Progressive Tory Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 The only way this will be settled is if a transcript of the discussion between Mr. Harper and the Governor General is released. We won't get that until the Governor General retires. In Adrienne Clarkson's book she speaks of the coalition that Stephen Harper formed with Duceppe and Layton in 2004; stating that Paul Martin came to her to call another election instead. She refused and told him to go back and fix it. He did, though Harper continued to try to overturn the results of the 2004 election and be named PM right up until the 2006 election. The GG had few options. She had to accept Harper's request, though considering the amount of time it took, she also probably made him aware that she would not be sending Canadians back to the polls so soon after the last election. He had to fix it. Quote "For all our modesty and self-deprecation, we’re a people who dream great dreams. And then roll up our sleeves and turn them into realities." - Michael Ignatieff "I would not want the Prime Minister to think that he could simply fail in the House of Commons as a route to another General Election. That's not the way our system works." Stephen Harper.
Progressive Tory Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 That's what I thought you would say. Good luck with "Regal"....to me it is just a Buick. Even the SCC writes majority and dissenting opinions for public consumption. We have kind of an archaic code of conduct for our Governor General. They are supposed to be independant of Parliament and apparently, not even allowed to sit in. She did have the right to refuse him. In theory she is the one who designates who will be Prime Minister. We don't elect PMs in this country. I think she decided to give him one last chance to fix it, by allowing himself to be 'fixed'. He's now a eunich and knows it. I like this option better than a Dion led coalition, so am glad she did what she did. Quote "For all our modesty and self-deprecation, we’re a people who dream great dreams. And then roll up our sleeves and turn them into realities." - Michael Ignatieff "I would not want the Prime Minister to think that he could simply fail in the House of Commons as a route to another General Election. That's not the way our system works." Stephen Harper.
Progressive Tory Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 Clarkson wrote a book about her term as GG. I don't see anything wrong with that. I just read it. It's very good and she's brutally honest. Quote "For all our modesty and self-deprecation, we’re a people who dream great dreams. And then roll up our sleeves and turn them into realities." - Michael Ignatieff "I would not want the Prime Minister to think that he could simply fail in the House of Commons as a route to another General Election. That's not the way our system works." Stephen Harper.
Progressive Tory Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 The people gave the Conservatives a large minority.. Once Parliament was prorogued, the Conservatives got down to business with the budget, and Liberals distanced themselves from the coalition. In the end, the GG was able to avoid the two undesirable options. The problem for Harper was that the people did not give him a stronger anything. The GG's decision proved to be what was best for Canada and the majority of Canadians who did not approve of Harper's leaderhip. He once criticized Joe Clark for trying to run a minority gov't like he had a majority, but didn't take his own advice. It backfired. Canadians now have the gov't they did vote for. An all but powerless Stephen Harper who must now pay for his mistakes. Quote "For all our modesty and self-deprecation, we’re a people who dream great dreams. And then roll up our sleeves and turn them into realities." - Michael Ignatieff "I would not want the Prime Minister to think that he could simply fail in the House of Commons as a route to another General Election. That's not the way our system works." Stephen Harper.
Progressive Tory Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 I haven't read Clarkson's book, but I'm thinking there are probably still some things she can't talk/write about, even though her term is over. I did read it and she's pretty candid. She hated Paul Martin and makes it pretty clear. I can't imagine what she could have left out. Quote "For all our modesty and self-deprecation, we’re a people who dream great dreams. And then roll up our sleeves and turn them into realities." - Michael Ignatieff "I would not want the Prime Minister to think that he could simply fail in the House of Commons as a route to another General Election. That's not the way our system works." Stephen Harper.
scorpio Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 I think prorogation sets a terrible precedent for future minority Prime Ministers when they know they will lose a confidence motion. Quote
PoliticalTalk Posted February 28, 2009 Author Report Posted February 28, 2009 You have an essay due Monday dont you? No actually, I just want to know more about Canadia Politcs, and why the big hype over "Prorogation" thats all. Quote
ToadBrother Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 No actually, I just want to know more about Canadia Politcs, and why the big hype over "Prorogation" thats all. The "big hype" is that it is the first time in the modern history of the Westminster system that a minority government has ever used it to escape a confidence motion. Quote
g_bambino Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 The actual conversation may be privileged, but the explanation certainly shouldn't be. Explanations are up to the prime minister. As a non-partisan body, the Crown should be kept out of the political arena; a prinicple which the viceroy would violate by making public statements about her decisions. Harper was already wrong to have dragged the Crown into this political mess, and it's he who should stand accountable before the commons, not the Govenror General. Quote
g_bambino Posted February 28, 2009 Report Posted February 28, 2009 I just read it. It's very good and she's brutally honest. The overall impression I got was pettiness and hypocricy. Not only does she aggrandise herself from vicereine to reine supreme, but she makes silly critical comments about the Queen's table manners and the Queen Mother's china settings, and goes on about how discreet a governor general must be while letting all these nasty details out, mere months after she left office. Clarkson made a decent governor general, but a terrible Queen's representative, and she ended up appearing too arrogant for her own good. Quote
Progressive Tory Posted March 1, 2009 Report Posted March 1, 2009 goes on about how discreet a governor general must be while letting all these nasty details out, mere months after she left office. Clarkson made a decent governor general, but a terrible Queen's representative, and she ended up appearing too arrogant for her own good. Perhaps. To be honest, I didn't really like her writing style, but I believe she was allowed to write what she liked. I don't think there are any laws forbidding her to do so. She was fine as a GG but not outstanding, though she seemed well versed in protocal. I thought it was digusting that Paul Martin and his crew showed up for the swearing in, in T-shirts and sneakers. Very low class. Quote "For all our modesty and self-deprecation, we’re a people who dream great dreams. And then roll up our sleeves and turn them into realities." - Michael Ignatieff "I would not want the Prime Minister to think that he could simply fail in the House of Commons as a route to another General Election. That's not the way our system works." Stephen Harper.
Progressive Tory Posted March 1, 2009 Report Posted March 1, 2009 I think prorogation sets a terrible precedent for future minority Prime Ministers when they know they will lose a confidence motion. It did but I agree with b Bambino. It was gutless for him to ask for it. He now has to wear the economic crisis, when he could have sat in opposition and made the coalition look bad. Now only he looks bad. (or worse) Quote "For all our modesty and self-deprecation, we’re a people who dream great dreams. And then roll up our sleeves and turn them into realities." - Michael Ignatieff "I would not want the Prime Minister to think that he could simply fail in the House of Commons as a route to another General Election. That's not the way our system works." Stephen Harper.
g_bambino Posted March 3, 2009 Report Posted March 3, 2009 (edited) she seemed well versed in protocal... I would say she was focused on - perhaps obsessed with - the protocol around her. But, given her actions around the Queen and the lieutenant governors, she had her priorities all wrong. The woman thought she was god. But, I agree: Martin and his bunch seemed hardly better. [ed. to add] Edited March 3, 2009 by g_bambino Quote
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