- Harper in Conext, For all the non-Canadian Readers

Harper goes prorogue, Jan 7th 2010
http://www.economist.com/opinion/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15213212 Tab 5

For all the non-Canadian readers, here is some context:

Proroguing Parliament is outrageous and a very dangerous precedent. As pointed out. Now anytime the PM gets his government into trouble they simply has to prorogue. This will have a neutering effect on Parliament and marginalize it to the point of being irrelevant. Without Parliament, who will be in a position to keep Harper and the Con's in check. There is no other Institution that has the right to obtain the information, present it to Canadians and actually do something about it.

It is common knowledge that Harper has the greatest contempt for all Canada's Democratic institutions and is systematically dismantling this nation and abandoning its responsibilities leaving the Provinces to fill the void. To see just exactly what he has planned we simply have to look at what he has done.

Harper caused serious disruption to Parliament and its Committees, obstructing and responding only with insults instead of any serious discussion. He then called an election contrary to the spirit of his legislation, claiming that Parliament is dysfunctional - neat trick, make it dysfunctional and then use that to justify his anti-democratic actions.

Soon Harper will claim Canada is dysfunctional and defer entirely to the Provinces.

The power to do these things has always been there, especially for PM's that have a majority, or even a large majority. So, why is Harper doing this, whereas Mulroney and Chrétien didn't. One need only consider that the previous PM's had the interests of Canada, all Canadians and the future of this nation, at heart.

Whereas, Harper's base is in Alberta. They make up the die-hardest of his supporters, and perhaps the source of the lion's share of the Con's funding. Harper, from the start has done everything to increase Alberta' autonomy and protect its oil industry, and Canada be damned - this is nowhere more apparent than Harper's policies on Global Warming. Natural Resources Department assessment indicates that the projected increase to economic growth from the oil industry is $885 billion between 2000 and 2020, including growth of $634 billion in Alberta. Just imagine how much the benefit would remain in Alberta if there were no Federal taxes. Then there is the transfer payments, which would be hugely increased, that would be done away with. You do the math.

Note that: "where much is decided at the provincial level" is 'Con[servative] code' for the above.

As far as Afghanistan Detainee Transfer Scandal, Harper may be able to Prorogue Parliament. But, he can't Prorogue the the International Criminal Courts at the Hague - those 'For whom the Gavel Falls' - must answer.

How do you get a seat as an onlooker at the Int'l Criminal Court, anyway. Do they sell tickets? Do you to book in advance? Are there Scalpers? Can you apply to be on the prosecution team? Pro Bono? I asked MacKay, you were Foreign Affairs Minister, to check that out for me, but I haven't heard back, yet. Any of your reading know. Thanks.

Lloyd MacIlquham cicblog.com/comments.html