fellowtraveller Posted November 1, 2007 Report Posted November 1, 2007 Government to Fall, and fairly soon. He is unloading all the big guns at once on the Liberals - crime bill, major tax changes, and more to come. Dion is at least aware enough to know that the very best he can expect with an election anytime soon is a Tory minority, with a Tory majoprity a good possibility. Worse than that, his Party is broke and in disarray. These factors explain why he is willing or more accurately obliged to accept one humiliation after another in Parliament . He cannot afford an election in all the ways that count....... Harper is hobbled by a commitment to the fixed date election, which would delay a general election for two years. he knows that in two years the situation may be very different, and he needs to go to the polls no later than spring. His Christmas present of a GST cut, and spring cookie of an interest tax refund give him some period of grace too. But.... he needs to move soon. I have the feeling that his leverage is about to be delivered soon: the Senate. Last session, the Senate demonstrated their eagerness to suddenly get involved in the legislative arena after decades of slumber. They delayed govt legislation, litlle was passed. If this continues.... Harper has already warned that he won't sit by idly if the Senate continues to delay passage of Tory bills.....and he means it. If they do it again, and they will, Harper will declare a 'constitutional emergency', dissolve Parliament and call an election. It is he perfect issue in some ways The Senate has few friends in the electorate, and little respect outside Ottawa. Harper has the somewhat legitimate explanation that it is pointless to waste time working bills through Parliament only to have them stumped by a partisan Senate. In short, he cannot govern as he has been elected to govern. This would have resonance but little risk. He know he cannot actually reform the Senate, but he can accomplsh a few things: force an election, win an election, and cow the Senate. Quote The government should do something.
shavluk Posted November 1, 2007 Report Posted November 1, 2007 The Governor general can ask the other parties to form a coalition to serve as government. Bet that would gripe Harpers ass. Quote
fellowtraveller Posted November 1, 2007 Author Report Posted November 1, 2007 Your theory fails because it would take all three Opposition parties to form a majority coalition, which is impossible. Quote The government should do something.
old_bold&cold Posted November 1, 2007 Report Posted November 1, 2007 Harper has always had the ability to call an election, whether it be due to a block in the senate, or two just not being able to get the HOC to pass things. He only needed to call the GG and let the Election start. That fact has always been his perogative. But he would of course lose some of the vote for having done so, I do not think anyone will lose a lot if they called an election, for having done so. What really would matter would be their performance over the things that they have done during the time the HOC was sitting. That does not look good for most everyone etc Harper. I think though that Harper is happy to just let things go on for now and wait till spring to finish off the Liberals. Even if Dion were to resign today, it would still be the new year before a replacement could be sworn in, and then at least 6 months to get him prepared to fight an election call. So no, Harper can wait till spring and still gain his majority and mostly kill the Liberals in all of this at the same time. Lets face it Dion is just over whelmed by the CPC and the rest of the party was looking to him for strength and leadership. We all know what they got when they went looking Even the Liberal party MP's have to hide their faces when Dion speaks in the HOC, as they can not be seen laughing at him publicly. So how do they run an election with him as leader? The best answer is they do not. He must resign himself and do so very soon. If he waits for the party to have to vote him out then it will only be worse for him from that point onwards. But then again maybe he plans to leave politics completely after this, so he does not care what the party thinks and he will have his election when he wants to. or at least in his own mind that is. If the light of an election was shined on Dion and the Liberal party at this moment, it would be disasterous to the nth degree. it could even match the meltdown of the PC party but there would be no other vote splitting party that could help in those numbers. As much as Harper would like that light to be shining in on the Liberals, he is not doing it, but rather Dion himself is making it very hard for the liberal supportting media not to have to shine it within the party annd see the rot and deadwood that is there. That will not bode well during election campaignes either. Quote
fellowtraveller Posted November 2, 2007 Author Report Posted November 2, 2007 (edited) But Harper is under no obligation to wait for Dion to quit or the Libs to oust him. Why would he wait for his opponent to get stronger, that makes no sense? Of course Harper could quit anytime, bt if he does for no apparent reason other than bloodlust, it will go badly especially since he has supported the fixed election date legislation. he needs either the opposition to toss him out, which won't happen soon, or force the issue by finding or inventing an issue. It seems to me Senate dithering and obstruction is a nice, safe one. But of course he will have to wait until they resume doing that, but I'm confident they will. Edited November 2, 2007 by fellowtraveller Quote The government should do something.
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.