Parliament is about to return. Prorogued by the Harper government prior to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver British Columbia to “recalibrate” the government and its goals; a new budget is due to be brought to the house for a vote of confidence.
Mr. Harper’s poll numbers have dropped by his second proroguing of the government and many bills were canceled because of the closure; but deep down to Canadians really care? Is it going to be back to business as normal? Business as normal being the leading by the nose of Canadians to vote Mr. Harper into a Majority government.
What do you think Canada? Do Canadians really care that Parliament was prorogued? Feel free to post your comments below or answer our poll.
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I think that Stephen Harper and the Conservatives need to be congratulated for their proroguation of Parliament allowing Canadians to fully focus on the great Winter Olympic Games out in BC. Now that the Government has been recalibrated and a new budget ready for the Throne Speech, prepare to have your socks knocked off.
What? Like we can’t walk and chew gum at the same time?
Proroguing Parliament for the Olympics is and was a crock. If our government can’t govern, formulate law, and deluge us with useless mailings while at the same time leaving the rest of us alone to watch a bit of sport… well they’re a pretty pile of overpaid, underwhelming, seatwarmers.
I seriously doubt that these same lazy, wastrels would accept my knocking off work for a week or two (with full pay and benefits), to watch the playoffs. Yet how could they deny me?
…of yeh, of course, no Canadian team with a chance at the cup again.
eheheheheheheheh!!!!
The popular backlash against prorogation was a clear statement: “You are on notice, Mr. Harper. We Canadians care about our democracy. You can cut and run for a while…but you cannot hide.”
He doesn’t have to hide. If there were an election today, Stephen Harper and the Conservatives would win a majority. Who else could lead us? The Fiberals with their entitlements and Iggy, the NDP Commies with Jack the used car salesman, ou le BLOC avec M.Separatist Gilles Duceppe. These are not viable choices. The status quo seems fine to me.
By next Friday, most Canadians won’t even remember. Then, King steven will start the mud slinging, the public will buy it, and he will end up leading the polls.. When you have nothing good to say about your own party, all that is left is to do is bad mouthing the opposition.
I also think the fuhrer should be congratulated for prorogation. It was a stunning success. Canadians are so full of national pride right now, he could get away with anything and lord knows he will try. He will ride the wave of Olympic glory for a while, wave a few flags while lying through his teeth,and then find some other way to dupe us. Mr Harper is not on notice, he is on cloud nine. He never thought it would be this easy.
But Stan, you went too far…calling the NDP commies? They are at best socialists, but they aren’t really even that. They just kind of lean to the left and drift around aimlessly, hoping they don’t get elected because they wouldn’t know what to do.
So onward and upward, Lord Harper. The country is now fully yours to destroy as you wish.
That’s what’s always held me back from truly being a Conservative. I don’t like bashing people. I don’t mind debating them; arguing with them; but at the end of the day all Canadians share the same country and we have to find a way to truly make it great.
The Olympics were a great success; but they certainly don’t make anyone less Canadian based on their politics.
The strategy of Proroguing Parliament timed to the Olympics in Vancouver; holding back stimulus money until this time too are all great tactics; but they’re just too visible. Good propaganda is never recognized.
Harper a Conservative? Harper a leader? C’mon, Stan, you’re trading in dreams, or nightmares–one or the other.
The latest opinion poll I read this morning puts Harper’s Conservatives in a leading position albeit perhaps a minority….but they’re way ahead!
Stan since when is a point or two “way ahead”?
Im already getting the Guy Lauzon (PMO) propaganda again. As usual, bashing the Liberals.
Also, got one from Mike Duffy, our new (APPOINTED) senator. So much for Harpers promise of elected senate. I quickly messaged him back asking why he is emailing me and how did he get my email address.
But thats all I need, more PMO approved propaganda now coming into my email. All I did was respond to the bridge issue once. And suddenly the conservatives are all sending me emails.
Eight points seemed “way ahead” to me…
well it is the time to do the big push after the feel good Olympics, no?
