Two Letters to the Editor
Democracy on strike
RONALD WRIGHT author, A Short History of Progress December 8, 2008 Salt Spring Island, B.C. --
Eight years ago, Canadians watched in disbelief as the U.S. failed to carry out a recount in the election that installed George W. Bush. We had reason to be proud of the advantages of our parliamentary system. Now Canada has made an even more serious constitutional blunder, and it is our turn to hang our heads in shame. Modern parliamentary democracy rests on a single great principle: The government must have the consent of the governed. This consent is delegated by the people to their MPs. The government must then be able to carry the "confidence" of the House of Commons. Majority governments rarely lose that confidence; minority governments often do. When the government cannot carry the House, it falls. Suspending Parliament to dodge a vote the government fears it will lose is so deeply undemocratic, it should never have been mooted by politicians, the media or the Governor-General. The English Civil War was fought on this very issue - after King Charles I shut down Parliament when he found its restrictions uncongenial. The King lost his head. We no longer behead people in Canada, but Stephen Harper's coup d'état cannot be allowed to stand, not least because of the precedent. Any future government can now slip the leash of democracy in the same way. This is how constitutions fail.
JOY RUTTAN December 8, 2008 Gatineau, Que. --
Since Stephen Harper has refused to go to work, it would seem that he is on strike and therefore should not be getting his salary. How much strike pay is enough for a dishonourable prime minister?
5 comments:
Unfortunately for Mr. Ruttan, h misses the point entirely.
To here credit, the GG recognized the inflammatory and dangerous precedent that would be set by giving life to a coalition whose vote lock is from separatist vermin.
And that, and not the overbearing Mr. Harper, was the overriding issue.
Then again, who would be surprised? Gatineau is still the breeding ground for enough of the Bloc vote, but they are slipping...they lost the Beauce and the surrounding parts of the island, thankfully..
It will be interesting to see what happens in Quebec tonight.
If Charest wins a majority it will be a fiesta day in my life.
I absolutely disagree with both of these comments. I invite everyone to listen to Norman Spector and Bill Tieleman discuss last week's events here. They have a very different take on who attempted the peaceful coup d'etat. Is Tieleman, a lifelong NDP supporter & pundit, delusional as well?
I was at the Rally for Canada on Saturday and damn proud of it! AND had the situation been reversed, with the Liberals or NDP elected and the Conservatives trying to pull the same thing, I ALSO would have been out there protesting against the Tories.
Just because one has HDS (Harper Derangement Syndrome) does not give them carte blanche permission to betray the will of the People of Canada.
The argument by those who support a coalition, is that more votes were cast for the other parties in total than were for the Conservatives.
But nobody knew they were voting for a coalition.
Next election, the NDP are toast.
"separatist vermin. "
Not a very civil manner of discourse. When was the last time the author read reference to "federalist morons", for example, from those on the other side of what should remain a civilized debate?
So, separatists are vermin Mr Tsakumis? What's your plan for exterminating us?
When I clicked on Pelalusa's Norman Spector and Bill Tieleman "here" link I was alerted by my computer security system that it is an attack site. Be careful.
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