Take a shot if you heard someone blame the shuttering of the Ontario legislature on Stephen Harper this week.
Stephen Harper didn’t invent prorogation and omnibus legislation, but he has made two arcane polysyllabic political terms part of our everyday lexicon, improving our vocabulary but diminishing our democracy.
His shut-it-down and take-it-or-leave-it approach to procedure and legislation has gone viral, with the Ontario legislature now sitting dark, prorogued by Dalton McGuinty.
Poor Dalton. He had a lapse or something and found himself following "Stephen Harper's approach."
Not everyone is blaming the prorogation on Stephen Harper. Some people are blaming it on Tim Hudak and Andrea Horwath!
If the opposition parties – and they likely would – were to combine in the legislature to defeat a government headed by a premier who is in the process of leaving office, as Mr. McGuinty now is, who would lead the Liberals in in the ensuing election?
Prorogation was the only means available to Mr. McGuinty to ensure an orderly transition of power in a minority government. He used it, and in so doing, he upheld democracy, he did not undermine it.
Is it bad that I'm still a little shocked when people do this? Or does it just mean I'm still human?
Amazing!! Dalton McGuinty prorogues Parliament for upto six months to avoid numerous spending scandals and a contempt of Parliament motion, and he is keeping to Canada's democratic principles: PMSH prorogues Parliament to avoid a coup de tat orchestrated by coalition of fools, and he is being undemocratic and dictatorial.
ReplyDeleteI am not in favor of prorogation, but I realize that it is a Parliamentary tool available to Prime Ministers and Premiers so that they can reset the agenda whenever there appears to be gridlock in Parliament. PET used prorogation ll times in his 14 years in office; JC used prorogation to avoid questions from the Auditor General on adscam.
How in hell did PM Harper diminish your democracy??He more than likely saved your democracy..Instead of letting 3 fools take over Government and destroy Canada.And it is not Steven Harper,s approach,it is the privilege of all Prime Minister,s & LIBERAL PM,s took advantage of it for foolish reasons,PM Harper did it to save the country from being taken over by fools and cowards.
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