Article

2008-12-04 Great White North

What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks Is Going On In Canada?

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Posted by Seafarious 2008-12-04 05:47|| || Front Page|| [4 views ] Top

#1 Did Soros buy Canada too?

Posted by ed 2008-12-04 08:42|| 2008-12-04 08:42|| Front Page Top

#2 I am not a Canadian (IANAC?), but Mark Steyn is.

Here's his thoughts on the matter at NRO.

Posted by Grenter, Protector of the Geats 2008-12-04 09:03|| 2008-12-04 09:03|| Front Page Top

#3 Someone called Canada a 'geopolitical accident' and its politics reflects this with different parties and party factions dominant in different regions. All governments are coalitions of these different parties.

Posted by phil_b 2008-12-04 09:08|| 2008-12-04 09:08|| Front Page Top

#4 Another reason I hate Parliamentary systems.

Posted by DarthVader 2008-12-04 09:53|| 2008-12-04 09:53|| Front Page Top

#5 Thanks for the Steyn link, Grenter. Here's more on how the vicereine might "be exercising long-standing powers of the Crown in support of Canada's parliamentary democracy"

Oh, Canada.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-12-04 10:19|| 2008-12-04 10:19|| Front Page Top

#6 This is a major reason that I, too, hate parlimentary systems, and REALLY hate the fact that our a**holes in the State Dept. set up countries where we do nation building with this model.

Posted by AlanC 2008-12-04 10:47|| 2008-12-04 10:47|| Front Page Top

#7 Naturally, AlanC, they hate the fact that things actually take time to get accomplished in our system and they are still bound down by silly wastes of time like 'checks and balances', which themselves are eroding away as we speak. So why wouldn't they pick a better system to keep the little people from sticking their long noses into the govt's business?

Posted by bigjim-ky 2008-12-04 11:56|| 2008-12-04 11:56|| Front Page Top

#8 bigjim - you are of course correct.

The fact is that the DoS "people" are really jealous that they can't impose their favored system here.

Posted by AlanC">AlanC 2008-12-04 12:54|| 2008-12-04 12:54|| Front Page Top

#9 I'm not so crazy about the Steyn link (although I do enjoy reading Steyn) provided by Grenter. In Canada there are 305 seats in the house of parliment. There are 305 electoral districts called ridings. Every riding elects a member of parliment (MP). By past precedent, whatever party has the most MPs forms the government. We had an election ~7 weeks ago. The Conservatives won but with a little less than half the seats (methinks ~140). The Liberals won 77. The Separtists 50. The NDP (socialists) the rest, along with a few independents. If a government cannot get 153 votes (ie the majority)on a key piece of legislation (considered a 'confidence' vote), they are deemed unable to govern and we get a new election (again, past precedent). The conservatives are facing such a vote on Monday. They would likely loose. However, instead of forcing a new election, the Liberals & socialists want to form the new government without holding an election. However, combined they hold less seats than the conservatives, and this is key. They need the separtists support in order to pass any legislation, including confidence votes. So the near left Liberals and the far left NDP have signed an agreement with the separtist left. The Governor General (our unelected head of state, who also decides if the left coalition will get to form the new government if the conservatives loose power or can call an election to let the people decide) just agreed to alow the conservatives to suspend parliment until late January, when the conservatives will present a budget. This prevents the immediate confidence vote from occuring. However, the budget vote in late January will be a confidence vote, as budgets always are. This is where we currently stand.

Posted by Chemist 2008-12-04 12:55|| 2008-12-04 12:55|| Front Page Top

#10 Harper shut down the government:

Less than two months after winning re-election, Harper successfully asked the unelected representative of the head of state for the power to close down Parliament until Jan. 26, hoping to buy enough time to develop a stimulus package that could prop up the economy.

"Today's decision will give us an opportunity I'm talking about all the parties to focus on the economy and work together," Harper said after the private meeting.

Governor General Michaelle Jean, who represents Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, granted the unusual request to suspend parliament. Had she refused, Harper would have had two choices: step down or face a no-confidence vote Monday he was sure to lose.

Harper would not offer details on their conversation.

Posted by Seafarious 2008-12-04 14:42|| 2008-12-04 14:42|| Front Page Top

#11 Vancouver radio this morning was expressing the hope that the gov't would shut down to give everybody time to cool down and think things through rather than get all wound up.
they got their hope, now to see if there is any change.

Posted by USN, Ret. 2008-12-04 14:46|| 2008-12-04 14:46|| Front Page Top

#12 We're getting our pitchforks sharpened and our torches all oiled up and ready for the demonstartions.

We'll see how those "Coalition of the Swilling" politicians respond to realpolitik.

Posted by Canuckistan sniper 2008-12-04 15:24|| 2008-12-04 15:24|| Front Page Top

#13 "Demonstartions" . . . I kinda like that!

Posted by Canuckistan sniper 2008-12-04 15:25|| 2008-12-04 15:25|| Front Page Top

#14 I do like the idea that in a Parliamentary system the election cycle is short. I like the idea that the opposition party creates a shadow government and thus policies. I like the idea that in a Parliamentary system the government can call a vote and get a referendum on what they are doing, or the party can remove the leader if they know the leader is unpopular but they want to stay in power.

I don't like the idea that the party in power controls the executive and legislative branches by definition. I like a balance. I want Taiwanese style fist fights shown on pay-per-view to help pay off the budgets.

Posted by rjschwarz 2008-12-04 16:04|| 2008-12-04 16:04|| Front Page Top

#15 The only real freedom is the freedom to vote with your feet. So if you want good government you need federalism. The more the better.

We've long since done away with any meaningful federalism here, and the results speak for themselves.

Posted by Iblis 2008-12-04 16:16|| 2008-12-04 16:16|| Front Page Top

#16 my prayers and hopes to our Canuck friends, who have proven true, sacrificing blood and treasure where the newly cobbled coalition would not

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2008-12-04 20:11|| 2008-12-04 20:11|| Front Page Top

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