The Undemocratic Arrogance Of The Harper Conservatives In Stunning
"Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall"
Proverbs 16:18
Stephen Harper leads a minority government. The large majority of Canadians did not vote for him. In Canada's Parliamentary system, the minority party which attempts to form a government is expected to work with the other parties and try to cooperate to bring forward legislation and budgets.
In 1979, unable to win the support and votes of the majority of Canadians, Joe Clarke became a minority Prime Minster. Clark immediately announced that he was going to govern as if he held a majority. His arrogant style failed, he was defeated on a Budget vote and the nation went to the polls to elect a new Parliament. Mr. Clark's arrogance did not sit well with Canadians and he was returned to the Opposition benches.
Thirty-two years later, we have another very arrogant (and Conservative) minority Prime Minister who has decided to test fate, and repeat Joe Clarke's strategy. Rather than work with any other political party, Harper has decided that his lack of cooperation, stubbornness and arrogance will be rewarded with a Majority by the people of Canada.
He is deluded. He will be defeated. To preserve his minority administration, he needs to step back from the brink, temper his arrogance, play nice with others and amend the Budget substantially. Anything short of that will see the end of his time as Prime Minister of Canada.
Well said, straight and simple. All this bluster about how Canadians don't want an election is insulting. If the public believes their MPs lack of confidence in the PM is unfounded, I guess they'll lose their seats. But until that time, they are in the House of Commons in a minority and if they've lost confidence, we the voters are charged with making the next decision.
Posted by
Stephanie |
8:52 pm, March 23, 2011
Do you remember that Joe Clark said to the Social Credits that he didn't need their 6 votes in a minority government?
Guess by how many votes he lost the confidence that December 1979.
Six.
Harper should have learned by now and learned from Clark's--and other conservatives'--mistakes.
Posted by
Anonymous |
11:18 pm, March 23, 2011
Harper's arrogance far surpasses Joe Clarke's.
Posted by
leftdog |
8:27 am, March 24, 2011
what leftdog said - there are probably true conservatives out there who long for a man with the integrity of Joe Clark to be around these days.
Posted by
sassy |
5:14 pm, March 24, 2011
I'm not so sure this is a very productive approach against Harper while there are substantial policy differences to be contrasted.
I mean, it's the longest and most successful period of minority government in Canadian history and took some effort to topple. All of the Opposition parties have voted with Harper at various points through the last 5 years.
Better to challenge why the infrastructure program has ended. We had to stop Harper to bring that back. And we can talk about how other parties would run a minority differently.
Posted by
Unknown |
6:52 pm, March 26, 2011
This election is far beyond mere policy. Harper's 'style' has been undemocratic, defiant, uncooperative and frankly, well beyond factual reality on many issues. His prorogation of the House 2 times (!) in order to sidestep political discomfort is beyond what any democracy should tolerate. Mr. Harper has a vision for the nation which is contrary to what the real majority wants.
Example. The majority of western farmers WANT to retain the Canadian Wheat Board. Farmers consistently elect a majority of pro-wheat board directors. Harper doesn't care what the majority of farmers want or vote for. His political & economic ideology doesn't like the concept of the CWB and if he had had a majority over the last 5 years, he would have legislated the Board out of existence. No amount of dialogue or contrasting policy would have made a difference. His behavior has been unilateral and dictatorial.
No! Stephen Harper doesn't deserve to be at the helm of the nation. He must be defeated.
Posted by
leftdog |
7:57 pm, March 26, 2011