- Harper's ' Own the Parliament ' Strategy

Posted: 3/1/2010 10:45:56 AM The Globe and Mail

Prorogation 'lit the fuse,' but is furor fizzling? Campbell Clark, Mar. 01, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/prorogation-lit-the-fuse-but-is-furor-fizzling/article1485006/ Tab 11

Never mind whether ' Own the Podium ' has been successful how about Stephen Harper and the Con's ' Own The Parliament ' strategy?

Prorogation was a cold blooded, self-serving, totally politically motivated act, of a nature that we have come to expect from Stephen Harper and his Con's, the Canadian people be Damned.

Also, every one knows the real reason for Proroguing is to try to shut down investigation of the Afghan Detainee Transfer and ensuing cover-up scandal and put some distance behind it. It was either face the music now or face the music later. Harper chose later since, it couldn't be much worse. (After seeing the huge upswell against him and his government because of Prorogation, Harper is now trying to say that he was talked into it and really did want to do it - the 'Devil Made Me Do It' defence)

And, of course, perhaps in the meantime he could convince Canadians of what a great Prime Minister he is by, for example, suggesting that if were not for Harper spending countless (on because the actual amounts are redacted by the Harper government) billions on converting Canada's military to a 'fighting machine', so that he, MacKay, O'Connor, et al, could 'associate themselves' with the military and play soldier, the World would have fallen short in their assistance of Haiti after the earthquake. Harper made this revelation in Haiti the other day - "To do soft power, you need hard power", wow, what a Zen Master, Yoda step aside. He chose Haiti to do this, of course, so the Canadian Media and Opposition Parties could not confront him with the error in his thinking.

Now I am sure Harper will tout how he is responsible for Canada great showing at the Olympics - who knows how, perhaps Harper will explain that his heavy handed abuse of Canadian Democratic Institutions, in-your-face statesmanship and hyper political self-serving served as an inspiration to all.

(By the way, congratulations to all the Olympic competitors for making such a great Games, and to all the Canadians, especially our Hockey Teams - it serves as a great example of what the nations of the world can achieve despite politics).

It is not the political power that is the problem it is the people, Harper and the Cons, to whom we entrusted power, wielding it solely for political purposes.

We can see this with Harper's abuse of the Prorogation power as well. This power has been in the hands of every Prime Minister of Canada since Confederation, including PM who had very large majorities, like Brian Mulroney and Jean Chrétien.

It is only with Harper that we have this crisis in Canadian Democracy and call to bring in rules to limit the arbitrary and self-serving abuse of power by the PM.

It is not the rules that need changing it is the leadership.

The big difference with Harper and the Con's compared to previous governments is that 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.

Harper is only concerned with power, obtaining it, consolidating it and maintaining it, the Good of Canada be damned.

Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html