of the BQ. You know that during the Martin gov, Harper was having THE SAME TALKS with the BQ that the libs and ndp are having with them. Yes, the global economy is in shit, which is why prorogating parliament would be a dumbass thing to do. By definition the prime minister is someone who has the confidence of the house; Harper does not have that. He is a contradiction of terms. Yes a coalition backed by separatists sounds crazy. But the BQ have come to become a part of Canadian federal politics and have supported the Conservatives in the past too. And what about the time that the BQ was Her Majesty’s Loyal opposition? (which I think is crazy… but it happened nonetheless). What difference does it make? There is nothing that binds the BQ to the Lib-NDP coalition. Yes, the libs need to get their shit together, but as of right now, Harper does not have the confidence of the house, and therefore does not deserve to be PM.

  9. To actually answer Dan’s question: Harper has the right to ask the Governor-General to ‘prorogue’ or suspend parliament until January, when he will present the Conservatives’ full budget (in the hopes that if he makes some changes, the other parties will accept it, I guess?). Frankly, to me this seems way more undemocratic than a coalition (which Harper keeps screaming would be a coup d’etat).

    Another election is probably technically the most democratic option. But I don’t think Canadians want that – turnout will likely be extremely low, and the result will probably be almost the same as the last time around. So we’re left with the coalition. And yes, it might very well end up being unstable. But the government clearly isn’t working well or very stable right now, is it? And the BQ may be separatists, but they’re not stupid either, and they have as much interest in keeping the economy afloat as the rest of the country.

  11. #3: Having conservatives in power isn’t the answer. Bush/Cheney and their minions caused the economic crisis world wide, under the banner of conservatism; created the Iraq disaster, cheered on by neocons; and are busily sabotaging any kind of checks against further corporate plunder of this country as the Bush/Cheney regime runs out of time.
    Having some kind of sane people in charge without looting on their minds is what we all need, not just “liberal” or “conservative” dominance.

  12. Dan – he can suspend parliament for a limited and set-out period of time – like until mid january or so. but the optics are not so good. Charles 1 does truly come to mind.

  13. The imply that aligning yourself with the BQ (Quebec Separatists) is a bad thing is hypocritical for Steven Harper to do since he did it to defeat the last Liberal government here in Canada. Steven Harper loves to spin lies to sway people, they have the money to create media spots at this point where as the Liberal party is broke.
    I for one am loving this shake up. We need it in Canada because we just want to float along without much fuss most of the time. Harper is not popular. If he was he would have a majority, he doesn’t.
    To hear people saying things like “we voted already for Steven Harper” annoys me. Conservatives voted for him less than half the vote. The rest went to the other 3 parties. That is the problem but create a coalition and you have stronger opposition.
    I like this radical shakeup. We need it.
    Oh and @ #3 Political parties do not “naturally” take turns in governing. They do what they can to win. If it is was about “taking turns” then Harper would be out since he just had his turn. It is just not about taking turns.

  14. Explanation from
    http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/12/0…

    An adjournment [or parliament] is usually requested only after Parliament has dealt with a body of legislative work — not after just a few weeks of sitting — to give MPs a chance to get back to their constituencies and take a sounding.

    Of course, the fact that the three opposition parties are now proposing to defeat the government at the first opportunity and impose two of their number in the Conservatives’ place may be enough of a legislative mouthful to warrant adjourning the House for a time and letting MPs from all parties explain their ambitions a little more fully.

    Proroguing means any legislative initiatives currently underway are history and a new session picks up with a new speech from the throne and a new set of legislation

    … @3 & 7. The BQ’ll side with whoever they think is winning, which is why we just have to hope that Ottawa can contain the egos of Layton and Ignatieff in one coalition. Either way, Harper has to go – we stopped voting for the libs after all the $ scandals but it’s high time to see if they’ve learnt their lesson and hand the ship back to secular federalists. If it takes a suspension of parliament to do that, we can weather it. And the economy needs it in the long run.

