Canadian PM Blasts Opposition

Three Party Alliance Has Tried To Topple Him, Citing His Handling Of The Economic Crisis

(AP)  Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Wednesday that a bid to topple his government is a threat to democracy and the country's economy.

Harper pleaded his case to the nation in a taped address from Parliament on Tuesday, vowing to use "every legal means at our disposal" to stop opposition plans to bring down his minority Conservative government in a confidence vote Monday.

A cabinet minister suggested earlier Wednesday that Harper would ask Governor General Michaelle Jean to make the unprecedented move of suspending Parliament until next month. Harper's office said in a statement after his address that he will visit the Governor General on Thursday.

The embattled prime minister called the opposition move a "back room deal."

"The opposition does not have the democratic right to impose a coalition," Harper said in a taped address to the nation from his office in Parliament. "The opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. This is no time for back room deals."

Harper's Conservative Party was re-elected Oct. 14 with a strengthened minority government, but the opposition united to topple Harper, saying he has failed to present a plan for dealing with the global economic crisis. A suspension of Parliament would give Harper time to come up with an economic stimulus package.

Opposition Liberal leader Stephane Dion said that it would only delay the inevitable.

In a letter to Jean on Wednesday, Dion urged her to reject Harper's request, arguing it would prolong a parliamentary crisis and exacerbate the country's economic difficulties.

In his address, Harper called the crisis a pivotal moment in Canada's history and slammed the Liberals and Democrats for trying to create a power-sharing coalition with the Bloc Quebecois, a separatist party from the French-speaking province of Quebec.

"At a time of global economic instability, Canada's government must stand unequivocally for keeping the country together," he said. "At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada."

The opposition move against Harper was also fueled by a proposal to scrap public subsidies for political parties, something the opposition groups rely on more than the Conservatives. Analysts have called the proposal a colossal mistake that unified the opposition against him.

Although that proposal was scrapped, the opposition has continued to seek his ouster by saying he has lost the trust and confidence of Parliament.

The Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois, which together control a majority of Parliament's 308 seats, signed a pact agreeing to vote to oust Harper's minority government and setting the structure for their proposed coalition government.

"If Mr. Harper wants to suspend Parliament he must face a vote of confidence," Dion said in a televised address of his own. "The Harper Conservatives have lost the confidence of the majority of members of the House of Commons. In our democracy, in our parliamentary system, in our constitution this means that they have lost the right to govern."

Jean, who is the representative of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, holds a mostly ceremonial position. But it will be her decision on whether to suspend Parliament.

The political crisis could also force the second national election in two months or lead to the opposition coalition taking power.

A governor general has never been asked to suspend Parliament to delay an ouster vote when it was clear the government didn't have the confidence of a majority of legislators.

"There is no precedent whatsoever in Canada and probably in the Commonwealth," Constitutional scholar and Queen's University political scientist Ned Franks said. "We are in uncharted territory.".

If Jean refuses Harper's request to suspend Parliament he could step down or wait to until he is defeated in Monday's confidence vote, Franks said.

Conservative Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said a suspension of Parliament until next month is the most sensible alternative available to Jean and the government.

"I'm sure most Canadians agree that a time-out for Parliament right now is probably the best thing," Kenney said

The Conservatives are pursuing a public relations campaign against the opposition that includes rallies across the country and radio ads saying power should be earned and not taken.

No Canadian government has ever been ousted in a confidence vote and replaced by an opposition coalition without an intervening election.

Jean said she had received a letter from the three opposition parties formally advising her of their plan to topple Harper and urging her to let them form a coalition government.

[asamiller]

Harper cynically called elections less than a month before the US elections for fear a Democratic victory would spark similar sentiments in Canada. While the economic disaster looms, it hasn''t hit Canada hard YET. Its clear, Harper intends to do little if anything about it except try to curtail union rights, restrict women''s rights to equal pay and castrate opposition political parties. Harper is a petty corporate snake of the George Bush species and he needs to go down. The historic cooperation of the Liberals, NDP and Parti Quebecois will do just that and save all Canadians a lot of economic pain in the process.

[erasmus606]

While the economic disaster looms, it hasn''''t hit Canada hard YET. Its clear, Harper intends to do little if anything about it...

