The show has been over for nearly two weeks now, and I haven't had my post show depression, which isn't entirely surprising since we have been insanely busy. In fact I was in the middle of editing the OBAs during the run of the show, and had to finish that up in the early part of the week following, so I didn't have time to miss the show. I was actually relieved to have my evenings free to decompress from work. I have some projects at home that I need to get back to, and finally have the time, plus it's time to break out the sewing machine for Christmas stuff, so busy busy busy. All in all same old, same old.
Even if you don't follow politics, how could you not right now? This is about as exciting as the Government of Canada has ever been. Although, if the Governor General grants Harpers request to Prorogue Parliament, which she probably will, it is going to get very muddy in the coming weeks. There will be some serious slinging as a desperate man tries to cling to power, and I say desperate man, because basically that's what the conservative party has become "the Harper show". He wields all the power and is merciless with anyone who doesn't agree with him, just ask Garth Turner or Bill Casey.
I find it laughable that the Cons are calling the Coalition undemocratic, when it is the most democratic thing that's happened in Canadian Politics in Decades. This isn't a bunch of appointed senators or judges who haven't been elected trying to sieze the government. These are democratically elected Members of parliament, doing their jobs and following the rules of Canadian government forming a coalition to govern this country cooperatively. This is wonderful, it is what the Canadian Public have been telling the government for three elections in a row, by electing minority governments. We have been telling them, we don't want one party to run the country, we want want you to compromise in our best interests, and the Conservatives have been completely unwilling to do that. Stephen Harper has run this country like he has a majority. He has been like a playground bully who grabs your wrist and smacks you in the face with your own hand. He buries legislation that he knows the opposition can't support in legislation that they would have to support or look bad, then makes it a confidence motion. This worked in the past because the Liberals weren't ready for an election and wouldn't bring down the government so they were forced to abstain from voting and Harper got his way. He tried to do it again, and make them cut their own throats with an economic package that did nothing to address the current economic crisis (which the Cons contributed to by blowing a 32 billion dollar surplus trying to buy votes, and introducing no money down 40 year mortgages that contributed to a housing crisis similar to the US) and cut much needed funding to the parties, only this time the opposition wasn't going to be bullied, and in an historic move they sat down and came to a compromise. This is what we've been asking them to do ever since Cretien left office - work together, compromise, put the best interests of the Canadian public ahead of Party politics.
For the first time in a very long time, Canada will have a government that consists of MPs working together for Canada ahead of the interrests of their party. Isn't that what we want? MP to represent us first and foremost. This is the definition of democracy.
Let's face it Stephen Harper has lied so many times he doesn't deserve to run this Country anymore. He said his government wouldn't tax income trusted if they were elected, then once they were elected he did just that and thousands of seniors who invested in them based on his promise lost their life savings. He blew a huge surplus and promised that there would be no deficit while campaigning, now they project a deficit just a few weeks later. He broke his own law (which he teamed up with the Bloc to push through) by having the most recent election in the first place because he knew this economic crisis was set to boil and the Liberals were still not ready for an election, and by the time the fixed election date rolled around we would be deep in the throws of an economic crisis due in part to the Conservative mismanagment of the economy. Now he wants to Prorogue Parliament so he can stay in power for a few more weeks. He's hoping the opposition will lose their momentum and cracks will form during the break. There will certainly be a lot of mudslinging and lies coming from the Conservatives in the mean time, there already are.
The first lie is that the Bloc is involved in the coalition, which they are not. They have promised not to topple it within the next year if there are votes of confidence on three issues mostly dealing with the economy, that is all. If the coalition missteps on some other issue there is no such guarantee from the Bloc. By the way, Stephen Harper tried to form the exact same kind of deal with the NDP and the Bloc to bring down Paul Martin's minority government and seize power. Stockewell Day also approached the Bloc when he was leader of the Alliance Party to form a coalition. Talk about your hypocracy. Then when Stockwell Day was confronted about it in question period he denied any knowledge of such an offer until hearing about it just then, so either he is lying, or someone was making offered on behalf of his office without his knowledge which makes him incompetant. Liar or incompetant, which do you prefer?
I could rant on and on, but suffice to say the Harper Conservative are governing with only 36% of the popular vote, the remaining 64% rests in the oppositiong, so having a coalition government, actually means we will have a group that more people voted for representing us. Again that sounds pretty democratic to me. Now Harper can sulk like a spoiled child or he could actually do the right thing and try to find a way to participate in the government and compromise for the sake of Canada. I'm afraid that just won't happen in his case though, as he has already deomonstrated that he is a controll freak, a bully, a liar, and a narcissist. If this government falls, it's a pretty safe bet he will not be leading the Cons for very long after.... Ever notice that the Conservative starts with Con?
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