Prime Minister Stephen Harper suspended Parliament yesterday until March 3, and came in for considerable abuse in return. Liberal MP Ralph Goodale called the move “a shocking insult to democracy.” NDP House Leader Libby Davies labelled the decision a “political scam.”
Already equated to a dictator in the Toronto Star, Mr. Harper was compared in Maclean’s magazine to King Charles I, whose confrontation with Parliament ultimately cost him his head.
Enough. Parliament was due to return on Jan. 25. The Vancouver Olympics open Feb. 12 and run to Feb. 28, preoccupying public attention and sending Ottawa into hibernation. In effect Mr. Harper has cut two extra weeks from the opposition’s anticipated window of public attention. It’s not the end of the world.
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Updates:
2:35 pm EST, December 31st, 2009 — Proroguing Parliament is ‘routine,’ Tories say
I guess the NP felt the need to end the year with a teleprompter editorial. Let’s help them by adding Canada is the best country on the planet in which to live and invest. No other country comes even close to Canada at this juncture.
But we have a serious fiscal problem caused by redundant layers of government having created too many “entitled” government employees. We need to redistribute CUPE jobs to the private sector.
A recent Rasmussen poll shows that 46 percent of US government employees say the economy is getting better, while just 31 percent say it’s getting worse. In contrast, 32 percent of those with private-sector jobs say the economy is getting better, while 49 percent say it is getting worse. Bottom of Form
Nearly half, 44 percent, of government employees rate their personal finances as good or excellent. Only 33 percent of private-sector employees do. The gap between the apparatchiks and workers in the real economy is enormous.
Fortunately Ottawa and the Provinces still have time to shed entitlements of our bloated civil service. Let’s hope the March Speech from the Throne and the Budget start to wind down the Dot Com era of government.
Too bad Ralphie, Libby and every journalist can’t count. There are only about 22 sitting days in this recess.
But it sounds much better to say 3 months. The HofC doesn’t sit on Fridays, Saturday or Sunday, so count the days from Jan 25-Mar 3.
If it is so important for MPs to be working, why is Goodale in Arizona, can’t he spend his money in Canada. Shouldn’t he be in his riding, meeting voters, attending functions, trying to get re-elected. Typical hypergrit.
Wonder how many other hard working, serious thinking opposition MPs are out of the country or their riding.
The taliban have taken credit for yesterday’s bomb, that killed 5 Canadians. Do the libs really think we care about some taliban detainee that had a shoe thrown at him over 3 yrs ago.
If the terrorist coward that planted that bomb was captured, would the liberals demand he be released, as he might be hurt by his own people.
Let’s hope the next session is more productive than it’s predecessors.
Productivity is nice, but what didn’t get done in Ottawa is also very important. Maybe we need a mirror image of Sandy’s list of Accomplishments, maybe we should start:
A List of Thwarted Liberal Plans
( or “Stéphane, you didn’t get it done” Thank God )
- no Coalition with Marxists and Separatists
- no Green Shaft
- no National Day Care run by CUPE
- no Senators appointed for life
#3. Dont hold your breath waiting, Mac.
Watching the cbc national news, and guess what, they are allowing the man in the street to continue with the lie that the PM has prorouged for three months.
Shouldn’t a responsible journalist inform them that the House is on Christmas break until Jan 25. So, they are only missing about 22 sitting days.
Is it possible Canadians are paying so much attention they don’t know the House is on a break. Will any columnist or media honcho tell the people the truth.
Hey, what was the big fear 10 years ago tonight. Remember Y2K, what a scam, sort of like climate change.