Thoughts on prorogation
The following is a transcript of Rex Murphy’s Point of View commentary from the Jan. 27 broadcast of The National on CBC Television. Readers can watch Mr. Murphy’s commentary at cbc.ca/thenational
The storm over prorogation– Mr. Harper’s decision to shut down Parliament — reveals a curious dynamic.
I can’t recall a period when the importance and dignity of Parliament has had quite so many defenders and advocates, and very cheering it is to see. Which leads to the thought that the House of Commons is never quite so popular … as when it’s closed. The great balladeer pundit Joni Mitchell was before me on this point when she hymned to the flower children so many years ago that (in her words) “don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone?”
There’s not an adult in the country who doesn’t know why Stephen Harper shut the shop down — for partisan convenience. But I’m a little less welcoming to the thought that the opposition are genuinely outraged by this “offence” to Parliament, or that Harper, in this, is acting the “despot” or throttling democracy as we know it in Canada.
All politicians would make an infinitely stronger case about their “respect for Parliament” if they showed a little of it when Parliament was actually in session; if, for example, Question Period wasn’t — as it almost always is — a zoo for catcalls and jeers, a heckling contest for the loudest and the rudest — and utterly organized, on both sides of the House, to squeeze the maximum partisan advantage on any issue out of every single minute of the daily free for all.
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rob misek Says:
The liberal biased MSM has fed the public misinformation that proroging is a holiday for politicians. It isn’t.
It is only a break from the partisan antics of the legislature that has occurred 105 times in the last 143 years.
Last year prorogation prevented an undemocratic coup by the three stooge bad losers in the oppostion, Dion, Duceppe and Layton.
Lets face it, during business as usual in legislature the opposition does nothing but criticize and partisan politic. Nothing has been lost because of 20 days of prorogation this year.
On the contrary, this year prorogation occurs at the end of a worldwide recession where necessary economic incentives have drastically affected the framework of our immediate and future budgets. Prorogation is a time to recalibrate the budget and for opposition to work with the democratically elected and responsible government.
But that is not what we are seeing or hearing in the MSM. Instead we hear that it is all about “partisan convenience”.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 7:59 am
beentheredonethat Says:
One recent poll showed that of those Canadians most offended by this particular incident of proroging are those with the highest education. If that finding is accurate then this statement rings true.
“I can’t give you brains, but I can give you a diploma. ”
The Wizard of OZ to the Scarecrow.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 9:23 am
Cunctator Says:
#2 – that really is rather offensive. Perhaps a better explanation, other than an insulting one, is that those with more advanced education are more interested in public affairs, often because they have the income and/or time that allows them that opportunity.
Proroguing parliament was a decision by a once-principled man who has lost his way. I think Rex Murphy’s comment that Harper is his own worst enemy is bang on. The other word one might apply is “hubris”.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 10:47 am
Joe Says:
Cundtator I tend to agree more with beentheredonethat. Education as presently enjoyed is far more about indoctrination than enabling thought. Thus I would say that the higher the level of education the more likely to oppose Prorogation is because the higher the level of education the more likely to be Liberal.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 11:03 am
Undecided Voter Says:
Certainly was a gift to the lieberals even though past lieberal governments have used it many times. Hopefully, this too shall pass. If not, Canadians may again be stuck with a minority government.
Question is, which party – Lieberals or the Tories?
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 11:09 am
beentheredonethat Says:
Humans are born with the level of intelligence and common sense that they will live their entire lives with. Sometimes they are only gifted with one or the other, sometimes with neither. I have worked with people who had plenty of letters after their name but once you got a few of them outside of their ’book learned’ area of expertice then trying to have a normal conversation with them about everyday common sense issues was like talking to a brick. My point was that just because the higher educated percentage of people polled has one opinion should do nothing to convince anyone that the dissenters therefore must be wrong. IMO that was the subtle hint that the article was trying to make and it was wrong to do so. If not then why even ask the question in the first place let alone mention the result?
http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/canada/2010/01/31/12687776.html
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 11:52 am
Fay Says:
Fortunately every Canadian has one vote. Show me a study that says only Canadians with a high level of education vote!!!!
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 1:08 pm
MaryT Says:
Speaking of the educated, listen to Adler today, re kids can’t spell, use grammar and all those kool teachers are allowing lots of slack in their classroom
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 2:40 pm
MaryT Says:
And does anyone have any idea of how many highschool grads can’t write, they only print. And when asked to sign their name they say, in script.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 2:41 pm
ward Says:
I point I made on the NP thread was that sometimes you must fight fire with fire to extinguish the blaze. If you look at the unelected unaccountable Senate as the fire, Harper has instituted a controlled burn to put it out.
So has Harper started a fire – even though he says fire is bad? Certainly. Is it intellectually honest to call it arson which is what the opposition and media are doing? Absolutely not.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 2:56 pm
jema54 Says:
Good metaphors Ward – perfect assessment.
I agree with BTDT and Mary T re: ‘educated’ ie indoctrinated people being more likely to be Liberal Party of Canada supporters (not many of them are dippers though, the three stooges are all the same ilk in my opinion). More ‘educated/indoctrinated characters work for the gument so they support the outfit that will keep them paper shuffling even as they run small business and big business on the rails. Unions people also support the Troika for self centered reasons. It has nothing with peace keeping or patriotism, it is all about their own pocketbooks.
Posted on February 1st, 2010 at 10:26 pm
BERT Says:
I really don,t think Canadians will ever again put a corrupt Liberal party into power.You idiots who still vote for them should have one of those interventions.Sit down and think,YES THINK YOU STUPID LIBERALS and ask yourself this…WHY do I vote for corruption…WHY do i vote for LIARS,(Liberal Chretien will get rid of the GST)…Why do i vote for a party who tried to to overthrow a legitimately elected Government and have a Leader who spent all of his adult life in other countries and knows nothing about Canada or it,s politics.YES YOU STUPID IDIOT LIBERALS ask yourself some questions..Cant be anymore clear than that you IDIOT LIBERALS.And lets prorogue some more..Maybe we can catch up to Trudeaus record,or Chretiens..Whats that you say,Chretien prorogued because he could not stand to be next to his finance minister MARTIN…Nice group of people these Liberals,can’t even stand each other in parliament.
Posted on February 25th, 2010 at 6:55 pm