Governor General Says Coalitions Are Normal Part Of Our Democracy - Why Is Harper Inventing Crisis??
OTTAWA — The new governor general says he sees nothing wrong or illegitimate with coalition governments — something Prime Minister Stephen Harper has attacked for being “undemocratic.”
Gov. Gen. David Johnston told QMI Agency he's been busy brushing up on constitutional governments in case he is called upon to navigate a choppy political crisis.
“Any governor general who has that role in a constitutional system like ours, from time to time will be confronted with questions where there is an element of discretion,” he said.
Johnston won’t say whether he would have saved Harper’s government in December 2008 as former governor general Michaelle Jean did by granting the prorogation of Parliament so Harper could avoid a confidence vote.
But, he said, he is learning from the past and will seek advice, preferably in advance of being called to make any decision.
Harper first attacked coalitions as undemocratic when the Liberals and NDP joined forces with the Bloc Quebecois to try to defeat his newly elected government. In June, while visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron, who had just made a deal with the Liberal Democrats, Harper said coalitions are illegitimate unless they include the party that won the most votes in the election.
“Losers don’t get to form coalitions,” he said.
Johnston said Canada — like many democratic regimes — has had experiences with coalition-type governments in the past.
“I think that most jurisdictions that have a system of first-past-the-post or proportional representation will from time to have time have coalitions or amalgamation of different parties and that’s the way democracy sorts itself out,” he said.
GG on Coalition
Gov. Gen. David Johnston told QMI Agency he's been busy brushing up on constitutional governments in case he is called upon to navigate a choppy political crisis.
“Any governor general who has that role in a constitutional system like ours, from time to time will be confronted with questions where there is an element of discretion,” he said.
Johnston won’t say whether he would have saved Harper’s government in December 2008 as former governor general Michaelle Jean did by granting the prorogation of Parliament so Harper could avoid a confidence vote.
But, he said, he is learning from the past and will seek advice, preferably in advance of being called to make any decision.
Harper first attacked coalitions as undemocratic when the Liberals and NDP joined forces with the Bloc Quebecois to try to defeat his newly elected government. In June, while visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron, who had just made a deal with the Liberal Democrats, Harper said coalitions are illegitimate unless they include the party that won the most votes in the election.
“Losers don’t get to form coalitions,” he said.
Johnston said Canada — like many democratic regimes — has had experiences with coalition-type governments in the past.
“I think that most jurisdictions that have a system of first-past-the-post or proportional representation will from time to have time have coalitions or amalgamation of different parties and that’s the way democracy sorts itself out,” he said.
GG on Coalition
Is he trying to make it seem possible, even though Ignatieff has ruled it out, so that Harper's incessant rambling about coalitions seems more possible?
Either way, the Governor General should not be talking during an election campaign.
Posted by
Adam M. |
9:08 am, March 28, 2011
With Harper and the Conservatives it not about the facts and all about the spin.
Posted by
Pamela |
9:16 am, March 28, 2011
So Harper says that a minority government doesn't have to answer to the house? Then a get a majority,Steve. Nice try on changing the rules. He's basically saying that if he wins even a minority, that he's guaranteed government. That makes no sense.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:00 am, March 28, 2011
So Harper says that a minority government doesn't have to answer to the house? Then a get a majority,Steve. Nice try on changing the rules. He's basically saying that if he wins even a minority, that he's guaranteed government. That makes no sense.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:00 am, March 28, 2011
Before the Conbot lynch mob gets going, it should be noted that the GG said that back in December
www.torontosun.com/news/canada/2010/12/23/16654306.html
Posted by
WhigWag |
11:06 am, March 28, 2011
to my mind he is appropriately answering a constitutional question - it's his job to decide what happens
i am pleased that he gave the answer shown in this post
Posted by
jmburton |
12:07 pm, March 28, 2011
Notice the wording of Harper's statement:
“Losers don’t get to form coalitions,” . . . . .
He uses two negatives in the first two words. That frames it neatly.
To his mind, losers are not the majority. Funny thing though . . .
non-smokers were a minority once upon a time so they would have been losers, too. There's also an analogy about women, native people, and certain other groups.
Times change and we change with them.
But . . . . his way of thinking is the Conservative way to discard the opposition by rubbishing them.
It's done daily on conservative talk radio.
All that needs to be done now is to frame him and his party as NOT the publicly popular choice.
Tall order.
Posted by
Anonymous |
5:50 pm, March 28, 2011
Harper treats Canadians as suckers - spin disdain about "coalition" and we'll forget about contempt of parliament and violation of election laws by some leading conservatives. What an insult!
hayseed
Posted by
marv hendrickson |
11:29 am, March 29, 2011