Posted by asamiller at 10:09 PM : Dec 03, 2008

You''ve got that right.

[ausus-2009]

Canada is one of possibly two countries of the world not in recession. Its banks are the strongest in the world. A change of government might threaten both of those.

I saw much of the Canadian election campaign and thought Stephane Dion was a hopeless campaigner who seemed to have policies aimed at increasing inflation and increasing government control over the population.

[erasmus606]

I saw much of the Canadian election campaign and thought Stephane Dion was a hopeless campaigner...

Posted by ausus at 10:46 PM : Dec 03, 2008

I don''t want to see Dion get in, but Harper needs to wise up. He thinks everything is going to be okay and so is therefore doing nothing to prepare for the worst.

[ausus-2009]

erasmus606,

I know the argument is that Harper hasn''t done anything about the pending recession, but how do you explain that Canada and Australia are the only two major countries to record positive growth the past quarter and Canada''s banks are rated as the safest in the world (the US ranks 44th)?

[prometheus41]

One thing about conservatives that defies international boundaries... THEY HAVE *** NERVE in there capacity to undermine democracy. First two separate Canadian conservative parties (Canadian Alliance and Progressive Conservatives [whatever the *** that oxymoron means]) join together for the sole purpose of forming a single right-wing coalition to politically gain majority control in elections which they did. Then Harper manages to have Parliament dissolved when he doesn''t get votes of confidence asserting his political control of the legislature and executive branch, to run new elections in an effort to whittle down the opposition even more. Now he''s trying to have Canadian Parliament SUSPENDED (truly a historic initiative) to prevent them from carrying through with a no-confidence vote against him. His concern? Democrats and Liberals are forming a coalition against him by their unity in no-confidence.

What the HELL! Why don''t you just declare yourself Decider and sole arbitrator of democracy and the hell with all the manipulative double-standards to serve your own interests.

This right-wing plague on American democracy is moving through the Western Hemisphere like Typhoid Mary.

[ausus-2009]

prometheus41,

In case you hadn''t noticed, Harper''s party GAINED 16 seats in the last election. That usually isn''t an excuse to hand government to the opposition. In British Commonwealth Parliamentary democracies, governments often call an election when they lose a vote of confidence.

[alphaa10000]

AP reports, "The Conservatives are pursuing a public relations campaign against the opposition that includes rallies across the country and radio ads saying power should be earned and not taken."
---
A misleading and inept soundbite from Harper, in the service of his fight for survival. Those who would form the coalition government are themselves elected, and "earned" their office, too. The coalition insists ouster of Harper''s government is part of their responsibility to make sure government serves the people.

The parliamentary form of government appears to outsiders to be fractious and unstable, but the only "government" at issue is the Harper''s executive branch.

The recent election of individual members of Parliament is not affected.

In fact, it is the ability of the legislative branch to reconstitute the executive which makes the parliamentary form almost immune to that uniquely American malady, The Imperial Presidency, and Bush''s notion of signing statements and a "unitary executive".

In that regard, the parliamentary system, reconstituting national leadership by a popularly-elected legislative assembly, is more directly democratic than our own system. A vote of no confidence is not the same as the far more serious American process known as impeachment-- and impeachment cannot occur except for gross abuse of official powers, not for a politically incorrect point of view.

[alphaa10000]

ausus said, "In case you hadn''t noticed, Harper''s party GAINED 16 seats in the last election. That usually isn''t an excuse to hand government to the opposition. In British Commonwealth Parliamentary democracies, governments often call an election when they lose a vote of confidence.
---
As surely you noticed, Harper did NOT call for an election. Perhaps he thought better of his chances with the Queen.

[hockeybub]

The strength of the Canadian economy is directly attributeable to the actions of Paul Martin, finance minister under PM Jean Chretian. It was he who brought Canada out of a deficit position. The stability of our banks is the result of past Liberal policy.
Stephen Harper has precided over 2 minority governments and the Parlimentary Budget Office issued a report citing weak fiscal policy on the part of the Conservatives for the anticipated return to deficit budgets. Harper has failed in his constitutional responsibility as leader of a minority government to work with the opposition parties to ensure effective governance. What he refused to do, the Liberals and the New Democrats, with this coalition, will do - work together for the well being of the country.

