Restraining the PM's power to prorogue Parliament

All of us who oppose Stephen Harper's decision to prorogue Parliament want to spark spark a debate on new conventions governing the powers of a prime minister and a governor general. Let's urge the Opposition parties to tackle this now that Parliament's back.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/773169--stephen-harper-got-bad-advice-professor-says


Canadians against proroguing Parliament, Harper abuse of power, restrain PM's powers

High Noon on March 3rd

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

How to replace Harper in next election

During the past two elections the Conservatives have been able to form a minority government with the support of only about a third of Canadian voters. The alignmet of the vote on the right through the merger of the Reform and Progressive Conservative parties while the vote from the center to the left is split several ways has allowed Harper to seize and hang on to power.

Philip Resnick and Reg Whitaker, writing in today's The Tyee, call on the Liberals, New Democrats and Greens to make an electoral deal. This is something I have been advocating for some time. Basically it would involve the caucuses and leaders of the three opposition parties whose principal support lies outside Quebec agreeing amongst themselves not to contest a sufficient number of seats across the country so as not to split the anti-Conservative vote. As Resnick and Whitaker point out,
"roughly 65 percent of Canadian voters do not want a Conservative government for a whole variety of reasons -- its contempt for Parliament and for an independent civil service, its poor environmental policy, its gutting of cultural programs, its weakening of Canada's international position as a respected middle power."

They suggest that these three parties focus on the 60-80 seats where a three-way split in opposition party votes has allowed the Conservatives to win ridings with fewer than 35 percent of the votes, or come within striking distance of defeating current Liberal or NDP sitting members. "The party with the best-placed candidate in 2008 would then be able to run its candidate, with the others stepping down. To ensure the Greens some representation, in particular the seat where its leader chooses to run, the other two parties would give its candidate a clear run."

I think that this is the right way forward. Identify those seats that could be taken from the Conservatives if the other parties cooperated and do just that.

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2010/02/08/GritsDemsGreens/

Harper in trouble

A new Harris-Decima poll puts Liberals and Tories in dead heat, with opposition making inroads in key battlegrounds. Overall the two parties are tied at 32 per cent. But Harris-Decima chairman Allan Gregg says the real story lies below the headline numbers.

“What you have on the surface is a dead heat, but if you dig a little deeper, what you see is that the Liberals are clearly making some inroads into key, battleground constituencies.”

“They are emerging as the federalist default option to the BQ in the province of Quebec, they are ahead in Ontario for the first time since September.”

He observed that Harper's decision to prorogue Parliament has added to what has always been a character issue. In terms of his leadership rating, "Harper basically took a 14-point hit between fall and post-prorogation.”

Keep it up Canadians! Let him know what we think and we may soon be rid of this dictator.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/grits-gaining-ground-in-ontario-quebec-poll/article1452478/

Harper on the precipice

There is growing speculation that Harper has squandered his opportunity for a majority. The latest series of polls suggest a possibility that the Liberals could form a minority government if the March budget precipitates a spring election.

The latest seat projections from EKOS Research suggest that the Liberals could get enough seats to displace Harper. Also a new Angus Reid poll shows that 57 per cent of Canadians believe a federal election this year is “very likely” or “moderately likely”. It also shows that 61 per cent of Canadians disagree with the government’s decision to prorogue.

The portrayal of Harper as an anti-democratic tyrant could form the election issue the Opposition has been seeking. They should focus on and hone this perception in the months ahead.

Info from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/bureau-blog/will-canadians-want-to-throw-the-bums-out-in-a-spring-election/article1447446/

Still tied in polls as Opposition prepares to turn up the heat

According to a new Ipsos-Reid poll, the Conservatives hold only a slim lead over the Liberals. This confirms earlier polls this past week, and suggests the government's response to the earthquake in Haiti has not translated into substantial political dividends.

Meanwhile the opposition plans to keep the heat on the government as government ministers fan out across the country in an attempt to raise the government's plummeting approval ratings. The Liberals will hold a series of meetings on Parliament Hill this week, following on the heels of the anti-prorogation rallies on Saturday.

Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=2479681#ixzz0dag32lVx

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/print/CTVNews/20100124/Ottawa_Monday_100124/20100124/?hub=Canada&subhub=PrintStory

Take back the power from King Harper

James Travers has an excellent article in the Toronto Star entitled "You have the power to rein in this PM" which sends a pwerful message of reinforcement to those of us who participated in today's rallies against prorogation. Travers decscribes " a slim book, published 100 years before Saturday's protests against Stephen Harper's darkened Parliament, (that )the Prime Minister should read. Written by professor and poet R.S. Jenkins, Canadian Civics makes the still timely point that "government is too vital to be left to politicians, that citizenship is not a spectator sport."

"What too many now grasp for Conservative comfort is that the Prime Minister is slipping the essential bonds of democratic control. Harper has gone too far in tipping the balance of power from Parliament to Prime Minister, from the legislature to the executive."

I was impressed with the wide range of ages at the Ottawa rally today. Contrary to pundit predictions there was a high preponderance of over 40s, many in their 50s and 60s. These are the voters. The students from Ottawa U did a great job organizing it. I was proud to stand there among a wide range of people telling Harper to "et back to work" Harper badly miscaculated on his prorogation move. As Danny Williams said in NL first, vote ABC (anybody but Conservative) in the next election. To this end it would be a good idea if the Liberals and the NDP didn't split the vote in key ridings that could be taken from the Cons otherwise.