Remember the Facebook grassroots movement CAPP (Canadians Against Progroguing Parliament) that surprised the Harperites in January? They are keeping the acronym CAPP and reorganizing as Canadians Advocating Political Participation under a new website CanadaParticipates.ca. Watch for this movement to put a cap on the CCRAP– the Harper gang of phony anti-democratic Conservatives.
I am part of CAPP. I will be part of CanadaParticipates.ca and I hope that the site raises awareness for everyone to participate. Apathy is what led to this government being where they are today. We need to get rid of voter apathy and get this country to stand up for itself vs. the government that they put into power!
The Facebook exercise was really good for showing that it’s not that people don’t care; it’s just the standard places people communicate are not where a lot of people are anymore and there is gross distrust of established media for the very real at times perception of control by government and large corporations.
grimalot, you get mail from the Conservatives because you probably are. And two Conservatives is not “all” Conservatives.
I just looked at the latest polls, (http://www.sfu.ca/~aheard/elections/polls.html) and it has the conservatives tied with the liberals at 31 percent. After such a strong showing in Haiti and the Olympic games, do you not think his support would be stronger? Harpers popularity is waining, but due to our shoddy electoral system, yes, they probably would win another minority. Only because the so-called left is a confused mess.
Destructo I still think this next election is Mr. Harper’s to lose. That’s sad as I really am not a fan of his although I at times find myself being intrigued by the success of this tactics. The Conservative tactic of showing love to Mr. Layton is working as well. Split the centre/left and run a majority up the middle.
Sadly it seems that it’s the Bloc that is the only barrier to a Conservative Majority.
I am now recalibrated and ready to fire/shame/destroy even more people who disagree with me. BTW – Guy always agrees with me.
A ruling federal party that prorogues twice in one year is curious. To have prorogued to extend a Christmas holiday to fine-tune an upcoming budget was seriously lame.Harper wasn’t worried about formulating a better excuse.
The term “prorogue” wasn’t that well known until Harper made it his own.
Harper has only to whisper the word “prorogue” to wipe away important bills before the House. Like the Afghanistan issue of turning detainees over for torture.
For me, torture is terrorism and Canada is supposed to be paying $18 billion a year to fight terrorism, not engage in it.
Too many Canadian policies are outdated, some crawling all the way back to 1867. Such as proroguing.
These antiquated regulations are used for the negative escape of issues rather than confrontation for positive change.
Ken my understanding of the prorogue process is that if all of the house business is finished before a session of parliament is over the device can be used to give everyone a break for being so, um, erm, “productive”.
“curious” in the past two instances is charitable of you, Ken…cowardly and anti-democratic would be closer to the truth
Well said Ken. And Jamie (admin), they had what, 34 bills on the table, plus a court order to supply documentation (which they refused to do, what do they have to hide?), the “Olympics” was also used as an excuse. They had no reason to prorogue except to hide something they don’t want everyone finding out. Must be damning information if thats the case.
admin my understanding of the prorogue process is from: http://www.parl.gc.ca/
“The principal effect of ending a session by prorogation is to end business. All government bills that have not received Royal Assent prior to prorogation cease to exist; committee activity also ceases. Thus, no committee can sit after a prorogation.”
Yes, a prorogue is used to end business. It depends on when Harper decides to end business. I don’t call the detainee/torture bill, in the middle of its warranted suspicion of PMO complicity, finished house business.
This bill and several other important bills were conveniently wiped away in mid-development by Harper’s government because the Conservatives had handled these isssues incorrectly.
So I don’t see where you get the Conservatives as being overly “productive” and deserving of extra holiday time.
Do you call Harper’s first prorogue in Dec 08 finished house business? My understanding was he was frantically closing parliament to save what little of his ass there was left to save.
Ken, I think Jamie was being sarcastic. We all know that business wasn’t finished.
And yes, his first prorogue was all about that.
What are they hiding? I think Harper, MacKay and Lauzon were probably torturing those Afghanistani terrorists themselves over in Afghanistan on weekends. Thats what they must be hiding and is what is so important to the Fiberals and Non-Democratic Pigs who have enquiring minds and want to know. What a waste of taxpayers time.
And now they want to give our “Taxpayer” dollars to them (Taliban Terrorists). What do you think about that?