[ausus-2009]

trishab59,

None of you have explained how replacing the current government with a high-taxing, heavily-regulating Dion government is going to improve the situation where Canada is one of two major countries in the world not in recession and has the world''s most stable banks.

[hockeybub]

Based on the policy framework presented by the proposed coalition, a stimulus package would be presented as part of the coalition budget. By addressing the economic downturn now, I believe that we can instill greater consumer confidence, get the eastern manufacturing sector back up to speed and increase demand for western resources. A low Canadian dollar makes exports more attractive to our trading partners at a time when their own currency needs to go farther. The policy framework requires that any government support is contigent on a fiscal plan which clearly demonstrates viability and sustainability. As a Canadian, I don''t want another election. I believe that the Conservatives themselves should have sought to form a coalition. Rather he chose arrogance over prudence to the detriment of the nation.

[alphaa10000]

ausus said, "None of you have explained how replacing the current government with a high-taxing, heavily-regulating Dion government is going to improve the situation..."
---

More GOP cant to the fore. As if it is not patently obvious the GOP holy doctrine of deregulation has run our economy into the ground (not to mention the rest of the world).

Wall Street disaster exposed the fake religion of market DEregulation-- aka the "free market". Likewise, GOP bozos don''t sing their old hymn the "market knows best" anymore.

Particularly when the experts join the ridicule. First, Deutsche Bank''s Josef Ackerman confessed he no longer believes in the self-correcting market. Now, Greenspan admits his faith in the wisdom of banks was misplaced.

Is nothing sacred? Is deregulation mythology the GOP handed us only a strawman, worshipped by the ignorant, while insiders secretly make a killing? The GOP pounded the pulpit for years for laws favoring its political agenda. And now market insiders have been caught, red-faced, their hands in the cookie jar.

GOP high priests were wrong to claim an unregulated market brings prosperity. Most American incomes stayed flat or fell, and household debt mounted. Personal savings vanished. And now, belief in the "Free market" has left us with only the bill for damages, money we simply do not have.

[hockeybub]

I agree Alpha10000. Our provincial government in Alberta imposed deregulation to electrical energy, promising that the move would lead to increased capacity and lower prices. Neither has been the case. It should also be remembered that it was not Conservative policy (akin to your GOP policy) that resulted in economic growth and stability in our banking institutions. Rather, economic growth has been the by product of the fiscal policies of the Liberal government. During the Mulroney years, Canada ran massive deficts and increased our national debt (sound familiar Bush survivors?). Paul Martin straightened out that mess. And it was the Liberals that brought in regulations pertaining to the banks going back to King (who I believe paid very close attention to FDR). Basically, the coalition is proposing to adopt a fiscal strategy similar to Obama - increase infrastructure spending at a time when an injection of capital is needed and the work can be done at a lower cost to taxpayers (ask Alberta about the dangers of ''deferred projects'' to the cost of operations!), support to sectors with a proven market to ensure sustainability and a return on the investment and instilling consumer confidence by keeping unemployment figures low. In a nutshell, a coalition government is more about the middle class than what Harper has proposed.

[centerfall94]

This right-wing plague on American democracy is moving through the Western Hemisphere like Typhoid Mary.

Posted by prometheus41 at 11:12 PM

Totally agreed.

[noaanhc]

The move by the opposition parties to form a government without the will of the people is similar to a military coup,but without using the military.

This sure isnt democracy,send it back to the people and let them decide in an election

[ausus-2009]

Let us look at this right-wing left-wing thing.

Europe''s highly regulated economies are ALL in worse shape than Canada''s - why?

For years Australia was governed by a conservative coalition and had surpluses. This followed disastrous deficits of the former Labor government. Now the Labor party is back and is working toward a deficit.

If you were a genuine student of history and did not follow what you were told, you might have discovered that many of FDR''s policies actually made the Depression worse.

I reiterate that right now Canada is one of only two major economies not in recession and it has the strongest banking system in the world (better than any in Europe). Why change it?

