The option of Proroguing Parliament

[Jack Weber]

Harper is running away from certain defeat. If the coalition cannot demonstrate an ability to govern with the support of the house then the public will have an election. Closing Parliment down, does the country no good and it is not strong leadership.

Correct...It is,in fact,quite cowardly.Not shocking that bully would act this way,however....

[Pat Coghlan]

Correct...It is,in fact,quite cowardly.Not shocking that bully would act this way,however....

If it's legal, and it keeps the 3 separatist stooges from controlling Canada's purse strings, I hope they go for it.

[Smallc]

the 3 separatist stooges

How many times are Conservative supporters going to tell that lie?

[M.Dancer]

How many times are Conservative supporters going to tell that lie?

Doesn't the NDP still support Quebec Sovereignty and Francophone nationalism??

[reasonoverpassion]

Under normal circumstances parliament is prorogued after the completion of the legislative agenda set in the speech from the throne. Parliament remains prorogued until the summoned again by the monarch or her representative. Then a new session of parliament is called (usually after an election).

This parliamentary session has not passed a single bill.

So we can say we are in a "crisis"

Why should parliament be suspended?

For how long should it be suspended? Even if parliament is prorogued until January how can Harper govern? What party will agree to support any bill sponsored by the Conservatives? As the days pass, the rhetoric from the Tories becomes more shrill. They have already alienated any friends they may have had in this parliament.

Does the Prime Minister even have the right to ask for parliament to be suspended? To me this looks like executive power which has no place in a parliamentary system.

Prorogue parliament because "I do not have the confidence of the house" is not a good enough reason in my opinion.

So now its one of two choices: Coaltion Government or Election

[blueblood]

How many times are Conservative supporters going to tell that lie?

How about Dion's lie that he would never go into a coalition gov't during the election?

[Pat Coghlan]

How many times are Conservative supporters going to tell that lie?

Maybe when we stop perpetuating the myth that bilingualism exists anywhere outside the federal government...and mostly in Ottawa.

Or, did you miss the 2nd demand from Gilles Duceppe the other day re: federal workers in Quebec being allowed to speak French only?

[Smallc]

Doesn't the NDP still support Quebec Sovereignty and Francophone nationalism??

Those are two different things.

[ToadBrother]

I did watch question period, it was funny as all hell watching their stupid rhetoric being said over and over again, hoping that if they say it 10000 times people will believe it.

Harper will fight tooth and nail to keep his job, by spending millions of the conservatives money that was going to be used for the next election to try to keep his job. Whats more funny, is the conservatives are actually going to blindly give more money.

Actually, it looks quite the opposite. At least a few members of Cabinet are not even trying to hide their anger at Harper's blunder, and the word is out that a number of backbenchers are steaming that he decided to wage some ludicrous ideological battle while in a minority situation.

Harper's survival at this point is looking less and less likely. Proroguing Parliament is only going to buy him a few weeks, and it appears the Opposition parties are quite willing to wait until then to take him down.

What I think may be just as fascinating is the potential for a divide in the right. I'll wager the Reformist wing of the party is going to be far more willing to forgive Harper his blunder than the Tory wing. While I don't think they'll break apart, I think the center of gravity will now shift from the Western Reformist rump more to the Progressive Conservatives. And that's fine, because that is the only way the Tories are ever going to achieve a majority government.

I'm wagering in two years we're going to see Peter Mackay as Conservative leader, and that will be much more attractive to many Canadians throughout Canada.

[Bryan]

Harper won't prorogue. However, those in favor of this coalition of the losers who keep using the excuse that it's legal and constitutional, better understand that if Harper WANTED to play that game, he could do more than they can. Parliament only has to sit once per year. If he wanted to, Harper could suspend parliament until next December and govern for a full year completely unopposed. Again, he'd never do that, but it would be legal and constitutional.

[Smallc]

Harper could suspend parliament until next December and govern for a full year completely unopposed.

He couldn't do much of anything though. He will close it, that is what Robert Fife has been told. If he closed it for a year...well...that would be political suicide.

[daniel]

From what I'm reading here, it wouldn't take long for somebody to suggest that Harper call Martial Law and have all political dissidents arrested.

I wonder if Harper's advisers include Pervez and Mugabee.

[punked]

There is already a topic about this on the page?

[DrGreenthumb]

Harper already looks like a cowardly dog slinking away with his tail between his legs. If he prorogues he won't look like a male dog, he'll just look like a cowardly bitch!

[msj]

One governor-general to another: Don't aid in evading Parliament's will

The driving imperative of the Harper government's adjournment request is survival. Ms. Jean knows that last Friday the Prime Minister stood in the House of Commons foyer and announced that the opposition would be allowed a confidence vote on Dec. 8. She knows that his reason for wanting to renege on that vow is that he is likely to lose that vote. To grant prorogation could make her look complicit in the Prime Minister's political power play.

That's the type of thing, Mr. Schreyer said, that has to be avoided. Speaking of political neutrality, he said: “I regard that as the sine qua non of the office. … What the Governor-General must not do is start canvassing because that too quickly comes to destroy respectful neutrality, political neutrality.”

She must also consider the danger of setting an unacceptable precedent. Granting prorogation in dire circumstances for a government is tantamount to saying it should be granted at any time – that the governor-general should be a rubber stamp in the process. That means any time a minority Parliament is in trouble, facing a confidence vote, the prime minister could simply prorogue to head off the crisis.

Paul Martin could have done so in the fall of 2005 and avoided losing an election campaign that extended over Christmas. John Diefenbaker could have tried it in the early 1960s. Joe Clark could have tried it in 1979, though Mr. Schreyer said he's not sure he would have granted it.

[BC_chick]

From what I'm reading here, it wouldn't take long for somebody to suggest that Harper call Martial Law and have all political dissidents arrested.

I wonder if Harper's advisers include Pervez and Mugabee.

I'm having 2006 flashbacks. Come on daniel, let's not get too carried away k?

Edited December 4, 2008 by BC_chick

[Shakeyhands]

I think its funny that the CPC supporters here are calling for Harper to prorogue Parliament, which in effect means nothing will be done to help anyone until it reconvenes (in a desperate grasp to hang on to power) yet in the same breath accuse the NDP and Liberals of grasping for power for powers sake.

[blueblood]

The doors have just opened up to Rideau Hall, chapter 2 in this gong show is about to take place...

[blueblood]

parliament is officially prorogued,

[M.Dancer]

parliament is officially prorogued,

My wife is pro rogue

[blueblood]

My wife is pro rogue

flick on newsnet right now.

[Michael Hardner]

That's a tongue twister and Canadian history.

I think that the GG did the right thing by not going out on a limb and following the instructions of the PM. The Queen's representative is, after all, a figurehead here and shouldn't be acting on her own judgement in my opinion.

[Michael Hardner]

BTW - I suggest that proroguing be celebrated by eating perogies, or 'proroguies' in this case.

[Vancouverite]

That's a tongue twister and Canadian history.

I think that the GG did the right thing by not going out on a limb and following the instructions of the PM. The Queen's representative is, after all, a figurehead here and shouldn't be acting on her own judgement in my opinion.

I agree the GG is a figurehead, but I don't think Parliament should be suspended. And I'm saying this as a conservative.

I think Harper's days as PM are numbered.

[Michael Hardner]

Perhaps, but it is within the PM's right to ask the GG to do that.

And I'm saying this as a non-conservative !