- Harper - uncontrolled and unfettered abuse of power of a dictatorial nature

Submitted: 9:56am PST, 13 Feb.'10 - CBC
Ahoy, procedural geeks! Reading between the lines of the Liberal response to Gordon O'Connor, Kady O'Malley, February 12, 2010
http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/02/ahoy-procedural-geeks-reading-between-the-lines-of-the-liberal-response-to-gordon-oconnor.html 30 Posts

"Then again, can anyone really imagine the Liberals, at least, demonstrating sufficient collective spine to actually force the government to recognize the supremacy of Parliament before allowing the finance minister to deliver his speech?"

Come now Katty.

Can anyone really imagine that you have any basis for making such a accusation.

You're not trying to be manipulative are you.

Why not come right out and demand that Parliament make Harper and the Con's subject themselves to the Will of Parliament, formally stand up in the Commons and admit guilt and accept whatever punishment Parliament may, in its wisdom, determine just and fair.

Parliament could also (Rule of Law, Supremacy of Parliament, etc) introduce a Bill placing restrictions on the PM regarding Prorogation.

However, it is a black mark on Canadian Democracy when Parliament has such little trust in the sitting Prime Minister and his party that such legislation would have to be brought in. We as a Nation have been able to get by without such legislative restriction on the sitting Prime Minister up till now. What is so different now from say Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien who had large majorities and could easily have abused their power but didn't.

The previous PM's had the interests of Canada, all Canadians and the future of this nation, at heart. Harper has dedicated his career in public life to tearing asunder Confederation. Soon Harper will be saying that the Federal Government is dysfunctional and disband Confederation.

Much of the actions by the Prime Minister are based on 'Customary law' as opposed to legislative law. I have had numerous arguments with people who suggest that Customary law is just as binding as Legislative Law. It's not and this is a prime example of the problems with Customary Law. It works well as long as the people in office ultimately have the good of the Nation before them. The basic assumption is anyone who has spent much of their public life trying to tear asunder Confederation will not become Prime Minister. This, of course, is not the present case.

Similar reasoning applies to Harper request to the Governor General last year as well. The GG ought to have allowed the non-Confidence vote last year and then entertained all sides' arguments for what to do next. The Office of GG is subject to the Will of Parliament and not the Whim of the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister's power to select the GG does not mean that it answers simply to the Prime Minister. The GG's Office was not designed to be a figure head. The Governor General's function is to be a last resort to such abuse of power by the Prime Minister. When this fails we end up in the position we have today - uncontrolled and unfettered abuse of power by the PM of a dictatorial nature.

It would appear that the suitable remedy, everything considered, would be (along with the mea culpa and carrying out the Will of Parliament) Parliament requiring clear and concise promise from Harper that he will seek the approval of Parliament in future to any such major decisions, that are currently under the 'rule of custom of the office of PM' , as Prorogation of Parliament.

Given Harper's track record of doing everything in the extreme and for political, partizan considerations only, the good of Canada be Damned, the appointment and discharge of Parliamentary Officials and heads of bodies that are the 'prerogative' of the PM be approved by Parliament, along with their proper operation, should be covered by this requirement as well.

So too Harper ought to seek the approval of Parliament when it comes to cutting funding for various groups and those required to testify in an effort to shed light on Harper and the Con's dark corners - I should say carryings on

One need only consiered the following to conclude that the above restrictions on harper and teh Con's actions is just and fair: Canada's parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page, Linda Keen, the head of the Nuclear Safety Commission, RCMP's Public Complaints Commission and the Military Police Complaints Commission, cut off public funding for the ecumenical charitable group KAIROS, lashed out at public servants - like Richard Colvin, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html