— Musings —08.12.2021 08:50 PM
Tomorrow’s Sun front
— Musings —08.12.2021 08:50 PM
On Monday… Mary Simon… in an astonishingly fast three weeks… will become the most disgraced Governor General in the history of Canada. That’s the price you pay for saying “yes” to a Justin appointment.
Sean,
Maybe so. But how can she say No? Michaëlle Jean tried to cool Harper’s heels for two hours and look how that one turned out. The GG has absolutely no choice but to comply. There is absolutely no valid constitutional foundation or convention to do otherwise.
Different plate of fish really, Harper was requesting prorogation to avoid an election. Castro is requesting an election to avoid ……?…….
If the GG is just a figurehead why are we spending so much money on such pomp and circumstances?
There is legitimate reason to refuse the election but she would need evidence that the other parties could have the confidence of the house and form a government.
The conservative/socialist/separatist government doesn’t sound like much of an option and they don’t seem to be coalescing in that direction.
Singh has made a solid case that he will continue to support the government so that’s the only argument for the GG to deny an election.
Telling one leader that he can’t get what he wants because he has an ally? It all sounds rather kindergarten like. Maybe a wise elderly woman can straighten them out but will she?
I would love the GG sticking it to the gropenfuhrer I just don’t see it.
Phil,
Remember what happened in the 1970s in Australia. That caused a firestorm and put an end to the concept of an activist governor general. A lot of people paid a severe price during that constitutional crisis but no one more so than the GG himself.
Phil,
We are constitutionally dead in the water because of that political sham of a constitution that was adopted in 1982. It entrenched all of our federal institutions without substantial possibility of amendment. In short, we are permanently deadlocked and cannot modify the charge of the monarch, GG, the Senate etc. because of this political travesty.
No debate here, as long as the nation survives (let’s see what happens with four more years of incompetent corruption) we are constitutionally dead in the water. I think though we are a little more Canadian where the Aussie’s are a little more American in their love of the mother country’s institutions. Again I would love to see the Trudeau -Simon affair unfold, it won’t but I am not so sure we would be that upset if the PM were told to come back in a year or so. No-one but Castro wants this.
I agree it was a very different situation in 2008-09. An election had just been held only a few months ago. Part of the equation was that the GG was obliged to allow the opposition a chance to govern. Same as King – Byng. The prorogation was partly to see if the coalition government would just fly apart at the seems if slam bang Cabinet appointments weren’t being made within 72 hours. And it did fly apart. No limousines = no coalition and so forth.
In this situation I think the GG has the prerogative to deny an election because there is no evidence the Government is about to imminently fall. Bills are being passed. Most importantly, the budget was passed. The Government has the confidence of the House and that’s really all that matters.
Sean,
I have to respectfully disagree. The position of GG is all sizzle and no steak vested in a panoply of powers that are an anathema to a parliamentary democracy. You said it yourself, right now Trudeau HAS the confidence of the House and as such can legitimately request an election. He has no further bar to meet. What he requests must be granted, period. They could have defeated him from Day One since 2019 but they chose not too. Just look at the fixed election law with prime ministerial discretion so large you could drive a truck right through it. As much as I can no longer stomach that smug little bastard, he’s absolutely on solid constitutional ground. So, Your Excellency, kindly defer to the PM’s wishes and let’s have at it.
JPHB,
Excellent.
For the record, I’m still predicting a Liberal defeat on September 20th. They must be shitting their pants after the NANOS numbers.
The following will swing the votes to Trudeau:
a) A lot more free stuff
b) Expect to see abortion, abortion, abortion, with lots of media pieces showing conservatives will end or restrict abortion.
c) Gun violence ads. Only the Liberals will restrict guns, thus making it safer for women.
d) Expect Liberals to continually say the Cons were impeding Parliament. The media will amplify this talking point.
Agreed. Friends of mine auto-repeat the “scary Conservatives/Hidden Agenda” crap like the barnyard inhabitants from Orwell’s Animal Farm bleating 4 legs good, 2 legs bad. This has been so deeply drilled into their heads that they are incapable of critically evaluating the premise, facts or actual historical record.
Peter,
You and Doc are correct in a 2014 context. That makes you both dead wrong in a 2016 context. Change in Ottawa is on the way.
Be hilarious if he changed his mind and didn’t call an election.
Not a chance. If he backs down now he’ll look like a coward. You think the oppo was making their life miserable now? Wait and see what happens if he backs down!
Although if Simon channels lord Byng and says “no”… Well… That will be a fabulous, epic shit show for the ages that no one will know how to handle and every political junkie will think they woke up in heaven on Monday morning.
Remember how roughly a third of Liberals stayed home when Michael was leader? Well this time, expect close to 40% to give the election a pass. Why am I smiling?
Interesting that that’s basically what happened to the US Democrats in 2016 with Hillary — a lot of Democrats either sat on their hands and didn’t vote at all (particularly Bernie supporters) or voted third party.
What a shock — you have a really shitty candidate with all kinds of negatives, it suppresses your side’s turnout.
Doc,
Well, I still preferred Hillary and supported her but let’s face it: Hillary Rosen should have never really apologized. HRC gives a truly unique meaning to the phrase high maintenance. To this day I’m still surprised she didn’t cut Bill’s balls off. And the way she went after those women…speaks volumes.
And then there was Sam Power…LOL.