[hockeybub]

ausus: How does one become a student of history without listening to what they are told? I''m not one for "right wing/left wing" rhetoric, but the history of this country clearly shows that the economy has faired better under Liberal leadership. A portion of that might be a attributed to "good timing", but I guess you do make your own good luck as well. Canada''s economy is fairing better than most of the G20 at the moment, but please bear in mind that those economic successes are to the credit of the Liberal government and the efforts of then finance minister Paul Martin. As stated, the government''s own budget office reports that it is Conservative policy that has left our economy in its current precarious position after taking control of an economy which was producing record surpluses.
Regarding banking legislation, again, the stability of our financial institutions can be credited to the Liberal governments of King and St Laurent. Please look to the economic record of Mulroney, Clark, Stanfield...back to Bennett. All failed to deal effectively with recession, and in the case of Bennett, depression. Regarding FDR, I am admittedly, an admirer and having recently completed both the Edwards and the Goodwin biographies, find no evidence to support the notion that New Deal policies that attributed to a deepening of the depression. I would be interested to see an opposing view if you might recommend a credible one.

[ausus-2009]

hockeybub,

Try this one for a start. There are many more. It attributes the blame both to Hoover and FDR.

http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/GreatDepression.html

Are you saying about the current government is that it inherited a Canadian economy in such great shape that even with no or the wrong policies it was unable in two to bring the country into recession, despite nearly every other country being in that state? It seems a pretty fantastic claim to me.

Do you think Dion''s plans to raise taxes and utility prices will be good for Canada''s economy?

[hockeybub]

ausus: Interesting piece from Gene Smiley. Thank you for that. I would conclude that it was the reaction to, rather than the actual New Deal policy itself that really created the problem. I would agree that the AAA was a mistake. I''ve always been puzzled as to why FDR, being against Hoover''s tarrif policy, would not use, rather than reduce, the productive capacity of the US. Still, considering the era, I am not convinced that it was the policies of the New Deal which slowed recovery, but rather the response of industry and the business community. Understandable though. It appears that the idea of FDR as "anti-business" had the same result as we see now as governments trying to deal with our crisis.
My dispute with the federal Conservatives is not over actions they''ve taken. This is not a "made in Canada" recession. The Conservatives did inheirit a strong economy. They were the trustees of healthy surpluses. The Conservatives failed to take measures to restrain the rapid growth which led to inflated labour, housing,general operational costs. We have oil sitting at $44/bbl. When first proposed, oil sands projects anticipated profits at $35/bbl. Had the economy been properly managed, costs of operation in manufacturing and resource development would have been maintained. It is hard to justify buying $75B in mortgages and providing nothing in the way of government investment in the manufacturing sector. It''s not what the Conservatives did, it''s what they didn''t do.

[ausus-2009]

hockeybub,

Even if you disagree with the economic policies of the current government, it would set a nasty precedent to actually throw out a government so soon after it actually gained seats in an election. I could see Canada becoming as unstable as Italy.

[hockeybub]

ausus: I agree that the last thing we need is instability in government and right now, thanks to the Conservative leader''s advice to the Governor General, we have NO government. The nasty precedent that has been set, is that now, any minority government facing a non-confidence vote will simply avoid the vote by proroguing parliament. This has never occurred anywhere in the Commonwealth and effectively silences all opposition. Regardless of what Harper may say about the coalition, as leader of a minority government, it was his responsibility to consult with the opposition so as to maintain confidence in the House as functioning body. Rather, he chose to change the rules of parliamentary democracy, avoiding the non-confidence motion and stating that he was, in effect, calling an unsanctioned election where the electorate would have no opportunity to cast a vote. This election is to be decided by POLLING NUMBERS. (Time to dust off the "Dewey beats Truman" references.) We now have the added feature of an energized separatist movement in Quebec AND the West. Tell me...does it get any more unstable than this?!

[suki66-2009]

Big whoop.. The Parliament recessed 5 days early. It does not mean the government stops functioning. The majority of polled Canadians did not want their government overthrown and demanded an election to decide their government. Would a republican overthrow be welcomed here?

[erasmus606]

"I could see Canada becoming as unstable as Italy."

Posted by ausus at 10:18 PM : Dec 04, 2008

Hahahaha. Get serious!