Will Canada's Gov't be next casualty of crisis

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Toronto's Star

Harper adds fuel to fire TheStar.com - Opinion - Harper adds fuel to fire
December 04, 2008

If there is any contrition in Prime Minister Stephen Harper over his own role in plunging the country into a political crisis, it was not on display last night.

Instead, in a brief televised address to the nation, Harper was on the attack. He accused the opposition coalition arrayed against him of seeking to "overturn the results" of the Oct. 14 election, "without your say, without your consent, and without your vote" and of making a deal with a party "whose avowed goal is to break up the country" (the Bloc Québécois).

"This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists," declared Harper. "It is the time for Canada's government to focus on the economy."

Finally, Harper closed with a pledge to use "every legal means" at his disposal to prevent the coalition from taking power. This was a reference to Harper's expected appeal to Governor General Michaëlle Jean to "prorogue" Parliament for a couple of months, thereby allowing him to avoid next week's non-confidence vote in the House of Commons.

The speech was breathtakingly audacious, both in its twisting of the facts and its misinterpretation of our parliamentary traditions.

Canada does not have a presidential system. Canadians did not elect Stephen Harper as Prime Minister on Oct. 14. They elected a Parliament, to which the government of the day must be responsible. Harper's Conservatives have more seats than any other party in that Parliament. But they do not have a majority. That means they need the support of at least one of the three opposition parties to govern.

Ignoring that reality, the Harper government last week brought forward an "economic statement" that contained no significant new measures for the economy. Instead, there were ideologically driven poison pills that Harper must have known the opposition parties could not swallow. In response, the opposition parties got together and decided to offer themselves up as an alternative government.

It is not a "separatist" coalition. While it would have the support of the Bloc Québécois on budget measures and other confidence votes, no members of that party would sit in cabinet.

Furthermore, nothing in the accord signed by all three opposition parties would lead to the breakup of the country. (See the text of the accord on page AA6.) Rather, the accord calls for measures to stimulate the economy, including infrastructure investments, enhancements in Employment Insurance, and aid for the auto and forestry sectors. Those would be welcomed by most Canadians.

For his part, Harper made a vague promise last night of "additional measures to boost Canada's economy" in a budget on Jan. 27.

Will Harper still be Prime Minister then? It would seem so, if Jean grants his request for prorogation today.

This request puts the Governor General in an invidious position. Many legal and constitutional experts say she should reject Harper's request as it is clearly designed to avoid a non-confidence vote next week. But if she did, she would expose her office to accusations of partisanship.

If Harper gets his way, he will likely use the next two months to press his attack on the opposition coalition as "separatist." (Interestingly, in the French version of last night's speech, Harper used the softer term "sovereignist.")

It is a dangerous tactic, for it risks stirring up anti-Canada resentments in Quebec and anti-Quebec feelings in the rest of the country. Then we might have a national unity crisis layered on top of the economic crisis.

Altogether, it was not an impressive night's work for Harper


http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/548127

Photo: The Canadian Press

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Photo: The Canadian Press

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Photo: The Canadian Press

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Stephen Harper addresses the nation about the parliamentary crisis


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Photo: The Canadian Press

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces, during a snow storm, that Governor-General Michaelle Jean approved his recommendation to prorogue Parliament at Rideau Hall in Ottawa Thursday