Finally

Abousfian Abdelrazik is coming home. Kudo's to the opposition and the courts.

Recommend this Post

Of Coalitions II

I stand by yesterday's posting that Harper and Iggy acted in a way that was proper for a coalition. But something about this arrangement still bothers me. I think it is destructive of our democracy to have an official opposition that isn't. Having an official opposition that acts as an opposition party only up until a vote of confidence, at which time it switches to support the government, breeds cynicism among the voters. How can a party say one day that the government is full of crooks and incompetents and then the next casts its votes with the same government? It just looks really, really bad. It makes it look like the official opposition is play acting and does not oppose at all. And that is not a good thing. It is not how our system is set up.

If the people running the Liberal party cannot work with the other opposition parties because they find they are ideologically closer to the Conservatives, then they should enter into a formal coalition with the government. That way, the opposition will really oppose, we will not be going to the polls every 12 months, and (this is important), Liberals would have more influence sitting around the cabinet table, than they do being caught in an endless "we oppose -- we back away", cycle. Entering a formal coalition would also enjoy the benefit of being intellectually honest and who knows, such a coalition might restore Canadians' faith in their politicians.

Recommend this Post

Of Coalitions

I know Liberals will reject this, with extreme prejudice, but this is how coalition government is supposed to work. Myself, I shudder to think what a coalition of the Conservatives and the business wing of the Liberal Party would come up with on EI, but at least they are working semi-openly together. That in itself is an improvement over the chaos we have seen lately. Now, if only they would get out of denial and embrace the love that dares not speak its name.

Update: If the Liberals embraced a real coalition with the Tories, they would at least, avoid criticism like this.

Update 2: From Kady:

By the time that word of a second summit between Stephen Harper and Michael Ignatieff had come out, most of us ParliamentaryCrisisWatchers had already downgraded the election threat-o-meter from red to yellow, and were just waiting for official confirmation that the Liberal leader’s perfect record of backing away from any position that could ever potentially be described as “courageous” remained intact. We were not disappointed, although ITQ will admit that the blue ribbon threw us for a loop. Offering your grudging support for a government you’ve only just finished condemning for its “flagrant incompetence” is one thing — but doing it in exchange for a few vague promises to get back to you with more information, and an advisory panel? Somehow, that seems even more embarrassing than forcing your caucus to hide behind the curtains during votes, although that could be because you’re now forced to paste a fake smile on your face and pretend it’s a victory.

Ouch. A bit harsh there, Kady.

Final Update: I am wondering, despite the fact that the panel studying changes to EI is "blue ribbon", don't we have MP's and don't they have committees which could handle such a study? Why do we have a government at all? Why not just farm everything out to blue ribbon panels and drop the messy business of elections altogether?

Recommend this Post

What People Are Saying

Iggy: An election if necessary, but not necessarily an election.

Harper: Queen to queen's level three.

Layton: Hey! Over here! Look at us, we passed another motion!

Duceppe: Yes, I am still here. Get over it.

Our national "leaders" don't seem to care about running the country. It's all about the game, all day, every day. Well, I am sick of the game. The game is stupid.

Recommend this Post

Red Iran/Blue Iran

Yet another society where the urban and educated have to contend with a conservative politician who appeals to the rural and under-educated.

Update: Of course given what Dr. Dawg is writing today, it won't be long before North American conservatives start labling Ahmadinejad a "leftist-fascist". Orwell has a lot to answer for.

Recommend this Post

Hamlet On The Rideau

Starring Iggy, the eyebrow that walks like a man. We all await, with bated breath, for the great man to pronounce our collective fate.

Recommend this Post

Palin V. Letterman

My motto is, "Never pick a fight with a guy who has his own TV show and a huge staff of joke writers". The Republicans would be well advised to think this one through.

Recommend this Post