- Harper Doing the 'Con-con', Yet Again - Happy New Year- Out With Old & In With the New!

Posted: 12:51 & 12:49 PM on January 1, 2011
Now that the GG and Ignatieff agree on coalition government..., Norman Spector, Globe and Mail Blog, December 27, 2010
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/second-reading/spector-vision/now-that-the-gg-and-ignatieff-agree-on-coalition-government/article1850208/

"a Liberal Democrat coalition with Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s outgoing Labour Party — which had fallen from first to third place in the election -- would have been constitutionally valid, notwithstanding that its political legitimacy would have been seriously called into question. "

Right after the election when the Liberal-Democratic Party and the Labour Party were discussing a co-alition, I don't recall anyone, in the Press or otherwise, in England or here, seriously calling in to question, or calling into question at all, the legitimacy of such a co-alition. In fact, it seemed to me that the Press in England was promoting it as the most likely scenario, everything considered.

Harper's statement that only winners get to form co-alitions was made considerably after the fact and was, in reality, opportunistic, hyper-partisan spin - Harper doing the 'Con-con', yet again (Harper would have been more in place in a bygone era - Vaudville). Harper would not have dared to make such utterances while these initial negotiations were going on for good reason, he would have been put in his place, and quite properly.

Interestingly, the poll referred to at the end of this article suggests that had the Labour and the Liberal-Democrats formed a co-alition, they perhaps would be well ahead in popularity now.

Canadians are starting to realize just how much power the office of Prime Minister has through the Administrative Branch.

Power that is unchecked and unfettered by Parliament.

In actuality Harper has broken the sacred trust of the office of Prime Minister and instead of acting for the benefit of all Canadians and the best interests of Canada, as a nation, has, at all times, acted in an extreme partisan fashion for the benefit of a few, with Canada and Canadians be dam[redacted]ed.

Where is the legitimacy in that.

Harper and the Con's are a right wing party at the extreme of Canadian values. As Prime Minister, Harper is able to drag, and has been dragging, Canada to the extreme right, tearing asunder what it took our forefather generations to build, through their blood, sweat and tears. He is doing it through the administrative branch of government, unbalance by the legislative branch (Parliament).

Further, this pervasive and insidious movement to the extreme right is representative of the values of only a small minority of Canadians.

Harper is in this position not because the people of Canada want it. But, for two reasons:

Harper and the Con's have a fierce (die-hard) support by a small polarized fraction (right-wing extremists) of the population but large enough (33%) and focused enough (epi-centred Alberta) to get them in power and maintain it because all the other parties are even more polarized.

And,

with this 33% die-hard support, as long as the Harper policies do not consolidate the opposition then Harper can, and continues to, implement his right wing extremist program and policies that are strictly partizan with no concern for the good of Canada and Canadians.

Where is the legitimacy in that. It may be a political reality, but then so are dictatorships, but few claim them legitimate (except those in power, of course).

It is Harper's tearing this county apart that lacks legitimacy and other Parties joining together in a co-alition, whether the Con's finished first or not, is not only legitimate, but necessary if we are to save Canada and our way of life.

excerpt: Lloyd MacILquham cicblog.com/comments.html