  16. @9 @3 I generally like coalitions. I think they are democratic and functional, but this one will be not. If you want coalition it should be for the entire term not 18 month. After 18 month BQ can go and support Conservatives and Lib-NDP coalition doesn’t have majority.

    @9 another election might actually tip the balance Conservatives might get majority this time, as people are really fed up and want some government already.

    I am not sure, but I think more people might vote conservatives this time (they have stronger minority than before, so next time they might get majority)

  19. I would just like to thank our Canadian friends for actually making me happy to be a US citizen. I truly cannot remember the last time that happened.

  20. @7 ditto

    re: prorogation, yesterday Tony Clement said that even if parliament was suspended that wouldn’t stop the Cons from making spending promises during the suspension. He said, “Governments spend money all the time…” so, IMO, that’s a huge case against prorogation.

  21. @10: I will never, ever, ever understand why Australia let fucking Queen Betty’s representative just yank their duly elected Prime Minister out of office “because I said so”. And they STILL don’t want to be a republic. It just seems insane to me. Canada as well; the correct response to any attempt by the Governor-General to open his fucking mouth is to shoot him and send his body back to England in a plastic bag.

  23. One thing I haven’t spotted anyone saying:
    Harper was not elected, per se. He is the leader of the party with the most seats in the House of Parliament (we’re on the Westminster system), but didn’t capture enough seats for a majority.

    Thus he has a minority government. Roughly 5.5 million Canadians voted for his party, the Conservatives. However, 8.5 million voted for the Liberal Party (don’t be fooled, they’re basically mainstream conservatives), the New Democratic party, or the Bloc Quebecois (whose stated purpose is to fracture the country into three parts: Quebec, and two bits of English Canada).

    Harper essentially tried to gut our campaign finance laws and hamstring the opposition parties under the guise of “doing something about the economy” (though he, theoretically some sort of economist by training, refused to bring in any stimulus package for that purpose). Parliament revolted, and the three opposition parties sat up and OPPOSED.

    I too dislike having the Bloc anywhere near the levers of government. However, Harper has no-one to blame but himself for his own bald-faced power grab.

    Any coalition that includes most of the BQ will represent more Canadians than the Harper conservatives.

    A democratic constitutional monarchy in action is an awesome sight.

  25. I like that Dan comments that Canadians talk about American government, but sigh when Americans talk about theirs–and follows that up with several ignorant posts completely misunderstanding how democratic constitutional monarchies work and showing a complete lack of understanding of the Canadian Constitution.

    l2parliament, n00b

  26. But WHY? WHY do you want to answer to the fucking Queen of England? I understand how it works; I just don’t understand why you’d want to do that. She can’t even get away with that shit in her own country; why yours? Don’t you Canadians have any pride? Governor-General said so!

  27. @26
    – Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian (Haitian-born, but Canadian), not a Brit.
    – Making this kind of decision is pretty much the only real (as opposed to symbolic) power she has. Admittedly though, it is a big power – when she gets the chance to use it, which is very rare.
    – The Governor-General is appointed by the Canadian governing party, not by the Queen. Although she is technically the Queen’s representative (a historical holdover), Elizabeth II has absolutely no say in what she does. None. at all.

  28. Dan, this is called “proroguing” parliament. The PM can ask the Governor General to suspend parliament temporarily until its next scheduled sitting at which time he would be required to prepare a new budget and speech from the throne outlining the government’s new plans.

    Andy Niable — You’re an arrogant jackass.

  29. Oh and @26 “fnarf” — I’d rather have a symbolic head of state who’s job is purely ceremonial and who basically answers to the Prime Minister than a redneck from Texas who turns the entire world against the country with his moronic policies for eight years. I’d ask if Americans have any pride but they elected GWB. Twice.

