Canadians to Decide: Coup or Dictatorship

What's happening in Canadian politics these days is very disconcerting. It seems as if Canadians must decide between a coup d'etat...or a dictatorship.

Prime Minister Harper and his Conservative minority government was supposed to provide the Canadian public with an economic statement that would allay fears Canadians had about the economy. Instead, they made a blatant attack on public funding of the opposition parties that would effectively bankrupt them. They also intended to roll back pay equity and suspend the right to strike for public service employees.

In response, the opposition parties (Liberals, NDP'rs, and the Bloc) banded together and came to a coalition agreement to oppose the Conservative government. This caused the Conservatives to back off on their plans. In addition, the possibility of a non-confidence vote in the House prompted Prime Minister Harper to request of Governor General Michaelle Jean to prorogue Parliament until January 26th. That means no debate in the House until then. As strange as it may seem, experts have said that all of these actions are perfectly legal within the Canadian Constitution.

Some people (including the Conservative government) have called the coalition of opposition parties an attempt at a coup d'etat over the democratically elected government. If that's true, then Prime Minister Harper and his Conservative government have become a dictatorship. Because the opposition parties individually could not mount an effective defence to the Conservatives, the parties banding together and forming a coalition has scared the Conservatives into thinking their government could fall. By closing Parliament until the end of January, they have effectively taken away the right of the Canadian voters' representatives from being heard in the House. This sounds too much like the actions of a leader of a small African country trying to tenuously hold onto power. The difference being there aren't any tanks around Parliament Hill or the Prime Minister's residence...yet!

The black humour in all of this is that Canadians have fought and died in foreign lands to combat coups and dictatorships. Canada has a long history of supporting democracy and ensuring the people of a country retain their right to choose those that would represent them in government. But the actions of the current Canadian government does not provide leadership by example.

In this time of economic instability, Canadians need to know that their political leaders are responsible and doing what is needed to ensure the best outcome for the country. Now is not the time for pettiness. At first, I thought proroguement was a bad idea. And from the standpoint of democracy, it is. However, it gives the chance for everyone to step back and take a deep breath. It also gives the Liberals the opportunity to change leaders. It's obvious the Canadian people could not stomach Mr. Dion leading the country, especially during these times. Whether the Liberals appoint an interim leader (such as the Liberal House Leader, Ralph Goodale) in advance of the leadership convention in May, or quickly choose from the leadership candidates, that needs to happen as soon as possible so that they can prepare for the resumption of the sitting of the House.

Proroguement of the House also gives the Conservative government the opportunity to put partisanship aside and come out with a budget that helps Canadians. That will be something the opposition coalition could support, and allow the Conservatives to continue to govern.

What Canada needs right now is political leadership (not partisanship) and stability. If the Conservatives can't provide it, then the opposition coalition should be given the opportunity.

Wings Over The World