Posts Tagged by minority government
Compromise Stabilizes Minority Governments
| 4/20/2011 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Okay, Harper has been traipsing around the country telling everyone he meets that he has to have a majority government or the sky will fall, or something. A recent poll indicates that the majority of Canadians are still not comfortable with the idea of Harper getting a majority.
We Canadians can be a lot smarter than we seem sometimes. Could it be we have good cause to not trust Harper with a majority?
He calls minority governments weak and unstable. Yet, historically, minority governments have been able to produce some incredible pieces of legislation. Our flag, a long and divisive debate, concluded under a minority government. Our medicare system came into being not only during a minority government but the politician credited with being the father of medicare headed a party which has NEVER lead the government of this country. Tommy Douglas of the NDP.
Our parliamentary system hasn’t changed, so, why could those governments produce some powerful changes in this country and a Harper minority becomes weak and unstable? Could it be that the leaders of those other minority governments felt the weight of serving the country instead of their partisan desires? Could it be they had learned that word… compromise?
Harper’s uncompromising approach might work to hold his party together, but it doesn’t hold a minority parliament together. Actually, I’m unconvinced being uncompromising holds a party together. I suspect that has more to do with his bully nature than any else.
So here we are. In an election which came about largely because of Harper’s failure to compromise and cooperate within our parliamentary system. We’re less than two weeks away from the actual election date and it is becoming increasingly clear that Canadians may re-elect the Conservatives but with a minority. (more…)
Election on Hold — For Now
| 9/16/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
After months of railing against the ‘separatists’ and ‘socialists’ bringing this country to rack and ruin by aligning with the Liberals to defeat the Conservatives, Harper is being saved from a non-confidence vote by those very same separatists & socialists. The NDP in particular (those dangerous socialists) have had a pretty easy ride in the last couple of governments by being able to vote against the government with impunity knowing the Liberals would likely end up giving grudging support to the government.
Ignatieff turned those tables around with his declaration that the Liberals would no longer support the government and in fact would bring the government down at the first opportunity. The declaration placed the Liberals back where they belonged, opposing the government instead of running scared while trying to look tough. Now Layton and/or Duceppe has to either step to the plate or we head into an election. That is the way it should be. (more…)
Ignatieff to Pull the Plug
| 9/8/2009 | Posted by Patti under Canadian Politics |
Liberal leader, Michael Ignatieff, has said the Official Opposition will oppose the government instead of propping them up. The Liberals have pledged to bring down the government at the first opportunity. I can but hope. Yes, I know, that means the fourth election in just over five years.
In typical fashion, Harper has responded by referring to this decision by calling it ‘playing games’ and ‘political opportunism’ — ya mean that wasn’t what Harper was doing when he pulled the plug a year ago and went to the poll without the House having a confidence vote? Of course Harper wasn’t ‘playing games’ when he rushed off to the Governor General to have Parliamen prorogued rather than face a confidence vote last December…. no, not him. (more…)
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