03.25.2011 10:36 AM

Not that it apparently matters anymore (updated)

…but I am absolutely astounded that Stephen Harper is not in the House of Commons to participate in the debate that will see the end of his government.

I mean, I know the confidence motion is all about contempt, but I didn’t expect Harper to personally provide evidence of same.

Amazing, depressing, take your pick.

UPDATE: And neither he nor Layton are there for the final Peter Milliken speech. What a disgrace.

45 Comments

  1. Emily says:

    ‘Not’ surprising.

  2. Harith says:

    He is, according to the tories, “focusing on the economy.”

  3. smelter rat says:

    Stephen Harper has no time for democracy. That could be a slogan!

  4. Ottawacon says:

    Not that surprising when you consider a big part of the Conservative electoral strategy will be to build around Harper’s perceived leadership/governing qualities – by the time this debate is done, I don’t think anyone actually in the House will look good, particularly on television. It will fit well into the meme of a government focused on real priorities rather than partisan games.

    Why have a John Baird if you are not going to use him?

    • hugger says:

      The Reformers need a new Robot with updated software. That old model continuously responds to questions with prerecorded messages that have nothing whatsoever to do with the question asked.

      Disassemble Johnny 5.

  5. lisa says:

    Disappointed but not surprised. The “Harper Government” has show nothing but contempt for Canadians and democracy since they took office. The reals shock annd surprise is that it doesn’t seem to bother people or even register with them.

  6. Dude Love says:

    I think he can technically prorogue while the debate is going on and then come back, announce prorogation before the vote.

  7. I fear this is going to be the dirtiest, ugliest and most divisive election in Canadian history.

    • Bingo Sean….one of the sad things is that Canadian political culture seems to be loosing the practice of dialogue to build understanding in favour of a Fox News mode of dealing with opponents. In the US the political animosity is palpable. They just yell at each other. Is that where Canada is headed? 24/7 Question Period, the “Mad Dog” Baird vs. the “Gorilla” Goodale Smack Down? There could be a YouTube satire here…

      Warren, if the NHL can ban head shots, can War Roomers start pushing for real political dialogue? Oh I getting delusional again…

    • Dirty? You think that Harper will bring back Puffin poop in this campaign?

      The last election was dirty enough…

  8. eattv says:

    This might haunt him in the debate:

    Harper: “We clearly did not want this election.”

    Random other leader: “How clear was it? You didn’t even show up to say no!”

    • Lance says:

      I wonder if we can apply similar logic to everything Ignatieff says he opposes about this government based upon his lousy level of attendance in the House and the Liberals habit of supporting or abstaininig on government motions for the past 5 years. But of course, that would be different

      • JenS says:

        What I’m noticing, Warren, is that the closer we come to an election, the more Cons are trolling it. Wonder why …

  9. Northern PoV says:

    The media should follow your lead and shows appropriate disgust at this snub.
    in the meantime Canadians should check out a group that can help end the Harper regime.
    Look for the Catch22 campaign and find out how you can help retake our country.

    • Rob H> says:

      the Catch22 is really pretty sad.

      I would rather vote for the party that I have faith in, knowing that they may not get elected, but also knowing that if nothing else, voting momentum could carry into the next election.

      Those who vote AGAINST a party, without any real support for who they are voting FOR are just pathetic.

      Three elections ago, in Alberta, I voted Liberal. Knowing full well it didn’t matter. But, there it is.

  10. fritz says:

    We’ll see Gord. The Tories may be trying to keep him away from any association of contempt charge; above the fray so to speak. I think him missing the vote would be a huge gift to the opposition but as I said we’ll see.

  11. James says:

    No Prime Minister has ever NOT been present when his/her Government was defeated.

    Another unprecedented move by Harper, showing utter contempt for Parliament. Disgusting.

  12. MH says:

    I admire leaders who do unprecedented thngs. Precedents are for lawyers and are very boring!! Let’s move on!!

  13. reformatory says:

    Air an ad making sure every Canadian knows about this slight– to keep hamering the democartic deficit isse.

  14. Ron in Ottawa says:

    well, there that story out of Abbotsford today about the NDP not voting to bring down the gov’t. A bit coincidental that both Harper and Layton go missing at the same time, wouldn’t you say.

  15. Emily says:

    Yeah, like three unprecendented contemptuous things in the history of Parliament. Of course you want to move on but The Harper Election MachineTM is mired in muck now.

  16. Lance says:

    Sorry, but some things are more important than the Speaker’s (distinguised as he is) little send off. Harper was just a tad busy at the time:

    https://twitter.com/eapr9/status/51334595181944833#

    Wooops.

