They're about to hold a vote on whether to keep the guy in office... and he convinces the governor general to suspend parliament until the end of January.


http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/12/04/canada.crisis/index.html

Quote :

"(CNN) -- Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Thursday that Canada's governor general has allowed him to suspend Parliament, postponing a no-confidence vote from his opponents that he was likely to lose. Harper called on his opponents to work with his government on measures to aid the nation's economy when Parliament returns on January 26. "The first order of business will be the presentation of a federal budget," Harper told reporters outside the governor general's residence in Ottawa, Canada. "Those who were elected here to serve the interest of Canada as a whole should work together -- at least to some degree -- on planning an economic plan for Canada." Had Governor General Michaelle Jean -- who represents Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as head of state -- denied Harper's request, Monday's vote would have likely brought down Harper's government, less than two months after his Conservative Party strengthened its minority position in federal elections. The Liberal Party and the leftist New Democratic Party announced plans earlier this week to form a governing coalition with the support of the Bloc Quebecois, which supports independence for French-speaking Quebec. Liberal Party Leader Stephane Dion, the man who would fill Harper's role under the planned coalition, said the coalition would look to replace Harper unless he makes "monumental change." "For the first time in the history of Canada, the prime minister of Canada is running away from the parliament of Canada," said Dion, accusing the premier of placing "partisan politics ahead of the interest of all Canadians." New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton said Harper had used a "maneuver to escape accountability." "He refuses to face the people of Canada through their elected representatives," he said. "The prime minister is choosing to protect his own job rather than focusing on the jobs of Canadians who are being thrown out of work today." The news comes one day after Harper appealed directly to Canadians for support, vowing in a nationally televised address on the economy to halt his opponents, whom he accused of imposing their own agenda on the Canadian people. "Unfortunately, even before the government has brought forward its budget, and only seven weeks after a general election, the opposition wants to overturn the results of that election," said the prime minister, whose Conservative Party strengthened its minority position in federal elections on October 14. iReport.com: Outrage brewing in Canada Harper rejected the idea of a "power-sharing coalition with a separatist party," referring to the Bloc Quebecois, and insisted the country must stand together. "At a time of global economic instability, Canada's government must stand unequivocally for keeping the country together. At a time like this, a coalition with the separatists cannot help Canada," he said Wednesday. "The opposition is attempting to impose this deal without your say, without your consent, and without your vote. This is no time for backroom deals with the separatists; it is the time for Canada's government to focus on the economy and specifically on measures for the upcoming budget. This is a pivotal moment in our history," he said. Harper, 49, has served as prime minister since February 2006."

Frankly I don't know much about the innerworkings of the Canadian government, but the fact that their system's checks/balances can be bypassed so easily is rather surprising...

Despite Canada's rather unimportant status on the international level, this could have some effect on us given that it seems to be revolving around dealing with (or in the Harper's case, postponing dealing with) economic issues.

12/10/2008 2:02:08 AM

IIRC, this is a normal part of their election process.

12/10/2008 2:11:56 AM

yeah, well, they just had a motherfucking election in october. the conservatives only got like 25 more seats too, which made the election basically worthless. there is no way they will get a majority this time.

12/10/2008 3:08:38 AM

i dont know what you are talking aboot

12/10/2008 3:13:16 AM

isnt that the case like 95% of the time?

12/10/2008 3:41:27 AM

Doesnt Canada's government just do what ever America tells them to do anyways?

12/10/2008 8:31:46 AM

Quote :

"Despite Canada's rather unimportant status on the international level"

Canada contributes one of the largest (possibly still the largest) levels of peacekeeping troops to the UN and NATO. A quarter of American exports go to Canada and a fifth of our imports come from there. It is a major energy producer: they also give us 16% of the oil we import and 14% of the natural gas, and as a result provide a significant buffer against further reliance on and influence for Middle Eastern exporters. It is the third largest foreign investor in the United States and has free trade agreements not only with North America but far-flung countries all over the world.

So unless "unimportant" means "not the US or China," you're wrong.

Quote :

"the fact that their system's checks/balances can be bypassed so easily is rather surprising..."

They can be bypassed for a very brief period in this matter. It's fairly common in countries with a prime ministerial system to have a mechanism for dissolving parliament, for a variety of reasons, not least to avert issues with power-sharing coalitions that can cause routine collapses of government.

I'm not sure why the governor-general decided on this course of action. I suspect it's because the elections were so recent, and giving the government another few weeks would keep things on an even keel and make sure, at the very least, that the opposing coalition can keep together during that time -- a good sign that maybe it won't immediately implode if it is successful.

12/10/2008 2:48:23 PM

^^^i dont know what you are saying, aye

12/10/2008 2:58:13 PM

Harper is a shitheel that has been keeping the press out of previously accessible conferences and does everything with the interests of Alberta in mind. Last month Harper proposed this new environmental package that basically excluded Alberta from every limitation. His support base is Alberta, which is filling up due to oil wealth, and people who were tired of the Liberal's corruption, but they've largely fixed that now (although Dion is like Harry Reid if he spoke French). Harper needs to go.

12/10/2008 3:10:45 PM

The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away.

12/10/2008 3:17:38 PM