Writing in the Toronto Star, James Travers discusses what is likely to happen when Parliament commences its new session. He foresees a contest of wills that will test Parliament's control over the Prime Minister.
He observes that the dispute over the release of documents pertaining to the Afghan dtainess issue is "turning Parliament's March 3 return into high noon. Once the throne speech is read, expect the Prime Minister's refusal to be raised as a point of privilege. It then becomes a priority that must be considered before debate moves on to the budget and economic issues more in the Prime Minister's interest." The House could find the Prime Minister in contempt.
More profoundly, he concludes:
"Over the past 50 years, Canadian prime ministers have taken back powers it took 500 years to strip from British monarchs. Harper's current confrontation with Parliament is a rare opportunity to reinforce that the Prime Minister answers to the Commons and, through it, to the people. Eroded by stealth and increment, that principle is too important not to defend, even if the result is an election no one wants."
Amen to that.
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/764850--travers-let-winter-political-games-begin
2010/02/13
High Noon on March 3rd
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11 comments:
we may have to go to parliament and stand guard...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDN4L7cAQf0:)
Hey, that's a great idea! Let's all go... make it our (as in Canadian people's) pro-democracy demonstration.
Charles was discussing this on a thread, a couple of days ago. I suspect this is why Ignatieff has been low profile the last few days. He's got the constitutional lawyers in a room somewhere. Oh, it's on now!
Jeff, just a heads up in case you don't know.... a huge rally in the works on Parliament Hill, on the 3rd.
I'd like to go. That letter from Ignatieff to the BC Legislature was almost like a challenge to Harper. Slap in the face with the old kid glove sort of thing.
about an hour ago ·
What's a "huge" rally? How many people would you expect?
There were 20,000 in Toronto, and 8,000 in Ottawa? so, could be a bigger crowd in Ottawa this time.
I certainly hope for a huge rally, but since March 3is a Wednesday I wouldn't expect as big a turnout on the Hill as on January 23.
And I too believe that it IS on now. We're heading for something, whether it's a constitutional crisis, a snap election call, input from the International Criminal Court, any of the above and more. There's no going back.
I SO WANT TO SEE HIM SKEWERED!
about an hour ago ·
it's a constitutional crisis !
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