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You might be sick of it

But there’s a reason it keeps happening.

And the reason it keeps happening isn’t because we have a minority government. It isn’t because the ubiquitous “They” are keeping Stephen Harper from doing his job. It’s because “They” don’t agree with the job he’s doing. Which is what “They” were elected to do. And, ironically, the majority of people who voted didn’t want Stephen Harper’s help doing anything. So unless you’re actually defining “They” as people who can’t be arsed to vote, I think perhaps saying that it’s “Their” fault Harper can’t run the government is …what’s that word? Mistooken.

It wasn’t the Opposition (who, along with the other federal party received the majority of votes cast) who have systematically stripped national research grants for the sciences. It wasn’t the Opposition who want to weaken our food safety regulations. It wasn’t the Opposition who cancelled government initiatives to improve living conditions for our country’s impoverished peoples. It wasn’t the Opposition whose policies have become an international embarrassment for Canada (“No thanks; we don’t want Canada on the National Security Council”). It hasn’t been Opposition MPs falsifying documents (THAT is what caused the contempt of Parliament, btw; followed by the government’s refusal to provide timely and accurate information for proposed legislation to Parliament).

Sure, the Opposition parties are responsible for our going to the polls three times in six years, if you believe that the person most responsible for assault is the person who pissed off the bully. Minority governments DO and CAN work, but only when governments are prepared to actually work together. “The Harper Government” is not like that. There are examples of where minority governments work just fine (New Zealand, f’rinstance). Of where coalition governments work just fine (The Netherlands, Scotland, etc.). You know what they have in common? They’re not “The Harper Government”.

I don’t think he plays well with others. I think he failed that in kindergarten and never recovered.

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2 responses to “You might be sick of it”

  1. melistress Avatar
    melistress

    EXACTLY! I think some people have a real hard time understanding the meaning of “minority government”. The fact is that the majority of the people in Canada elected seats held by parties other than the controlling party. A minority government is only in control when the vote among all parties in the house of commons goes their way. It is the JOB of the opposition to OPPOSE when they feel the vote is not in the best interests of the citizens who elected them.

    I feel that the opposition has failed me by not opposing anything that wasn’t in my best interests before now.

    And it isn’t as if this didn’t happen under “Liberal Rule” either. The 2004 election lost the Liberals the majority. We have been having frequent elections ever since. There was a non-confidence vote from the opposition causing an election in 2006 which brought Harper into his state of perpetual minority. Why is it that only the Conservatives are allowed to take part in a non-confidence vote?

    The Conservatives aren’t getting their way because they don’t represent the majority of Canadians. Period. I wish everyone would just get over it. And if everyone would vote, it might just end this mayhem one way or the other. Don’t want the government to cost you about the amount of a cup of coffee in the name of democracy? Vote. And make sure SOMEONE gets a majority.

    P.S. Vote ABC!

    Reply
  2. Cheruby Avatar
    Cheruby

    I like minority governments. I like the idea of the government having to reach out to other elected MPs to find consensus and compromise. Since the last election, Harper hasn’t compromised. He’s been doing whatever he wants and betting that the Opposition won’t call an election because everybody is sick of elections. And then when it looks like he might be in trouble he shuts down Parliament.

    Lame.

    Reply

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