  30. Here’s to hoping the GG decides to permit the coalition the right to govern.

    Regardless of what one thinks of the Bloc Quebecois, they were elected legitimately, and have every right to be included in the affairs of parliament. Harper’s rhetoric about “being in bed with the sepratists” is venemous. It’s probably much more damaging to national unity than allowing them to participate in diologue and the decision making process would be.

    And @ 26, the Governor-General’s power really only comes in at important moments like this. When politicians are to busy wallowing in their own shit than make important decisions for the country.

    I’d rather take my orders form her, than from some of the other douchebag heads-of-state around the world. Has it been 8 years already? How quickly one forgets.

  31. I don’t think the Governor-General will agree to prorogue Parliament as a dodge, as Harper is suggesting. I think Ms. Jean will want to rise a bit above that kind of thing, since it isn’t what prorogation is meant to be used for.

    I really don’t see what the fuss is about; the Conservatives are a minority government only because the Libs and NDP couldn’t agree to a coalition government after the last election. Now they’re agreeing to do that (on the grounds that Harper isn’t doing shit about the economy, which he isn’t), and so they want to form a new government without an intervening election.

    If Canadians wanted an American-style legislature, they could do that, too, but instead Canada has a parliamentary system, and this is one thing that not only can happen with a parliamentary system but that is also at times a very, very good feature of a parliamentary system. Almost any other parliamentary democracy has the potential for a similar thing happening.

    The Bloc also won’t be a part of the coalition; they’re just saying they will supported it for at least 18 months. My guess is, probably longer since a Lib/NDP cabinet will have more MPs from Quebec than do the Conservatives. (And Harper can’t even speak French…)

    Harper trying to prorogue Parliament also doesn’t really change the fact that his minority government isn’t doing anything. He’s out one way or another in the very near future.

  35. @34 Badly. That’s a key issue… French politicians who can’t speak English well have a hard time in English parts of Canada while those who speak French badly have a hard time winning over Quebec voters.

  36. Yeah, speaking good French is simply part of being part of national politics in Canada for anglophones; vice-versa for francophones. Harper’s French is just fine … for someone in college French 201 …

  37. All interesting contributions. There are a few points that have been missed entirely so I’ll throw in my 2 cents worth. Harper’s Conservative Party is not the Progressive Conservatives of our parents generation. Harper is a Reformer (still is), far more right than the PC’s ever were with deep roots and support from Evangelical Christians (sadly we do have them in Canada and large parts of their funding is funneled up from the US). The biggest source of the Conservatives private funding still comes from Evangelicals (is this starting to sound a bit like the Mormons of Utah meddling in the affairs of California) which is why Harper was prepared to to cut government funding to all the other parties. Federal funding is in place for the sole purpose of giving every potential political party in the country a voice, preventing the balance of power shifting to the ones with the most money. But I digress, when the Reformers came on to the scene they were essentially considered to be the Western equivalent of the Bloc. Reformers were largely red-neck scumbags who quite unabashedly spouted off racist, homophobic and sexist remarks and unapologetic about it. For decades the balance of political power was largely centric to Ontario and Quebec with western Canadian feeling they did not have a voice in Federal politics. With a growing economy in Alberta, and BC Provincial politics being such a mess (thank you NDP!) the time was ripe for a shift of power. Westerners largely supported the Reform to claim their national voice as the remnants of Mulroney’s Progressive Conservative party was in ruins and still smoking after losing official party status in ’97 after getting creamed by the Liberals when the Bloc became the Official Opposition. By 2000 in an attempt to make themselves more credible the Reform relaunched as the Canadian Conservative Reform Alliance. To which Brian Mulroney was famously quoted as calling them “Reform in pantyhose”. More generous than becoming known as CCRAP, if you added “Party” to their name. So they became the Canadian Alliance which Harper wrested control of in 2002 from Stockwell Day.
    Meanwhile the Conservative base in Atlantic Canada was certainly looking to rise from the ashes as and re-launched the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada led by Peter McKay. By the end of 2003 the Harper’s CA and McKay PC’s were discussing an Alliance. They sealed the deal in early March 2004 by what was viewed by many old school PC’s as a hostile takeover by the CA. Just in time for the Election in May 2004, which Paul Martin won a Minority Government. The Hot Button issue of that election? What would become Bill C-38, Same-Sex marriage. Although Ontario and BC had declared current marriage laws unconstitutional the rest of the provinces were falling like dominos on 2004, with a decision expected from the Supreme Court of Canada before the end of the year. In September of 2004 Harper sent a letter to then Governor General Adrianne Clarkson to dissolve Martin’s minority Government in favour of a Conservative Party and Bloc Queboise coalition government.
    Why is this relevant? Well, Canadians seem to forget just how Harper came to power, and that his roots are based in Evangelical ideology and money.
    Harper’s mandate as official opposition was not to work with Martin or critique but topple his Minority at any cost. Even if it meant getting in to bed with the Bloc. Due to the Liberal general ineptitude driven by the Sponsorship scandal, Harper was finally able to topple Martin and gain a Minority Government in the Spring of 2006. Paul Martin resigned as leader of the party as one is expected to do after losing an election.
    Harper couldn’t let the issue of Same-Sex marriage go, and how could he? It was a major platform of his campaign. And the Evangelicals were only too happy to throw money at Harper to make it go away once and for all. (Sounding a bit familiar to Prop 8?)
    Although passed in to law in July 2005, in Dec 2006 Harper tried to re-open the debate on Same Sex marriage which while supported by Harper’s minority the rest of the house voted no. Even though most Canadians, many who may not have agreed or supported the bill felt the debate was over and didn’t wait to waste more time and money on parliament on something the had been thoroughly debated with more pressing matters at hand. Harper showed his true colours to Canadian by pursuing a personal agenda instead of what was best for the country.