  17. well says:

    http://money.ca.msn.com/savings-debt/gallery/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=28104267&page=1

    Let’s the game start

    We back to election game again
    can I say
    Oh Lord
    Oh allah
    oh god

    smell too much money for politican party
    loose or game

    for us like watch football game I am fan too really
    enjoy loose or win both are winner of money people pay them to play on the scene
    now if we study how much donation paid
    to MacCain and he gain $700 million private donation

    MAN he does not need any more election game
    he is already is billinar

    =====

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_the_United_States

    now we need to see in marketing wining success of election

    number of population is important
    like BLoomberg fight for 19 million population in New york with 100 million dollar spending
    like 5 times number of population he dis spend

    obama did 735 for 350 million population of US
    it mean two times of population spending to get succeed

    Harper did 19 million compare with 32 million canadian is less than 1 per population he did spent to succeed

    in 1987 population of US was very low in 2 century pupulation of US got 5 times bigger as US president spend
    Bush spent 370 million for his success for 350 million like 1 times of population to won presidency

    ===
    second factor is

    for that much spending of marketing
    how many vote they collected that is main issues
    if you spend and nobody elect you
    if we forgot all illegal vote was always made too much conspiracy

    we can add
    add one vote we give two times money free
    people go and vote for them

    then in result, if PM or president need vote need strategy and sell their vote too all people
    even minority Muslim has right to vote
    if some one
    give Muslim better life to live and less
    discrimination
    people get them vote
    end of each vote again they will collect money too

    consider miniority and majority right then they will wone all people has right to live happily every after right!
    stop all war in middle east among all relgion
    israel muslim christian and arab world immideitly find solution with less blood shieet
    ====

    finally
    if real amount spending for sake of
    advertisement

    why not let media group get rich of spend money for adverstise of who win and who loose here

    one thing you should not forget

    wining and marketing is last in the list cost is
    first you need to have product made
    then do some test to it
    then make sure how to get keys to customers
    then you pay marketing money to do compete with each other and fix problems for better customer service along the way like business

    politic is business in fact they gain too much money still
    Libya Qadafi is wining
    oh I made mitaek all arab and chineese area in east are wining big billion now
    compare with population

  18. Dave Roberts says:

    It isn’t a debate it’s a done deal. Who cares if Harper or Layton aren’t there.

    • Warren says:

      To show some fucking respect, that’s why.

      You never show up when any of your co-workers leave, or when family members move away?

      • Dave Roberts says:

        “You never show up when any of your co-workers leave, or when family members move away?”

        It would depend on your schedule wouldn’t it? Unless you have some proof that either one of them are blowing this off for a trivial reason your comment isn’t fair.

        • Namesake says:

          yeah, right, with the entire fate of the government and indeed their own jobs at stake happening in the House today, these two Parliamentary leaders had somewhere more important to be?

      • Michael Reintjes says:

        Do you really think that Jack and Harper will not meet with Mr Milliken?…I,m sure they will. It was very nice to see everyone come to the Speakers chair and wish Mr Milliken well….a nice moment in a crazy place.

      • Michael Bussiere says:

        Respect? Pass Harper the dictionary.

    • Lance says:

      Well, it doesn’t look good if you’re the leader of a political party and you don’t bother to give a public thank-you and farewell to probably and arguably the most effective Canadian speaker in our lifetime. Harper might have been dealing with some soldiers being killed though, but still, a few minutes to shake the speaker’s hand and say thanks is not going to kill him.

  19. Kasey says:

    Layton having operation knee.BCL

  20. Marc says:

    There must be a crisis – perhaps some kittens needed drowning…

  21. Ted says:

    Not being there for the debate that will end begin the end of his leadership is not surprising. That’s his typical arrogance and egotism combined with cowardice.

    But what is shameful is not being there for Milliken, the longest serving Speaker in our nation’s history. That kind of snub is petty and undignified and shameful and really really low class.

    • Ted says:

      I take it back.

      Harper has arrived to witness his government become the first government in the history of all of the British Commonwealth to be voted in contempt and concurrently voted out of office.

      Before sitting down he went over to shake Milliken’s hand. No speech or public thank you though.

  22. George says:

    Apparently Harper was a bit busy talking to the families of the two soldiers we lost today. I think that trumps both saying bye to Milliken and much else.

  23. George says:

    Ignore the previous post – my wife was wrong -really wrong. Apologies.

  24. Stewart says:

    Yes – a shocking display of contempt….but not quite on the scale of Adscam, or Shawinigate, or the HR Billion Dollar Boondogle.

  25. patrick DeBerg says:

    Steward

    Adscam was a bogus scandal. Shawinigate still leaves a supreme court demamding a source come to take ownership of his lies. And the HR scandal? In your own mind loser. Your CPC party intends to hit adscam numbers one million at a time. Hey Steward who fed the bullshi% about shawinigate to the media(national post) to blow conrad black? Oh the post still hasen’t realeased the name. Gutless bunch of cowards?? Man up and step up to the plate………….

  26. reformatory says:

    Harper is the poorest excuse for a PM we’ve ever had. How did this clown ever get to where he is… it will astound me forever! His 5 minutes are up. He has proven that he is nothing but a failure. He cannot run a parliament. How can one be PM and not be able to run parliament and cooperate with others. A model PM rises above the partisan fray and leads. Harper is a loser and a failure. Canadians expect and deserve better… it’s time to let more serious people in charge of our nations finances and trust. It’d time for Ignatieff and the LIBERAL PARTY OF CANADA, to rise to the challenge. Canada needs us right now… gather as many people as you can.. and lets roll to change Canada for the better.. this guy’s gotta go!

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