    An election can be called in Canada if the following criteria are met: 5 years have passed since the last election, the party in power resigns their leadership and asks the GG to call an election, the ruling party loses a confidence vote in the house. Typically a confidence vote is attached to big items like a budget.
    Since becoming PM, Harper is hungry for more power, namely a majority government. He’s widely known for keeping all his cabinet under his thumb, including his old rivals Stockwell Day and Peter McKay, and punishing those who don’t tow the partyline. So instead of working with the other party’s to do what is best for Canada Harper has attached the Confidence Vote clause to most legislation to drive through his own agenda. Why? With the Liberals having a leadership crisis and the only party who could possibly gain a minority or majority government over the Conservatives they aren’t going to trip a no confidence vote because they have no chance of winning an election.
    So what does Harper do this past summer with a looming financial crisis on the horizon? Try and sneak through an election while people are distracted by US Politics. Counting on voter fatigue and a weak Liberal party to try and gain a Majority, with a price tag of 300 million dollars. Perhaps money better spent bailing out the auto or forestry sectors? Debatable.

    So now we get to watch Harper lie, claw and sling mud in a desperate attempt to cling to power. That he has the unmitigated gaul to try and vilify the Bloc when only 4 short years ago he attempted his own powerplay in partnership with the Bloc to topple Paul Martin. The current proposed coalition is Lib/NDP with the consent of the Bloc, big difference. There are many options at this point and the decision lay with the GG, Madam Jean.
    For the Conservative Party to remain in power after a no confidence vote their only option would be for Harper to resign and the party to elect a new leader to prove they can regain confidence on the house.
    Don’t miss the forrest for the trees, Dion is a weak leader. The Liberals have already called a leadership vote in May of next year. This coalition is less about actually wresting on power from the Conservative Party than it is backing Harper in to a corner where he has no other option but to resign and exit politics forever. Peter McKay would be the most likely successor and likely able to achieve a majority.

    Did you make it up to Whistler Dan?

  38. @31, looks like Ms Jean decided not to rise above it all…

    Parliament shut down

    After lengthy meeting at Rideau Hall, Prime Minister obtains Governor-General’s consent to prorogue in face of opposition bid to his topple minority government…

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